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 can 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.
- Alpha Musk Leather Bound Book Perfume Oil - Created using a paper note put together using a series of balsams, primarily tolu balsam, gurjan balsam with a touch of benzoin, a dry sandalwood and pepper. Add a realistic leather with a softer dry suede note and thyme, olibanum and a dash of amber resin. There’s hidden nuances of rose, saffron honey and beeswax.
- Belladonna’s Botanical Occult Library EDP - The scent of dusty tomes, grimoires, cobwebs and remnants of things past. With notes of old books, leather, scotch whiskey, amber, cedarwood and Palo Santo.
- Nui Cobalt Bibliomancy Perfume Oil - The art of divination with books. Select a volume at random from the shelf. Turn the pages until intuition tells you to stop. The words on the page are the answer to your question. The vanillic scent of brittle pages, well-worn leather bindings, dried lavender and forget-me-not blossoms pressed beneath translucent vellum, Peru balsam, Omani frankincense and oud.
- Alkemia Book of Shadows Perfume Oil - With notes of parchment paper, antique ink, leather bindings and rare incenses.
- Calyx Ancient Library of Alexandria Perfume Oil - In the heart of the ancient Library of Alexandria, the air held secrets of ages past, each telling a different tale of history. Upon entering, the first olfactory embrace came from the many shelves, their warm, woody aroma a testament to centuries of care and preservation. This scent intertwined with the subtle mustiness of aged papyrus and the sweet, lingering essence of ink that had been absorbed into the fibers of countless scrolls. On particularly warm days, the aroma of sun-warmed stone from the grand pillars and walls became more pronounced, adding an earthy dimension to the aromatic tapestry. The uplifting fragrance of lotus blossoms and herbs wafted gently through the arches, carried on a fresh Mediterranean breeze. With notes of aged papyrus, carbon black ink, fragrant lotus, baked earth and warm marble, subtle hints of smoke and spice. This is a sweet, earthy, dry, woody, floral, slightly smoky and spicy fragrance.
- Ghoulish Goods Haunted Library Perfume Oil - This scent will transport you to an old Victorian library. With ceiling high wooden book shelves, creaky floorboards, leather bound books covered in a blanket of dust, fragile yellowing pages and musty tufted chairs. Wafting through it all is the scent of sweet tobacco, the scent of the spirit that haunts these walls. With top notes of teakwood and tonka; middle notes of cedar, leather, sweet tobacco and molasses; and base notes of sandalwood, patchouli, mahogany and dark musk.
- 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.
