The Main Families
Fragrance families are broad categories used to group perfumes by their overall scent structure. The main families are usually described as Citrusy, Gourmand, Floral, Woody, and Fresh, although different classification systems can use slightly different names and categories.
Subfamilies
A perfume does not always fit into only one family. Many perfumes are a mix of different families or subfamilies. For example, a perfume can be woody aromatic, floral fruity, amber spicy or citrus aromatic. These combinations is called subfamily, it helps us to describe the overall style of a perfume in a more detailed way.
Why Families Are Useful
Fragrance families are useful because they make it easier to understand what kind of perfumes you usually enjoy. If you notice that many of your favorite perfumes are woody, you probably tend to like deeper and warmer scents. If you usually enjoy fresh or citrus-based perfumes, you may prefer cleaner, brighter and more refreshing scents.
Family vs. Scent Character
Fragrance family and scent character are related, but they are not exactly the same thing. The family is the broader category, while words like aromatic, spicy, powdery, leathery or gourmand can sometimes be used to describe the character or a more specific direction of the perfume. Depending on the classification system, some of these can also appear as subfamilies.
Family vs. Notes
Fragrance families should not be confused with notes either. Bergamot, vanilla, rose or oud can be notes, while Floral, Woody, Amber or Fresh describe the broader family of the perfume. Basically, notes tell us what we smell inside the fragrance, while the fragrance family tells us what kind of overall structure and style those notes create together.