50ml

100ml

PARAPHRASE

SOFT WOODS

Name: SOFT WOODS
Brand: PARAPHRASE
Price: 162.00 $
Availability: InStock

Eau De Parfum

Unisex

Sizes

Starting

$162

Description

Soft Woods by Paraphrase evokes the dappled midday sun filtering through a verdant fir grove, where crisp juniper and black pepper spark a fresh, green awakening. Tender rose de mai weaves a soft floral haze amid deep coniferous balsam, transitioning to a warm, resinous embrace of frankincense, vanilla bourbon, and musk. This unisex scent captures a naturalistic forest reverie—quiet, polished, and immensely presentable, blending airy crispness with cozy depth. Created by Joshua Smith for unisex.

Scent Profile

Green

Coniferous

Floral

Resinous

Warm

Notes

Top Notes

Black Pepper

Juniper Berries

Middle Notes

Fir Balsam

Rose

Base Notes

Frankincense

Vanilla Bourbon

Musk

About PARAPHRASE

Paraphrase Perfume is an independent North American fragrance house founded in 2014 by Joshua Smith, an ex-forester turned designer who creates handcrafted perfumes in Canada. The brand philosophy centers on using scent as a means of retelling stories and exploring the subtle beauty of nature, with a focus on slowness, mindfulness, and sensory exploration. Paraphrase rebranded from its former name Libertine Fragrance in 2025, shifting from a rebellious aesthetic to one emphasizing creation, community, and the transformative power of fragrance in connecting people to natural landscapes and their inner selves.

Website

Perfumer

Joshua Smith

Joshua Smith is a self-taught perfumer from the Canadian prairies, formerly a forester and industrial designer, who founded Libertine Fragrance in late 2014 while studying design and later rebranded it to Paraphrase. He hand-blends immersive unisex perfumes using high-quality natural and synthetic ingredients, with notable creations including Sex & Jasmine—an animalic jasmine ode—Gilded, a spice-laden incense scent, and Fin de Siecle, a modernized rosy chypre. His work emphasizes sensory exploration, slowing down to connect with one's emotions, and reinterpreting personal stories through scent.

Website

Reviews

4.9

Excellent55 reviews

Ministry of Scent

1.0/5 • 1 reviews

PARAPHRASE

4.9/5 • 54 reviews

Community Insights

Reviewers praise Soft Woods for its crisp, beautiful, and addictive fresh coniferous-rose-incense profile that lingers subtly on clothes. Critics like Luca Turin call it a civilized, grand fresh-amber affair, immensely presentable and modern. While mostly positive, some find niche scents like this overwhelming if preferring mainstream profiles.

Pros

Performance excellence: Offers solid longevity with subtle sillage that clings beautifully to fabrics throughout the day, providing a quiet but persistent presence.

Versatile appeal: Excels in everyday wear, cooler seasons, or office settings where a refined, naturalistic forest vibe shines without overpowering.

Quality composition: Reviewers rave about the masterful blend of green conifer, tender rose, and warm incense-vanilla, feeling artisanal, balanced, and elegantly polished.

Cons

Specific limitation: Can feel too niche or green-resinous for those unaccustomed to coniferous scents, occasionally reading as caustic or overpowering on initial spray.

Situational drawback: Less ideal in very hot, humid weather where the fresh woods may amplify into something sharper rather than cozy.

Comparisons

Similar to Encre Noire: Shares crisp coniferous greenness and subtle woods, but Soft Woods adds floral rose lightness and vanilla warmth for a softer, more approachable twist.

Reminds reviewers of Creed Bois du Portugal: Evokes refined woody-resin elegance, though distinguished by brighter pepper-juniper top and dewy rose heart over heavier amber.