A perfume typically unfolds in three phases: top note, heart note, and base note. Each phase reveals specific scent components that are usually grouped thematically or olfactorily. At the same time, these layers indicate how a fragrance evolves over time – from the first spray to the deep lingering trail on your skin.

Your personal style, preferences, and lifestyle play a key role when it comes to finding the right perfume. It’s important to recognize this and define your scent preferences accordingly. Should they reflect something playful or something clear-cut and bold? Do you want the fragrance to be immediately noticeable, heavy, with strong sillage – or would you prefer something more intimate, a scent that only reveals itself when someone gets close? Should it be a subtle signature or more of a bold statement?

To make it easier to navigate the world of fragrances, it helps to start with a few basic scent categories. The deeper you dive in, the more nuanced things get – you'll begin to recognize combinations of scent families that form their own distinct genres. For a first orientation, we find the process of elimination to be the most reliable method. In the second step, you can explore which of the remaining scent genres resonates most with you—and then break those down further into the said combinations.

We roughly distinguish between the following scent categories:

Floral fragrances often simply called “flowery” are based on scent notes derived from blossoms or blossom-like accords. Classics like rose, jasmine, iris, tuberose, lavender, or violet are among the most well-known representatives, but the floral family is much broader. Notes like orange blossom, ylang-ylang, magnolia, or freesia also shape many compositions. Depending on how they’re combined, floral notes can come across as powdery, creamy, green, or surprisingly fresh – they often give a perfume a soft, elegant, or luminous character.

Fresh fragrances live up to their name: they deliver an invigorating kick and come across as crisp, clean, or cool. These compositions often rely on citrus notes like bergamot, lemon, or grapefruit. But green accords such as mint, eucalyptus, basil, or green tea leaves also play a key role. Other fresh scent notes include cucumber, watermelon, aquatic accords, or light florals like neroli.

Spicy fragrances are often associated with the classic image of so-called oriental perfumes – even though the term “oriental” is increasingly viewed critically. Typical notes include cinnamon, clove, pepper, cardamom, or nutmeg, often paired with smoky accords like incense or leather. Warm woods such as sandalwood or cedarwood also play a central role. These fragrances usually feel deep, warm, and sensual – often accompanied by a sweet undertone. But with the right blend, they can also come across as unexpectedly fresh, crisp, or elegantly dry.

Woody fragrances evoke walks in the open air – fresh-cut wood, damp earth, and resinous bark. They're also often associated with the crackling of a fireplace on cold days. These scents feel grounded, dry, often slightly rough, and sometimes warm and balsamic. Typical notes include cedarwood, sandalwood, vetiver, patchouli, or oud.

Sweet or creamy fragrances shouldn’t be confused with so-called gourmand scents (more on those later). A sweet, creamy fragrance isn’t necessarily sugary or dessert-like – it often results from a blend of floral, fruity, or spicy notes. Accords like tonka bean, benzoin, vanilla (in subtle doses), osmanthus, or ripe fruit notes such as peach, pear, or plum bring a soft sweetness. Creamy facets, on the other hand, often come from white florals like tuberose, jasmine, or gardenia, but also from sandalwood, cashmeran, musk, or milky accords.

Aquatic fragrances are fresh, airy, and understated – making them perfect for everyday wear or hot days. They combine bright notes like lemon, mint, or salty accords with ozonic, water-like elements that evoke sea breeze, clear air, or the moment after a summer rain. These notes are often paired with soft woods like cedarwood or light musks to give that breezy lightness a bit more depth.

A molecule fragrance usually consists of just a few – sometimes even a single—scent components. It interacts with your individual skin chemistry, developing a unique character on each person. Instead of complex structures, this style focuses on transparency, subtlety, and skin closeness. Commonly used molecules include Iso E Super, Ambroxan, or various musk compounds.

Citrus fragrances are the epitome of freshness. They’re zesty, crisp, and often carry a slightly aquatic undertone. These scents are typically built on essential oils from citrus fruits like lemon, grapefruit, bergamot, lime, or orange, and they open many perfumes with an invigorating burst. Citrus notes are volatile and usually form the top note, but when paired with herbs, woods, or aquatic accords, they gain more depth and staying power.

Green fragrances are highly versatile, balancing freshness, naturalness, and depth. They can feel crisp, aquatic, or “clean,” evoking freshly cut plants, leaves, or damp grass. When combined with woods, resins, or spicy notes, green fragrances take on a much darker, more herbal, or even earthy character. Typical green scent notes include cannabis, galbanum, vetiver, fig leaf, green tea, basil, sage, or tomato leaf.

A scent that smells like dessert or sweets? Yes, please! Gourmand fragrances tap right into that: they feature edible accords like vanilla, caramel, sugar, praline, or roasted nuts – often evoking desserts, pastries, or creamy drinks. Gourmand perfumes usually have a noticeable sillage and tend to linger on the skin for a long time.

Your skin chemistry can significantly influence how a perfume smells. Before choosing a fragrance, make sure to test it to see whether it harmonizes well with your skin.

Skin chemistry plays a crucial role in how a perfume smells. It influences the way a fragrance unfolds and can even steer it in an entirely different direction. Every person has a unique chemical makeup on their skin, shaped by factors such as pH levels, sebum production, sweat, and even diet. This individual skin chemistry interacts with a perfume’s ingredients and can cause the scent to develop differently from person to person.

Some notes may linger longer or appear more intense on one person’s skin than on another’s. To put it simply: a perfume might last longer on someone with dry skin than on someone with oily skin, since fragrance molecules tend to adhere better to drier surfaces. On top of that, certain scent compounds can smell noticeably different on your skin than they do in the bottle, due to subtle chemical reactions.

It's important to understand that skin chemistry doesn’t just influence a perfume’s initial impression – it also affects how it evolves over time. A scent that starts off fresh and citrusy might shift toward something warmer and woodier as the hours pass, depending on how it interacts with your skin.

In the end, your personal skin chemistry turns most perfumes into something unique—some more than others. This is especially true for molecular perfumes, which are known for their ability to play with your chemistry and create something individual. What smells fantastic on one person might smell completely different on another. That’s why it’s always a good idea to try a perfume on your own skin before buying, to make sure it harmonizes well and develops in the way you want.

We always recommend approaching perfume testing with calm and time. Rushing through it – in the midst of crowds, competing scents, noise, and visual distractions – can distort your perception. Testing fragrance samples in a familiar setting, with enough time to truly observe how each scent evolves and how its notes unfold along the fragrance pyramid, makes all the difference.

Perfume is best tested in a familiar environment. This allows you to take your time and revisit the scent on, say, your wrist throughout the day. You’re also less likely to be surrounded by other fragrances – as is often the case in a perfumery – that could distract or distort your perception.
This way, you can take all the time you need trying a different scent each day, evaluating how long it lasts, asking others for feedback, and even factoring in how it’s received by coworkers or people around you.

For exactly the reasons mentioned above – time, calm, and testing in a familiar environment we offer samples for every perfume (you can find everything you need to know about our decants here). These hand-filled samples can be ordered to your home, allowing you to choose the right moment, the right mood, and the right setting to test them properly.
If a scent doesn’t immediately strike you in-store, you can have a sample filled at our shop and take it home to test in peace so you can find the fragrance that truly suits you and highlights your personality. Ideally, it becomes the one scent you’ll always want to wear. If you're curious about curated sample sets, feel free to browse here.