Aesop perfumes have always been a unique presence in the fragrance world, each one offering a surprising and unforgettable experience. Home fragrances are an even stronger suit for Aesop, with their scented candles and room sprays adding depth and sophistication to any space. This comprehensive guide explores the entire Aesop fragrance collection, from their iconic perfumes to captivating candles and refreshing room sprays, detailing the nuances of each scent.
2024’s Newest Fragrance: Aēsop Virēre (蔚) Perfume
This 50ml fragrance, priced at NT$4,200, is the brand’s first tea-infused perfume. Inspired by the memories of a Mediterranean vacation, the perfumer masterfully blends core ingredients like bergamot, fig, and green tea to recreate the freshness of greenery and nature’s boundless aroma.
The top notes of white pine, bitter orange leaf, and bergamot bring a bright and invigorating energy. The heart notes add a spicy dimension with green tea, lavender, and pink peppercorn, evoking the scent of tea leaves releasing their fragrance in hot water. Finally, the base notes of cedarwood, mate tea, and hay create a profound and lingering impression, inviting you to take a leisurely stroll on a sun-drenched green path and enjoy a tranquil moment.
Aesop’s ‘Imaginary Landscapes’ Perfume Series
In 2021, Aesop launched the first three fragrances in their ‘Imaginary Landscapes’ perfume collection: ‘Miraceti’, ‘Kastore’, and ‘Eremias’, inspired by worlds beyond our immediate senses. These fragrances explore the different dimensions of physical spaces and spiritual gateways, allowing you to wander through the realms of reality and imagination. Led by Barnabé Fillion, Aesop’s long-time perfumer, the fourth fragrance, ‘Edietis’, was launched in 2022, and the final two fragrances were released in 2023. The series concludes with its sixth fragrance, ‘Uranos’.
If you want to subvert your traditional perception of perfume, you have to try ‘Imaginary Landscapes’. Barnabé Fillion shares, “It’s a journey through space. Through air, skin, and fabric – scent creates an imagined world that is both real and unreal in the world we inhabit. Scent is like a window to nature, inviting us into a dialogue with the environment around us that we live in but often ignore.”
Aesop’s ‘Imaginary Landscapes’ Perfume Collection: Uranos Perfume (2023)
Priced at NT$5,600 for 50ml, ‘Uranos’ perfume, the sixth and final installment of the ‘Imaginary Landscapes’ series, is like a requiem, simultaneously expressing hope for eternity and rebirth. The opening notes are vibrant with a sparkling bitter orange scent, radiating a green, spicy energy of labdanum. It also incorporates a refreshing lavender aroma reminiscent of sandalwood.
As the opening notes fade, the fragrance unveils its warm and aromatic mid notes: familiar herbal chamomile intertwines with hay and the rich resinous scent of frankincense. ‘Uranos’ final act hints at the moonlight projection of a silent boulder – submerging into an amber warmth, radiating a long-lasting, captivating mineral scent with myrrh. The final notes sink into the powerful, dark earth of patchouli, enveloped in the rich, rounded base notes of tonka bean.
Aesop’s ‘Imaginary Landscapes’ Perfume Collection: Kastore Perfume
Priced at NT$5,600 for 50ml, ‘Kastore’ uses scent to mimic the essence of minerals. Fresh vanilla blends with air, while caraway and sandalwood evoke the metallic saltiness of a storm.
Scent details:
Vanilla, Caraway, SandalwoodAesop’s ‘Imaginary Landscapes’ Perfume Collection: Miraceti Perfume
Priced at NT$5,600 for 50ml, ‘Miraceti’ pays homage to the stillness and wildness of the sea. It boasts earthy, woody notes with hints of resin and spice. Musk mallow and benzoin paint a unique picture of incense and seaweed interwoven in the breeze. Rock rose suggests the scent of ancient, weathered sea wood and a sailor’s whiskey cellar.
Scent details:
Musk mallow, Benzoin, Rock roseAesop’s ‘Imaginary Landscapes’ Perfume Collection: Eremias Perfume
Priced at NT$5,600 for 50ml, ‘Eremias’ is inspired by a mist-shrouded, vibrant land, embodying the aesthetics of contrast. White pine, orris, and patchouli release a bright citrus scent with a touch of earthiness. In this space, the plant power of moss and wildflowers coexists with stagnant civilization and damp concrete structures.
Scent details:
White pine, Orris, Patchouli, Citrus, MossAesop’s ‘Imaginary Landscapes’ Perfume Collection: Edietis Perfume
Priced at NT$5,600 for 50ml, ‘Edietis’ draws inspiration from the Narcissus myth, paying homage to the world of imagination behind the mirror. It is equally unisex. The top notes open with a sparkling bitter orange, spicy black pepper, and floral notes, gradually transitioning to resinous, spicy heart notes with frankincense, caraway, and cedarwood. The base notes are rich and luxurious, composed of sandalwood, cedarwood, and earthy vetiver. This fragrance features sandalwood in its most prominent form, creating a repetitive, infinitely tempting allure.
Aesop’s ‘Imaginary Landscapes’ Perfume Collection: Geranium Leaf Perfume
Priced at NT$5,600 for 50ml, ‘Geranium Leaf’ is the fifth fragrance in the ‘Imaginary Landscapes’ collection. This perfume series is inspired by the space between reality and imagination. ‘Geranium Leaf’ opens with spicy notes, with pink peppercorn and cardamom captivating the senses. The freshness of orange blossom softens the overall composition. Next, saffron and clove gradually unfold, accompanied by herbaceous mate tea, deep narcissus, and acacia with clean pollen notes, adding a touch of roundness. The base notes are woven from orris, patchouli, Cuban oregano, and sandalwood, creating an unexpected and soothing flavor.
Aesop’s Classic Perfume Collection
‘Imaginary Landscapes’ is one of the series in the Aesop perfume family. This category also offers other perfumes – ‘Marrakech Intense Perfume’, ‘Tacit Perfume’, ‘Hwyl Perfume’, and ‘Rōzu Perfume’ – all designed for those seeking unique and complex scents, unbound by gender or traditional frameworks.
Aesop Perfume Recommendation 1: Tacit Perfume
Priced at NT$3,900 for 50ml, ‘Tacit Perfume’ is inspired by traditional cologne, hence the inclusion of a large amount of basil in the fragrance, creating an aroma of citrus and herbal notes. This is a fragrance based on citrus and green herbs.
The top notes use Japanese mandarin orange, which provides a familiar citrus aroma. In the heart notes, the brand uses an innovative distillation technique to remove the earthy scent of vetiver root, making the overall scent cleaner and more fragrant. The base notes radiate the delicate spicy aroma of clove, making it a pleasing scent that is refreshing and lightweight even for summer use.
Scent details:
Citrus, Basil, Clove, Rosemary, Mint, Fennel, Cedarwood, Vetiver, AmberAesop Perfume Recommendation 2: Rōzu Perfume
Priced at NT$5,600 for 50ml, perfumer Barnabé Fillion was inspired by Charlotte Perriand, a famous French modernist designer, and took inspiration from the Japanese rose bearing her name to create Aesop’s first floral perfume.
The top notes of Rōzu Perfume, naturally, include a rich rose scent. The perfumer adds freshness with bitter orange, bergamot, perilla (representing Perriand’s love for Japan), and pink peppercorn. The heart notes are even more spectacular: ylang-ylang and jasmine intertwine with dry, spicy woody notes. The base notes are composed of sandalwood, vetiver, patchouli, and myrrh, with musk delicately tying the fragrance together.
Scent details:
Rose, Bitter Orange, Bergamot, Perilla, Sandalwood, Jasmine, Sandalwood, Vetiver, Patchouli, Myrrh, MuskAesop Perfume Recommendation 3: Hwyl Perfume
Priced at NT$3,900 for 50ml, if you’re a fan of woody fragrances, you absolutely have to try ‘Hwyl Perfume’. Inspired by the ancient Japanese hinoki cypress and the lush mossy gardens of temples, the core scent is the warm woody note of hinoki cypress, frankincense extract, and moss, releasing a sensual earthy aroma, while showcasing the excellent longevity of this fragrance.
When you first smell this perfume, it has a spicy feel, but as the scent unfolds, a cool, forest-like herbal feel gradually emerges, with a hint of Zen and a touch of aloofness. The final incense notes have a strong tobacco aroma. This scent also has a little-known fact, which is that after the fragrance lingers on clothes overnight, the remaining aroma transforms into a milky, baby-like scent, which is very soothing and light.
Scent details:
Hinoki Cypress, Frankincense Extract, Moss, Smoky, WoodyAesop Perfume Recommendation 4: Marrakech Intense Perfume
Priced at NT$3,900 for 50ml, inspired by the bustling and mysterious atmosphere of the city of Marrakech in southern Morocco, this amber-colored bottle encapsulates the bustling and mysterious atmosphere of the city’s market. The main ingredients of the oriental woody and fresh floral scent include clove, cardamom, and sandalwood, subtly radiating a wild aura that is very pleasant to wear.
‘Marrakech Intense Perfume’ is the only fragrance in the Aesop perfume series that comes in a 10ml roll-on, allowing you to carry it with you wherever you go. Even though it has a Middle Eastern vibe, Aesop’s Middle Eastern scent is different from other brands. The spicy notes retain the brand’s signature cool feel, making this exotic fragrance soothingly gentle in the end. The top notes use lemon and cardamom, the heart notes are orange blossom, jasmine, and rose, and the base notes are infused with clove and sandalwood for a touch of ethnic flavor.
Scent details:
Lemon, Orange Blossom, Jasmine, Rose, Clove, Sandalwood, CardamomAESOP’s Scented Candle Series
In October 2020, Aesop launched its first scented candle collection, also created by perfumer Barnabé Fillion. Named after ancient Greek and Roman astronomers – Aganice, Callippus, and Ptolemy, the collection hints at the candlelight’s ability to soothe and calm the senses, just like the magical night sky of the stars, adding a charming warmth to any interior space, while radiating a subtle and long-lasting aroma.
Like all Aesop products, the candles are made with vegan formulas, and the ingredients have not been tested on animals: rapeseed oil, paraffin wax, concentrated fragrance, cotton wick. They can burn for approximately 55-65 hours. Following the brand’s packaging design philosophy, the scented candles are packaged in simple and elegant white porcelain cups, engraved with the Aesop logo and printed with independent poetry quotes. Once the candle is burned out, the container can be thoroughly cleaned and used again.
Aesop Scented Candle Recommendation 1: Aganice Scented Candle
Priced at NT$3,300 for 300g, the name is inspired by Aganice, the first female astronomer in ancient Greece, known for her research on the moon and its cycles. Its fragrance formula contains key ingredients including cardamom, clove, and acacia, with a hint of tobacco, creating a fresh floral candle.
Scent details:
Cardamom, Acacia, TobaccoAesop Scented Candle Recommendation 2: Callippus Scented Candle
Priced at NT$3,300 for 300g, its name commemorates Callippus, the ancient Greek astronomical mathematician who improved and completed the then existing theory of planetary motion. This candle is full of woody, green, and earthy scents. The perfumer used frankincense and sandalwood, paired with lively perilla.
Scent details:
Frankincense, Sandalwood, PerillaAesop Scented Candle Recommendation 3: Ptolemy Scented Candle
Priced at NT$3,300 for 300g, the name is inspired by Ptolemy, a famous astronomer in ancient Greece and Rome, who made many contributions to medieval astronomy. The resinous, woody, and earthy aroma of this candle evokes the ancient Japanese forest surrounded by the scents of cedarwood, cypress, and vetiver.
Scent details:
Cedarwood, Cypress, VetiverAESOP’s Room Spray Series
Aesop’s room sprays, all three with their unique characters, are refreshing and calming, soothing the mind and refreshing the spirit. They are easy to use: just press 2-3 times in your environment, and the scent can last for hours. However, be careful to avoid contact with eyes and skin.
Insider Tip:
You can spray these three room sprays on the cotton bag that is gifted with Aesop purchases, put it in your bag or closet, and it will release a fragrance without ruining leather or clothes.Aesop Room Spray Recommendation 1: Cythera Room Spray
Priced at NT$1,650 for 100ml, it uses incense, geranium, and patchouli, cleverly blending it with orange blossom, showcasing a warm woody yet energetic and healing aroma.
Scent details:
Geranium, Incense, PatchouliAesop Room Spray Recommendation 2: Istros Room Spray
Priced at NT$1,650 for 100ml, Istros was a famous port, so this room spray is inspired by the vibrant energy of traditional marketplaces. The perfumer used pink peppercorn, lavender, and tobacco to create this atmosphere.
Scent details:
Pink Peppercorn, Lavender, TobaccoAesop Room Spray Recommendation 3: Eros Room Spray
Priced at NT$1,650 for 100ml, this spray features a citrus-green fragrance that is refreshing and invigorating. It contains cedarwood, white cardamom, grapefruit, and jasmine, achieving the perfect balance between freshness and spice.
Scent details:
White Pine, Grapefruit, JasmineIf you want to try all three scents at once, or if you love all three equally, this gift set is for you. It includes miniature versions of all three room sprays, making it convenient to collect and carry with you.
