A woman's scent is her signature. How she leaves an impression on those she meets. The fragrance you choose can reveal a lot about you. Are you bold? Flirtatious? Subtle? Aggressive? Say it with your scent. Let others get a sense of who you are before you say a word.

You can say a lot with the way you dress, the makeup you choose, your hairstyle, but the final touch to being a completely beautiful woman is your fragrance.

The power of fragrance is so great, that sometimes all it takes is a single whiff to bring back a specific memory, place or feeling. Studies have shown that different fragrance oils or perfumes can bring about different stimuli, such as calm, passion or excitement, by affecting the length of alpha or beta waves.

Historically, fragrance has played a large part in most cultures. People have used plants and/or animals to create scents in the form of essential oils, incense and perfume for the purpose of religious ceremonies, to indicate social status and, of course, for attracting mates.

Attraction between two people can depend very greatly on scent. Understanding how fragrances are described and experienced can help in determining which fragrances are right for you. Below are the seven olfactive families and what choosing one of these fragrances might say about you. They can often be found as essential oils. Some of these names may vary.

Chypre: From French for "cypress." Built on a base of jasmine, oakmoss and bergamot. Often described as smelling like "apricot and custard." Fragrances of this family are based on a perfume of the same name, designed by François Coty.
What it says about you: Romantic, sensual, self-assured and fashionable

Citrus: Predominately consisting of one or many kinds of citrus. Has been used as a primary scent in perfume and also as an additive in other perfumes to "freshen" them.
What it says about you: Sporty, outdoorsy, elegant, somewhat formal

Floral: Predominately consisting of one or many kinds of flowers.
What it says about you: Dreamer, romantic

Fougère: Built on a base of coumarin, oakmoss and lavendar. Often described as having a sharp herbaceous, woody scent. Many men's fragrances are a part of this family.
What it says about you: Motivated, career oriented

Leather: As the name suggests, the scent alludes to leather. Often described as possessing the scents of honey, wood, wood tar and tobacco.
What it says about you: Independent, unconventional

Orientals or ambers: Encompasses a large variety of scents, this family features a combination of vanilla and animal scents combined with woods and flowers.
What it says about you: Outgoing, sociable, energetic

Woody: Often described as smelling woody, specifically sandalwood and cedar.
What it says about you: Naturally charming, extroverted and love to entertain.

Scents from these olfactive families, derived from various plant and animal sources, are combined to make the world's fragrances and perfumes.

Some women will choose a fragrance and stick with it. Some women like to change their perfume choice from day to day. Other women mix different name brand perfumes together to make a scent unique to them. And some adventurous women love making their own fragrances from scratch using aromatics and essential oils to craft a one-of-a-kind olfactory experience.

The important thing is to find fragrances that express who you are and that make you feel happy, vibrant and sexy.