An accord is a union of materials made to work together as one. The two-material accord is an educational exercise because each component is easily recognized, allowing you to learn how different amounts of materials interact and how the effect changes with ratio.
A successful two-material accord can be simple; one material might provide brightness while the other adds depth, or one could provide the primary scent impression while the other softens the edges or extends the life of the accord.
The goal of this exercise is not a finished perfume. Instead, you will learn what each material brings to the accord and how its effect varies with amount. Keep these ideas in mind as you evaluate your accord:
- A stronger or more diffusive material might overwhelm a subtler one. Adding more of the weaker material may balance the accord, but it also may muddy it or make the impression heavier. It could help to dilute one or both of the materials so you can evaluate smaller changes in ratio.
- The balance of the accord will change as the materials evolve. It might be perfectly balanced at first but lack a strong, lasting drydown. Adding more of the more tenacious material may improve the drydown, but adding too much may mask the initial scent effect.
Once you’re ready, select two raw materials and evaluate them on labeled blotters. Note their individual characteristics and behavior: Are they sweet or dry, intense or subtle? Do they diffuse? How do they evolve? Then proceed through the following steps:
Step 1: Select a duo of materials to evaluate together. Choose two materials from the same family, for example, two woods. Or pick materials with opposite personalities: one that is bright and fleeting, and another that is soft and tenacious. How might a citrus work with a strong base note?
Step 2: Make several small batches of your accord with varying ratios. It might help to make three accord formulas, one biased heavily in favor of material A, one biased toward material B, and one in the middle.
Step 3: Once you’ve made several batches, smell all of them at once and take note. If it’s hard to remember the differences, try the exercise again, labeling each one with the ratio of materials.
- How the materials affect one another is more important at this stage than whether you like the accord or not.
- Can you still clearly smell both materials, or have they melded together?
- Do the different ratios impart different impressions?
If one side of the accord is lacking, you’ll be tempted to add another material. Resist!
Now, the trickiest part of this exercise. You have been smelling the accords for just a few minutes, but the materials will continue to evolve. Re-smell all the batches a number of times to identify how the balance of your two accord materials changes as it dries on the blotter. How has the initial scent changed? What about the drydown?
Write down the ratio you used for each batch so you can connect your changing perceptions to the amounts of materials you’ve used. Once you can compare several versions without losing track of those changes, you’ll have a much stronger basis for adding a third material.