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Perfume that smells like new books

Cory Doctorow at 3:08 pm Wed, Jul 25, 2012

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Paper Passion, a scent from Geza Schoen for Wallpaper* magazine, makes its wearers smell like freshly printed books. I suppose it can be alternated with "In the Library," a perfume that smells like old books.

Paper Passion fragrance by Geza Schoen, Gerhard Steidl, and Wallpaper* magazine, with packaging by Karl Lagerfeld and Steidl.

“The smell of a freshly printed book is the best smell in the world.” Karl Lagerfeld.

It comes packaged with inside a hollow carved out of a book with "texts" by "Karl Lagerfeld, Günter Grass, Geza Schoen and Tony Chambers."

Paper Passion (via Kottke)

I write books. My latest is a YA science fiction novel called Homeland (it's the sequel to Little Brother). More books: Rapture of the Nerds (a novel, with Charlie Stross); With a Little Help (short stories); and The Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow (novella and nonfic). I speak all over the place and I tweet and tumble, too.

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  • Donald Petersen

    I guess ol’ Karl’s olfactory sensibilities differ from George LeBay’s.

  • http://www.facebook.com/kmelton Keith Melton

    All kindles/nooks/etc should come with a sample of this.

    • Andrew Singleton

      …. This. Seriously. This needs to happen. Quick. Everybody Upvote/Like this guy.

    • hanoverfiste

      Yeah, my gut post too, also need smell of old book. File shared books don’t have that.

  • iamlegion

    I would hit that so hard the bed would get pregnant…

  • Antinous / Moderator

    Is this revenge for magazines that smell like perfume?

    • http://sportsbooksforbabies.com/ Ken Ashe

      probably… I can’t see anyone actually buying this.

      • http://www.himonkey.net monkey

        Oh, someone will. And they will keep it pristine and wrapped & never smell it.  But at 98US$ a pop.  No.  Despite my fragrance fanaticism. No. I know what fresh ink smells like and it’s not an extraordinary looking piece.

  • Andrew Singleton

    Quick! Now come out with an ‘old book’ scent where you get the vanillas and other smells (hold on the musty meldewy stuff please.)

    • BarBarSeven

      Eau du Comic Book Bin.

    • http://twitter.com/Jennifer_JG Jennifer Sherman

      http://www.cbihateperfume.com/in-the-library.html/

  • Bender

    The smell of mimeographed paper. That is all.

  • http://marjaerwin.livejournal.com/ Marja Erwin

    First, can they invent a perfume that doesn’t smell like headache, dizziness, and an uncontrollable need to sneeze?

  • https://twitter.com/PhoetrySlam Cyran0

    Clever . . .

    What next: Cologne that smells like freshly-opened, mint-in-box original Star Wars figurines?

    • http://twitter.com/Ronamo Jaron R. Hendrix

      A freshly-opened previously MIB Star Wars figurine wouldn’t attract any geeks or nerds…it’d send them into a deep depression or fit of rage.  I mean…YOU OPENED IT!

      • https://twitter.com/PhoetrySlam Cyran0

         Hmm, interesting . . . interesting . . .

        Sooooo, what would happen if one were to, say . . . . ‘accidentally’ spill a bottle of this in the middle of Comic-Con?

        Hypothetically speaking, of course.

        • http://marjaerwin.livejournal.com/ Marja Erwin

          People have “jokingly” sprayed perfume on me. I got sick. Please don’t “jokingly” mess with other people’s breathing. It’s not funny.

          • DankDarko

            Did you even read the comment?

          • https://twitter.com/PhoetrySlam Cyran0

             Marja, I’m really the sweetest thing you’ll ever choke on to be around.
            I’d never fuck with someone like that.

  • Teller

    Paper passion is right. Karl’s funny in his eccentric way, but I dislike inane hoopla packaged around toilet water. Ya can’t drink it.

    • retepslluerb

      I’m totally going to make a business out of bottled toilet water.

      Edit: For use in toiletes, not taken from toilets.

  • Øyvind

    What’s wrong with simply rubbing yourself with an old book? Is that now no longer good enough? I  favor pre-1950s Jane Austen or Charles Dickens, since they have an almost perfect blend of dust, fungus and tears. Or 60s sci-fi paperback for a more wild night out. This perfume is a bad idea.

    • retepslluerb

      That smell doesn’t stick. However, you can get a lasting effect by running the book through a shredder and then a blender afterwards. Don’t leave  out the shredder, otherwise the paper will get too hot and will destroy the smell. 

      Sprinkle sparingly. 

  • http://www.himonkey.net monkey

    As much as I am a perfume fan & can play name that note with the best of them for some reason I’m not that excited about this vanity project.  Geza Schoen is a perfumer who has done the niche perfume Escentric Molecules, but, samples of the fragrance are not available and the whole thing is about the package and presentation as a whole.  Besides, book, paperback book, library, all those scents – they have been done before to various levels of success. Vanillin is present in paper & cardboard which increases as it degenerates. (mmmm…. sugar cookie smell) If you crave a good book smell (or cellophane tape, playdoh, river rock or various fires) Christopher Brocious of I Hate Perfume in Brooklyn has an astounding collection he’s made that are the farthest thing from your grannies Channel no 5 or the putrid Axe spray your little brother repels girls with. http://www.cbihateperfume.com/  Demeter has had various book, paperback and cookie fragrances on their fragrance and candle menu for years as well.   http://www.demeterfragrance.com/I think the big question is really: what will the Boing Boing Signature Fragrance Collection Smell like?

    • Dito

      …what will the Boing Boing Signature Fragrance Collection Smell like?

      Cthulu musk with a hint of overheated electronics.

      • http://www.himonkey.net monkey

        I’m pretty sure Xeni doesn’t smell like Cthulu musk – real or synthetic.  I’ll have to think about that one. 

  • jdo

    Freshly showered = Paper Passion;  Not having showered in a day or more = In the Library (or would it be the other way around?)

  • http://www.himonkey.net monkey

    Brocious’ other stuff is more fun, his different fires are interesting and his river smell. celo tape, cigar tobacco… it’s fun to just wander around and sniff. he’s a fun guy to talk to as well, depending on what day and what mood you catch him. Do you have a I Hate Perfume favorite Jennifer?