Perfumes have the power to set a scene through scent. A good perfume can conjure up a place, a memory, or a specific moment with just one sniff. Most perfumes are grounded in reality, but what if a scent could take you to a foreign, otherworldly place?
That's the premise behind Aesop's Othertopias collection, a range of fragrances inspired by both real and otherworldly experiences. The newest Othertopia scent, Gloam, is inspired by the tightrope between dreams and realities.
Barnabé Fillion, perfumer and Aesop collaborator, explains that the bed boat was one of the main references for this fragrance—an object that acts as a passage between worlds real and imagined. "This is a jumping-off point for exploration, creating an intimate world in your mind. Laying down almost gives priority to your mind, removing the gravity we feel all day as we stand, which allows us to feel lighter both physically and spiritually. So it’s both a real space and the perceived space that comes about as a reaction to that."
The act of laying down is the crux of the scent. "With Gloam, we took a 'horizontal' approach to the scent, envisioning when we lie down—not sleeping, but somehow inviting dreams, inviting a new way of thinking," says Fillion. For Fillion, perfume is an outlet for what he calls "horizontal" thinking—a way to listen to yourself.
The act of laying down is the crux of the scent. "With Gloam, we took a 'horizontal' approach to the scent, envisioning when we lie down—not sleeping, but inviting dreams and a new way of thinking," says Fillion. For him, perfume is an outlet for what he calls "horizontal" thinking—a way to listen to yourself.
Gloam is the penultimate fragrance in the Othertopias line, and each fragrance takes a different approach to self-observation, making the whole collection a sort of multi-faceted self-portrait, according to Fillion.
At its core, Gloam feels very Aesop, says Fillion. "It’s for those who want to embrace self-observation and nostalgia, those who want to be enriched through fragrance. I like this connection to introspection and the comfort that it can bring."
The scent itself is floral without leaning too powdery, spicy but still rounded, and green but still mellow. You get pink pepper, cardamom, and orange flower at first whiff, and notes like saffron, jasmine sambac, mimosa, iris, patchouli, and copaiba take center stage at the heart and base. It's one of those fragrances that will smell good on absolutely everyone and work for just about any occasion you can imagine.
Complete the Othertopias dreamscape:
Key notes: black pepper, frankincense, sandalwood
Fillion says that Eidesis is similar to Gloam, but "is almost a stronger interpretation of being transparent and looking at yourself disappearing." The frankincense in this fragrance helps evoke a sense of calm.
Key notes: galbanum, iris, yuzuErémia represents an urban wasteland being reclaimed by greenery. Galbanum, a traditional medicinal plant with a woodsy and balsamic scent, adds a unique flair.
Key notes: herbs, spiceKarst is a fragrance that's in a league of its own. It smells a bit like coastal air with mineral, metallic, and herbaceous notes.
Key notes: labdanum, ambrette, styrax
Miraceti is kind of like a ship in a bottle. Notes like labdanum, ambrette, and styrax give the scent a balsamic, airy, and woodsy quality.
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