#fragrance-families

#fragrance-families

The work these technicians are doing is as meticulous as that of engineers layering silicon on a microchip. Their job is to produce trial batches of perfumers' scent formulas, typically as many as 250 a day, which will be evaluated, tweaked and made again until one version is finalized.

Essential Parfums is new to John Lewis and aims to democratise creative perfumery, providing an open brief to perfumers with total creative freedom and sustainable practices.

Vetiver is one of the most distinctive notes in perfumery, inspired by a verdant, tropical grass grown in countries such as Haiti, India, and Indonesia. In perfumery, it's the roots that are valued for their aromatic compounds, producing a unique oil that is both earthy and fresh.

Burberry's Hero eau de toilette is a great pick for a classic, everyday cologne. It's masculine and woody, with base notes of cedarwood. Add a burst of freshness at the top from bergamot and juniper, and the result is crisp, deep, and a little spicy. Fragrance Family Woody, spicy Notes Bergamot, juniper, black pepper, Atlas cedar, Virginia cedar, Himalayan cedar Sizes 1.6 oz, 3.3 oz, 5 oz

Being an incense obsessive myself, it's important to note that while there's a loose parallel with the sticks you light at home, incense colognes are far more malleable and dimensional. On the skin, incense becomes an atmosphere built from resins and woods that shifts and evolves with your chemistry as it diffuses throughout the day.

Green Irish Tweed opens with a lot of iris and violet, but it settles into a lovely ambergris. It's masculine and musky without being stuffy. It's fresh and spring-y without being reserved for warm months. The sillage is hefty, especially with that floral opening, so be careful.

Fulton & Roark's Calle Ocho extrait de parfum is our final pick here; it's perfect if you want something musky, warm, and woody with tonka bean kept firmly at the center. It opens with a rich, spiced kick of cinnamon and rum, then gets darker and smoother with bitter chocolate and a touch of jasmine before settling into a deep, resinous base of labdanum, tobacco leaf, tonka bean, sandalwood, and musk.

We've gone on and on about how much we love Cremo's eau de toilette sprays, and to sum it up, they're just as high quality as much more expensive designer colognesbut they all cost less than $25. This bright and fresh Italian Bergamot scent is a fan favorite (and my dad's go-to fragrance). It blends citrusy notes of bergamot and neroli with fresh vetiver for an elevated and long-lasting scent. Fragrance Family Fresh, citrus Notes Italian bergamot, neroli blossom, fresh vetiver Sizes 3.4 fl oz