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The big trend right now in fragrance is gourmand, or food-based aromas, according to perfume expert Mandy Aftel. So what does it all mean anyway? Are you a floral kind of gal or does chypre do it for you? In case you're uncertain, check out six of some of the more popular fragrance category definitions below. Then, impress your friends with your olfactory group knowledge about the "juice" — Read more
As the name might suggest, the citrus family of fragrances includes such notes as bergamot, lemon, orange, tangerine and grapefruit. Typically, other parts of the orange tree (petit grain, orange blossoms, and/or neroli oil) are added, which lend a slightly exotic feel. Words used to describe these types of refreshing fragrances are: fresh, light, tangy, crisp, sharp, energizing, and uplifting. Read more
When it comes to women's perfume, orientals are one of the more intense, longer lasting fragrance groups. Warm, sensual, exotic, and spicy, orientals are composed of rich notes such as musk, vanilla, balsam, and oakmoss. Floral types (aka, florientals) are naturally softer, while spicier versions can include nutmeg, cinnamon, and/or clove. This type of fragrance doesn't mess around. A great Read more
Fougère, which means "fern" in French, is a fragrance family including fresh, floral, herbaceous and woody/warm elements, typically blended with notes like: bergamot, oakmoss, lavender, coumarin (tonka bean), sandalwood, and geranium. While a fern doesn't have a distinctive smell per se, this particular fragrance classification implies a mossy green, forest-like aroma. Pronounced "foozh-air," Read more
While it's not an exact science, fragrances can be separated into various categories, or olfactory groups, if you will. Florals comprise the most popular and largest group of all of the perfume blends. Often carefully mixed with elements of fruity, spicy, or powdery notes, florals are known for their natural smoothness and feminine, romantic qualities. Florals can be delicately blended together Read more
If you're a "foodie" like Yum, a gourmand is someone who truly appreciates good food. In Bella's world, however, gourmand is a classification of the fragrance kind. While often associated with sweeter notes, gourmand fragrances encompass edible, food-flavored aromas, such as coffee, cupcake, whiskey, chocolate, almond, caramel, vanilla, and even cotton candy. Sweet or spicy, gourmand fragrances Read more
Chypre — that's French for cyprus — is a family of fragrances featuring fresh notes (usually citrus) blended with herbaceous, woody-animalic notes like patchouli, oakmoss, and/or labdanum. Woody and warm, chypres often have leatherish characteristics, and are often paired with fruity or floral notes. Since Coty's 1917 perfume called Chypre was so wildly popular, the term chypre (pronounced Read more
When buying products, reading labels may be one of the best ways to figure out if something contains chemicals that you'd rather not be exposed to. But a study released today found chemicals that may increase your risk of developing cancer or disrupt reproduction in many products, and many of those chemicals weren't listed on product labels. The study, partly funded by the US Centers for Disease Read more
Private Practice star Kate Walsh is also a perfume impresario, and she just came out with her second scent, Billionaire Boyfriend. We recently talked to Kate about what it's really like to design a celebrity fragrance, what scents she associates with actual boyfriends, and whether she has any intention of following in Justin Bieber's footsteps. Check out the world premiere of her newest Read more
Iconic (and often knocked-off) leather goods brand Louis Vuitton has hired perfumer Jacques Cavallier-Belletrud to come up with its first scent in decades, and now the beauty world is abuzz with speculation about what kind of scent Vuitton will come out with. Cavallier-Belletrud is a third-generation scentmaker from Grasse, France, (perhaps the world's most famed perfume region), and he's the Read more
