Illuminated scent: Aesop’s latest campaign blends ritual, space, and fragrance

Discovering the new Above Us, Steorra and more

As the year unfolds, Aesop invites a quieter, more introspective kind of experimentation—one that begins not with what we see, but with what we sense. Its latest campaign, “Aromas to awaken a world within,” is less about fragrance as adornment and more about fragrance as atmosphere: a subtle yet powerful force that reshapes both space and state of mind.

At the heart of this exploration is Above Us, Steorra, a new eau de parfum that feels almost conceptual in its construction. Built around a “fabulist accord” of frankincense, labdanum, and vanilla bean, it conjures the imagined scent of amber—glowing, resinous, and gently hypnotic. But what keeps it from settling into familiarity is a striking note of cardamom, sharp and unfiltered, cutting through the warmth with an unexpected clarity. The result is something deliberately paradoxical: incandescent yet grounded, warm yet cool, as if the fragrance exists in constant motion.

This tension—between stillness and movement, ritual and spontaneity—extends across Aesop’s wider aromatic offerings. The Aromatique Candles, housed in alabaster ceramic vessels, cast both light and scent, with compositions that range from smoky and meditative to softly floral and spiced. Meanwhile, the brand’s incense collection leans into tradition, developed with artisans in Kyoto and designed for a slower, more deliberate sensory experience. Even the Bronze Incense Holder feels intentional, transforming ash into something quietly sculptural.

For more immediate shifts in mood, the Aromatique Room Sprays offer an effortless alternative. With just a few spritzes, spaces are lifted, softened, or deepened—depending on the blend—proving that transformation doesn’t always require time, only intention.

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Taken together, the campaign reads less like a product launch and more like an invitation: to pause, to recalibrate, and to rediscover the emotional power of scent. With Above Us, Steorra leading the narrative, Aesop reminds us that fragrance isn’t just worn—it’s experienced, inhabited, and, at its best, quietly transformative.

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