How to make accords in perfumery

[@lambopokemon9568]

Been looking for a fragrance youtuber that focuses on creation rather than just review. Glad i found you!

[@sammacer]

Glad to hear it

[@matthewclarke7816]

Got a feeling this Channel will blow up in time. Please continue making these videos they're so helpful !!

[@sammacer]

Cheers man! I will make more when I can.

[@toebeansmeow]

I've only just begun making my own fragrances and am so grateful to have found your channel. Everything you explain just makes sense; it doesn't feel overwhelming and is easily absorbed. Thank you for sharing your expertise with us! Gonna binge the rest of your channel now. 😸

[@sammacer]

Thank you! I’m glad everything is helping

[@dulcespinelli]

I loved your explanation of why fragrance combinations smell bad, thank you!!

[@sammacer]

You are welcome!

[@bkscents7050]

Brilliant! Loved this vid!

[@sammacer]

Thanks!

[@313jbr]

My fav

[@missesraisin]

I like the way you encourage creativity in ratios lol !🤣

[@sammacer]

Thank you!

[@daniellabuda7744]

Yeah, I have heard that majority of professional perfumers don't really dilute such basic raw materials like Iso E Super or Hedione and use them in high concentrations or even in a pure form to maintain the concentration of whole perfume. I think, that it is actually a case to increase the concentration of some things that would not alter the olfactive profile and are quite minimalistic. Great video.

[@JamieBarnes11]

This is easily the most useful perfume making video I've come across. Ive been learning materials and trying one on one interactions or comparisons but every time I've tried blending things it'd become an overwhelmingly complex trial and error process, where as this offers an excellent method for working out blends from the most simple pairs of ingredients to the most conplex accords without a million moving parts that result in the olfactory equivalent of accidnetslly mixing brown paint over and over again everytime you try think of things to combine

[@sammacer]

I’m glad you like my approach :)

[@blackphantom99]

Thanks Sam, very well articulated mate. 😊👍 Just subscribed for your newsletter aswell. Stay happy and healthy buddy

[@sammacer]

Thanks Will! You stay safe too man.

[@juelraj3901]

Interesting video Sam. Will try your method of testing 👍

[@ellusilva]

Great video Sam! The way you explain things makes the perfumery so much easier. Thanks!

[@sammacer]

Thank you!

[@marykeTerr]

Very interesting! The cooking example really helped. Thank you!

[@sammacer]

No problem!

[@ianacranewing6586]

I really enjoy your videos and want to thank you for your generosity in sharing so much of your knowledge. There is one small thing you said that I have heard other perfumers say that I have to correct. I live surrounded by ferns, many varieties, and they most certainly do emit fragrance especially when trod upon.

[@sammacer]

That's super interesting! Every time I've smelled a fern, I didn't smell anything, but I wasn't smelling the right ones / didn't crush the stem. I'll look out for this for sure.

[@renovacio5847]

I think that instead of making another mixture, you can simply increase the 1% mixing until the mixture is 1/1, and then continue. I think this should be understood as such, not as 10%/2% and if it doesn't work, you immediately mix another one because you would need much more instead of 2%.

[@Press4ward_]

Love your videos man! I watch one almost everyday. They are definitely a great help. If possible, could you do a video on how to mass produce cologne or perfume from drops to grams etc. My goal is to make my blend in large amounts to fill up maybe a hundred or more 30ml and 50ml bottles. Thanks man your amazing

[@sammacer]

I'm glad that you like them, thank you. To answer your question, there is no reliable way to convert from drops to grams. I would say the best thing to do is weigh out the drops with a scale and record the weight in grams. Then multiply that up to the amount you want and weigh out the mass produced version with scales.

[@carinapearson9040]

Thank you so much! This is very helpful.

[@sammacer]

Glad it helped!

[@thelifeofalice2571]

I’m sitting here with my notes working out the math extra focused, my brain steaming and you go, if it sounds confusing, just ignore it. Made me chuckle 😂

[@sammacer]

😂

[@aleastevens2705]

Love your content. Can you show how to make a creamy/milky accord?

[@JowiBaloyi]

Thanks Sam

[@mattiasnylander2278]

Hi! Do you know of any advice on resources to learn or general guidelines on ho to pair aromas? What goes well together? Or is it more kind of trying to match the intensity of different aromas to find the sweet spot? Would be interesting to hear your take on that. ☺️

[@sammacer]

For sure matching the intensity is part of it, but certain things do make better combinations than others. The best way to find out is to experiment, but you can speed up the process by searching online or using a resource like my online course which covers over 100 combinations

[@cardawg7164]

Thank you for your knowledge... I enjoy watching your videos.. very informative. It seems like you have taken Chemical Engineering courses and that is a huge advantage vs alot of the other so called perfumers / noses as their information is not always accurate. My youngest son graduated Cum Laude in Chemical Engineering and usually when I am stuck I ask for his knowledge and experience. I have been onkly formulating for about a year and it took me that long to finally get a combination of a fragrance to what smells like a perfume. I find it funny that i have met people that say they can make a fragrance in a matter of minutes.. i suppose it is possible IF they are just putting a cheap fragrance oil in a bottle with ethanol. But to me it is all about science and math and takes a bit to blend together a good smelling fragrance. Thank you again for your insight.. Very Helpful! Debora

[@sammacer]

Thank you for the comment Debora! Great to hear about your son, and yes, I took a degree in chemistry myself. Yeah, I feel the same way about people putting something together in minutes - the only way I can see it happening is from a master perfumer with decades of experience.

[@douglascampbell6482]

Top marks as usual, man! Did you compose the juice in those reed diffusers? If so, whatchya got in there? And what diluent did you use? Please keep posting

[@sammacer]

Thank you! No I did not, haha, they were just from the supermarket with a christmas scent. Check out that book I reviewed 'perfume the art and craft of fragrance' as there's a reed diffuser base formulation in there. You can see it in the free preview on Amazon.

[@douglascampbell6482]

Nice! I will, thanks. I did buy/read the book by Ellena you reviewed. Great stuff. You mentioned your website in this video. Don’t know why it never occurred to me to look for one. I’ll check that out as well. Cheers

[@sammacer]

@@douglascampbell6482 Great to hear, did you find the book useful?

[@douglascampbell6482]

Useful, inspirational... great read. I’m still at the “learning my materials” stage. Fragrance is like playing an instrument - the more you learn about the craft the greater your appreciation for the masters! I saw your website. Hows the new launch going?

[@sammacer]

@@douglascampbell6482 Yeah I completely agree with you! I kind of pulled back from the new launch since covid hit and I'm reworking my perfume line so nothing has really gone anywhere with it but that partially because I'm not pushing it. I'm hoping to increase the quality the perfumes on my store so in the meanwhile I have been starting to add some perfumery supplies to see if anyone is interested in those.

[@bassmarine5650]

I'm learning a lot from these accord videos, but can you also look into maybe doing a video on an Iris accord? I have been searching all over, but it's an accord I can't really seem to find much info on.

[@laurenbray8314]

Accords are easily the hardest part of perfumery for me so I need all the help I can get!

[@sammacer]

You're certainly not alone there Lauren, I think every perfumer runs into trouble with some accords. That's why I've been trying to do more videos on making full accords (they take a long time to make though)

[@genkestrel7254]

Hi Sam, I enjoy thinking about olfactorirealistic accords. We once smelled a wild-flower that smelled like a baked lemon cheesecake!- including the biscuit base.

[@sammacer]

Haha that sounds incredible 😂

[@genkestrel7254]

@@sammacer Sam, it really was!!

[@rashedraihanjoy3465]

This is the chanel i was looking for. ❤

[@sammacer]

Glad to head

[@rashedraihanjoy3465]

😊

[@tardellimagal]

Thank You Sam !!

[@kuwen7824]

Tight, the way you display your page. You fixed my mood i was low today! Great Intro it bring us into your page smoothly. You use good filter. I'm new follower! Stay in touch we can.

[@jamlikhetrattvisa8996]

Thank you for the video!👍 is there a video about mixing artificial scent-products with natural eteric oils? Thank you again!

[@fidrewe99]

Interesting concepts/analogies. The exponentially growing number of interactions with the notes is also the reason why the number of useable chords in music decreases above four notes, even though the number of possible combinations increases. Aren't essential oils already realistic accords?

[@sammacer]

Yes, you could look at them as “natures accords”

[@MacheteTalkStudios]

Yes I made a fragrance with Sandalwood, Orange Blossom, Oud, smoked incense and white musk and I smell all five of those ingredients together. thankfully all five of them do work if they end up clashing together entirely but, how do I get the top notes I desire to be smelled first and then how do I get the middle notes that I want to be smelled once it starts to dry down and then how do I get the bass notes to be what you get in the end once the fragrance has finally calmed all the way down?

[@sammacer]

You’d want to make sure you pick notes that harmonise since you will always smell the layers below coming through

[@lenadc3060]

I love your videos. Do you have any accord ideas created essential oils, absolutes and resins, although I know is more difficult as essential oils have many compounds and behave very different if you mix them with one essential oil or another. At the moment I managed to create a floral DIY perfume for me or family which is really well balanced which surprised me a lot the result in a positive way.

[@sammacer]

You can do this but usually it's easiest with expensive oils, which I don't own many of. Try mixing Benzoin, Labdanum and Vanilla to make amber. You could add some rose and orange to make a perfume.

[@GohAhweh]

EXCELLENT INFORMATION 😊

[@suresheaswer5431]

I like ur videos, to prepare perfume

[@sammacer]

Thank you!

[@barriehemming1189]

good video

[@alethink5492]

Very interesting. So we will continue again and again with *strip with 3 ingredients with strip with next single ingredient* if it's ok, blend all. And than next strip with 4 ingredients with next single etc etc

[@sammacer]

Yeah that should work

[@alethink5492]

@@sammacer Hello. Do you have any good advice for create church style fragrance like Avignon?

[@sammacer]

@@alethink5492 No sorry

[@syednaseer4078]

What is the difference between female perfume and men perfume

[@sammacer]

I would say only the marketing

[@camaronCamarona]

Thank you very much👏👏👏.

[@sammacer]

Thank you

[@arkanhassan6050]

Hello. Of course, I am grateful to you for this very valuable information, but is it possible to know the most important books related to the accordions, and is it possible to publish PDF books or paid books about accordions?

[@alexandrupetenchea9604]

Could you add your episodes on spotify? That way I can listen to them when I’m driving.

[@sammacer]

I'll have a look into it for you when I get a chance :)

[@sammacer]

Here you go! anchor.fm/sam-macer

[@alexandrupetenchea9604]

Omg you’re the best, thanks alot.

[@sammacer]

@@alexandrupetenchea9604 No problem!

[@madameracharama]

Hi, one thing I’m never sure about is when making accords do you only ever blend top notes with top notes, base with base and mid with mid? I know this is important but I find it so limiting. Please help!

[@sammacer]

No there are no rules, it just depends on your goal with the accord

[@sotiris6116]

Great explaining video!! One question, though. When you work with so little quantities eg 0.1 gr , how can you achieve this kind of presiceness with drops?? Since, each drop has its own weigh.

[@sammacer]

Once you've pre-diluted the raw materials in alcohol, most of the drop is alcohol and so the weight of the drop is close to the weight of a drop of alcohol, which is always the same. Therefore you can estimate the weight of your drops. This doesn't work for pure raw materials like you quite rightly say.

[@DougJenkins777]

Hi Sam, your videos and discord channel have been invaluable, however I am still left with a few questions, one of them related to accords. As you mention in this vid developing your accords and then using them later in full perfumes is a great way to learn your materials when starting out (and simply a convenient way of dev perfumes). This is what I have chosen to do, and I now have two accords and a base near completion. My big question is this: many of the raw materials in these accords are already diluted with solvents from the manufacturer... how do you account for these (esp in Formulair) when going to put together your finished formula/perfume? Or do you not worry about it so much and just work out the ratios by smell tests then add them into your perfume formula based on scaling your accord to the ratio decided upon before adding the accords into the perfume? There must be a systematic approach to this I have yet to hear...

[@sammacer]

It's hard to answer this properly in a short comment but check out my formulair tutorial video if you haven't already. If you'd like me to walk you through it in a tutoring session then email me at [e-mail]

[@estudiopaoloremedy]

Hi Sam, first of all thank you very much for everything you teach on your channel, it has been key to my start in perfumery. I wanted to ask you a question about chords if possible, because there is something that is still not clear to me, these should be made with materials that have the same or similar duration in the olfactory strips? Because hypothetically if Fructone works well with Ethyl Maltol when I test them in the olfactory strips at the beginning I will smell the mixture but Fructone evaporates quickly and I will only have Ethyl Maltol left. I hope I am not abusing your knowledge but I also have another doubt, the duration of the materials in the olfactory strips, is it proportional to the dissolution? For example Polysantol at 100% lasts 330 hrs , that means that at 10% it will only last 33 hrs ? Thanks again for everything you teach, greetings from Chile.

[@sammacer]

When you make an accord, the durations don't have to be the same. It's just that if they're not, you need to bear in mind that the materials which last longer will be left alone at the end and therefore you need to consider that when using the accord - that you will be left with the outlasting materials and therefore they need to also be suitable alone in the formula. The concentration is not linear with respect to time. It is an exponential decay. This means it's not as simple as 10% will last 10 times less. In practice, the best thing to do it a perfumer it to put the raw materials on the scent strips and learn the behaviour of the dilutions you use. I hope this helps, good luck with your perfumery!

[@estudiopaoloremedy]

@@sammacer Perfect, that means that when I combine accord with other accord I not only have to be attentive to see how they combine all together but also as the materials evaporate. (I hope I understand correctly) As for the longevity, your answer is clear to me, I have to do more tests on the olfactory strips of some of my materials, what happens is that there are times when ideas jump out and there are some materials, especially the long lasting ones that I have not tested until the end of their aroma, but I understand that there are no shortcuts in perfumery and the best way to move forward is always to know each of your materials thoroughly. Thank you very much for your replies. Regards Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)

[@sammacer]

@@estudiopaoloremedy No problem!

[@Mazen747West]

Awesome 👍😊

[@user-pu9dt1vg6m]

Thanks so much for this and all your excellent videos. Is it OK to buy a bottle of an accord from, say, The Perfumer’s Apprentice, and wear just that as a fragrance? On its own?

[@sammacer]

For sure if you dilute it in alcohol and you like it

[@kareemsakr41]

Any tutorial on how to recreate a popular fragrance?

[@sammacer]

I haven’t tried myself but maybe one day I could do a study on one

[@asmitarajiv551]

Could you please explain the difference between bases and accords? The more I read about it the more confused I get.

[@sammacer]

See this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/m2PMaWOuf511qdk

[@omegle995]

Good

[@jalencooper5998]

I have a few questions about accords. In a singular perfume or cologne are there multiple accords (because in another video i know you said that there are mid accord base accords and top accords) And for those accords can i mix top, mid and base notes in one or do I need to stick to a particular type of notes. And when mixing accords together will i need to up the dilution rate?

[@sammacer]

No, you can make an accord across top mid and base if you like. And a perfume can contain one or many accords, it’s up to you

[@caseyw2213]

Another analogy could be this. You want to make a beef stew. You have all the right ingredients but throw in 15 pounds of celery, an ounce of beef, a table spoon of wine, one sliver of a carrot and half a cup of black pepper. Proportions can screw you up on perfumery

[@sammacer]

Yes!

[@NileshPatel-gf5zp]

Sam I want to chewing tobacco compound plz you may ready for me

[@chika6282]

How do you make a soapy/shampoo accord?

[@sammacer]

Maybe try some aldehyde and salicylates with a rose base

[@chika6282]

@@sammacer thank youu

[@MrDigitalWorks]

When it comes to accords ... should we create the accords separately and add it as a whole to the perfume? Or is it ok to create the whole perfume at once? I have a cedar accord which smells amazing as is, but I wanted to test it with my base accord (mainly musks, iso e super, ambroxan etc.) and mixed all together at once and it got way worse. Suddenly the cedar itself was too strong and dry which is completely different as in the accord and the patchouly is almost not noticable anymore. So, does it make a difference?

[@sammacer]

It’s completely up to you! Often people find it easier to make them separately and then try balancing them together. But other people prefer to make them all at once.

[@MrDigitalWorks]

@@sammacer Ok, so the outcome should be the same

[@billob1305]

@@MrDigitalWorksyou could create different accords with some common notes then blending them would be easier .These common notes act as way points to link up all different accords.I find this method facilitates accords blending

[@pankocreamriotersalaazar5771]

How do I do the math to know my dilutions into a pure perfume. I wish I could just use pure oils and not have to make dilutions over and over when making formulas. But I’m not sure how to calculate that

[@sammacer]

I made an app called Formulair formulair.app/ which is perfect for helping with this. You can formulate with your dilutions and then use the change dilution by solvent transfer option to get them in terms of 100% (pure).

[@michaelsalazar7906]

@@sammacer When i changed it to "Treat as solvent" it kept the same amount but now at 100%. So it was 0.400 Grams at 10% and now shows it as 0.400 at 100%

[@sammacer]

@@michaelsalazar7906 You aren't meant to use 'treat as solvent' for the raw materials. Email me at [e-mail] explaining what you're trying to do and I'll try to help explain how you would achieve it in the app :)

[@holaamigo6335]

What are the ratios in formula like drops or ml grams .. percentage ratio makes uncomfortable

[@sammacer]

You can treat 100% the same as 100g. So 5% is 5g as long as the total formula is 100g.

[@holaamigo6335]

Thank you so much ♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️ one more question bro .... whats the percentage of alcohol added with every perfume to get best lasting ...

[@smilinkylen5621]

Its funny they call it an accord when its literally a chord (in music).

[@marcopolo2159]

What is Rose Accord?

[@sammacer]

Check out my video on making a rose accord

[@flavia.8676]

🙏😍🇧🇷

[@sammacer]

🙌

[@andrewheidenreich7462]

I spy with my little eye, brand new eyes from paramore

[@sammacer]

One of my all time favorite bands!

[@zubeyrahmedhassan4018]

Hoe did you learn? Is there way to learn and attend?.

[@AshariyyAqidaRifaiyy]

Does amber really have a smell or is it an idea not a reality

[@sammacer]

Check out my amber accord video: There are different types, but often in perfumery it's the accord between labdanum and vanillin

[@menamines6235]

You talk too much long be smart and make it short

[@pasf4118]

hi sam, is hermitageoils legit ?

[@sammacer]

Yes

[@irshadahmad9179]

Sam i want to contact u plz

[@sammacer]

You can email me at [e-mail]