Over the years just about anything that has an odor has been used to create perfumes. As you can imagine some of these creations were not very well received but over time a primary group of scents has emerged as being the most popular.

These Olfactive families, as they are called by perfumers, are really groups of different scents that have been combined over time to become the primary base scents used to make your favorite modern day perfume or cologne. Each of these families can be broken down further into sub-families with the addition of other scents to create even more complex fragrances.

The most popular families, or accords, of modern day fragrances are:

Floral

Over half of all women’s fragrances fall into the Floral family because they are suitable for all occasions and easy to wear. They are based on one or more types of flowers depending on the scent but occasionally they are made up of a single flower.

Chypre

Chypre is the French word for Cypress and is also the name of the first perfume to use this family of scents. Oakmoss, Jasmine and the citrus scent Bergamot make up this family and it is often blended with other families to create new complex scents. Chypre has an earthy yet fruity smell to it and may contain a hint of leather.

Fougere

Many popular men’s colognes are based on the Fougere family. Coumarin (the sweet smell of freshly cut hay), lavender and oakmoss are the primary ingredients in this scent.

Leather

As the name implies this family’s main scent is Leather based with hints of honey and wood and is usually found in men’s colognes.

Woody

Primarily used in men’s cologne Cedar and Sandalwood make up this family. Woody will often have a hint of citrus scent added to it.

Orientals

Bright floral scents along with vanilla and musk make this family one of the most popular in women’s fragrance making today.

Citrus

Lime, lemon and orange as well as some select spices make up this popular family. Citrus is used in both men’s and women’s fragrances and has a light fresh smell.