Perfumes for women can be broadly divided in five major types - floral, fruity, woody (or chypre), green and oriental. Although there are more classifications, but in general the above mentioned categories are considered to keep it simple and uncomplicated.
Floral - A traditional perfume type, floral perfumes have been the most celebrated types of perfumes. There can be different types of floral perfumes also like a single flower fragrance such as in Yardley's English Rose or can be a delightful mixture of different flower fragrances like the Guerlain's Champs-ElysĂŠes. Floral perfumes have a feminine charm and romantic allure to them.
Fruity - Fruity perfumes symbolize verdure and freshness. Again like floral perfumes these can have a dominant single fruity fragrance or can be a mixture of more. Fruity perfumes can have different styles like fruity perfumes can be delicate and sweet like Yardley's Strawberry and Kiwi or fruit perfumes can be more defining and strong like the citrus DKNY.
Woody - Woody perfumes are for women who prefer more earthy fragrances. The beauty of woody fragrances is that although there are few takers, but those are ardent fans. Woody perfumes include fragrances that can be found in nature like smoke, moss, pine etc. The popular perfume Miss Dior falls in this category.
Oriental - As the name suggests Oriental perfumes are more towards the spicy and warm side. Examples include Guerlain's Mitsouko, a popular oriental perfume. Green - Green perfumes smell green like fresh leaves, tender grass so on. A popular green perfume is Elizabeth Arden's Fifth Avenue.
Other than these popular categories there can be marine perfumes, leather perfumes and so on. Additional to the fragrance family, perfumes can also be identified by notes. Notes refer to the harmony of the scent from the time of its spray till the time it stays. So when a perfume is sprayed the scent is termed top note, when this perfume blends with the body odor, the note is medium and when the perfume is about to die, it's called the base note. So while choosing your perfume you could look at the medium notes, coz they stay the most.
Resources: http://www.perfumeriaschic.com/ http://ezinearticles.com/?Perfumes---Facts-AboutPerfumes&id=1990220