Above Us, Steorra

I'm going to go against the grain and say this is one of my favorite fragrances of the year, if not the last several years. I do not get unbalanced cumin, or sweat, or BO -- I get a warm, inviting mix of spices and resin and vanilla. It's a great soft, enveloping scent for daily wear -- doesn't project too aggressively, but you still get whiffs of it on yourself and on your clothes throughout the day. I think it's an absolutely perfect daily driver for late fall and early winter. I'm honestly distressed by how quickly I'm going through my bottle, because I know I'll restock and drop another $200 :P Just test it out and don't let the naysayers here dissuade you, lest you miss out on this beautiful, cozy, sexy fragrance.

I received a parcel from Aesop scented with Above Us, Steorra and both me and my boyfriend were instantly captivated by the scent. Can’t speak about the opening but the dry down is fenomenal and seems to last, at least on fabric, for ages. For me this is the Aesop equivalent of Diptyque 34 Boulevard St Germain. The entire Aesop universe in one scent, in the very best way. Cozy, sexy, luxurious. Needless to say we have a bottle coming soon. If I for some reason don’t like it on my skin I’ll drench my entire wardrobe in it instead.

Absolutely gorgeous. Feels like a cousin of Liis Bo but with more warmth. I'm surprised by so many of the low reviews - maybe it's because this one doesn't lean as avant-garde as many of Aesop's scents, but either way this one is a hit in my books. A fall/winter wear for sure but I think this one will be dear companion as things cool down. The scent is rather linear, but by no means simple. I imagine this will smell so good on a heavy wool sweater.

Absolutely love this scent. Very unisex. Just a beautiful warm, vanilla, spicey glow. Absolutely can not stop smelling my wrist from the couple of times that I’ve tried it. Initially put off by the asking price, however from a fair bit of research, similar scents, of which there don’t seem to be many, are even more expensive. After reading reviews I suppose I can kind of understand the stinky comments. Only kind of. But I kind of like it anyway.

this is it for me. i feel like i found my fragrance for this colder season.... it is beautifully warm, cozy but spicy, like a spiced chai latte. it does remind me of zielinski & rozen’s pink pepper perfume, which is similar but more sharp, spicy, attention seeking. this is more suitable for everyday. the scent is really light and subtle.

One of my favourite Aesop scents, warm and spicy, not overly sweet. I’m not usually a vanilla fan but in this one I find it comforting. The cardamom is both fresh and spicy giving it dimension. To me it bears resemblance to Byredo’s Gypsy Water, mostly in the dry down tho.

This is so so so good! Yes, it’s not unique, but I just loooove all the notes listed... literally a combination of my favorite notes, so I’m very biased here. Beautiful balanced scent with nice projection.Follow me on ig: scent.guide

really good. encompassingly fresh and kind of stinky. like being in a perfume shop and someone in there is a tad sweaty, but you can't tell who, and it doesn't really matter.

cumin-forward vanilla for stinky little freaks (complimentary)

Lying under the stars, 1001 nights, arabian nights, whatever you want to call it. The intent behind this feels like a night in the middle east, gazing up at the sky, possibly with the one you love, and they delivered. I have gotten a free sample of this, and it is one of the best spiced fragrances I have ever smelled. Normally I don’t really wear spiced scents. I like some, but not enough to ever purchase and use. But this is so incredibly addicting?? I’ve been wearing it for two days and even went to sleep with it on, and I NEVER do that. I’m like 90% sure I will be getting this unless for some reason I change my mind by Sept. 1st. At first it’s pretty fresh spiced, with a sweet but strong cardamom note, as well as some frankincense. Over time it gets warmer and warmer, and after a while the vanilla base turns it into a really pleasantly, but not overbearingly sweet frag. My skin tends to bring out sweet (vanilla) notes, so I can imagine this doing the opposite and working on a man very well. A well crafted unisex, as most Aesop frags.

I disagree with those who say this lacks Aesop’s DNA, if anything, it feels like a skilful blend of several existing Aesop fragrances: Marrakech Intense, Ouranon, Eidesis, Rozu, and even top notes of Eremia. The only unexpected note is vanilla, though it’s not dramatically prominent. While there’s nothing radically original here, it’s executed very well in my opinion – much prefer it to the recent Aurner and Virere. Its concept is ambitious – aiming for the stars! – and you can tell the perfumer set out to keep it in a liminal space between several moods, which suits Aesop’s subtle sophistication. I’ve been wearing it for a week thanks to samples, so it’s early days, but do try it on skin: on paper it seems to lose much of its powdery, more 'feminine' quality. Definitely worth sampling, and I’m curious to see how my experience evolves with continued wear. I can imagine someone who finds Eidesis or Marrakech Intense too forward but loves the general direction of those fragrances could fall in love with Steorra.

Went into Aesop to buy Eidesis, left with this one instead. It’s a warm, cumin spicy, vanilla sweet, and somehow lightly fresh and herbal, all at the same time. This scent profile is done in a very Aesop way - sits close to the skin but lasts long enough. This is my new fall fragrance for daily wear, albeit a very expensive one. For cooler seasons, I plan to wear this during the day and Halfeti or African Leather at night depending on the occasion. All have that similar spicy/ambery profile but done very differently. Not worth the price but I’m enjoying wearing it.

Popped in to my local Aesop boutique to sample this yesterday. I have to say this is a lovely autumn/winter scent, a real "cosy" fragrance - it's not over-powering with a moderate to mild sillage, the cardomom note is really noticeable (on my skin anyway) and the fragrance lasts for a fair while. Not to be crass but this remind me very much-so of Spicebomb (in its final hours when the awful opening peppery-notes have worn off), albeit more mature, with added depth.

It's fine. Pretty unremarkable and criminally overpriced. It's not original, and I immediately just find myself thinking of ten or so other scents that do this better and more interestingly. Doesn't smell anything like Ambre Sultan to me. Less sweet, more incense, more cumin, and it could be better, but as it stands it's not too far from Eau des Baux, which is infinitely cheaper (and better in fact).

The smell is initially a hit of that incense vanilla blend but settles into a nice spicey skin scent. The vanilla is true vanilla bean and not sugared vanilla which I very much like. Adult but playful and enjoyable to smell when you get close. I would recommend a test spray before ever blind buying because aesop scents tend to transform after sitting which can go both ways!

Steorra will leave you smelling like an expensive ass artisan cardamom bun. Perfect for fall when it comes out 1st sep. Strong amber and cinnamon base, adds to the sweetness. I am slightly disappointed that the tonka bean/vanilla doesnt come through as much, I think its too muted compared to the warmer spice blend.

Open with strong peppery notes, then transform to my absolu fav part-frankincense, and some may get Arabic vibe from the frankincense, but anyway that’s the essence of sterorra. What’s more, I enjoyed the sweetness that cinnamon and vanilla brought to the notes, they are stunning. Just so warm and fresh

I had the chance to try it on my skin in an Aesop shop. It reminds me of Tom Ford Bois Pacifique and Paco Rabanne One million. Smells like coke but with the vanilla and spices. Not bad! It’s released on the 1st of September and can be ordered online 2 weeks in advance.

Splendid, but... Dominant Notes: Cumin, Vanilla, Cardamom Secondary Notes: Elemi, Pepper, Cinnamon Subtle Notes: Cistus, Incense My husband sums it up crudely in one sentence (for once, we agree): "This one smells like post-Carnival sweat" Because yes, Carnival in the West Indies is a hectic and festive time, where people dance and sing in the heat and sweat of others. The problem with Aesop is their obsession with Cumin, which they're convinced is an absolute avant-garde move... except it's not. In every way, it's a parody. First "Karst" then "Eidesis" then "Gloam" then this one, "Steorra". Aesop, is it so difficult to use a different spice other than Cumin ? In short, a fragrance that opens beautifully before being overshadowed by a poorly measured Cumin, very "sweaty" with that subtle whiff of public transport and commute. It's annoying, it lacks clarity. Food-like and almost vinegary, I'm torn between hating it and finding one or two good qualities in it. Because it does have one or two... After 20 minutes of pure torture, it's a warm, animal and penetrating Vanilla. A kind of short-haired fur, a tawny coat. Its drydown spiced with aromatic resins, almost tribal, is hauntingly sweet. I imagine a night of comets and shooting stars, a lunar and stellar landscape. A desert of sand, dust, and monoliths. A meteor shower. You'll love it if you liked: - Le Labo "Rose 31" - Dior "Dolce Vita 1994" - Kenzo "Jungle the Elephant" - Penhaligon's "Halfeti Leather" - Penhaligon's "Blazing Mr. Sam" - Amouage "Epic 56 Woman" - Amouage "Boundless" - Diptyque "Opone" - Diptyque "L'Autre" - Diptyque "34 Boulevard St Germain" MY TOP 5 AESOP: 1: Marrakech Intense 2: Eidesis 3: Above Us, Steorra 4: Ouranon 5: Eremia

Aēsop frags are my fav, but this one is a miss. It’s simple almost skeletal. Vanillic resins with cardamom. Despite its seemingly strong fragrance profile, it seems quite intimate and the scent goes away fast. Not a bad thing, but if it goes away at least intrigue me first. Seems like a sibling of Marrakech Intense without the white florals and a dose of vanilla. Seems with their newer fragrances since the othertopias ended they seem to be chasing fragrance trends but always arriving late. Virere it was a tea scent, Aurner was a woody white floral, and now we have a vanilla fragrance. I miss Barnabe Fillon’s work.