Paper

I had to try a fragrance named paper. I had no other choice! This is the lightest fragrance I've ever come across. It almost can't be described as anything but paper. This collection is meant for layering. I think this is a brilliant idea to make your own personal signature. I find this line very appealing so far.

Ironically I got this sample today after receiving Le Labo Another 13, and I have to say they are pretty much identical. My first reaction to Another 13 is was that it smells exactly like Juliette Has a Gun Not a Perfume Superdose. (I also own the original Not a Perfume, which I find softer and nicer than any of the above). So there you have it: three fragrances that smell basically identical and could all easily pass for one another. You will either love them or hate them or not be able to smell them at all. I’m still not sure how I feel about these. If I had to pick I would say pure ISO E super blows all of them out of the water. Paper, Another 13, and Superdose all have a kind of sharpness to them that can be a little unpleasant (the latter two smelling like rubbing alcohol for some time). Molecule 01 is ISO E super but you can also buy it for cheaper on its own on Etsy. Bottom line: if you are into this kind of scent this one is probably the most bang for your buck compared to say, Le Labo Another 13, and they’re a small house so by all means I would rather support them.

I was lucky enough to receive a sample of this and didn’t really give it a chance until I decided to plough through my ever growing collection of small bottles. I was blown away. The name doesn’t really evoke a want to wear the perfume in me, but see past the name; it’s a showstopper (or at least it was for me). I’d actually say this is a unisex scent and has slight hints of Halfeti in for me. It’s the type of fragrance I’d wear to an important work meeting or conference - somewhere where I want to be focused and make a good impression. And I think this perfume would assist in achieving that.

I quite like this scent. It's light, clean, and neutral, though not the typical clean scent like soap. While some find it overpowering, I only notice the intensity upon initial spray. It has a subtle resemblance to the scent of paper, invoking feelings of libraries or books, giving off a mature and relaxed ambiance. It reminds me of evenings with a good book and a glass of wine or whiskey. Interestingly, my teen daughter adores it and wants more. I have yet to find dupe as I refuse to pay such a hefty price. Also, its poor longevity disappoints, especially considering its high price tag.

While this does actually give me "paper" vibes, it is so faint and barely there, I can't detect it unless I put my wrist right up to my nose. I applied several healthy sprays of Paper from my Expressive discovery set and waited to be wowed - but instead I thought, am I anosmic to this? After reading a few reviews, I will definitely try layering this with another scent and see how that works. But as I sit here typing this, I am getting gentle wafts from my clothes so it's there, just whispery soft, like pages turning quietly in a library.

There's a strong and astringent aldehyde hit at the start, then the cedar comes through and is dominant. It doesn't suit my skin at all as I'm rapidly left with an unpleasant slightly faecal scent that has me reaching for the soap and a nail brush.

Smells like rocks and old grandma

This smells like the “wood” section of a craft store. Cheap popsicle sticks on steroids and hot glue burning plastic. This is truly awful. I don’t understand who wears and enjoys this.

Paper is my first experience with Iso E Super, and I have to say I'm hooked, at least with the way Commodity uses it here. Because the Commodity collection is mostly meant for creating a fragrance "cocktail" unique to the wearer, I think the sommelier intentionally formulated Paper with IES to really let you put your signature on whatever you come up with. I noticed that Paper smells remarkably different on me than it does on my husband. I get more of a light blonde woody trail, while he gets something of a deep cedar punctuated blast. I can detect Paper right out of the bottle, but he can't. IES is definitely weird and mysterious, and it's because of this that I've paired Paper with the others in Commodity's collection. My other Commodity fave, Rain, is beautiful and complex alone but Paper elevates it to another level entirely, yet still manages to make it unique to me. I'm betting that combo of Rain & Paper would smell different on everyone, only because of the IES. I have not yet tried to wear Paper by itself (I'm still deeply infatuated with my experimental cocktail phase with the Commodity line) so I can't comment on that. It seems to enhance longevity of other scents quite a bit but doesn't really do much for increasing sillage, at least not on me, but perhaps my nose just can't detect it. That's another weird thing that Paper does: It seems like the notes will go away for an hour or so, but then come back with a grand entrance out of nowhere. Overall, it's a nice enhancer, imparting the usual wood/cedar notes that IES is known for.

Oof, so that's what ISO E Super smells like, yeesh. Very screechy metallic, almost rubbing alcohol. I've been waiting for the drydown but even 20 minutes she's still... pfugh... she's strong. It must be one of those things where it either attracts or repels you, and I'm repelled unfortunately. Blech. It doesn't even smell like Paper on the paper test strip.

My sample kit arrived (great idea!) and I think this is my favorite or second favorite of the bunch, behind Book, (fresh fig). I can see the paper resemblance, but mine smells like paper with wine spilt on it, quite possibly wine gone bad. It has a strong fermented scent. I wonder if I got an odd batch or does anyone else smell this too?

It doesn't smell like anything in my opinion. I like really strong fragrances so this did not work for me.