The Complete Perfume Oil Scent Guide: Find Your Signature

Fragrance is one of the few things we wear that nobody sees. It sits closer than clothing, shifts with the weather and the hour, and quietly becomes part of how people remember us. Which makes choosing one oddly high stakes, particularly when the range in front of you runs to more than sixty scents.

This is our full guide to The Perfume Oil Company range at Flux. Every scent is grouped by family, with the fragrance it takes its cue from and its key notes, so you can start from the family you already gravitate towards and follow the notes from there.

Why an oil rather than a spray

These are perfume oils, not alcohol-based sprays, and the difference is immediate. Without alcohol there is no sharp opening blast. The scent settles close to the skin, develops slowly and tends to last well through the day, with a softer, more intimate trail.

Each one comes in a 10ml roll-on that is small enough for a handbag, a desk drawer or a weekend bag. The Perfume Oil Company describes the range as vegan and cruelty-free, alcohol-free, and free from phthalates and parabens. Most scents are also available as a 1ml sample vial, a 30ml bath and body oil, a 30ml perfume spray and a 15ml home perfume oil, so a scent you love can carry through from skin to room.

Floral

Our largest family by some margin, and the one most people start with. The florals here run from crisp and green through creamy white blooms to deep, spiced roses, so the word itself tells you far less than the notes do.

• BIANCO, inspired by Do Son (Diptyque). Creamy white floral of tuberose, orange blossom and musk.
• BLONDE, inspired by Bloom (Gucci). Creamy white floral of tuberose, jasmine and rangoon creeper.
• BREE, inspired by Gabrielle (Chanel). Opulent and elegant: peach, white flowers, ylang-ylang and sandalwood.
• DAMSEL, inspired by Miss Dior (Dior). Fresh and citrusy: blood orange, rose, jasmine and patchouli.
• DARE, inspired by Chance Eau Tendre (Chanel). Romantic and light: grapefruit, quince, jasmine and white musks.
• DIVA, inspired by Flora Gorgeous Jasmine (Gucci). Jasmine, magnolia, damask rose and sandalwood.
• DOLL, inspired by Her (Burberry). Bright and bold: crushed berries, violet, jasmine and amber.
• ELEGANCE, inspired by Gorgeous Magnolia (Gucci). Soft and creamy magnolia with gentle sweet florals.
• ELLA, inspired by Stella (Stella McCartney). An enduring rose: rose, peony, tangerine and amber.
• ELLE, inspired by Coco Mademoiselle (Chanel). Bold and elegant: orange, rose, jasmine and patchouli.
• FIVE, inspired by No. 5 (Chanel). The classic: ylang ylang, iris, jasmine and sandalwood.
• FLIRT, inspired by Flowerbomb (Viktor & Rolf). Lavish and seductive: jasmine, rose, orchid and vanilla.
• GHOST, inspired by Mojave Ghost (Byredo). Delicate woody floral: magnolia, violet, sandalwood and cedar.
• KOKO, inspired by Coco (Chanel). Opulent woody floral: rose, jasmine, clove and amber.
• LADY, inspired by Portrait of a Lady (Frederic Malle). Rich and spiced: rose, raspberry, patchouli and incense.
• LIBERTY, inspired by Libre (YSL). Lavender, orange blossom and vanilla.
• MAJESTY, inspired by Fleur Majesty Rose Royale. Luxurious white floral: jasmine, gardenia and soft musk.
• MISS, inspired by J'Adore (Dior). Sophisticated fruity floral: pear, magnolia, jasmine and vanilla.
• MYTH, inspired by Si (Armani). Modern and sultry: bergamot, blackcurrant, rose and amber.
• NUDE, inspired by Beige (Chanel). Soft and powdery: freesia, frangipani, jasmine and honey.
• PETAL, inspired by Wonderland Peony. Soft fruity floral: guava, peony, raspberry and violet.
• POSY, inspired by Florence (Tocca). Graceful white floral: pear, gardenia, tuberose and jasmine.
• RAVEN, inspired by Narciso (Narciso Rodriguez). Sensual and musky: rose, peach, amber and musk.
• ROSETTE, inspired by A La Rose (Maison Francis Kurkdjian). Fresh citrusy rose: bergamot, magnolia, rose and violet.
• SASS, inspired by Black Opium (YSL). Bold and sweet: coffee, vanilla, jasmine and orange blossom.
• TULIP, inspired by La Tulipe (Byredo). Fresh and green: rhubarb, freesia, tulip and vetiver.

Fresh

Citrus, salt air, cut fruit and green stems. These are the ones that suit a Bay of Plenty summer, mostly unisex and easy to wear from October through to March, though several hold up beautifully year-round.

• CALYPSO, inspired by Mango Skin (Vilhelm Parfumerie). Tropical fruity floral: mango, frangipani and ylang-ylang.
• DAISY, inspired by Daisy (Marc Jacobs). Youthful and fruity: strawberry, pink grapefruit, jasmine and violet.
• GYPSY, inspired by Gypsy Water (Byredo). Fresh woody aromatic: bergamot, incense, sandalwood and vanilla.
• LOVE, inspired by Sunflower Pop (Floral Street). Juicy and honeyed: bergamot, mandarin, passionfruit and plum blossom.
• LUSH, inspired by Be Delicious (DKNY). Crisp and clean: grapefruit, apple, cucumber and soft florals.
• MIDNIGHT, inspired by Dark Rum (Malin+Goetz). Smooth and fruity-woody: plum, rum, leather and amber.
• PASSION, inspired by Mon Paris (YSL). Juicy and sweet: red fruits, pear, peony and jasmine.
• PULP, inspired by Afternoon Swim (Louis Vuitton). Zesty citrus: bergamot, mandarin, orange and ginger.
• SALT, inspired by Wood Sage & Sea Salt (Jo Malone). Clean and coastal: sea salt, sage and grapefruit.
• SANTAL, inspired by Santal 33 (Le Labo). Soft and smoky sandalwood: cardamom, violet, leather and cedar.
• SKY, inspired by Light Blue (Dolce & Gabbana). Clean citrus: lemon, apple, jasmine and cedar.
• SPRITZ, inspired by Acqua di Gioia (Armani). Fresh and aquatic: Amalfi lemon, mint, water jasmine and cedar.
• WHITE FIG, inspired by Philosykos (Diptyque). Crisp and green: fig leaf, coconut, cedar and benzoin.

Sweet

Gourmand territory: caramel, vanilla, cocoa and stone fruit. They carry more weight than the florals, which makes them lovely from autumn onwards, though a few wear far lighter than their notes suggest.

• AMOUR, inspired by Love Don't Be Shy (Kilian). Sweet gourmand floral: neroli, honeysuckle, vanilla and caramel.
• BON-BON, inspired by Bonbon (Viktor & Rolf). Warm and sweet: caramel, mandarin, peach and amber.
• CREAM VANILLE, inspired by Vanilla Milk (Ellis Brooklyn). Smooth and creamy: cocoa, vanilla bourbon and sandalwood.
• FLEUR, inspired by Paris (YSL). Romantic rose and violet with mimosa and sandalwood.
• JEWEL, inspired by Symphony (Louis Vuitton). Bright and clean: grapefruit, ginger and light florals.
• LA VIE, inspired by La Vie est Belle (Lancome). Fruity floral gourmand: blackcurrant, pear, iris and vanilla.
• MUSE, inspired by Tangier Vanille (Aerin). Warm amber vanilla: bergamot, rose, sandalwood and musk.
• ROUGE, inspired by Baccarat Rouge 540. Sweet woody oriental: saffron, jasmine, amberwood and cedar.
• VENUS, inspired by Goddess (Burberry). Creamy and aromatic: vanilla, lavender, ginger and cacao.

Woody and spicy

Smoke, resin, spice and sandalwood. These are the slow ones, at their best on cool evenings, and they layer particularly well over the matching bath and body oils if you want more presence.

• AFRIQUE, inspired by Bal d'Afrique (Byredo). Spicy woody floral: bergamot, violet, jasmine and vetiver.
• FIRE, inspired by By the Fireplace (Margiela). Warm and smoky: clove, chestnut, guaiac wood and vanilla.
• JETT, inspired by Black Orchid (Tom Ford). Dark and opulent: orchid, lotus, chocolate and amber.
• KASBAH, inspired by Marrakech (Aesop). Bold and spiced: clove, cardamom, rose and sandalwood.
• SILK, inspired by Samsara (Guerlain). Powdery woody oriental: ylang ylang, jasmine, sandalwood and vanilla.
• VICE, inspired by Tobacco Vanille (Tom Ford). Warm and decadent: tobacco, vanilla, tonka and cocoa.

Masculine

Grouped this way for ease of shopping rather than as a rule. Most are unisex, and several are among the most-worn scents in the range regardless of who is wearing them.

• AVENT, inspired by Aventus (Creed). Bold and fruity-woody: blackcurrant, apple, pineapple and cedarwood.
• BLEU, inspired by Bleu de Chanel. Fresh woody aromatic: grapefruit, mint, ginger, cedar and vetiver.
• INK, inspired by Noir (Tom Ford). Warm and spicy: bergamot, violet, nutmeg and amber.
• METEOR, inspired by Meteore (Louis Vuitton). Fresh citrus aromatic: bergamot, mandarin, pink pepper and vetiver.
• ROMEO, inspired by Eros (Versace). Bold and fresh: mint, green apple, tonka and cedarwood.
• SUAVE, inspired by Sauvage (Dior). Smooth and woody-spicy: bergamot, pepper, vetiver and ambroxan.
• THE MAN, inspired by Le Male (Jean Paul Gaultier). Warm and aromatic: mint, lavender, cinnamon, vanilla and tonka.
• TYCOON, inspired by 1 Million (Paco Rabanne). Bold and spicy-woody: mandarin, grapefruit, cinnamon and amber.
• WOODLAND, inspired by Wonderwood (Comme des Garcons). Crisp woody aromatic: vetiver, sandalwood, cedar and oud.

How to wear a perfume oil

Roll a little onto warm pulse points, the wrists, the neck and behind the ears, and let it settle rather than rubbing it in, which breaks up the notes. Because the scent sits close to the skin instead of projecting, a second pass later in the day is normal and not a sign you have done anything wrong.

Layering is the best way to make a scent last. Start with the bath and body oil on damp skin, add the roll-on at the pulse points, then finish with the perfume spray. The home perfume oil carries the same fragrance into a room through a diffuser or a few drops on wool dryer balls.

Where to start if you are new to the range

If you already know the fragrance you love, look for it in the lists above and start with the scent that shares its inspiration. If you are starting from nothing, our most-worn are SANTAL, GYPSY, VICE, ROUGE and MYTH, and all five sit together in the Signature gift set.

The 1ml sample vials exist for exactly this. Choose two or three that sound close, wear them for a week each, and see which one you keep reaching for. Scent behaves differently on everyone, and a fragrance you love on paper can turn out to be someone else’s entirely.

Gift sets and trios

If you are buying for someone else, the boxed sets take the guesswork out of it. Each holds 5ml roll-ons rather than the full 10ml, so they work as an introduction to several scents at once.

• Signature Gift Set: SANTAL, GYPSY, VICE, ROUGE and MYTH.
• Collection Gift Set, Floral: GHOST, MISS, BLONDE, ELLE and ROUGE.
• Collection Gift Set, Fresh: GYPSY, DAISY, SPRITZ, LUSH and PASSION.
• Collection Gift Set, Woody: SANTAL, VICE, JETT, AFRIQUE and KASBAH.
• Collection Gift Set for Him: INK, BLEU, SUAVE, TYCOON and WOODLAND.
• Her Gift Set: FLIRT, DAMSEL, VENUS, SASS and MAJESTY.
• Best of the Best Trio: SANTAL, ROUGE and GYPSY.
• A World of Flowers Trio: PETAL, DIVA and BIANCO.
• Day at the Beach Trio: CALYPSO, PULP and SALT.
• Deep in the Woods Trio: FIRE, LADY and VICE.
• Old is New Trio: FIVE, FLEUR and SILK.
• Sweet Triple Treat Trio: BON-BON, AMOUR and ROUGE.
• Tall, Dark and Handsome Trio: AVENT, THE MAN and METEOR.

You can browse the full range in the Perfume Oil Company collection, or come and choose in person at our store at 270 Maunganui Road, Mount Maunganui.

What it comes down to

The Perfume Oil Company range at Flux covers more than sixty scents across floral, fresh, sweet, woody and masculine families, each inspired by a well-known fragrance and made as an alcohol-free roll-on oil that wears close to the skin and lasts. The Perfume Oil Company describes them all as vegan and cruelty-free, most come as a 1ml sample, a 10ml roll-on, a bath and body oil, a perfume spray and a home perfume oil, and the trios and gift sets make choosing for someone else straightforward. Find the family you like, follow the notes, and let a sample settle the rest.