Written in the tone of the Paraphrase Perfume (previously known as Libertine Fragrance) founder and perfumer, Joshua Smith, this style of writing is meant to immerse the reader in the emotional and ethereal aspects of the brand’s world.
Fragrances are not necessary for survival. In some ways, they are luxuries. But as individuals who subscribe to the idea that there are higher states accessible to us every day in small, opulent moments, fragrance is absolutely essential. Fragrance both connects us to ourselves and speaks to others. It says hello before we do. It tells the folks next to us on the train that we have chosen to bring a memory or an emotion along with us for the ride.
META AD SCRIPT - 2025 - BRAND DIFFERENTIATION
"How do you find the perfect scent when there are so many perfumes on the market?
When I started making perfume I wondered the same thing.
I’ve always loved scent and how it can transport you and make you feel any way that you want to feel… but big name perfumes were often a miss for me.
They can smell like they are just copying what was already popular, and I wanted to smell unique.
The thing about big name fragrances is that they are aiming for mass appeal, and when you make something everyone can like, it’s hard to make something that feels really special for just a few people.
So that was the approach we wanted to take. Creating perfumes that maybe aren’t meant for everyone, but that are incredibly special to us. Scents that take you to new places or back to a specific memory or feeling.
I started Paraphrase Perfume because it seemed like there was room for a fragrance brand that feels personal. Made by humans with care. I create all the scents in our line, bottling them up by hand to create unique, sensual and earthy scents for people that want their fragrances to tell a unique story.
If you want to smell great and smell different than everyone else give us a try and be transported by scent.”
Some people find a scent when they’re young and wear it their entire lives. Instead of seasons, scents have decades. Some people, like my grandfather, become loyal to carrying one scent - in his case, Obsession by Calvin Klein - and in some ways they are the lucky ones.
Honestly, I am envious of those who can arrive at sublime simplicity in their expressive choices.
For those of us who are keen to explore, who have been introduced to an entire galaxy of possible scents, they know that there are more ways to express our myriad souls than just one scent; hence, our extensive scent collections.
So what does this say about us, we who cannot help but buy another fragrance when a sexy brand or talented perfumer launches their latest alchemy? That we are indecisive? That we are curious? That we align ourselves with our moods, the seasons, the weather? That we refuse to be pinned down to one perceptive layer?
I’ll tell you this: I put on fragrance every day - not always the same one - because I love wearing them. I love smelling good, I love when other people notice, I love when they ask me what I’m wearing. I love the weight of the bottle in my hand and the potent sense of opulence it brings me. Hell, it makes me want to keep my closet clean so I have a nice space to spray my perfume.
In the mornings, putting on fragrance is to my nose what pouring coffee is to my brain.
MATERIAL EXPRESSIONS EMAIL - FALL 2024 - BLACKCURRANT
Imagine for a moment that you are picking berries on a cool morning.
Just for the hell of it, you squeeze a fistful of the purple, pea-sized, tender berries.
The juice stains your hands with pale indigo and a jammy, mildly stinky scent wafts into your nose.
It's delightful.
Tart and bitter, juicy and sour.
Blackcurrant Absolute is a versatile note in perfumery, used to accentuate and add tartness to fruit, to give florals - particularly rose - a bright freshness.
Much of the world outside North America tends to be much more familiar with Black Currant, as it is commonly used as a flavouring in drinks and deserts. However, North Americans got concord grape as a common drink flavour that the rest of the world hasn’t been keen to pick up.
Black Currant in perfume exists in a few forms:
1. The natural option is Blackcurrant Bud Absolute which, as the name indicates, it is created from the buds of the plant instead of the fruit .
The absolute is complex, jammy and a little wine like.
It does have a distinctly sulphurous, cat pee note as well, so this material must be diluted down and used carefully to avoid adding too much of this sulphurous element to a formula.
2. The large fragrance houses sell multiple bases, which replicate the juicy, tart berries and are much easier to dose in a perfume.
Like most notes in perfume, each fragrance house has their own in-house accord they make and use.
EMAIL WELCOME FLOWS - 2025
Your nose knows best, Jesse.
If you wear perfume to seek delight and pleasure then Paraphrase is for you.
Hazy, naturalistic scents to explore what brings you joy.
Discover our line of scents inspired by hazy daydreams and personal fantasies.
BLACK FRIDAY EMAIL CAMPAIGNS - 2024
Soon, we will leave the name Libertine behind.
Shop the site to save 25% off of everything, and 35% off of orders over $220 USD.
This is your chance to join us in celebrating the close of a beautiful chapter. Grab a piece of history with our best pricing of the year, and help us move into the next chapter.
We appreciate your support and graciously thank you for joining us on our journey.
Your favourite scents are going fast.
It’s a bittersweet goodbye, but we’re excited to say thank you to our friends and fans alike with huge savings as we move closer to our new name in the new year.
Save 25% off of everything, store-wide.
Any order over $220USD saves 35%.
No code needed, just add to cart and save.
Celebrate the Closing Ceremony with us as we toast Libertine a fond farewell. 🥂
Beloved fan, as you may already know, our name is changing soon.
With such a change, it's only right to celebrate Libertine's journey with an event - a Ceremony - that enables our friends and fans get their hands on the last of the Libertine stock, while we make room in our minds and in our studio for Paraphrase.
If you're reading this, you are one of our best Libertine customers this year.
In addition to our Closing Ceremony sale we have a free VIP gift for you.
The gift:
a free 10mL bottle of a unreleased passionfruit scent we've been alchemizing for a long time. This is an early mod of the scent so you can get a sneak peak and see how the scent changes when released.
There are ONLY 40 of these unreleased samples available. Just click through this email and add one to your cart. Only 1 per customer please!
We appreciate you and are so glad you have enjoyed exploring the Libertine world. We can't wait to welcome you to our next chapter.
PRODUCT FEATURE EMAIL - FALL 2024 - FIN DE SIECLE
The seasonal crossfade beckons us to change - to transform.
Fin de Siecle is a transformational rose.
Black Currant, Bitter Orange,
Rose, Patchouli, Oakmoss
