Diptyque's L'Eau Papier is the Genderless Fragrance of the Summer

Last summer, I wrote that Diptyque's Philosykos Eau de Parfum was my favorite summer fragrance of all time and called it "a dream in liquid form." That is still true. A bottle is permanently on my dresser.

But Diptyque has a new formulation that's been giving Philosykos (the perfume form of their flawless Figuier candle) a run for their money, and the notes of the fragrance may surprise you. When you think of the scents of summer, you might think of fruits or citruses, blue aquatics, maybe some freesia or jasmine. But the inspiration for Diptyque's new L'Eau Papier is, well, paper.

More specifically, the perfume celebrates imagination, born out of ideas scrawled on a piece of paper where your hand, ink, and paper become one. Translated into fragrance, it's all about inventing a new world where the possibilities are endless: an evolving musk that smells different over time and from one skin to another. As ink on paper can conjure dreams and images, so too can this new summertime mainstay.

An accord of Rice Steam compliments delicate white musks which evoke the grain of paper, while added notes of mimosa make the fragrance sing against a backdrop of blonde wood tones. More specifically, the perfumer used Grasse Mimosa, a variety that has been cultivated since 1865 and contains notes of sunny florals and honeys.

I wasn't sure what a paper-inspired fragrance would smell like, and I definitely didn't think I'd be wearing it every day. But such is the singular beauty of Diptyque, a fragrance house that–as far as I know–has never released anything that doesn't smell divine. What starts off as powdery and slightly floral quickly dries down into a musky base that remains as easy and light as a seaside breeze. It's also a truly genderless fragrance, which makes it all the more alluring.

There is little doubt that this fragrance will show another dimension of itself as the weather cools off again: what smells one way on a humid, sunny day smells altogether different spritzed onto a cashmere sweater on a crisp fall afternoon. The best fragrances evolve not only from person to person and from hour to hour, but season to season. It's why Diptyque's fragrances are so universally appealing 365 days a year, and I suspect L'Eau Papier will reveal a slightly different side of itself in a few months.

L'Eau Papier is available for $175 from Diptyqueparis.com, and all orders come with a free sample, which means you can test the fragrance out before unwrapping the full size. Give it a shot and conjure up some new dreams this summer and beyond.