In perfumery, accords are combinations of different fragrance materials that recreate the idea of a scent. When the real ingredient doesn’t exist as an extract, isn’t usable, or doesn’t smell like the note people expect, perfumers use accords to build them. Flowers whose perfumes cannot be extracted, fruits that cannot be distilled, and effects that nature doesn’t provide are done with accords. Most “notes” in perfumery are actually accords, not literal extracts.
Notes That Don’t Exist in Nature — And Why Accords Replace Them
Floral Notes
Natural extracts do exist for: jasmine, neroli, orange blossom, rose, tuberose, and ylang‑ylang. The ones below do not have natural extracts:
Cherry blossom — almond materials, light florals, pink berry materials
Freesia — LOTV materials, light rose materials, green aldehydes
Gardenia — jasmine materials, tuberose materials, lactones, orange blossom materials
Grapefruit blossom — bitter citrus materials, green materials, light florals
Lemon blossom — lemon materials, green materials, soft florals
Lily of the valley — muguet molecules, green aldehydes, soft musks
Lilac — heliotropin, LOTV materials, green aldehydes, soft musks
Magnolia — lemony citrus materials, creamy floral materials, light musks
Mandarin blossom — sweet citrus materials, soft florals, musks
Peony — rose materials, LOTV materials, fresh green materials
Violet flower — ionones, soft florals, powdery musks
Fruity Notes
Some natural extracts that do exist are: citrus oils (lemon, bergamot, grapefruit, mandarin), blackcurrant bud absolute. The following do not:
Apple — fruity esters, green materials, citrus boosters
Apricot — lactones, almond materials, jammy fruit esters
Black cherry — cherry materials, almond materials, dark fruit esters
Blueberry — berry esters, violet materials, sweet musks
Cranberry — tart fruit esters, red‑fruit materials, citrus boosters
Marasca cherry — bitter cherry materials, almond materials, red‑fruit esters
Melon — watery aldehydes, cucumber materials, sweet fruit esters
Pear — green aldehydes, watery fruit esters, apple materials
Peach — lactones, apricot materials, sweet fruit esters
Raspberry — raspberry ketone, berry esters, red‑fruit materials
Strawberry — strawberry lactones, berry esters, vanilla materials
Watermelon — melon materials, fresh green materials, sweet esters
Green / Tea / Plant Notes
Some natural extracts that do exist are: green tea absolute, black tea absolute, fig fruit extract. However, these do not smell like the “notes” used in perfumery. The following are always accords:
Bamboo — watery materials, green aldehydes, light woods
Black tea — smoky materials, herbal materials, dry woods, musks
Fig leaf — green materials, coconut facets, woody materials
Fresh cut grass — hexenal, green aldehydes, herbal materials
Green tea — bergamot, lemon materials, green aldehydes, herbal materials, light musks
Tomato leaf — green aldehydes, herbal materials, earthy materials
Gourmand Notes
Some natural extracts that do exist are: cocoa absolute, coffee extract, vanilla absolute. These do not:
Caramel — burnt sugar materials, vanilla materials, amber materials
Chocolate — cocoa materials, vanilla materials, amber materials
Cotton candy — ethyl maltol, vanilla materials, sweet esters
Marzipan — almond materials, vanilla materials, sweet boosters
Milk — lactones, creamy materials, vanilla materials
Praline — caramel materials, nutty materials, vanilla materials
Other Notes
Some natural extracts that do exist are: labdanum, benzoin, frankincense, and myrrh. These do not:
Aldehydic “clean” notes — fatty aldehydes, citrus materials, musks
Amber — labdanum materials, benzoin materials, vanilla materials
Marine — calone, salty materials, watery materials, musks
Musk — synthetic musks, soft woods, amber materials
Ozone — ozonic molecules, fresh aldehydes, light musks
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