Paper Scents Are The Perfume Trend Of The Moment - Here's What To Know
Whether you're looking for a perfume you can try out in 2023 or are getting bored of your current go-to, it might be time to switch things up. You might be into musky sandalwood, or prefer more of a fresh and floral scent like rose, both of which are amongst the most popular perfume notes. As well as rose and sandalwood, lemon and vanilla are the two other notes that make their way into most fragrances because of the depth they bring to a scent.
Either way, there are tons of scents for you to try. Sweet gourmand perfume scents may be back in style, but the latest perfume trend to hit the scent world is none other than paper. It may sound odd, but there's something about the draw of a new book — or, even better, the aged ink smell of an antique novel — that's truly unforgettable.
We've got an insight into one of the most luxurious paper fragrances to be released, as well as a few more that will make you feel like you have your very own library.
Here's what makes up a perfume that takes inspiration from paper
Fabrice Pellegrin, perfumer for luxury perfume house Diptyque, told Elle that Diptyque's newest fragrance L'Eau Papier is "a tribute to creation — the DNA of Diptyque."
In case you're wondering what paper perfume smells like, Pellegrin gave in an in-depth breakdown of what makes L'Eau Papier smell so much like, well, paper. He explained, "I started creating this fragrance with one initial ingredient: roasted sesame seed extract. I chose it to evoke the novel scent of ink and to add a delicate flavor to the scent. I enhanced this by working with musky notes, to heighten the sensual aspect. Then I added floral mimosa notes to supplement the gentle note of paper." The opportunity to create a scent with such unique inspiration at the center is every perfumer's dream, and fragrance lovers seem to appreciate the effort, judging by its popularity.
If the idea of a paper scent intrigues you, a few other perfume houses have come out with scents inspired by books, paper, and ink.
Smell like freshly-turned pages with these perfumes
Another famous paper-related perfume is "Whispers in the Library" from the Replica Maison Margiela collection. Designed to evoke "the enchanting woody atmosphere of an antique library surrounded by books," it has base notes of cedarwood essence and vanilla, middle notes of cypriol essence, tonka bean, and benzoin siam resinoid, and top notes of pink pepper, patchouli and orange flower. This fragrance is on the pricier side at $160 for 100ml, but its unique, heady scent is something you won't smell anywhere else.
Simply named, "Paper" by Commodity has key notes of amber, Iso E Super, and sandalwood and is priced at $135. Spicy due to the sandalwood but balanced out by warm amber, it is designed to feel like a familiar smell even at first spray. Finally, "M/Mink" by Byredo features base notes of amber, patchouli, and clover honey, an incense heart, and a top note of adoxal. It's also the most expensive of the paper perfumes at $280 for 100ml.
No matter your style, it seems that smelling like paper is in — look for perfumes with musky notes to achieve a similar, paper-like effect.