In Appreciation of: Aesop’s Gloam
Make way, make way: a new scent star is about to join our coveted Beauty Hall of Fame
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In Appreciation of: Aesop’s Gloam
Make way, make way: a new scent star is about to join our coveted Beauty Hall of Fame
By: Shannon PeterThe Synopsis
If you’re part of the growing crowd of fragrance wearers that are looking for something a little more than simply a nice smell, might we introduce you to Gloam, £140 for 50ml? Part of Aesop’s Othertopias collection and crafted by perfumer Barnabé Fillion, it’s a scent for relaxation and self-reflection. “Gloam is an exploration of the idea of horizontal living, of a welcoming dream state or those ‘in between’ states of reflection,” he tells us. “It’s what comes when you close your eyes.”
The Rise to Fame
There’s recently been a bit of a step-change in the way we wear fragrance. “It used to be about how our fragrance made other people feel, but it’s no longer about projecting; it’s about how perfume can push you into a new state of mind,” explains Fillion. Gloam is the poster-child of this new fragrance mood, utilising the intimate neurological relationship between scent and emotion to make you feel lighter, just by virtue of wearing it.
The Credentials
In fragrance terms, the scent is less wafty than you might imagine, instead offering something a little warmer, spicier and more comforting, inspired by Victorian cologne. Inside, there’s plenty of pink pepper, cardamom and saffron which come topped with jasmine and orange flower.
The Star Quality
Gloam is intended to evoke that same state of deep, dream-like thinking as you’d get when laying on the therapist’s couch. “We had an important object as a point of inspiration: the divan,” he explains. “It’s a departure from gravity, a space in which you can do your best thinking.” It’s the kind of thing that needs to be smelled to be believed, but it does – somehow – hold a brow-unfurling, shoulder-lowering power. It's, quite literally, the dream.
