Diptyque - L'Eau Papier
This composition is the result of the vision and imagination of perfumer Fabrice Pellegrin.
“Creating a perfume for Diptyque is like writing a book. You need a story, an introduction, a structure, and also raw materials that complement each other and weave together into a narrative. For L'Eau Papier, I started with one key ingredient: grain, specifically sesame and an extract from its roasted seeds. This note forms the surprising element of the perfume, with which I wanted to evoke the scent of ink and introduce a refined, indulgent nuance. I then refined the composition with musk notes to give it more sensuality. To round it off, I added floral notes of mimosa, whose delicate, powdery qualities underscore the soft note representing the paper. The fragrance is defined by the uniqueness of the grain and ink accord combined with the sweet scent of white musk, which represents the smell of paper. I translated the delicate and sensitive contact of the ink with the paper through an overdose of musk.”
Just as ink penetrates different sheets of paper differently, L'Eau Papier will produce different results from one skin to another and over time – thanks to the way the white musk develops and unfolds. L'Eau Papier is a perfect symbol of paper – and a way for every personality to express its unique individuality.
White musk
It all begins with a blank sheet of paper. Then ink and ideas come into play. Imagination and the senses determine the line, dreams and experiences shape the forms. This is how things have always begun – for artists from all over the world, as well as for Desmond Knox-Leet, Christiane Montadre-Gautrot, and Yves Coueslant, the three multidisciplinary creators and founders of Diptyque, with their shared love of beauty, art, and expressive drawings.
What makes this house unique is that the discovery of the fragrances begins with a visual and graphic expression that tells the story and composition of the perfumes. A white sheet of paper and a black line mark the start of this creative gesture, forging a connection between nose and hand. Sight, scent, and image intertwine in a unique fragrance creation process, a truly synesthetic experience.
Rice steamer
This was naturally also the process behind the creation of L'Eau Papier, Diptyque's Eau de Toilette, conceived in collaboration with perfumer Fabrice Pellegrin and artist Alix Waline. With its story, its character, and its name, L'Eau Papier is a true homage to creation, the heart of the House, and to paper, the most important medium through which this creation is expressed. Paper as a catalyst for ideas, as the essential basis for the creation of drawings and fragrances that, in turn, stimulate the imagination of each individual by telling stories and evoking memories. The name of this new creation not only unites water and paper but also recalls the history of the House and the founding trio's passion for line and brushstroke. The name alludes to the ink diluted with water, through which form materializes on the page, and to the gesture of the artist composing their drawing, giving free rein to their imagination.
French artist Alix Waline, who trained at the art academy in Paris and the École de la Cambre in Brussels, has created a work in her signature style, rendered in delicate black and white. She meticulously reproduces shadows and textures, building the drawing point by point and layer by layer. Unlike the traditional illustrations for Diptyque perfumes, there are no recognizable figures or landscapes, but rather an impressionistic and abstract black and white composition.
On the front, the varying color intensity of the motifs and lines illustrates the many possibilities of putting art on paper, revealing a wealth of different nuances and emotions. Everyone is free to interpret the drawing in their own way and imagine their own story to accompany it. More than ever before, the viewer's eye determines the artwork, guided by their own imagination.
L'Eau Papier – mimosa and a light wood accord
Alix Waline's drawing on the back reflects her vision of the fragrance and its distinctive characteristics, reminiscent of Desmond and Yves' pointillist style, which defined the identity and character of the Diptyque illustrations. A washed-out ink underscores the softness and material qualities of the paper grain and white musk. A multitude of small, closely spaced strokes symbolizes the rice steam accord, as delicate as the fine rice paper on which the drawing is applied. The series of fine grooves represents the woody accord—wood being both a symbol of permanence and the raw material for paper. Delicate brushstrokes with diluted ink embody the vibrant note of mimosa, which adds a subtle touch of sweetness.
© Out of love for fragrance ( hb )