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Fragrance Accord Encyclopedia

12 fragrance accords · the composed scent effects behind every perfume

A note is an ingredient · vanilla, bergamot, oud. An accord is the composed effect that emerges when notes blend · gourmand, leathery, smoky, powdery. This encyclopedia explains the 12 canonical fragrance accords with construction, references, and example fragrances. Sister to our fragrance notes encyclopedia.

The 12 fragrance accords

Gourmand
Edible-sweet accords drawn from culinary references · vanilla, caramel, chocolate, coffee, honey, praline, sugar, and milk.
Leathery
Animalic-tannic accords evoking leather, suede, or treated hide · constructed from synthetic isobutyl quinoline, birch tar, styrax, and labdanum.
Smoky
Burnt, charred, incense-adjacent accords drawn from birch tar, guaiacwood, cade oil, frankincense, and tobacco absolute.
Powdery
Soft, talc-adjacent, makeup-counter accords · drawn from iris, heliotropin, violet, white musk, and orris butter.
Woody
Wood-derived accords · sandalwood, cedarwood, vetiver, patchouli, and synthetic woods (Iso E Super, Norlimbanol, Cashmeran).
Oud
A specific woody-resinous accord built around oud (agarwood) · the resinous heartwood of infected Aquilaria trees, one of the most expensive natural fragrance materials.
Fresh
Light, transparent, often citrus or aquatic accords · the modern shower-clean fragrance category.
Citrus
Bright, zesty top-note accords · bergamot, lemon, grapefruit, orange, mandarin, neroli, petitgrain, and yuzu.
Aquatic
Water-evoking accords · sea breeze, ocean spray, melon, cucumber, watery fruit · constructed primarily from calone and helional.
Oriental
Warm, spicy, balsamic accords · vanilla, amber, resins, spices, oriental flowers · the foundational warm-fragrance family.
Floral
The largest fragrance family · accords built around natural and synthetic flower materials · rose, jasmine, tuberose, lily, violet, ylang-ylang, orange blossom.
Green
Crisp, leaf-and-stem accords · galbanum, violet leaf, tomato leaf, fig leaf, cut grass, basil, mint.

Notes vs accords · what is the difference?

A note is a single ingredient or material · a specific extract (rose absolute, sandalwood oil) or a specific synthetic molecule (vanillin, Iso E Super). When perfumers list "top notes" or "base notes" on a fragrance pyramid, they are listing the ingredients used.

An accord is the composed effect produced when several notes blend into a coherent scent character. The "leather" accord, for example, is not made from leather · it is constructed from notes like isobutyl quinoline, labdanum, styrax, and birch tar that, blended in particular proportions, produce the olfactory perception of leather.

Accords are the building blocks of fragrance composition. A perfumer thinks in accords (a powdery iris accord, a smoky woody accord, a fresh citrus accord) and selects notes to construct each accord. The fragrance you wear is the layered result.