Fragrance Guide
Fragrance Families
Every fragrance oil in our shop belongs to a family, a group of scents that share a common character. We organize ours the way perfumers do, using the same logic as Michael Edwards' Fragrance Wheel, the reference the fragrance industry has used for decades to map how scents relate to each other. Families that sit next to each other on the wheel share notes and blend beautifully together; families across the wheel from each other tend to contrast instead. (Gourmand is a newer addition many modern fragrance houses now include alongside Edwards' original four.)
Click a family on the wheel to jump to its full profile, or shop the collection directly.
Floral
Florals are the heart of classic perfumery: soft, romantic, and instantly recognizable. In candle and soap making, a floral fragrance reads as polished and feminine, equally at home in a wedding favor or an everyday bar.
Top: green leaves, a whisper of citrus
Heart: rose, jasmine, peony, honeysuckle
Base: soft musk, light woods, sometimes a touch of vanilla
In the shop: Fairy Garden, Honeysuckle, and Monet's Garden each take a different angle on floral, from a single-note rose to a full garden blend.
Blends beautifully with: Gourmand for a sweeter, modern floral, and Fruity for a brighter, juicier take.
Fruity
Fruity fragrances are juicy, upbeat, and almost universally likeable, the scent equivalent of biting into ripe fruit. They photograph well, sell fast, and rarely need explaining to a customer.
Top: berries, citrus peel, orchard fruit
Heart: tropical or stone fruit, sometimes a light floral
Base: soft musk or a touch of vanilla so the fruit doesn't smell one-note
In the shop: Juicy Pear, Blackberry Bliss, and White Tea + Pear.
Blends beautifully with: Floral for a fruity-floral, and Citrus for maximum brightness.
Citrus
The brightest, most energetic family on the wheel. Citrus fragrances read as instantly clean and wake up a blend, making them a go-to whenever a product is marketed as fresh or energizing.
Top: orange, lemon, grapefruit, bergamot
Heart: light florals or green notes
Base: soft musk or a hint of vanilla to slow the fade
In the shop: Satsuma Orange, Grapefruit + Bergamot, and Coconut Lime Verbena.
Blends beautifully with: Fruity for a sweeter citrus, and Green for a crisper, more herbal edge.
Green
Green fragrances smell like the outdoors on a good day: cut grass, crushed leaves, a garden after rain. They lean crisp and a little sharp rather than sweet, which makes them a natural fit for unisex or spa-style products.
Top: cut grass, mint, crushed leaves
Heart: herbal accords, light florals
Base: soft woods or moss
In the shop: Mad about Mint, Crisp Juniper, and Herb Garden PS.
Blends beautifully with: Citrus for a fresher edge, and Aromatic for a full herb-garden effect.
Aromatic
Known as fougère in classic perfumery, aromatic fragrances are herbal and clarifying, like an actual walk through an herb garden or a spa treatment room. They're some of the crispest, cleanest options in the lineup.
Top: lavender, mint, rosemary
Heart: herbal or spice accords
Base: soft woods, sometimes a touch of musk
In the shop: Rosemary Mint, Eucalyptus + Mint, and Lavender + Sage.
Blends beautifully with: Green, sharing a crisp herbal backbone, and Water for a spa-like effect.
Water
Clean, breezy, and a little ozonic, water-toned (aquatic) fragrances capture that fresh-air, ocean-adjacent feeling. A dependable choice whenever a project calls for something light rather than heavy or sweet.
Top: sea spray, a hint of citrus
Heart: light florals, soft greens
Base: clean musk
In the shop: 8th & Ocean, Turn the Tide, and Sea Flower.
Blends beautifully with: Aromatic for a spa-fresh feel, and Woods to ground a scent that might otherwise feel thin.
Woods
Grounded and a little smoky, wood-forward fragrances anchor a blend without overpowering it. A natural fit for masculine-leaning or unisex lines, and they tend to hold up especially well in candles.
Top: light citrus or spice
Heart: cedar, sandalwood, vetiver
Base: amber, musk, sometimes leather
In the shop: Leather + Sandalwood, Smoky Vanilla Woods, and Cedarwood Virginia Essential Oil.
Blends beautifully with: Water for a fresher, more modern woody scent, and Spicy for extra warmth.
Spicy
Bold and a little fiery, spicy fragrances bring instant warmth to any blend. It's the smallest family on the wheel, but arguably the one with the most personality, and it spikes hard every fall.
Top: cinnamon, clove, ginger
Heart: warm spice accords
Base: amber, resin, sometimes a touch of vanilla
In the shop: Cinnamon Supreme, Ginger + Lime, and Palo Santo + Sage.
Blends beautifully with: Woods for a grounded, masculine-leaning blend, and Amber for maximum warmth.
Amber
Warm, resinous, and a little mysterious, the amber (oriental) family covers everything from soft and powdery to deep and smoky. It reads as cozy rather than sweet, a strong pick for fall and winter lines.
Top: light spice or fruit
Heart: labdanum, benzoin, soft florals
Base: vanilla, musk, warm resins
In the shop: Divinity, Peony + Amber, and Nightfall.
Blends beautifully with: Spicy, sharing a warm resinous backbone, and Gourmand for a sweeter, dessert-like amber.
Gourmand
The newest widely-recognized family on the fragrance wheel, gourmand fragrances smell edible: dessert-like, sweet, and a little indulgent. Reliably one of the strongest-selling categories in the shop, since almost nobody can resist a scent that smells like a bakery.
Top: sugar, caramel, or fruit
Heart: vanilla, coffee, chocolate
Base: warm musk, sometimes a touch of amber
In the shop: Caramel Coffee, Sugar Cookie, and Pistachio + Caramel.
Blends beautifully with: Amber for a warmer, less-sweet gourmand, and Floral for a modern gourmand-floral.