The accord
In perfumery, the terminologies used are often borrowed from other sectors of activity, such as architecture, gemmology or music. For example, we talk about structure, olfactory pyramid, colours, facets and orchestration to describe the composition of a perfume, but also about accord. In the same way as a chord in music, the chord in perfumery describes a combination of several notes.
What is the notion of accord in perfumery?
In perfumery, the accord is the pooling of different raw materials, balanced and harmonised to create a unique scent, defining the soul of the fragrance. The accord is made up of a maximum of 6 to 10 different components.
There are two different types of accord: the simple accord and the complex accord.
- The simple accord
When a student-perfumer practices assembling a few raw materials in order to reproduce a precise and identified scent, such as a rose scent for example, they will be able to do this with 5 ingredients. This is called a simple accord.
- The complex accord
Little by little, this young creator will learn how to sophisticate their accords and make them more complex. Then they will be able to create a more complex accord, such as a floral bouquet, in which the pink accord will be the major note.
A complex accord is the association, almost magical, of many very different notes to create a unique blend.
Here are a few examples of complex accord:
- Fresh jasmine note + bergamot note + violet note = tea accord.
It was the basis of perfumes such as Bulgari's Le Parfum Thé, Calvin Klein's Ck One or Cartier's Declaration. - Mint + lime + rum + sugar note = Mojito accord.
It was reproduced in Guerlain’s Homme.
What does the accord bring to the perfume?
The accord allows the message of the perfume to be transmitted. In a way, it represents its skeleton, and will give it its soul and its unique signature. Every great perfume must have an innovative accord.
Moreover, in perfumery, an accord is not the simple sum of several components. It could be compared to the idea that 1+1+1 is not equal to 3, but equal to 1, to a new scent, where different notes blend vaguely. The combination of the scents makes it possible to create a new and unique fragrance in a mysterious process.
The accord intervenes in top notes, heart notes and base notes: it is the keystone of the perfume. The perfumer first creates the accord, then dresses it with different notes or olfactory facets.
The olfactory families born from the accords
The great perfumery accords gave us different olfactory families of perfume:
The Fougère accord created by the perfumer Houbigant is composed of:
- Aromatic notes: lavender, lavandin or sage, rosemary, etc.
- Pelargonium or geranium rose
- Tonka bean or coumarin
According to various sources, either Guerlain or Coty created the chypre accord or scents of undergrowth in autumn:
- Bergamot
- Rose, jasmine
- In the background, tree mosses or patchouli, cistus labdanum
The oriental or amber accord was composed either by Guerlain or Coty, depending on the source. It was composed of balsamic, resin or balms notes:
- Incense, myrrh, benzoin, styrax, opopanax
- Patchouli
- Vanilla or vanillin
- Animal notes
- Cistus labdanum
- Iris
Great perfumes born of outstanding accords
In the history of perfumery, great perfumes have been created thanks to accords that are still very outstanding today. Below there are some of the perfumes with different accords that give a general idea of the raw materials contained in them:
- Paris by Yves Saint Laurent: violet, damascone, light rose note, iso e super (woody note)
- №5 by Chanel: rose, jasmine, ylang-ylang, coumarin and aldehydes
- №19 by Chanel: violet, iris, vertofix (woody note) light rose note, galbanum
- Homme by Guerlain: mojito accord dressed with vetiver, pelargonium, cedar, rhubarb
- Insolence by Guerlain: violet, iris, orange blossom, red fruits, vanilla
- Samsara by Guerlain: bergamot, jasmine, ylang-ylang, coumarin sandalore, vanillin
- Angel by Mugler: veltol or caramel, patchouli and red fruits, galaxolide, lilial, coumarin (dewberry)
- Opium by Yves Saint Laurent: tangerine, rose, patchouli, clove or eugenol, vanillin, benzoin, benzyl salicylate
Sylvaine Delacourte fragrances
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The olfactive pyramid
Sylvaine Delacourte explains in detail the meaning of the olfactive pyramid and how it is generally represented in perfumery.
The notes
To fully understand the meaning of notes in perfumery, we first need to understand the orchestration of a perfume.
The raw materials
Amongst the raw materials available to the perfumer, we will distinguish many elements: Flowers Fruits Other plant materials Musk Castoreum Civet Ambergris Beeswax Hyraceum Synthetic raw materials Woods Aromatic herbs Spices Balms or resins
The olfactive facets
The architecture of a perfume is visually represented in the form of an olfactory pyramid, with the top notes being on the top of the pyramid, the heart notes in the middle and the base notes in the bottom. The olfactory pyramid allows the perfumer to architect his perfume and make it harmonious. It is used to balance the orchestration of a formula and to make the evaporation of the fragrance continuous and gradual. In this way, the perfume can deliver all its facets and the fragrance comes to life. Just like a chord in music, a perfume is built around an accord, which is the main theme of a perfume. By assembling various components, from 5 to 10, the perfumer-creator creates the architecture of the fragrance, which is in fact the soul of the perfume, the emotions that it evokes to the person who smells it. The Comité Français du Parfum (CFP) classifies the pallets of scents and notes into 6 families of perfume (or main accord).
The masculine and feminine olfactive families
Whether they are feminine or masculine, olfactory families participate in the main theme of a perfume, in the construction of its soul. It is notably thanks to these families that we can classify a perfume. Here are the main olfactory families: The chypre family The hesperidae (citrus) family The floral family The oriental or amber family The woody family The ferns family