We are big Glossier fans at Cosmo HQ, from Boy Brow to Stretch Concealer, the brand has blessed us with the perfect no-makeup-makeup line-up. But, for me, the star of the show is in its fragrance. It, of course, started with the Original You, an instant classic that’s maybe the most highly wearable skin-scent on the market. Then, in 2024 Emily Weiss announced the launch of You Rêve and You Doux (I was there, in the room as this news dropped, it was all very exciting) two new additions that share the same base as the original You, but have their own profiles that set them apart in other olefactory families. Doux tipped more woody and Reve more gourmand.
Last year, the line-up expanded again, introducing Fleur to eager shoppers (aka, me), unsurprisingly sitting in the floral fragrance family. And surely that was it, right? They had nailed all the most popular fragrance families. Well, I knew that wasn’t the case after visiting Glossier HQ and hearing from the team about the plans to keep innovating in the fragrance world. So when Glossier You Soie dropped on my doorstep a month ago I was keen to start my testing… So it was time to try, compare and give you our ultimate ranking...
About the perfumes:
All Glossier You perfumes have the same essential DNA. With ambroxan and/or ambrette notes that have a musky, sweaty, sweet, warm scent, they're meant to be like an upgraded and more effervescent version of your skin. But that's where the similarities end with all of the version of You, as they really do have their own distinct scent family and vibe. Keep scrolling for our full reviews of each scent:
1. Glossier You Doux
Key notes: Palo santo, sweet violet, frankincense, myrrh, ambroxan, ambrette
Beth says: Glossier You Doux feels like the rich aunt of the family, but in a "quiet luxury," reserved kinda vibe. Like wrapping yourself in a £2,000 cream sweater that feels like butter against your skin. Or the inside of an ultra-chic hotel lounge you need a membership card to enter. It's for the people who loved the original You in high school or college and want to level up their signature scent to match their big adult salary (without, ya know, paying a fortune, ofc — these perfumes are all under £80 for a 50 mL).
Cosmo editors were addicted to this perfume since it's so subdued (naturally, "doux" means soft in French). Truly, I didn't find a single team member who didn't like it. US Editor-in-Chief Willa Bennett immediately spritzed this on her skin (bold) and loved how light it was. I picked up on the palo santo right away, which reminds me a lot of Le Labo Santal 33 (which makes sense, considering Frank Voelkl, the perfumer of Santal 33, is also the nose behind these two fragrances). US assistant news editor Sam Olson agreed, noting that it smells like if you layered O.G. Glossier You with Santal 33—"just without all the gaslighting and trauma of the ex everyone has who wears the Le Labo scent," she says. Real!
US shopping editor Hannah Oh messaged me the night after the test to praise the longevity too. "I just smelled my wrist, and HOURS LATER, it smells so yummy," she wrote. Best part about this fragrance to me is how versatile it is. I could wear this for every single occasion, any time of year, with any outfit, and always feel like it's right.
2. Glossier You
Key notes: Iris, pink pepper, ambroxan, ambrette
Beth says: Hey, it's an O.G. for a reason. Glossier You completely changed the fragrance game when it launched in 2017. You know those pH-balanced blushes and lipsticks that are supposed to look different on everyone? You is that, but in fragrance. It works with your skin to essentially enhance your natural scent, which is why you'll rarely ever hear anyone say that it smells "bad" per se. The soft, creamy, musky scent started a chain reaction of other ambroxan-heavy fragrances meant to mimic the smell of skin, but You will forever be my favourite.
At this point, You doesn't feel as groundbreaking as it once did, but it acts as a fantastic layering fragrance to boost the musky notes of whatever you pair it with. I actually love mixing You with all of the other flankers to add some longevity. But it's great with my other favourites as well, like Parfums de Marly Valaya and Amouage Guidance.
I own a lot of perfumes (ahem, upwards of 200+), and You is one of the longest-lasting scents in my collection. I swear, I can spritz this on a T-shirt and still smell it after it's been through multiple washes. It's like magic. And on my skin, it'll linger for days on my wrist, even after taking showers, washing my hands a gazillion times, layering on hand sanitiser, etc.
3. Glossier You Soie
Key notes: Bergamot, rice milk, tiare water, evening jasmine, ambrox
Keeks says: 'Soie' means silk in French and this iteration of You really does capture that soft, close feeling of a silky blouse on a warm day. It's a solar scent which means it's meant to evoke toasty sunlit energy when you spritz it on and it nails that mood.
I took it on a beach trip recently and immediately knew it would become my go-to summer scent after the fourth person complimented the way I smelt and one of those times was after a full day on the beach with no resprays. It has that unmistakable 'You' essence thanks to the warm skin-enhancing note that sits at the base of the 5 scents, but this one is creamier, salty and more summer-y than the others.
If you like Doux, you'll love this, it has the same creamy warmth but is decidedly more beachy – it melts down into a coconut-meets salt water blend that is 10/10 holiday vibes.
Glossier Soie launches on the 26th of March on uk.glossier.com
4. Glossier You Fleur
Key notes: Salt, cashmeran, apricot, ylang-ylang, osmanthus, ambroxan
Beth says: I was fully prepared to hate this scent, considering I'm not a floral lover. But Fleur isn't your typical floral perfume. Sure, there's osmanthus, but it's heavy on the apricot and salt, giving the scent a way more beachy vibe than garden-y one IMO. I saw someone compare it to the vibes of Call Me By Your Name: juicy fruits, blooming flowers, ocean air, all whipping through your hair as you bike along the Italian countryside with a lover. I see the vision. It's the sweet smell of yearning, baby.
I wore this perfume on a press trip with a handful of beauty editors from other publications, and everyone kept stopping to ask me what fragrance I was wearing. "Wow?! Glossier?!" They couldn't believe their noses. Not because other Glossier perfumes aren't good, but because this is so unique that they thought it'd be from some £££ niche fragrance house. Of every Glossier perfume, this stands out amongst the rest. The only con is that it might not be the best in the depths of fall and winter unless I want a little escapism. But for spring and summer, this will have a dedicated space on my vanity.
5. Glossier You Rêve
Key notes: Buttercream, almond, iris, sandalwood, plum, ambroxan, ambrette
Beth says: Think of Rêve, which means dream in French, as the ~365 party girl~ perfume of the trio. It's out until 3 a.m. drinking espresso martinis, then swiping on YSL Touche Eclat to cover up the remnants of last night's eyeliner in the morning. It was developed to be the sexy, "brat" version to You, with a delicious buttercream and almond opening that swirls into a juicy, tart plum that finishes on the earthiness of iris and sandalwood.
Just because it has some sweetness, though, doesn't mean it's sticky or too cloying. It's not a gourmand perfume in that it smells like a birthday cake or like you bathed yourself in vanilla. Rather, it's edible and succulent—like you wanna take a bite out of it. US associate sex and relationships editor Kayla Kibbe loved this scent and even referred to this fragrance as "the slutty one." Personally, I find it subtly sweet, as its overtaken by the ripe plum butter notes. It's like cough syrup, but the Halls lozenge kind that taste shockingly super yummy. US assistant shopping editor Jasmine Hyman says it smells like a cherry Jolly Rancher — juicy, mouth-watering, and candied.
FWIW, though, there actually isn't a cherry note here, even though every single staffer clocked one. I believe this is coming from the plum and toasted almond, which create a Bakewell tart sweetness that adds a depth and ~sensuality~ that reminded us of other cherry perfumes we love (think: Tom Ford Lost Cherry or Kayali Lovefest Burning Cherry 48).
Immediately out of the bottle, many editors picked up on the fruitiness, but on skin, it was a different story, with the sugary buttercream notes front and centre. For ~science~, I doused myself in this perfume so people could sniff it on my skin too to see how it interacts with skin chemistry as well. And many found it softened quite a bit, especially since the projection isn't very loud.
The final verdict from Team Cosmo:
The consensus was, if we had to choose, team Cosmo US would choose Fleur for how fresh it feels, while Doux tips the leaderboard for team Cosmo UK, thanks to understated elegance. But Rêve is steep competition, especially for our staffers who partake in sweet treat o'clock and love a grown-up clubby gourmand. And ofc, the original You will always be a winner around these parts. It deserves a whole lotta flowers for how it changed perfume as we know it.
All five fragrances are available now at Glossier.com Not into blind-buying? Don't worry, you can smell IRL at Sephora, Space NK and Glossier's London store too.
Keeks Reid is the Beauty Director at Cosmopolitan UK. While she loves all things beauty, Keeks is a hair fanatic through and through. She started her career in beauty journalism in 2013 as editorial assistant at Blackhair and Hair magazines working her way to Acting Editor of Blackhair magazine at 23 years old. She spent much of her career working in trade hairdressing media at Hairdressers Journal, Salon International and the British Hairdressing Awards. Which is why she is a regular contributor to Cosmo's Curl Up franchise. Now, alongside her Cosmo work, she presents, creates content on social media and works with a range of beauty companies; from magazines and websites to beauty brands and salons.
Beth Gillette is the beauty editor at Cosmopolitan, where she covers skincare, makeup, hair, nails, and more across digital and print. She can generally be found in bright eyeshadow furiously typing her latest feature or hemming and hawing about a new product you "have to try." Prior to Cosmopolitan, she wrote and edited beauty content as an Editor at The Everygirl for four years. Follow her on Instagram for makeup selfies and a new hair 'do every few months.
