The Story
Why it exists.
The beginning
English Major came from a simple obsession: what does it actually smell like to love old books? Not the idea of them, not a candle pitched at bibliophiles, the real olfactory reality of afternoons spent in university stacks, the specific warmth of paper that has been handled too many times. Caitlin Hayes approached this question like a researcher, avoiding the obvious route of leather and vanilla that dominates the 'book' fragrance category. Instead, she isolated what she calls the 'material memory' of paper: the slightly sweet oxidation of old pages, the faintly balsamic quality of aging binding agents, the dusty warmth that accumulates in the air between shelves. The result is a fragrance that smells genuinely used, genuinely handled, genuinely read.
The note selection reflects a philosophy of specificity over generality. Old Books is not leather, not vanilla, not amber. It is the material itself, the paper and glue and age. Marshmallow and Brown Sugar provide the warmth of a reader's hands rather than synthetic sweetness. Orris Root adds a vintage elegance that suggests old libraries and reading rooms. Peru Balsam grounds the composition in something resinous and slightly sweet, like old book spines preserved in a dusty archive. Coconut, perhaps unexpectedly, adds intimacy, the warmth of skin that has been reading for hours.
The evolution
English Major opens without fanfare. Old Books arrives immediately, joined by Marshmallow and Brown Sugar sweetness. There is no bright top note to announce itself; the fragrance simply begins. Over the first hour, Woody Notes and Peru Balsam emerge, grounding the sweetness in something more resinous and grounded. Orris Root adds a powdery iris detail that feels almost academic, like the smell of reading glasses and desk lamps. The Fire accord appears as a subtle edge, the ghost of a fireplace in an adjacent reading room, and fades within the first three hours. As the fragrance moves into its long heart phase, Coconut surfaces as a skin-close detail, lending warmth without tropical intention. The drydown maintains Woody Notes as structure, with Orris and Brown Sugar fading into a skin-musk warmth that persists for hours.
Cultural impact
English Major has found its audience in the indie fragrance community through pure word-of-mouth, no campaign, no celebrity, just the right name hitting the right nerve. It's the kind of fragrance that gets recommended in threads about 'book smells' not because it's safe, but because it's specific. The orris-marshmallow pairing has become something of a signature for the brand, referenced whenever Hayes discusses her approach to sweet-and-earthy compositions.
