Citrus Sparklers

A burst of juicy citrus boosts moods and clears the mind's palate. Freshen up with Red Flower’s Guaiac organic perfume, a bright, woody-citrus blend of the resinous South American guaiac tree, pink grapefruit, rose, even leather and cashmere. Enjoy an energizing lift with Tsi-La’s sunny Kizes, blending Sicilian bergamot and citron with a sweet bouquet of elderflower, tuberose, jasmine and orange blossom. Fave of British starlet Kate Beckinsale. www.redflower.com

Bold and Exotic

Albeit dated, the term "Orientals" describe perfumes that evoke the scents, sights and smells of "exotic" lands (those of the Middle and Far East), such as Indian sandalwood (currently pushed to the brink of extinction due to overharvesting, notes Turin and Sanchez) amber, frankincense, and pepper. Exotic scents are marked with complex scent combinations, as in Aftelier’s Alchemy, a bold solid perfume, which is centered on an orange-y floral bouquet spiced up with vanilla, amber, and black pepper; their Maroc recalls cinnamon-clove-spiced holiday oranges. Eco-favorite L’Eau de Jatamansi , a citrus-y scent that flirts with pepper, herbs, wood, and powder, will continually surprise; and CB I Hate Perfume's CB-93 (a truly exotic blend too long to list but truly not to miss) will stir all the senses with their multi-faceted, yet crystal clear, combinations. www.artisanparfumeur.com

Chocolate and Vanilla

With Valentine's fast approaching, we're all in the mood for sweet treats. Ayala Moriel’s bouquet of Roses et Chocolat (also available as a loose-leaf tea) will remind you of that classic V-day combo, with a sophisticated twist. Of La Vanila’s signature vanilla –scented line, we adore the warm spun-sugar florals of Vanilla Blossom, a blend of rose, jasmine, and orange blossom with sweet vanilla; and their Vanilla Spice, which warms into spicy gingerbread with a hint of well-oiled saddle leather. www.lavanila.com

Green Me

On days when you're feeling the weight of the world, a clean, green scent can uplift and refresh. We found just that in Ayala Moriel's Bon Zai, a meditative journey through a carefully tended bonsai tree garden (like our favorite, at the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens with a zing of sweet pickled ginger.CB I Hate Perfume’s head-clearing Cedarwood Tea, a unisex scent, recalls rain-washed linens stored in my mother's cedar closet, full of treasures like her embroidered silk wedding dress. www.cbihateperfume.com

Bouquet Garni

Pure and simple, pungent herbs are powerful enough to command a fragrance with a single note alone. Master perfumers — particularly those in the natural perfume industry — have at their knowledgeable discretion a vast array of botanical essences to choose from. A prime example: Parfumer Ajne’s deLavande, a unisex scent that is very clearly lavender (harvested from Provence , Bulgaria , and their own organic Carmel farm), yet subtly rests in a seductive, smokey-woody base of vanilla almond. If perfume were a silky cognac, this would be it. www.ajne.com

Into the Woods and Down to Earth

If you don't live near one, get your forest fix with Roxana Illuminated’s “Q” — Quercus agrifola, California's romantic Coast Live Oak — a memory-jogging meld of wet leaves, Italian bergamot, and resinous wood chords. Mandrake Apothecary's Ourobouros is redolent of a primeval forest, wreathed in fragrant blue chamomile, salty Choya driftwood, tall cedar, green herbs, and, we think, the pungent scent of wild mushrooms. www.illuminatedperfume.com

Fantastic Fig

Tart and juicy fig is at the top of the list of favorite scents of just about everyone we know, so we're giving it the royal nod it deserves. Aftelier's ripe black Fig is graced with notes of jasmine, fir, and fresh yuzu, an Asian citrus fruit. It smells, our friend noted, just like Christmas. Also for holiday or any day, British parfumer Wickle’s Fig & Mace perfume captures the spirit of the lively fruit, blending a sun-kissed orange with spices like nutmeg, patchouli, clove, and cinnamon and adding warm cedar and sandalwood. www.wickle.co.uk

Tropical Treats

Visit warmer climes this winter with Pacifica ’s Malibu Lemon solid perfume and its exuberant scent of fresh-pressed lemonade, poolside. We also love their Waikiki Pikake, which happily recalls the olfactory memory of donning a lei of those fragrant white flowers in Maui . Heading to the tropics, we discover Florascent’s alluring Mimosa, a meld of the vivacious golden flower with violet leaves, tonka, and rosewood. Roxana Illuminated’s Lyra heats things up even more with its citrus-amber rhapsody of tropical blossoms-in-bloom, while Strange Invisible Perfumer’s Tropical Vial bottles the humid headiness of the clime with mango, jasmine, and basil. www.pacificacandles.com

Rose Bouquets

The grande dame of the flower garden, the rose is one of the hardest scents to duplicate, because the scent is not in the petals, but in the "headspace," or the fragrant air, above the bloom, notes Tania Sanchez and Luca Turin, co-authors of seminal fragrance encyclopedia Perfumes: The Guide. "Rose oil does not smell like a rose," Turin points out. To re-create the elusive scent, parfumers often create a synthetic match in the lab. We're happy to report several amazing non-synthetic finds, from CB I Hate Perfume’s glorious Tea Rose, a blend of pure Moroccan Rose Absolute and Indian Black Tea whose startlingly clear, pure rose took us by surprise, and Strange Invisible's Prima Ballerina, like a "rose pressed between the pages of an old Bible." Ren’s Rosa Maya is a favorite among bloggers, who so grieved the disappearance of this bold rose with powdery undertones, the company was obliged to bring it back. www.siperfumes.com

Say It With Flowers

What bouquets: Strange Invisible's dreamy Moon Garden will paint you straight into a pastoral Boucher love-scape  with its sensuous mix of tuberose, jasmine, and exotic pikake. Roxana Illuminated's Vespertina is orange-scented floral bliss, and Mandrake Apothecary’s multi-layered Nyx marries a slight musk with tuberose and jasmine, ylang-ylang and orange flower, sprinkled with black pepper, Australian sandalwood, and pink grapefruit. For the younger woman, Ayala's sugary sweet Tamya is a fruity floral that's prom-perfect. www.mandrakeapothecary.com