The Independent's journalism is supported by our readers. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn commission. Why trust us?

Aēsop gloam review: We spent a month sampling the new botanical scent

This is the fifth product in the brand’s othertopias fragrance collection

Helen Wilson-Beevers
Monday 17 April 2023 11:12 EDT
Our tester tried the spicy perfume ahead of its launch date
Our tester tried the spicy perfume ahead of its launch date (Helen Wilson-Beevers/iStock/The Independent )

When it comes to luxury beauty brands, Aēsop is a botanical stalwart offering a selection of hair, skin and body essentials and cult classic products alike. Known for delivering aromatic ingredients and apothecary-style packaging, the Australian company was first founded back in 1987.

A trending presence on social media, the hashtag #aesopskincare has garnered a whopping 2.3million TikTok views. Meanwhile, here at IndyBest, the brand is a firm tried and tested favourite too. We’ve featured Aēsop in many of our shopping guides as well as standalone product picks where we’ve reviewed everything from the déodorant and sublime replenishing night masque, to the lucent facial concentrate and eidesis eau de parfum.

The latter was the fourth instalment in Aēsop’s othertopias fragrance collection and launched in 2022, so, we’ve been excitedly waiting to hear about the fifth product landing on 10 April. Enter the gloam eau de parfum, which, like its predecessor, was created with fragrance partner Barnabé Fillion and joins the othertopias scent line-up.

Billed as being both rousing and enchanting, the blend combines pink pepper, cardamom, mimosa, rose, iris, patchouli and sandalwood. But can the scent match up to the mythical hype?

Priced at £140, this is undoubtedly a splurge fragrance buy, so we wanted to try it and bring you the full perfume picture ahead of potentially making that purchase. We got our mitts on a bottle a month ahead of launch and put the perfume through its paces. Read on for our comprehensive review.

How we tested

Our reviewer spent a month wearing the brand-new Aesop scent. We looked at the scent blend and strength, how long it lasted, and whether we’d wear gloam on a regular basis. Keep scrolling to read our full tried and tested verdict.

Aesop gloam eau de parfum

Aesop gloam.jpg
  • Best: Multi-faceted unique fragrance
  • Size: 50ml
  • Scent notes: Spicy, warm, woody, floral

Gloam is presented in a signature brown glass Aēsop perfume bottle and comes in a 50ml size. The bottle has minimalist branding, which also fits with the on-trend simple beauty vibe. As such, it looks chic on any surface and reflects the premium price point.

As soon as we spritzed the scent onto skin the potent fragrance notes appeared. At first sniff, our tester picked up on a warm, spicy effect and that’s thanks to pink pepper and cardamom. However, as this settled, we could detect floral freshness and sweeter notes, courtesy of neroli, rose and orange flower.

While the main theme throughout wear was a heady peppery spiciness, herbal notes shone through too, from saffron and clove. But at the same time, our tester could pick up on earthy and rich patchouli and sandalwood, and there’s a powdery element thanks to the inclusion of iris and mimosa as well.

Read more: M&S’s dupe of Le Labo’s £160 santal 33 scent is back

Before knowing the full list of scent notes, we were hooked by trying to decode this multi-layered eclectic fragrance blend. What our tester enjoyed the most is how intrigued we were to discover all the scent characteristics.

Gloam is completely unique and unlike anything we’ve worn before. The warming, herbal spiciness has an enveloping perfume effect, while the soft powdery and floral scent adds a subtle playfulness. The rich, woody, powdery, floral pick did also smell a little different on our tester’s husband, adding to that distinctive and multi-faceted scent appeal.

In terms of wearability, the fragrance is long-lasting and we could still smell it several hours after applying only one or two sprays. While the cost definitely sits in the treat price bracket, we do think this 50ml bottle will keep us going for quite some time. Plus, we’ve found it a joyful and indulgent eau de parfum to wear and enjoy luxuriating in the different scent notes.

  1.  £140 from Aēsop
Prices may vary
Back to top

The verdict: Aēsop gloam eau de parfum

Aēsop gloam eau de parfum delivers a unique fragrance experience, with spicy, woody, herbal, earthy and floral notes. Our tester enjoyed unravelling the scent layers during wear, and found this perfume offered long-lasting fragrance for hours on end. If you’re looking for a decadent peppery perfume that’s packed full of surprising and intoxicating notes, this could be the treat buy for you.

Looking to save cash on cosmetics? Here are the best beauty buys for under £20, according to a beauty writer.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in