If you are like me, the first thing you do is stick your nose into a book and sniff. There is just something about the scent of a book (old or new) that is fabulous. Matija Strlic, lead scientist of a study published in the journal Heritage Science, described the smell of an old book as: "A combination of grassy notes with a tang of acids and a hint of vanilla over an underlying mustiness, this unmistakable smell is as much a part of the book as its contents." As a book ages, the chemical compounds used—the glue, the paper, the ink–begin to break down. For instance, as the cellulose in paper decomposes, it emits Furfural, which most people perceive as a sweet, almond-like fragrance. Lignin, present in the cell walls of trees (and therefore in all wood-based paper), emits Benzaldehyde and Vanillin, which impart a faint vanilla aroma. The decomposition of paper can produce such compounds as Toluene, which can smell sweet or pungent. Hexanal, also from the disintegration of cellulose and lignin in paper, can give books an earthy, musty, “old room” smell, which could be exacerbated by mold from environmental exposure. A common smell of old books, says the International League for Antiquarian Booksellers, is a hint of vanilla: “Lignin, which is present in all wood-based paper, is closely related to vanillin. As it breaks down, the lignin grants old books that faint vanilla scent.”
These fragrances will give you a great opportunity to try a variety of "Old Book" smelling fragrances.
You will receive a 1/2ml sample (1ml sample vial filled half full) of each of the fragrances in this sampler.
- Calyx Codex Perfume Oil - One of the perfumer's favorite things about being a rare book librarian was the smell. She had the pleasure of handling some of the country's most rare and valuable volumes, some dating back to the late 15th century. The scent of linen papers, a few still uncut pages, the binding glues, the antique inks, the vellum and paperboard, the leather that leaves "book rot" smudges on clothes... There's nothing quite like that aroma, as every bibliophile knows, but Codex is the closest thing she smelled in liquid form. It opens with the sweet pulpy smell of new books, paper, binding glue, and modern bookshops, and ages into the rich, dusty scent of antiquarian volumes with foxed pages and worn leather bindings. It is a leathery, dusty, dark, powdery, papery and warm scent.
- Freyja's Daughters A Midnight Dreary Perfume Oil - Like falling asleep with your face in a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore. With notes of suede, leather and wood. It smells like antique books and mystery.
- Redwood Alchemy Chronicles of Obsession Perfume Oil - Dive into the layers of history with the haunting whispers of aged leather, the smoky aura of ancient manuscripts and the rich allure of dark woods. With notes of aged paper, dark wood and aged leather.
- The Snowy White Owl Poetic Treehouse Perfume Oil - With notes of library, leather books, musty attic, cedar, leaf accord, hot wax and metal. This scent is based off a treehouse library high up in an oak tree with bookshelves made from dark mahogany wood, housing hundreds of old musty leather bound editions of books and poetry, cedar floors, soft hot wax for sealing letters, green leaves being blown by a soft wind on a summer day, resinous amyris, sandalwood accord, and dark patchouli. You may even detect some vinyl, green leafy aldehyde and a hint of metal. This is not a gourmand library scent or even a woody scent. It’s like scent after scent, coming together to make poetry, with pure artisanal note layers of fragrance and aroma molecules combined. Dark mahogany, shelves and shelves of hundreds of old musty leather bound books sitting on floors made of old cedar. High up in the treehouse of an old oak tree is a huge attic library filled with books. Every floor has an abundance of books to read. Friends are reading and hanging out on the branches reading. Reading is going on everywhere. There is never a shortage of musty old leather bound books. While one is reading, a soft breeze blows and the scent of the leaves waft across the air.
