Understanding the various varieties of perfume can help to cut through the difficulty in selecting a fragrance. With so many variances within each category, choosing exactly the right aroma for your body or anyone else's for that matter, is no easy task.

The most popular based on sales is the floral category. Floral scents are typically a varying concoction of flower aromas blended together for a unique scent. Jasmine, gardenia, and rose bases are the most popular of the popular, often for their unique blending style and their ability to match most body chemistries. Floral scents can vary from very strong to very mild.

One of the more musky yet strong aromas falls in the leather category. Leather fragrances have almost an animal like smokiness to them that is suitable for men and some women, although it is not recommended to purchase leather fragrances as a gift for women since it matches very few female pheromones. The leather scents are reminiscent of the aroma that tanning animal hides gives off. While it is not a fragrance for everyone, those for whom it works for creates a very original scent that can be very attractive.

The woody fragrances are somewhat similar to the leathers, but with a more outdoor smell. With a scent that very closely matches that of the smell of burning wood, Sandalwood is the most popular of the woody fragrances. Sandalwood is popular for perfumes as well as fragrance oils and even incense.

The citrus family of perfumes is, as expected, a fruity scent derived from natural fruit oils. Pomello and lemon and orange and even grapefruit are among the most popular bases for citrus perfumes. Typically younger individuals prefer the citrus based over most other fragrances.

Fougere is a French fragrance that has gained huge popularity in the United States. Literally translated it means "fern," and has an interested fragrance blend of musty moss-like aroma with herbs such as lavender. Men have a particular fondness for this perfume for its subtle blended scent.

Chypre is another popular blend, typically a soft aroma of outdoor woody-leather scents mixed with citrus aromas. These blends are typically easy to spot when shopping as they are almost always encased in leather as a protective covering. The mixing of fragrances has shifted toward the fruity or "green" scents and leaves behind a gentle musk.

The Oriental aromas are more balsamic with a hint of oak moss, animal scents, or vanilla which creates a noticeable lingering in the air. Obsession is a very popular brand of an Oriental based perfume. Oriental perfumes are considered quite full if not even "heavy."