Every Floris fragrance is described by its family — citrus woody, floral marine, amber gourmand and so on. The family is the most useful thing on the label: it tells you how the fragrance will feel, how long it will last and when to wear it, before you have opened the bottle. Here is how to read it.
Citrus
Bergamot, lemon, lime, orange and neroli. Citrus notes are the lightest and most volatile in perfumery, so a citrus-led fragrance is bright at first spray and quieter within the hour. That is the point: these are day fragrances, for summer, for the office, for anyone who wants to smell clean rather than perfumed. At Floris the family includes No. 89 (citrus woody), Cefiro (citrus floral), Limes, JF, Special No. 127, Jermyn Street (citrus green), and the Mediterranean pair Bergamotto di Positano and Neroli Voyage (citrus marine).
Woody
Sandalwood, cedarwood, vetiver, patchouli. Woods are drier and last longer than citrus, and they are the backbone of most men’s fragrances. Floris’s woody family includes Santal and Santal Intense (woody fougère, with lavender and coumarin over the sandalwood), Elite (woody green), 71/72 (woody aromatic) and Platinum 22 (woody amber).
Floral
Rose, jasmine, lily of the valley, tuberose, cherry blossom. The florals are the oldest part of the Floris range — the house built its name on soliflores, fragrances that paint one flower, for the ladies of St James’s. White Rose is the classic; Lily and Night Scented Jasmine are floral green; Sirena is floral marine; Cherry Blossom and Bouquet de la Reine are floral fruity; Chypress is a floral chypre, with oakmoss and bergamot under the flowers; Tuberose in Silk is floral green; A Rose For… and Mulberry Fig are floral amber.
Amber
Honey, oud, leather, vanilla, resins and balsams. The amber family is the richest and the longest lasting, built for evening and for cold weather. It is also where Floris’s modern reputation lies: Honey Oud (amber gourmand), Leather Oud (amber woody), Golden Amber and Wilde (citrus amber).
Fougère and Chypre
Two older words you will see on the Floris labels. A fougère — “fern” in French — is a lavender, coumarin and oakmoss structure, the classic barbershop accord; Santal is one. A chypre pairs bergamot on top with oakmoss and labdanum underneath; Chypress is Floris’s.
Signature Series and Private Series
Floris divides its range in two. The Signature Series are the eaux de toilette: lighter concentrations of the house classics, meant to be worn generously during the day. The Private Series are the eaux de parfum: higher concentrations, deeper compositions, longer wear. The same family rules apply to both, but an amber eau de parfum will last through a winter evening in a way a citrus eau de toilette is never meant to.
Choosing by Season
As a rule: citrus and floral for spring and summer; woody for autumn; amber for winter and evening. Many Floris customers keep two bottles — a citrus eau de toilette and an amber eau de parfum — and change with the weather.
