· By Faan Perfumes
Perfume families explained: woody, amber, floral, fresh, gourmand
Quick answer: Perfume families explained simply: fresh is citrus and clean woods, floral is flowers, woody is dry wood and spice, amber is warm resin and vanilla, and gourmand is sweet and edible. Most scents mix two or three. In the FAAN range, Amjad Coral is fresh, Qasida Purity floral, Qasida Sahm woody, Amjad Honour amber, and Qasida Signature gourmand.
We are an independent retailer. Every FAAN product page lists accords, which are the overall styles of the scent. We read them below to place each bottle.
The big families
- Fresh: citrus, green notes, clean musks and light woods. Bright and easy.
- Floral: flowers, from jasmine and rose to peony and tuberose. Soft, or heady.
- Woody: cedar, sandalwood, vetiver, dry woods, often with spice. Dry, tailored.
- Amber (resinous): resins such as frankincense, benzoin and labdanum, with vanilla and oud. Warm, deep, long-lasting.
- Gourmand: notes that remind you of food: praline, vanilla, almond, coffee. Sweet and cosy.
How they overlap
The families are not boxes. A scent can be woody and amber, or floral and gourmand. The accords on the product page are the best guide, because they tell you which two or three styles blend. For the structure of notes behind them, read top, heart and base notes explained.
Where each FAAN bottle sits
- Fresh: Amjad Coral. Accords: fresh, citrus, woody, musky. Pear, bergamot and ginger over cedar.
- Floral: Qasida Purity. Accords: floral, fruity, creamy, musky. Qasida Senses is also floral, with fruit and vanilla.
- Woody: Qasida Sahm (fruity, aromatic, woody, oud), Qasida Al-Badr (aromatic, spicy, woody) and Qasida Dunes (spicy, leather, woody, resinous).
- Amber: Amjad Honour (amber, woody, spicy, resinous), Amjad Kingdom (amber, musky, resinous, woody) and Amjad Mystery (amber, floral, woody, resinous). Bakhour and Bidaya sit here too.
- Gourmand: Qasida Signature (gourmand, vanilla, spicy, woody) and Qasida Queen (fruity, floral, amber, gourmand).
Our notes map shows which note belongs to which bottle.
Season and staying power by family
The ratings follow the families closely. The fresh and floral bottles (Coral, Purity, Senses) have longevity 3 and are listed for spring and summer, or spring and autumn in Purity's case. The gourmand bottles (Signature, Queen) have longevity 4 and are listed for autumn and winter. The amber bottles are the longest: Honour and Kingdom both have longevity 5. Among the woody ones, Dunes reaches 4, Sahm 4 and Al-Badr 3. If staying power matters most, look in the amber family first. If you want something light for a warm day, look at fresh and floral.
Choosing a family from your wardrobe
This is a rule of thumb, not a law. If your closet is full of linen, cotton and white shirts, you probably want fresh. If it is full of wool, leather and dark colours, woody or amber. If you wear soft knits and pastel, floral or gourmand. Your habits matter more than your clothes: if you wear scent to the office, fresh and floral are easier. If you wear it for evenings, amber and gourmand shine.
Unusual hybrids
Some bottles refuse one label, and the accord line is where you see it.
- Sahm: a fruity opening that dries into oud and leather. Woody on paper, fruity in the first hour.
- Queen: cherry, jasmine and coffee. A dark fruity-floral gourmand.
- Mystery: hazelnut, saffron, smoky rose and vanilla. Amber and floral together.
These are the bottles that resist a single label, which is why the accord line matters. Browse the full range to compare.
FAQ
Which family is the easiest to wear?
Fresh and floral, usually, because they stay light. A woody scent with projection 3 works too.
Can I mix families?
Yes. Many bottles already do. If you layer two bottles, test on paper first; that is our suggestion, not a rule.
What if a bottle is sold out?
Use the notify option on the product page. Delivery takes 3 to 6 working days in the Netherlands and 5 to 8 in the rest of the EU.
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