Trending: Solar Accords

Solar floral fragrances are trending in the world of perfumery this season. It’s no surprise that as the weather warms in the Northern Hemisphere, consumers look for fragrances with a sun-kissed character. Perfumers approach this olfactory style by choosing notes and ingredients that evoke sand or sun-warmed skin – a style of fragrance made famous by suntan lotions and sunscreens. They want you to close your eyes, inhale and immediately imagine a beautiful white sand beach with azure blue waters.

Solar Accords – Sun-kissed Aromas

“The solar accord, also known as the sunny note, is an accord that dresses an olfactory family,” explains perfumer Sylvaine Delacourte. In Europe, the olfactory reference associated with sunny notes is built around chemical molecules called benzyl salicylates. Perfumers in America use Hawaiian Tropic sunscreen as the profile because the product boasts an opulent scent built around coconut notes.  These are often paired with exotic flower and summer citrus fruits.

When perfumers are trying to create a specific scent that captures a mood or feeling, they will create what is called an ‘accord’. This is a combination of two, three or more different ingredients to create a specific smell. You’ll find this often with beautiful flowers that have no aroma. These artists will blend different flowers to evoke the spirit or mood of the flower.

The Solar Accord Perfumer’s Palette

How to perfumers create a solar accord in a lab? They have a range of natural and synthetic ingredients from which to pull from. Here are some of them.

Italian Citrus

Lemon, mandarin and bergamot from the southern Italian coast are almost always used in solar accords. That is because these uplifting and sunny notes smell like summer. Bergamot, a cross between bitter orange and fresh lime, is the most sophisticated citrus note as it is more nuanced and layered.

Tiare Flower

The opulent white blooms of the tiare shrub, the national symbol of Tahiti, has a rich and intoxicating aroma. The sweet floral smell is also found in shimmering summer body oils.

Ylang-Ylang Flower

This delicate yellow bloom is best described as half way between jasmine and tuberose with an intoxicating aroma. Delacourte says this flower best illustrates the solar facet in perfumery. She likes the note as it has a creamy, intoxicating scent. The blossoms are harvested when the soft green flowers turn a vibrant yellow.

Tuberose Blooms

Tuberose is exotic and narcotic and adds an intensity to any accord. It is harvested every morning from May through to December.

Warm Sand Accord

To emphasize the feeling of warm sandy beaches, perfumers will often add a warm sand accord to a solar-floral fragrance. This is done with synthetic molecules in a lab that mimics the scent of beaches in summer. It’s particularly useful when perfumers are using bold floral notes like tuberose, jasmine or ylang-ylang.

Coconut Water

One of the easiest ways to add a summer vibe to any scent is to incorporate some form of coconut note into a composition. Coconut water is currently popular in both mass and prestige fragrances adding an almost aquatic facet. The actual coconut fruit has a sweeter character.

Watch for more solar-floral fragrances to arrive online and in-store as we move into the summer months. Think of them as vacations in a bottle.

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