To make it easier for you to find new fragrances you'll love to wear, we have done the research and have determined the simplest way to explain the different types of fragrances is to use the help of fragrance expert Michael Edwards Fragrance Wheel ©. His Fragrance Wheel©, an internationally recognized classification system breaks fragrance scents down into major four fragrance groups – Floral, Oriental, Woody and Fresh notes – from there the groups are broken down into 12 distinct families. The fragrance families hold the key to your likes and dislikes. To give yourself a better understanding of what fragrances you prefer all one needs to do is understand which fragrance family the scent belongs too.

Citrus: is made from the zest of lemons, mandarins, bergamot, oranges and grapefruit. The citrus oils give these fragrances their unique, tangy, flavorful aroma.

Fragrance: light, refreshing

Green: offer outdoor imagery. Green fragrances capture the distinct scents of fresh-cut grass and violet leaves.

Fragrance: sharp, formal

Water: Offers the aromatic scent of soft sea breezes and the sparkling aroma of fresh air after a thunderstorm. The water notes are more often used as an accent to enliven florals, orientals and woody fragrances.

Fragrance: soft, fresh, clean

Floral: Florals remain the most popular fragrance family. They range from the scent of a single flower to complex combinations of invigorating mixed bouquets. Headspace technology has given perfumers an flood of exciting new floral notes: allowing the perfumers to identify and clone the scent of blooms from which no oil can be extracted by traditional methods.

Fragrance: Flowers, Soft

Floral: The combination of radiant aldehydes and delicate flowers create a family of soft, often powdery, abstract florals. Aldehydes are found naturally in rose and citrus oils, but in such minuscule amounts that they have to be re-created in the laboratory. Ordinarily, their natural scent is not pleasant often having sharp, metallic fragrances, while others contain a burnt, waxy aroma of a just-snuffed candle. When mixed with florals, however, and their subtle magic makes the blossoms sing. Fragrance: Powdery, Soft Floral

Oriental: Spicy orange flower notes, meld with tangy aldehydes and sweet spices to create the back bone of a Floral Oriental fragrance.

Fragrance: Subtle, Soft

Soft Oriental: Incense adds sensual overtones to fragrant flowers, spices, and amber to create a milder style of Oriental. The base notes of a modern Soft Oriental are not as sweet or as heavy as a true Oriental.

Fragrance: Soft, Flowers & Spices

Oriental: Heavy, blends of oriental resins, opulent flowers, sweet vanilla, and musks are introduced by refreshing citrus, green or fruity top notes.

Fragrance: Sensual, Heavy, Strong

Woody Oriental: Composed of Oriental notes and the potent scents of patchouli and sandalwood. This family emphasizes the woody character of Floral Orientals. The key difference is that their flowers and spices play second string to the dominant sandalwood and/or patchouli notes. The Oriental influence is more noticeable, too, and balances the deep wood notes.

Fragrance: Woody, Floral

Mossy Woods: Composed of oakmoss, woods and citrus Chypre fragrances.

Fragrance: Foresty, Outdoors

Dry Woods: Mossy-woody fragrance takes on a drier personality with the addition of cedar, tobacco and burnt wood notes. The Dry Woods family is often called Leather. Fresh citrus notes play an important role in most Dry Woods fragrances, lightening the deep, almost animalistic base notes.

Fragrance: Leather, Tobacco

Aromatic: This is the universal fragrance family, with sexy cool-warm notes of citrus and lavender, sweet spices and oriental woods. Fragrance: Zesty, Fresh Woody, Floral oriental Combination Woods: Woody scents are dominated by combinations of cedar, patchouli, pine, sandalwood and vetiver.

Fragrance: Outdoorsy, Woody

Remember to use this information as a guide. Nothing is ever set in stone, but understanding where and what composes a fragrance helps in determining how to select, how long the fragrance will last, and when to wear a particular fragrance.