Scent Families

Perfumers sort scents into families, much as music is sorted into genres. A family tells you the overall mood of a perfume before you have read a single note: fresh or warm, airy or deep, playful or calm. Mykonos works with six families. Knowing which ones you are drawn to is the quickest way to find a perfume you will love, especially when you are choosing online.

Below you will find the character of each family, the notes you can expect, and the moments it suits best. New to perfume language? Keep the fragrance notes glossary open alongside this guide.

Citrus

Citrus is the brightest family in perfumery. It smells of peel, zest and cold juice: sparkling at first spray, clean and uncomplicated as it settles. Citrus perfumes feel like opening a window. In the Mykonos collection the freshness is often sharpened with a little ginger and anchored by soft musk or patchouli, so the brightness has something to hold on to.

Typical notes: bergamot, mandarin orange, grapefruit, lemon, ginger, lavender and neroli over a base of musk.
When to wear it: warm days, mornings, the office, sport, travel. Any moment that calls for a clear head and a clean shirt.

Explore the Citrus collection.

Floral

Floral perfumes are built around the heart of the flower. They can be dewy and transparent, like petals after rain, or creamy and full, like a bouquet in a warm room. What they share is a quiet elegance. Mykonos florals tend to open with a touch of citrus and rest on amber and musk, which keeps them modern and easy to wear rather than old-fashioned.

Typical notes: rose, jasmine, lily of the valley, iris and frangipani, lifted by bergamot or mandarin and softened by white musk, amber and vanilla.
When to wear it: spring and summer days, celebrations, dinners, and every occasion where you want to feel polished without trying too hard.

Explore the Floral collection.

Fruity

Fruity perfumes capture ripeness: the juice, the sweetness, the slight tartness of fruit at its best. They are cheerful and generous, and they tend to win people over at the first spray. It is the largest family in the Mykonos collection, and a versatile one. The fruit usually sits on top of a floral heart and a warm base, so the scent grows softer and more sensual as the hours pass.

Typical notes: pear, pineapple, apple, blackcurrant and lychee in the opening; jasmine, rose and lily of the valley at the heart; vanilla, amber, musk and patchouli in the base.
When to wear it: daytime, weekends, holidays, first dates. A natural choice when you want something bright that still has depth.

Explore the Fruity collection.

Woody & Vanilla

This is where warmth takes over. Woods give a perfume structure and calm; vanilla rounds the edges with a smooth, skin-close sweetness. Together they feel like cashmere, candlelight and low voices. Mykonos often adds a pinch of spice, such as cinnamon or pink pepper, and sometimes a darker accent of coffee or myrrh, which keeps the sweetness grown-up.

Typical notes: vanilla, sandalwood, patchouli, guaiac wood and amber, with cinnamon, pink pepper, orange blossom and jasmine for contrast.
When to wear it: autumn and winter, evenings, close conversations, and any time you want a scent with presence and a long, warm trail.

Explore the Woody & Vanilla collection.

Gourmand

Gourmand perfumes borrow from the patisserie. They smell edible in the best sense: creamy, sugared, toasted, comforting. A good gourmand is never sticky. It stays close to the skin and draws people in rather than announcing itself across the room. In the Mykonos collection the sweetness is typically wrapped in white musk, which keeps it soft and clean.

Typical notes: vanilla, caramel, tonka bean, milk, marshmallow and heliotrope, often resting on white musk.
When to wear it: cooler weather, evenings, lazy Sundays, and whenever you want your perfume to feel like a treat.

Explore the Gourmand collection.

Musky

Musk is the scent of clean skin, amplified. Musky perfumes are soft, intimate and quietly sensual. They do not shout a particular flower or fruit; they simply make you smell good, in a way that is hard to pin down. Many people who say they do not like perfume turn out to love this family. Mykonos pairs its musks with sheer woods and a glow of amber, sometimes with a trace of violet or a hint of fruit.

Typical notes: musk, cedarwood, amber, sandalwood and soft wood, with bergamot, jasmine sambac, ylang-ylang and violet.
When to wear it: every day. At work, in a linen shirt, after a shower, in bed. The family to choose for a signature scent that never feels too much.

Explore the Musky collection.

When a perfume belongs to two families

Families are a map, not a set of walls. Many Mykonos perfumes sit between two of them: a floral with a fruity opening, a citrus with a warm vanilla base, a gourmand with a woody backbone. Those perfumes appear in both collections, and they are often the most interesting to wear because they change character during the day.

A simple way to use this guide: think of a perfume you already enjoy wearing, work out which family it belongs to, and start there. Then try a neighbouring family for a different season or a different time of day.