Measured: Families follow the fragrance wheel, while strength is set separately by concentration. That runs from eau de cologne at roughly 2 to 5 percent perfume oil up to parfum at roughly 20 to 30 percent.
The basics
What to know about fragrance family
Fragrance families sort perfumes by dominant character. The common map is the fragrance wheel, a chart first published by Michael Edwards in 1992. It has four main groups, floral, amber, woody and fresh, plus blended families sitting between neighbors. Houses and retailers organize their own shelves slightly differently. Treat the family as a way to narrow a search from thousands to dozens rather than as a specification.
Family and strength are separate facts. Family tells you what a fragrance smells like. Concentration tells you how much perfume oil sits in the alcohol, which sets intensity and wear time. Eau de cologne runs roughly 2 to 5 percent, and eau de toilette roughly 5 to 15. Higher up, eau de parfum runs roughly 15 to 20, and parfum or extrait roughly 20 to 30. Those bands are industry convention rather than regulation, and each house sets its own.
Note weight counts as much as concentration. Small molecules such as citrus peel oils evaporate within 30 minutes, while resins, woods and musks can hold all day. A woody eau de toilette often outlasts a citrus eau de parfum. Test on skin rather than paper and wait four hours before deciding, because your own skin heat and oil change the result.
