Above Us Steorra by Aesop: A Fragrant Journey

Cardamom comes through first in Above Us, Steorra, dry and slightly cool, carrying a faint brightness from bergamot that lingers only for a moment before it recedes. Elemi follows closely, soft and resinous, giving the opening a quiet density without turning sharp or heavy, something that settles into place rather than unfolding outward.

A piece of amber-colored resin positioned next to scattered green cardamom pods on a dark textured surface.

For Céline Barel, the structure of amber was not something to soften, but something to hold at a distance. Rather than allowing the materials to melt into one another, she keeps them slightly apart, so each one remains legible as it moves across the skin.

A woman with long, wavy brown hair smiles warmly against a blue background.

From there, the composition shifts gradually into incense. Frankincense holds the center, clean and almost mineral, without the smoke or thickness that often defines it. Labdanum sits beneath, adding warmth in a measured way, never pushing the fragrance into something dense or overtly ambery. Cypriol runs through the structure more quietly, darker and slightly earthy, grounding the composition without interrupting its balance.

A bottle of Aesop perfume labeled 'Above Us, Steorra' placed against a starry background.

Nothing is allowed to expand fully. The materials remain distinct, held in place rather than blended into a single, softened accord. There is a sense of control here, but also intention.

At Aesop, the idea of amber was approached indirectly. Instead of building warmth through familiarity, the references came from elsewhere. A ceiling made of crushed amber bottles in one of the brand’s Melbourne spaces. A streak of light across a night sky. These are not literal translations, but they suggest a way of working, where warmth is present but never fully resolved.

That approach becomes more apparent as the fragrance wears. The base introduces vanilla and a trace of cinnamon, but neither behaves in the expected way. The vanilla remains dry, almost textural, while the cinnamon passes through quietly, adding warmth without shifting the structure.

Over time, very little changes. It doesn’t open further or soften. The structure stays intact, the balance between materials holding steady from beginning to end.