Aesop has never been one to follow trends, and its newest fragrance, Aurner Eau de Parfum, is no exception. Officially launched last February 10, this bold addition to the brand’s fragrance lineup challenges the typical idea of a floral perfume, offering something more unconventional, complex, and nuanced.
At its heart, Aurner is a study in contrasts—delicate yet powerful, fresh yet woody, floral yet far from predictable. Created with Aesop’s longtime collaborator, Céline Barel, the perfumer behind the well-loved Tacit Eau de Parfum, the scent builds around an unexpected floral note: Magnolia Leaf rather than the flower’s petals. This unexpected choice, paired with Roman Chamomile and Cedar Heart, gives the fragrance a distinctively herbaceous, fresh, and textured smell.
To break down the inspiration behind Aurner, Preview had the chance to interview Céline Barel, who shared how this "defiant bloom" came to life.
Preview Exclusive: Céline Barel on the Making of Aesop's Aurner Eau de Parfum
Aurner is a statement in florals, but not in the way one might expect. The name itself comes from an Anglo-Norman word meaning "to be adorned or embellished with flowers," reflecting how the fragrance redefines the floral category. “Aurner Eau de Parfum is a non-conformist defiant bloom embedded with tensions and contrast,” Céline explains. “It has been created with the intent of extending Aesop’s olfactive range, further exploring florals in Aesop’s signature unorthodox approach.” She describes it as a "woody floral fragrance, a unique defiant bloom that is owned by Aesop." Unlike conventional florals, Aurner avoids pinpointing a single flower, making it a genderless scent designed to resonate across cultures.
Bringing Aesop's Aurner Eau de Parfum to Life
Céline’s collaboration with Aesop has spanned years, beginning with Tacit Eau de Parfum in 2015. However, the process of creating Aurner was entirely different, reflecting Aesop’s distinctive and artistic approach to perfumery.
“The process was very unique for me, and even in the industry I think it’s innovative; Aesop’s approach to briefing is fascinating and very distinctive,” she says.
She recalls how Aesop did not provide a typical perfume brief, but instead a cabinet of curiosities—a collection of photographs, illustrations, collages, dried herbs, and flowers—to inspire the composition.
“The most interesting, singular, and revolutionary part of developing the fragrance was bringing the team to the IFF atelier in Grasse, which is a unique place where all elements of the creative process come to life,” she explains.
“It’s really a place where you can see the full composition of the fragrance, from the seeds in the field to the final format in the bottle—it was extraordinary to experience this with the Aesop team.”
This intimate, immersive approach allowed for bold experimentation, particularly in the choice of unconventional ingredients like Roman Chamomile.
“We began the development through sketches and regrouped together in the South of France in Grasse to work through stages of evaluation, reworking, and reevaluating ingredients and compositions,” Céline shares. “This enabled us to create something extremely rare and magical because we were such an intimate group, therefore able to really push boundaries, be bold in our thoughts, and challenge ourselves.”
The Unexpected Ingredients Behind Aesop's Aurner Eau de Parfum
Aurner is defined by tensions and contrasts, making it a fragrance that evolves on the skin. “Aurner has been envisioned as a non-conformist floral fragrance. These tensions are embodied in contrasts such as the fragility of the flowers versus the strength of the woods; transparency of the bloom versus solidity of the woods; fresh versus warm; vegetal versus mineral, almost metallic; feminine versus masculine, and being simple yet complex,” Céline explains. This dynamic structure makes Aurner both intriguing and ever-changing, shifting between lightness and depth as it develops.
Ultimately, what makes Aurner different is its play on florals, freshness, and woods—creating something entirely new in the Aesop fragrance family. Aurner’s unconventional floral composition is built on a foundation of three key ingredients:
Magnolia Leaf
“We began working on different flowers at the beginning, but very quickly magnolia seemed to be the right choice, and specifically the leaf versus the petal,” Céline explains. “The magnolia flower has a ripe fruity facet that offers more of a spicy floral, whereas the magnolia leaf has a crisp aromatic freshness that is somehow between a crushed leaf and lavender. It is very complex, bright, clean, and bloomy—almost citrusy green so not an obvious floral, which felt true to Aesop’s unorthodox approach.”
Roman Chamomile
A floral note rarely used in this way, Chamomile adds an aromatic complexity that enhances the fragrance’s multidimensional quality. “Chamomile plays a key role on top of the fragrance, to really intensify the bloom,” Céline explains. “It’s a bit like the first ball you play to explode the group of balls when you play a game of pool or billiards.”
Cedar Heart
A refined and luminous take on cedarwood, Cedar Heart brings depth and warmth to the composition. “For the cedarwood, we opted to explore cedarwood heart—it is slightly cleaner, less smoky, and less reminiscent of ‘dry pencil shavings’ than the cedarwood bark,” Céline shares. “It adds a lot of luminosity in the woods, is much more humid, and brings a feeling of comfort and tenderness in the dry-down.”
Where to Buy Aesop's Aurner Eau de Parfum in the Philippines
Aurner Eau de Parfum 50ml, P9400, AESOP, aesopskincare.ph
Aurner Eau de Parfum was launched on February 10, 2025, priced at P9,400 for a 50mL bottle. It will be available at Aesop signature stores, aesopskincare.ph, and select global retailers.
Aesop Stores in the Philippines:
Aesop Greenbelt 5 – Makati
Aesop Rockwell – Power Plant Mall, Makati
Aesop SM Aura – Bonifacio Global City
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