What an accord is
In perfumery, an accord is a combination of two or more aromatic materials that blend so well together that they create a single, unified impression — a new smell that transcends the individual components. The result is greater than the sum of its parts. When you smell a rose accord, you smell "rose" rather than geraniol plus citronellol plus phenyl ethyl alcohol (the actual molecules that create a rose-like character).
How perfumers build accords
Accord development is often the longest stage of fragrance creation. A perfumer might spend months refining a single leather accord or a specific woody-amber base before building the full fragrance around it. The accord is the foundation; individual notes are layered on top to add distinctiveness and identity.
Many of the most recognisable fragrance signatures in history are built on specific proprietary accords developed by a particular house or perfumer — the aldehydic-floral accord in Chanel No. 5, the fougère accord that defines an entire fragrance family, or the vetiver-leather accord that appears across many classic masculine fragrances.
Accords vs. notes
When a fragrance listing describes "amber" as a base note, it's almost always referring to an amber accord — a blend of materials that creates a warm, resinous, sweet impression — rather than a single aromatic material. True amber (as in fossilised tree resin) doesn't actually have a strong smell. The "amber" note you recognise from fragrance descriptions is an accord of labdanum, benzoin, vanilla, and other materials.
Similarly, "leather," "tobacco," "wood," and many other descriptors on fragrance ingredient lists refer to accords rather than single materials.
Accords in layering
When you layer two fragrances, you're effectively creating your own accord — combining the accords of each fragrance to produce something new. The MixMode analyses how the structural accords of two fragrances interact, not just their listed notes. Try building a combination to see the accord-level analysis.