Gloam

Time and again, I will find that fragrances that are consistently lambasted will turn out to be the very ones for which I grow ever so fond. Protests of Gloam include it smelling of sweat and B.O. due to its presence of cumin, a certain medicinal quality that is deemed off-putting, a sharp powder deemed unpleasant. Even its performance is considered middling, which especially puzzles me. But listen: I love a sweaty undercurrent, I live for oddly phenolic medicinal elements, powder is no foe of mine—I revel in it. All these gripes made Gloam sound all the more enticing to me, as if beckoning me to test the limits of decency. In truth, this isn't exactly as transgressive as one might be expect given all the feedback. It's oddball for sure, a sorta dirty, sorta spicy pollen-heavy mimosa shaded with what seems like cuminaldehyde, moored with iris and dusky woods. When I found that the illustrious Jane Dashley of the podcast Fragraphilia wrote her own review, I was certain to try this out for myself as her taste is impeccable. I agree with her in that there is this licorice-like element that lurks among blooms and twigs and beads of sweat. I also am reminded of just snuffed candles in dusty rooms, the starchy cotton that is stuffed into aspirin bottles, and the smell of a small bouquet of wildflowers that's been pressed into a scrapbook and rediscovered several months later. Saffron is listed in the notes breakdown, and while discernible, it thankfully is not of the excessive Safraleine sort, but it does lend a warm, leathery element to the woody dry down. Gloam's ode to evenfall is a tryst between flowers and body heat in the secret thicket of my imagination.

I absolutely love this scent. an aesop worker sprayed my bag with this one back in may, and I haven't been able to get it off my mind since. I really can not understand why there are so many haters of this perfume, as I truly do love it. I am now working at aesop, and I have had many conversations with my colleagues about this one. some of them do not love it, some are obsessed. funnily enough, two costumers I ́ve had have loooooooved it so much. they, just like me, really appreciate the mic between woody and spices and the light florals. AS someone who's staple perfume was Replica ́s Jazz Club for a long time, I absolutely adore this. my coworker called it "Jazz club ́s sexy big brother" and it is such a good description. I really do love it, and it makes me happy to be able to introduce it to customers and see that they like it too.

I *adore* this fragrance. For whatever reason, things tend to smell both a little greener and sweeter on my skin than on fabrics, etc., so take that in mind with this review. For me this is a very yellow floral, saffron, woody forward scent. Everything I like! Dry-down lends a strong mallow cast over the notes already mentioned. I purchased the full size after falling in love with the sample over a day or two, although at its price point, Gloam is sadly much outside my budget. When I still had it, I wanted to wear it everyday. I did. I’m out now— this fragrance to me would be perfect if it lasted longer. I found myself reapplying more than I would like. I understand that this is a polarizing scent— if anyone has a bottle they feel like letting go let me know ;)

Gloam wisps close to the skin, faint echos escaping as you move through space. Incredible powder, coupled with spice and flower. This is your lover, wearing a familiar, elegant perfume, but having forgotten deodorant that morning. It is the end of the day, and you have known each other for lifetimes. You are lying beneath the sun and the moon at the same time, kissing, and there is sweet food stuck to your molars. A softness, cut by a distinct warmth that could only come from a long day of a body being a body.

I think that any fragrance that uses cumin is going to be divisive and would not recommend this as a blind buy. With that said, I am absolutely in love with this perfume. I got a sample to try to see if it would make a good present for my partner and no, it is now a present for me. Was going through a gourmand phase but I guess I'll be putting away everything that makes me smell like a cupcake in favour of androgynous sophistication. Thanks, Aesop! Very woody/spicy on my skin. A little more balanced on his.

Oh man. I really didn’t like it at first sniff. It’s wild. It’s unisex but not where it balances male and female. It hits both ends hard. Like a sweaty John Cena wearing Tom Ford F*cking Fabulous in a ball gown. It’s definitely not a safe scent but that’s why I like it. It’s heavy on cumin, wood, and floral powder with little middle ground. I can’t stop smelling myself. It’s my new favorite.

Wearing this right now, and that drydown of iris and saffron with the residual woods and cumin on the periphery: just so unique and comforting! As with other Aesop's, you really need to spray it on skin, 3 or 4 sprays max, and be patient until the top blast fades off in order to witness the real beauty. <3

Don’t let that innocent-looking note pyramid fool you—this one is sexy as hell. Dark, moody and a bit feral, Gloam smells like a warm, musky animal curled up on the forest floor. You smell her, and you want to curl up around her. After all—as Gloam reminds you—you’re a warm animal too.

Biased towards this because cumin is by far my favorite spice and I get it really strongly in this. Very well balanced by the musky patchouli and some of the sweeter more delicate florals, just wish it lasted a little longer bc it's on the lower end of that moderate range

My other favorite perfume from Aesop. It’s hard to pin down, but it just draws you in and keeps you smelling. Kind of a similar persona to Eidesis, but maybe just a bit less creamy.

It's very pleasant and soothing. I smell the safron very clearly and absolutely love it. Too bad is so overpriced

Once again, Fragrantica fails to accurately list notes. From the brand website: “Opening with arresting accords of spice, this fragrance unfurls rousing florals: sweet Orange Flower, warm Jasmine Sambac and a powdery, earthy blend of Iris and Patchouli. Aroma: Floral, spicy, green | Suited to: All genders; observers, soul-searchers, theorists | Key ingredients: Mimosa, Saffron, Iris.” Actual note tree from Aēsop: Top notes Pink Pepper, Cardamom, Orange Flower Middle notes Saffron, Jasmine Sambac, Mimosa Base notes Iris, Patchouli, Copaiba Now that that’s out of the way: A loud and spicy opening — which confused me because that’s certainly not what’s represented on Fragrantica’s array of notes. I could easily pick out the pink pepper, but the cardamom was eluding me. On my skin, the orange flower provides a lovely citric quality. The middle bit is probably my least favorite part: it’s poofy, indolic florals with a metallic saffron undertone. That said, it’s weirdly sexy. In fact, I sprayed it on my bf and then I sprayed it on me and we were kissing like 5 minutes later, lmao. I think this is the part that people compare (see other reviews) to a lover’s sweaty skin. The dry down is PERFECT, and it’s exactly why I bought it. If you’re familiar with Aēsop stores, you’ll know that they provide you a sample of a fragrance by spraying the bag that holds your most recent purchase! I held on to my bag for months and kept smelling it over and over: I could not get Gloam off my mind because of it! This part smells like hazy photographs, purple sunsets, and crackly old records. It’s worth noting that I would LAY DOWN MY LIFE for patchouli and iris. They are the most commonly appearing notes in my scent wardrobe. I don’t know what Copaiba is, but it really ties them together beautifully. It starts so maximalist and overbearing, but it ends so elegantly. Put simply, it’s saucy foreplay, intimate lovemaking, then finally the romantic epilogue where you look into each other’s eyes as the sun sets. I find it (like many of my favorites) very “human” — the kind of scent that is meant to be worn and warmed on skin. It’s riskier than a lot of my catalog, especially in its louder aspects, but I have a feeling this will be an easy reach in the fall!

wow why on earth is this brand receiving so many troll votes and hate?!!! the product hasn’t even been launched! anyway I managed to test it earlier this month before the official launch so I thought I’d share some personal impressions on this new creation for those who are genuinely interested in this perfume and to do this listing some justice: overall it’s quite an uncomplicated perfume with simple notes that you can easily dissect right from your first wear. I’m very glad that it doesn’t smell anything as intensely “yellow floral” as stated in the scent profile breakdown here on fragrantica - and therefore I can say it stays quite true and consistent to the Aesop DNA. Gloam to me is a woody earthy scent, accompanied by light green spices and sweetened floral notes. If you are familiar with the brand, this smells almost like their Aganice Candle structure placed on an earthy patchouli palo-santo-like base (similar to the one in Rozu), giving a very light-hearted and easy-going entrance that eases into something more sensual and warmer as you wear. I could also pick up a prominent Sandalwood note, not the Aussie type (like in Eidesis) but rather the Indian Mysore Sandalwood. Overall I’d say this is discernibly a crowd-pleaser, in the same vein as Eremia or Tacit. however I’m pretty disappointed to break the news that Gloam is yet another recent Aesop scent with almost zero performance! It’s ok to be a skin scent but I’d expect the formula to at least last on my skin. Gloam doesn’t — not even on my sweater... how many years have you actually been spending on formulating fragrances? and why are we still getting this kind of subpar standard? maybe it would be ok to accept a trade-off if you needed to create an out-of-this-world never-before piece of art that has to use only very volatile botanicals to achieve. but Gloam isn’t anything like that. it’s just another smelt-before formula with a fancy twist at the top. overall I’d give it a 2.5 or 3/5. but I’m gonna give it 4 stars here just to balance out all the ridiculous troll votes! P/S: Gloam is such a beautiful name!

Gloam does live up to its name as a dusky, crepuscular take on florals. It's powdery, shadowy, and faintly sweet. I'm particularly taken by the prominence of the mimosa, a delicate floral that's rarely allowed to take center stage, even in fragrances that bear its name. If I have any complaint, it's that Aesop's fragrances tend to foreground that herbal, almost menthol base that serves as the backbone of so many of their fragrances. In isolation, it's bracing and lovely, but it does tend to blur the distinction between their various fragrances with its assertiveness. Taken as a whole, their fragrances tend to read as variations on a theme: dirtier (Ouranon), spicier (Eremia), powderier (Gloam), but undeniably closely related. Gloam's mimosa, though, is undeniably and uniquely special.

I like cumin in perfumery, and find this appealing as a showcase of this note alongside saffron and iris (mimosa is not presenting itself as distinct to my nose). To me this is a sophisticated and warm floral-powdery scent, with more to offer than the general herbaceous and woody DNA of this brand. I find it shares some similarities with Notorious Oud from D.S. & Durga, though that one is more forceful and overstated, with less of a golden hour connotation than Gloam. The saleswoman said “sunscreen,” which I could access but was not immediate for me. I’m not sure about how it sits on the skin, most of my reflections here are first impressions.

Gloam opens up with a medicinal blast of green herbs, like a expensive mouthwash or herbal non alcoholic deodorant and I mean all that in a good way, I guess the iris / mimosa / saffron combo is making it more fun and addictive than your other boring green fragrances that just smell like cut grass. Would love if it lasted longer, but goes quickly into a skin scent, which is not a bad thing the scent profile is like that, I don't mind it being slightly weaker and not in your face all the time, I feel like then it would get obnoxious very fast

Not typically a fan of mimosa, but the softness of Gloam won me over. I sprayed it on my wrist at the store and couldn't stop sniffing it throughout me the day and ended up coming back same day to purchase. The reviewer before me mentioned licorice, and now I can't stop smelling it! Definitely powdery, but more interesting than most other powdery fragrances I've smelled.

Aesop was my first entry into the world of fragrance. I really enjoyed the sophistication of Tacit and the uniqueness of Marrakech around 2015. Since then I’ve always been curious about any of their new releases. I found Hwyl to be overbearing, but I appreciated how they deviated from their original two fragrances. I thought Rozu was interesting, but not spectacular, and certainly not “dopamine”. I don’t know if it’s just me, but from then on, all of their fragrances feel like they took on a similar vibe and though the fragrances themselves weren’t bad, I kind of feel like Aesop has watered down their reputation in the scent world. To me, a lot of their fragrances are not worthy enough to memorize outside of a handful. Will I remember Gloam? Maybe... Did I get any sweet physiological sensation from smelling it? Meh. On my skin, it’s a masculine leaning fragrance. I sprayed Gloam twice and could hardly smell it 1 hour later without sticking my nose into my skin. I also sprayed it on my dads wrist and checked in on him 15 minutes later and he also had a comment about how little performance there was. From an actual smell standpoint, I get some Irish Spring vibes off the bat, which quickly evolved to showcase some iris notes. Kinda some Mediterranean vibes for me. Overall the scent is not bad, it has a trustworthy feel to it, but it’s really not exciting and it’s projection is quite mediocre especially compared to a handful of the other fragrances from their line. My mom did not like it. 6.5/10

Ok so my description of this fragrance is going to be odd. I remember smelling this in Pasadena at the Aesop store and thinking "Oh God no. This smells like BO." And I didn't like it, but I started craving it. The best way that I can describe it is it smells like the armpit of a lover. It stinks, but you don't mind it because of love. 😂

I'd love this if it were lighter and as powdery as it's supposed to be :( very deep woodsy almost incense-y, a little too masculine on my skin

Updating my previous reviews, I think it is in my skin chemistry that cumin scents (which unfortunately make up majority of Aesop's spicy fragrances 3) are cursed on my skin. Gloam felt like the spiderman meme where spiderman scrambles to grab this girl made of vapor and screams "NOOOO" because Gloam on me literally smells AMAZING, BUT. Only in the first few minutes. It smelled so bright and mysterious to me, and very warm and comforting. And right after that fades away into a blanket of cumin! 😭 So heartbreaking because for me it was the best Aesop scent just for those few minutes. I've been to the Aesops here several times hoping maybe it'll change but nope it's really that unfortunate turn into the cumin side that i can't forgive Gloam for. This might work for you though! I think I may just have to accept my fate with cumin.

Aesop perfumes, to me, all have this same distinct resinous-woody-spicy-ness, just with minor variations: Hwyl is the more aromatic version, Marrakech is the spicier version, etc. Gloam is the powdery, soft derivative of it. In theory, I should love it. The florals soften the sharp green woods and aromatics, and it's balanced by Aesop's characteristic ambery wood notes.. However, one more thing I find in Aesop's base across their fragrances is cumin. On paper, it's a hint of chaat masala at the opening. On me, it's a persistent note of festering sweat that shadows every phase of this otherwise beautiful fragrance. So close.

I do agree that this is how I expected Eidesis to behave on my skin. Compared to Eidesis, there's a cumin-iness here that stayed right on the edge before turning into a BO note for me thankfully. It smells like extinguishing a lit candle close to spiced soil and fresh branches inside an Aesop store lol. It's very Aesop coded & in line with the brand's DNA of scents. It's so interesting for me personally, none of the notes on the fragrantica breakdown & accord chart make sense for me to like, but hey I'm not complaining

Based on the notes, I wanted so much to love this... I was prepared to. Unfortunately to me it just smells like sweet violet...specifically Parma Violets.

Vile and offensive. One of the girl in the comment section below mentioned wearing Gloam 3 days straight just in case it'd become "spectacular" and I can't stop laughing because this is equivalent to masochism and self humiliation. It smells like public transport, armpit and sweaty commute, despite the floral advertising. I'm sorry but I can't help wondering who even would like to smell like that voluntarily ? 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 "Steorra". It's like they're not aware that more spices exist aside from Cardamom and Cumin. I understand Aesop desperately wants to be different but let's focus on making fragrance to smell better. Isn't that the whole point of a perfume ? 😎 If I wanted to smell bad, I would manage on my own. Nobody should be paying for that. MY TOP 5 Aesop: 1: Marrakech Intense 2: Eidesis 3: Above Us, Steorra 4: Ouranon 5: Eremia

🤮 I tried to be open-minded but NO. I wore Gloam 3 days straight, just in case it'd become spectacular... But it's one of the worst fragrances I've ever smelled in this past decade. Someone mentioned perspiration after a long day at the gym, and that's sadly accurate. Cumin is oppressive and tyrannical, I am so disappointed. HORRIBLE. It's simply vile and rotten. The worst part ? I love pollen, spices, woods, flowers, Mimosa, Safran, Iris and Jasmine. So what's going on ? How can Aesop create something so off with wonderful raw materials ? Armpit scent. It's not for everyone.

It’s absolutely unisex, and not my cup of tea. There is something herbal, cumin-like, it makes the perfume smell very medicinal, almost like a doctor’s office, or an old pharmacy. If I was a doctor or a pharmacist, I would buy this perfume on purpose and wear it all day, every day. But I’m not, and I find it repulsive. So it’s good that it also doesn’t last very long on my skin, something between 1-2 hours. EDIT: aaah, so the notes are not listed correctly on Fragrantica, there is copaiba balm in the base notes listed on Aesop website, now that makes so much more sense....

Gloam is a cumin and powder bomb that was completely unwearable for me (man). Showered twice to scrub this nightmare of sour sweat and powder sweetness off. Bought it spontaneously, glad I kept the box because some woman I don't hang out with much is gonna get this for Christmas. The scent gave me an immediate image of getting into a warm car with an old lady that just put on her ancient fragrant powder makeup, wearing her unwashed pit stained floral printed polyester gown. The absolute worst scent from Aesop I've ever experienced. Huge disappointment.

I was hoping I would like this, it looked super promising so I got a sample of the perfume. I was expecting a lot of floral scents that was listed on their website, but I only smelt herbs, so many herbs. Not even the really delicious herbs, but the super green herbs like parsley that you aren't supposed to put a lot in food. Reminds me of herbal medicine as well. Super obnoxious smell, not for everyone. Maybe there are some who like this, but not a blind buy perfume.

I was able to try this pre-release in store. I love mimosa and I like saffron in certain fragrances, but together here doesn’t work for me. I guess the clean fresh mimosa in my mind does not mesh with spices in general. Smell a bit weird to me. As much as I m excited for Aesop to release a floral spring fragrance, this just doesn’t work for me.

I have Eidesis that I love, but this one will never be in my collection. It's not the iris, mimosa or jasmine you think it is. My wife says Aesop tried to copy guerlain Heure Bleue but it's a fail... and a big pass. Sweat, cumin and rancid milk.

Could have been nice if they avoided the Ambroxan overdose.

This legit smells like armpits and sweat to me... big no

Interesting fragrance. Mimosa is the most prominent note, and everything is sort of built around its soft, powdery, pollen-y, yellow floral-ness. But there is a lot going on around it... It's very spicy, with cardamom, saffron, pink pepper. Lots of people online claim a cumin note and, while it's not listed, I tend to agree. The fragrance definitely has that warm, human touch that I love about cumin. I'm going to have to give Gloam another try, another day. It has a lot of things going for it that I like (spicy, floral, green, complex, moody.) But for some reason tonight, I find the notes are all competing with each other. Don't get me wrong: it smells good and high quality. It could pass as a somewhat subdued Amouage fragrance. It's also not too far off from Mimosa & Cardamom by Jo Malone, but that one is cleaner, sweeter, and more immediately winsome.

There’s an initial cardamom and green floral which moves into a more cardamom and cumin centered fragrance. The spices seem to obfuscate some of the lighter florals which adds to the mystique of this fragrance. There’s delicate florals, there’s powdery notes, woody notes, and there’s the spices. These four elements seem to meld and also shine through at different moments. On my skin, the spices come through more, but that’s typical of my skin chemistry. This reminds me of what gloom actually means: dusk. It’s the darkness encroaching as the sunset becomes dimmer and more subdued. Very much the ombré of the sky at dusk. Each color mixed together but also separate and wrapped in a foggy powdery mist.

To me, this is a more wearable, less intense version of Malatesta by V Canto. I love Iris scents and cluster them into: - Make Up powdery Iris (D600, Dior Homme, - Buttery/waxy Iris (Iris Palladium) - Sharp cold Iris (Florentine Iris) - Dusty carpet Iris, where this belong with many other scents. I have to admit, this dusty carpet smell is my least favorite of Iris profiles, it is sharp and powdery (but not in a cozy comforting way). I applied this on skin before an event, first reaction: a bit green, a little fresh woodsy sharp yet powdery Iris. It got more woodsy and powdery in the following 4 hours before it disappears. Ok scent, but I won’t purchase because I have Malatesta.

the mimosa and iris are definitely the most prominent notes in this fragrance, and what little projection this scent has is really, really beautiful and soft. but, any time i smell directly where i sprayed, my nose is overwhelmed by an unpleasant cumin-like spice (i'm thankful that it stays close to the skin, though!). i'm not seeing cumin listed in the notes here but barnabe fillion seems hell-bent on adding it to every single aesop scent, so i'm going to assume that's what it is. in terms of longevity, gloam is probably the most fleeting of all aesop fragrances....

First initial spray is good, definitely powdery pollen forward sort of sweet spiced, after about 20 minutes on skin though that cumin note I keep seeing people say pops up, not sure if it’s the saffron that’s giving it a slight aroma like you’ve been cooking a curry in a kitchen with no ventilation and the scent of fresh milled spices sort of sticks to you. That doesn’t last indefinitely though and the dry down is quite pleasant just a warm soft powder. Might be good for layering i was already wearing a fig scent when I tried this which sweetened it up nicely.

A wonderfully strange little licoricey white floral, the flower left to wither in the musty drawers of a grand old oak chest. Yes, a very noticeable dose of cumin that smells a bit like sweat. But that’s what keeps me coming back for more. Quietly eccentric and somehow addictive. This fragrance has become one of my most frequent reaches. I was given the bottle by the brand as part of the full collection and this is my favorite of the Aesop line.

Powdery, dark purple forest florals. This one is moody and brooding. And yet, the cumin note adds a certain warmth and human quality to it that makes you want to snuggle up to it. This one always makes me think of a lost doe deep in the woods, curled up on a patch of moss surrounded by irises, waiting for it's mother to come back. But maybe i'm just being dramatic.

I tried Gloam unreleased in-store. It starts as a fresh, floral scent but on my skin very quickly settles as a (quite strong) cumin scent similar to floralcowboy. When I mentioned it, the salesperson said it was actually cardamom. It’s a pleasant scent for summer outside of that. As much as I’m a general fan of Aesop, I wouldn’t wear this again.

My bf has this scent and I love love smelling it. Incredibly elegant, sexy and such a grasping feral, woody-earthy scent. I think the only downside is that it unfortunately doesn't last very long, but I sort of understand that it's the general trend in most Aesop fragrances. That being said, I think it has pretty nice projection.

On paper this smelled like a beautiful floral saffron fragrance. I come on here and see the reviews bashing it saying that it smells like body odor and thought everybody was crazy. Then I put it on my skin. Lol I get it. On skin, it definitely felt muted and musky. Like a completely different scent.

If they made a version of this without cumin it would be 100x better. They were trying too hard to be unique and it’s kind of a flop.... I worked at Aesop for 2 years and can count on my fingers how many bottles of this I sold. It’s just not a profile that connects with most people.

Went in store and was able to smell the tester before the release next week! It smells very similar to Eidisis but slightly more floral because of the strong mimosa note. Overall, beautiful fragrance and nice addition to the Aesop fragrance family but I wish it was a little sweeter.

I smell mostly vetiver with some yellow flowers, cloves and saffron. If you like vetivers and saffron it’s very nice. There might be some dry sandalwood too. Lasting power is avarage to weak, but I like to reaply fragrance during the day, so it’s not an issue.

Weirdly I don't get the sweat smell in my nose. For me it's more of a pencil shaving smell, like the inside of some eccentric woman's art desk, pencils and pastels and dried flowers and spice sachets. Not unpleasant, but idk if it's a daily wear.

The store associate sprayed my gift bag with this. Spicy and warm florals - I love saffron - but yeah, the cumin adds something to the base that I can see reading as BO on skin. Not a blind buy.

I like the opening but it settles in to have a cumin note. If you like animalic notes then this is for you. Not a safe blind buy but worth to sample to see if this is for you.

Like playing with crayons after a hard days work as a mechanist. Innocent and sexy at the same time. Good for day as it doesn’t shout and good for bed as it’s ooh la la