In the world of viral fragrances, few are very elusive. In fact, most of them are instantly recognizable to those who know what they’re smelling. I can peg when someone walks into a room wearing fragrances like Maison Francis Kurkdjian’s Baccarat Rouge 540 or Tom Ford’s Lost Cherry, for instance.
I’m personally all for a recognizable scent—most scents do end up smelling a bit different person-to-person based on their pheromones and body chemistries anyway. That being said, most fragrances aren’t made with things like individual pH levels, pheromones, and skin types in mind.
That’s what makes Glossier You unique. Ever since it hit the scene, this fragrance has been a game changer in terms of how we think about fragrance. Its tagline is “the ultimate personal fragrance,” and for good reason.
The fragrance’s key notes are pink pepper for a spicy bite at the top; iris for a powdery, green-leaning floral; ambrette seeds to add some warmth; and Ambrox for a base that’s a little creamy, a little musky, and a little salty. But as the name might imply, the fragrance is unfinished—it’s missing one thing: you.
That might sound very Joe Goldberg, but it’s true! This perfume needs your unique body chemistry to really work. As Glossier puts it, “it’s not one of those perfumes you wear to become someone else. Mostly, it smells like you: soft, warm, familiar. We designed everything about it to feel open-ended, like it’ll grow with you no matter where you are in your personal evolution.”
Glossier You has been around for years, but with some recent interest on TikTok, I decided to revisit the fragrance. Since it’s rumored to smell different on everyone, I recruited my friend group (read: forcefully sprayed perfume on them outside of a restaurant while we waited for our table to be ready) to see if it really does smell different on different people. I’ll be honest with you. I always knew that Glossier You’s whole thing was that it smelled different on everyone, but I never really believed it until I smelled it on four different people simultaneously. Keep reading for everyone’s unfiltered thoughts.
“On my skin, it pulls really creamy. I get whiffs of light white florals and Ambrox, but it’s just a super-creamy skin scent. I barely smell any pepper on me, and it smells completely different on my skin compared to how it smells in the air when I spray it. When I spray it, I get a sharper, brighter scent, but when it’s on my skin, it becomes this very creamy, subtle floral.” — female-identifying 26-year-old
“Ooh! Mine is very floral. It’s a more peony-like smell. I’m not getting any pepper or musk—just a very straightforward floral, one that I would continue to wear any day of the week.” — female-identifying 27-year-old
“It smells like my mom’s perfume on me. I’m smelling… rose? Definitely floral, but with a bit of a twist. I don’t really know smells, but it smells good.” — male-identifying 26-year-old
“Oh wow, it smells so different than how it smelled when you sprayed it in the air. I thought it was going to be straight-up floral and too feminine for me, but I’m actually not getting any floral at all now that it’s on my skin. It’s subtle, woodsy, and almost papery. This would be a great daily scent for anyone.” — male-identifying 29-year-old
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