Key takeaways:
- The main floral families are soft, classic, and fruit florals.
- Rose, lavender, and iris are a few common floral scents.
- Rose Era and Tart Deco are two floral Snif perfumes to try.
There’s a reason florals never go out of style. They’ve been part of fragrance culture for centuries — romantic, expressive, and instantly recognizable.
However, today’s florals aren’t stuck in the past. Modern perfumery keeps the classic blooms and adds new twists, like something airier, brighter, and sometimes a little unexpected. In this guide, we’ll break down the world of floral perfumes, highlight the most-loved floral notes, and point you to a few Snif favorites that do florals our way.
What Is a Floral Scent?
Before we get to the specifics, it’s important to understand what a floral scent is exactly. A floral scent is any fragrance made from or inspired by flowers. Any fragrance that smells flowery and sweet is a floral fragrance or contains a floral note. Thanks to the abundance of flower-based essential oils available, a wide array of floral scents can be made.
Perfumes that are made from flowers use the volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which is just a scientific way to refer to the aroma given off by flower petals.
In nature, these aromas are used to attract pollinators. When we wear them, they can have a relaxing effect or give us an extra boost of confidence before a date.
What Are the Main Floral Families?
Each scent family can be broken down into further subfamilies, and the floral family has three different subfamilies: soft florals, classic florals, and fruity florals.
Soft florals feature the most delicate scents of the three. These notes tend to be light, powdery, and clean. If you want a floral fragrance that’s subtle and understated, then a soft floral is likely what you’re looking for. Orchids, peonies, roses, and hydrangeas would all be examples of soft florals.
The next subfamily is classic floral fragrances. These are the scents that aren’t as lowkey as soft florals, but aren’t as distinctive as fruity florals. In this family, you’ll find floral notes like jasmine, orange blossom, and lily.
Last but not least is the fruity floral family. These are floral fragrances that bring together the smell of flowers and fruits. Fruity notes like peach, apple, raspberry, mango, and pear are combined with floral scents to make juicy, complex fragrances.
What Are Some Popular Floral Scents?
Now that you know the floral fragrance basics, it’s time to take a close look at three of the most popular floral fragrances.
Rose
One of the most iconic floral scents is rose. Widely associated with romance, passion, and love, for most people the smell of rose is enough to conjure up scenes from their favorite romcom.
Roses smell subtly sweet and sometimes slightly spicy. Alongside a strong floral scent, they also have powdery, musky, and slightly fruity notes.
Lavender
Lavender is a herbaceous floral smell that’s as closely associated with relaxation as rose is to romance. What sets lavender apart from other floral smells is the woody, earthy undertones that make it especially grounding. It also has a green smell that gives it a fresh vibe, not unlike other herbs like rosemary or basil.
Iris
Another much-loved floral smell is iris. As with most flowers, iris smells powdery and earthy at first. That said, it also has more complex roody, woody, and spicy undertones.
The Best Floral Perfumes To Try
Once you identify a few of your favorite floral smells, the fun starts. With a few different florals in mind, you can start shopping for a floral perfume.
In this section, we’re going to introduce you to four of the best floral scents from the Snif line, so that you can confidently dip your toes into the world of floral fragrances.
|
Rose Era |
Tart Deco |
Vow Factor |
Honey Suite |
|
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Top Notes |
Ambrette seeds, strawberry, saffron |
Black cherry |
Green fig, neroli |
Incense |
|
Middle Notes |
Rose, clean laundry accord |
Rose, jasmine |
Rose, ambrette seeds |
Crystalized honey, lavender flower, broom absolute |
|
Base Notes |
White moss |
Birchwood, vanilla, vetiver |
Tonka bean, cedarwood |
Havanawood, vanilla |
Rose Era
Rose Era is a modern take on a classic. With a blend of rose, strawberry, clean laundry accord, ambrette seeds, white moss, saffron, and sandalwood, Rose Era is the kind of scent that’s equal parts playful and fresh. If you’re looking for a clean, versatile fragrance that features the smell of rose but isn’t overwhelmed by it, then this is the scent for you.
Tart Deco
For anyone who’s looking for a throwback scent that will help them access the sweeter side of things, look no further than Tart Deco. An ode to simpler times, Tart Deco combines black cherry, rose, jasmine, birchwood, vetiver, and vanilla. It’s sweet, juicy, and indulgent, making it the ideal scent for when you want your fragrance to turn heads and take center stage.
Vow Factor
Floral fragrances are some of the most sophisticated scents out there, and Vow Factor takes that elegance to the next level. Green fig, neroli, rose, cedarwood, tonka bean, and ambrette seeds come together in this fragrance to create a fig-forward scent that’s woody, clean, and totally one-of-a-kind.
Honey Suite
Honey Suite is a warmer, spicier take on a floral fragrance, which makes it perfect for cooler weather or moments when you’re looking for a little bit of coziness and warmth in your everyday routine. The blend of crystallized honey, broom absolute, lavender flower, incense, havanawood, and vanilla gives Honey Suite its signature sweetness.
Let It Bloom
Floral scents have been beloved for as long as people have been wearing them, and for good reason. Sweet, fresh, and utterly addictive, you can reach for a floral scent at any time of year and know that it will help you romanticize your day, no matter what it brings.
From the clean smells of Rose Era to the sweet subtlety of Honey Suite, there’s a floral Snif fragrance out there for everyone.
FAQs
What floral scents are popular?
Floral scents are so popular due to their association with romance and love. They are also beloved for their light, crisp feel. Although they were traditionally more popular for women, nowadays florals are used in creating scents for all people.
What does rose smell like?
Rose has a distinct floral scent that has sweet, floral, and spicy notes. Depending on what variety of rose is used to make the essential oil, it can have a lighter, fruitier smell or a more musky, earthy edge.
What is a floral perfume?
A floral perfume is any fragrance made with or inspired by flowers. Floral perfumes get their smell from the scent of flower petals, which, in nature, is used to attract pollinators. All floral notes have a sweet, fresh smell that can either be drawn out or balanced by other ingredients in a fragrance.
Do floral perfumes last long?
Floral perfumes can last long depending on the concentration of the fragrance oils and the composition of the scent.
For example, if a floral perfume is an Eau de Parfum, it will naturally last longer than an Eau de Toilette. Given that florals are usually top or middle notes, the longevity of a floral perfume is often not determined by the floral notes but rather by the base notes.
Regardless of what type of floral perfume you are wearing, it will last longer if you properly prepare your skin before applying it. Washing, fully drying, and moisturizing your skin is the best way to elongate a fragrance’s staying power.
What’s the difference between white, powdery, and solar florals?
The difference between white, powdery, and solar florals is the vibe of the fragrance rather than the specific flowers used to make it. For example, some flower types can be used to make all three different types of floral scents.
White florals are rich, heady, and all-encompassing smells. Powdery florals, on the other hand, are often softer and drier. Solar florals are specifically formulated to capture the essence of a sunny, bright day.
How do I make floral perfumes last longer?
You can make your favorite floral perfume last longer by pairing it with similarly scented body products to give the fragrance an extra boost. Also, make sure to let it naturally dry on your pulse points rather than rubbing it in to get the longest wear possible.
Sources:
The scent of attraction and the smell of success: crossmodal influences on person perception | NIH
Why do we like so much the smell of roses: The recipe for the perfect flower | NIH