Discover a delightful aroma of paper and ink in Diptyque's new eau de toilette

Perfumer Fabrice Pellegrin embarked on creating Diptyque's latest scent, starting from scratch with a blank page. His task was to craft the aroma of paper, which he initially considered to be a challenge. However, he embraced the task, determined to see what he could create. The end result, L'Eau Papier, is a stunning fragrance that stands out from the rest due to its unusual nature.

According to Diptyque SVP Laurence Semichon, the paper holds a significant place in the brand's history. Diptyque's founders, Desmond Knox-Leet, Christiane Montadre-Gautrot, and Yves Coueslant, were artists and visionaries who held a great appreciation for drawing. This sentiment is evident in every Diptyque fragrance since its first release in 1961, which features a miniature artwork on its paper oval label. Semichon believes that drawing sparks the imagination and allows the mind to wander, which was the inspiration behind L'Eau Papier. The fragrance pays homage to paper as a place of dreaming. L'Eau Papier is also noteworthy as it marks the first new eau de toilette from Diptyque since the release of Eau Rose EDT in 2012.

Upon the first spritz of L'Eau Papier, the aroma of steamed rice and sesame seeds is immediately noticeable. These notes were carefully selected by Pellegrin to convey the texture of rice paper and ink. Following the initial burst, mimosa, sourced from Grasse, is introduced to the blend, adding a velvety, honey-and-hay floral touch. The dry down consists of creamy musk, reminiscent of a blank white sheet of paper, and cedar, which evokes the scent of pencil shavings. Although the scent's progression may seem peculiar on paper, in reality, L'Eau Papier is a delightful and highly wearable fragrance. It is a shapeshifter, smelling like a clean musk on some skin types and a soft floral on others.

French artist Alix Waline, known for her wall mural at the Diptyque boutique on Rue Saint-Honoré, was commissioned to create the artwork for L’Eau Papier. The external label features an abstract black-and-white design reminiscent of calligraphy ink, while the inside showcases a landscape scene with illustrations of ingredients such as sesame, mimosa flower, and musk. According to Semichon, they chose Waline for her delicate and perfect work, which is ideal for the project. When creating something new, they always ask themselves how the founders would approach it if they were alive today, what they would like to see or smell, and where they would like to travel.

Ultimately, the concept behind L'Eau Papier is one of artistic liberty translated into a fragrance. It's a masterpiece that you can personalize with your unique touch, a narrative that you create on the fly each time you apply it.