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CLASSIFICATION OF THE OLFACTORY FAMILIES

We have tried to simplify at most the classification of the olfactory families.
We have made a personal interpretation, each of us having a different sensibility according to his or her culture, his or her own knowledge or olfactory memory.

We have listed 6 main families, to be declined into sub - families.

HESPERIDE FAMILY

This family, the oldest one, groups together “unisex” Cologne and most fresh fragrances.
In these compositions, one exploits the freshness of sparkling citrus fruits: Lemon, Bergamot, Mandarin, and Grapefruit.

The perfume « CK One » launched in 1994, has revitalised and modernised this family with the presence of Floral and Musky touches. Those are powerful fixatives.

FLORAL FAMILY

It is by far the most important and the most prolific family. It concerns essentially feminine creations and covers a vast number of themes: from the soliflore note (Lily of the valley, Jasmine, Rose, Tuberose) to the Oriental Floral note, through aquatic, fruity or spicy notes.

New technologies allow capturing the scents of live flowers, and thus offer to the perfumers a wider variety.

The Floral family is declined into 6 sub-families :

Floral Fresh : A green top note with a "cut herb " or " leaf "connotation, will give a more incisive coolness. Rose Land Tender is a sparkling floral bouquet creation to be classified into this family.

Floral aquatic transparent : This theme mixes elements which evoke purity of water or the delicacy of an aquatic flower (Water lily) or a waterfruit (Watermelon).
Love Scent in this sense is a beautiful creation.

Floral Aldehyde : The aldehydes are really powerful syntheses. Chanel n°5 is unmistakably the Floral Aldehyde leader. Very fashionable in the 70s, this family is less prolific nowadays.
In the recent creations, aldehydes do not represent the character dominating but give power and body to the fragrance.

Floral Oriental or Florienta : Sweet touch like Orange Blossom or smooth and powdery notes, bring sensuality to the floral note.
Predilection Dreams, Rose Valley, Elmira, Inadvert women et Princesse du Sahara express by different ways this harmony.

Floral Spicy : The floral theme is sublimated by a spicy touch: Carnation, Bay Rose, Cloves, Pepper, Cardamom and Nutmeg. Such notes are to be appreciated with fragrances such as Tender Estolia and Green scent.

Floral Fruity : This theme, very in fashion, uses elements as scents of Peach, Apricot, Apple and Raspberry, which harmonise in the floral tonality and confer to it a playful and youthful side.
Be seduced by Incidence, Silver Ring, Secret Flowers, Vert Delice, Koudju desire, Rose Land and Lorinda.

CLASSIFICATION OF THE OLFACTORY FAMILIES

ORIENTAL FAMILY

The oriental fragrances are charming: they use Hesperides, Flowers and Fruits, then enhance them with balsamic, vanilla, musks or sweet woody notes.

The Oriental family declines into 3 sub-families :

Oriental Woody : The wood is very present in the heart and the dry down, as Sandalwood of Mysore, Vetiver of Java, which bring sweetness and sensual delights.
Perfumes such as Pretty Rose for women fragrances, Inadvert Men, Longsight One or the very masculine Armada Black, will seduce you.

Oriental Gourmand : This relatively recent theme introduced by "Angel", includes notes which present a gustative character such as Chocolate, Coffee, Liquorice or Praline.
In the heart of this mystery, we have created Red Pearl, Only Me and Dauphine.

Oriental Balsamic : This theme less used nowadays, generated the most enchanting or disrupting fragrance while using legendary scents from the East and the Resins from Arabia: Myrrh, Incense, Opoponax.

CHYPRE FAMILY

The Chypre accord is a contrast between a Floral (Rose, Jasmine) or Fresh Citrusy Top note (Bergamot, Orange) and an Oak Moss - Patchouli dry down.

The Chypre often gives an impression of « hard » notes. It is important to follow the dry down, in order to appreciate its richness and quality. Moreover, it is better to try them on your skin because of their magnificent longlasting.

The Chypre generated very elegant and renowned perfumes such as «Aromatic Elixir» or «Aramis».

The Chypre Family is declined into 3 sub-families :

Chypre Floral : Dominance of the Rose or the Jasmine in the top or in the heart.
Doriane and Sanderling stay by excellence examples of such creation.

Chypre Fruity : Presence of fruity scents in the top or in the heart. Namely: Apricot, Red Fruits and Peach that considerably soften and jazz up the Chypre accord.
Softness and personality for a Woman like Ludiana.

Chypre Leathery : Presence of dry down notes reminding leather smell (Birch, Tobacco, Smoke).
They are sometimes associated with «animal »notes that give them a terribly sexy facet.

FOUGERE FAMILY

This family concerns essentially masculine creations.

The Fougere Family is an accord that combines Hesperides, Lavender, Geranium with Oak moss, vetiver or Coumarine.

The success of « R of Rabanne » or « Azzaro » allowed this family to assert itself and evolve.
While remaining so virile, the Fougere grew rich of Floral and Oriental tones, even “gourmand”.

This Family, very dynamic, is in constant evolution.

The Fougere Family is declined into 3 sub- families :

Fougere Aromatic : The "aromatic" effect at the top is given by natural products resulting essentially from the Mediterranean basin: Lavender, Basil, Thyme, Rosemary, Mint, Anise.
In this family, we propose perfumes with strong character such as Chateau Noir, Cyrus, Longsight silver or even Natural Mystic.

Fougere Aquatic: Here, some "coolness" elements evoke the sea, the running water or still water fruit. Discover Style and elegance with Author sport and Flyback.

Fougere Oriental : In this sub-family, one discovers very signed fragrances for strong personality; the masculine products, dare using vanilla powdered elements of the feminine scents.
They knew how to seduce you : Lithium Red, Nimitz, Diplomate pour Homme et Thallium.

WOODY FAMILY

It is a fully evolved family which asserts itself in the olfactory landscape; an essentially masculine universe.

The concept is built around Wood warm sweet notes as Sandalwood and Patchouli, or around drier woods as Cedar or Vetiver.

The recent creations in this family revealed very powerful products like « Gucci pour Homme » from Gucci or more recently « Silver Black » from Azzaro.

The Woody Family is declined into 3 sub-families :

Woody aquatic : Coolness is brought in top by a well marked "marine" or "water fruit "note.
Just like Old Dry and French Club.

Woody Floral : A floral note, as Violet for example, will soften the woody accord.
In our collection, you will discover this kind of innovating fragrance for Men with Officer and Pilotage, and with Secret Flowers Blue for women.

Woody Spicy : Spices used in the heart or in the dry down emphasise the woody accord or assert it more and add personality to the product.
Those are perfumes such as Author, Chairman, Caladium or even Rich Man.

OLFACTORY PYRAMID – How a fragrance is built

The Start or Top note - it is time for Seduction

It is the first olfactory sensation perceived when opening the bottle, or when spraying on the skin.
The one that is supposed to provoke a heart blow.
They are generally volatile notes: Hesperide, Floral, Green.

The Heart or Heart note - it is the Love Story or the Romance

It is the scent which reveals itself few seconds later, and which translates the main theme of the fragrance (Floral, Oriental, Woody, Fougere, etc.)

The Dry Down or Dry down note - it is the key to customer fidelity

It is what stays after evaporation, even several hours later.
We discover the Woody, Ambery, Balsamic and Musk notes.

We propose two examples of "olfactory pyramid" which illustrate a feminine scent "Rose Valley" and a male scent "Nimitz ".

You can notice that the construction of the pyramid is different in both cases:

For “Rose Valley”, belonging to the Floriental Family,
The three olfactory elements, top, heart and dry down, divide up in the following manner:

- Top: 25 % Fruity harmony
- Heart: 45 % Floral harmony
- Dry down: 30 % Oriental harmony

We shall evoke here a fragrance with floral dominance.

For Nimitz, belonging to the Fougere Oriental Family,
The distribution of these three elements is as follows:

- Top: 15 % Fruity harmony
- Heart: 40 % Floral Lavender Geranium harmony
- Dry down: 45 % Woody Ambery harmony

We shall evoke here a very powerful Fougere
(Geranium-Lavender / Sandalwood-Patchouli-Vetiver Harmony)

Certain constructions as Woody Spicy ones, have an even more reduced top notes, we enter "directly" in the heart of the fragrance. A contrario, the top will be very important in a typical “Fresh Water” scent, where the perfumer will bet on the power of Hesperides or Green notes.

THE VARIOUS CONCENTRATION OR DOSAGE

Eau de Cologne 3 - 5 %
Eau de Toilette 8 – 12 %
Eau de parfum 12 - 18 %
Parfum (extract) 18 - 30 %

These concentrations are just indications, they may vary according to countries and cultures.

Products will have higher concentrations in the United States than in Japan or Spain which remains today faithful to traditional Eau de Cologne or Eau Fraiche.

The current general tendency is to concentrate more, as well the masculine products as the feminine ones.