Scent Families
At Zayya, we love perfume. We love it so much that we want you to be able to indulge in all the olfactory splendor that a quality perfume has to offer but without the outrageous prices. Because – let’s face it – when you’re spending upwards of R2500 for a tiny bottle, it can become difficult to justify, and even harder to enjoy a scent. That’s why we’ve curated the perfect collection of perfume dupes to appeal to the aromaphile in you.
Scent Families
We have categorized our collection into 15 unique olfactive families. These serve as the foundation for every composition we develop. Tap a family to learn more ↓
Ambery.
→
The word “amber” in perfumery does not come from amber stone, as one might think, but from grey amber (ambre gris in French). Originally, this raw material was of animal origin, but thankfully, as a vegan company, we are pleased to report it is no longer used in perfumery.
Many other, animal-friendly molecules are now used to mimic this incredibly rich, soft, warm effect. In fact, because of this change in material, ambery notes now gradually open up to lighter and more woody inflections.
Aquatic.
→
Calone is responsible for the appearance of the new family of aquatic scents. With an intense “sea-breeze” odor, Calone opened the new marine trend in the ‘90s.
Calone is often paired with the aqueous effect of water fruits, like watermelon. In addition, you’ll find aquatic notes work wonderfully when paired both with feminine and masculine scents, making it a versatile perfume family. Offering a very specific longlasting coolness, aquatic scents are hard to resist.
Aromatic.
→
The expansive aromatic family offers varied ingredients, such as lavender, mint, rosemary, thyme, sage, and basil. This family is often associated with masculinity in perfumery.
The use of aromatic notes “smell” masculine, in the same way that the use of flowers “smell” feminine.
Citrus.
→
The expansive aromatic family offers varied ingredients, such as lavender, mint, rosemary, thyme, sage, and basil. This family is often associated with masculinity in perfumery.
The use of aromatic notes “smell” masculine, in the same way that the use of flowers “smell” feminine.
Floral.
→
The expansive aromatic family offers varied ingredients, such as lavender, mint, rosemary, thyme, sage, and basil. This family is often associated with masculinity in perfumery.
The use of aromatic notes “smell” masculine, in the same way that the use of flowers “smell” feminine.
Fougere.
→
While Fougère is the French word for fern, in perfumery, a fern has nothing to do with this family. Instead, this family is named after “Fougère Royale”, a fragrance launched in 1882 by Houbigant.
A blend of lavender, bergamot, geranium, vetiver, oakmoss, tonka bean, and woods, this accord was so unique that it inspired many creations that played, more or less, with the same raw materials. The result was the creation of the Fougère family.
Fruity.
→
Fruity notes most used in perfumery are apple, plum, peach, pear, berries, lychee, and pineapple. They are often associated with floral or oriental notes in feminine perfumes.
Gourmand.
→
Gourmand is the newest family in the fragrance universe. The first blockbuster example was Thierry Mugler’s Angel created in 1992 (our Gourmand Patchouli). Since then, edible notes have invaded perfumery.
They easily bring us back to childhood memories. For this reason, they’re also often called regressive notes. Caramel, chocolate, coffee, brown sugar, and almond are amongst the most popular gourmand notes.
Green.
→
Directly inspired by nature, green notes convey a deep sense of freshness and the great outdoors. They are generally used as an inflection in a fragrance and are not often dominant.
Musky.
→
Traditional musk is an animal by-product from a specific species of deer. Thankfully, this animal is happily now protected. Perfumers have since created many safe and high-end raw materials to replace it in fragrances. Musky notes convey a clean yet sensuous second skin feeling in a fragrance.
Powdery.
→
Unlike other fragrance families, there isn’t a note or raw material named “powder”. Powdery is more of an effect than a well-defined family. Most typical powdery accords are made of a combination of orris, violet, rose, heliotrope, musks, and vanilla.
On occasion, these powdery notes come together to create an almost lipstick-like scent. Powdery fragrances are generally feminine, and have a comforting and clean vibe to them, giving you a scent that would likely indicate you pamper yourself with great hygiene. At the same time, you’ll find the scent could be perceived as seductive.
Spice.
→
Spicy notes could be divided into “cold spices”, like cardamom, coriander, pink pepper, ginger, juniper, and “hot spices”, like nutmeg, cinnamon, peppers, and pimento. In both cases, these spices provide a great deal of temper to the fragrance.
Woody.
→
Woody fragrances could be considered a new alternative to the use of the Fougère structure in masculine perfumery. They are appreciated because of their qualitative and textural effect.
From the dryness of cedarwood and the deep humidity of patchouli, to the creamy and enveloping effect of sandalwood, woody notes offer a wide range of possibilities.