Six Basic Fragrances

Floral: Flowers such as rose, jasmine, blossom, gardenia, etc create the sweet, floral fragrance. Romance by Ralph Lauren, White Diamonds by Elizabeth Taylor are perfect examples of floral fragrances.

Oriental: Oriental perfumes include ingredients such as spice, amber, raisin, etc. They create a very warm feeling and thus are preferred during the winter. Hugo Woman and Opium by Yves Saint Laurent are perfumes with an oriental fragrance.

Citrus: They contain fragrances of citrus-based fruits such as lime, lemon and tangerine to create a very sharp, tangy fragrance. For those of you, who like the tangy citrus smell, go for CK One by Calvin Klein.

Chypre: Chypre pronounced as 'Ship - ra', is the French word for Cyprus. It is a soft and sweet fragrance; some may even find it powdery. It is derived from earthy ingredients such as citruses, oakmoss etc. If you love the fragrance of earth, then go for Miss Dior from Christian Dior.

Fougere: Fougere in French means fern and its fragrance is derived form herbs and mossy fern. It is generally common among men's perfumes but is also a favourite among many women. Cool Water by Davidoff is one of the most popular fougere fragrances.

Green: This sweet fragrance is derived from green ingredients such as green grass, moss, pine, leaves and herbs. It is sporty fragrance and is thus a choice for those into sports or who stay outdoors. Safari by Ralph Lauren has a green fragrance.

Fun Fragrances

For all those who love food - you can now smell like vanilla, chocolate or even coffee! If you want a fruity fragrance, go for 'Fruity Rhythm' by Adidas. You can even find a perfume, which is a combination of two fragrances; such as Calvin Klein's Escape, which has a fruit-floral fragrance.

What do Various Perfume Labels Mean

Perfumes are made with a combination of essential oils extracted from plants and synthetic products that produce a strong smell, using alcohol as a base.

The ratio of scented perfumes concentrates to alcohol determines the type of fragrans it is. Perfume is the purest form as it does contains a high amount of perfume concentrate. This is also the most expensive type.

Then comes, eau de perfume, which contains the second highest amount of perfume concentrate. This is very popular as it gives a long lasting fragrance and doesn't cost much either.

Eau de toilette contains a very low percentage of perfume concentrate and hence the fragrance doesn't last long. Eau de cologne is similar to eau de toilette.