Glossier’s New Floral Perfume Is Like Picnic Season in a Bottle

Growing up with an older sister, I noticed how easy it was for people to point out our similarities, like how much we looked alike. But once they got to know us, it was even easier for them to spot our differences. As kids, while I was more rambunctious and playful, my sister was the total opposite, maintaining a calm and collected energy. That same relationship can be seen in the Glossier You universe, where the new serene Glossier Fleur scent feels like a big sister to the original Glossier You perfume.

At first, adding a floral to the Glossier You lineup presented a challenge: Founder Emily Weiss doesn’t particularly like them. If the brand was going to do it, it had to be done right. “We didn’t just want to create any regular floral fragrance,” says perfumer Dora Baghriche, who also worked alongside Frank Voelkl to create the original You fragrance.

Just like the other viral You perfumes, this latest floral iteration has the base notes of ambrox and ambrette, imbuing the floral with the line’s same musky, woody essence. But similar to the first sibling to head off to college, this scent goes on its own journey.

To create this fragrance, Baghriche put herself in the mind of an impressionist painter to bring the vibrancy and ease of spring to life through smell. “I asked myself, ‘How can I bring in color and texture to give [Glossier] You a floral envelopment?’” she says. Baghriche layered complex notes like osmanthus, which has a subtle leather scent. “It was important to have notes like salt, because it’s addictive,” she explains. “We as humans also have this saltiness to our skin, especially when it’s hot or when we’re moving. I thought about how salt is such a big part of our lives.” The floral element of ylang ylang is also softened by notes of apricot skin and cashmeran.

So who is Fleur for? Baghriche says the scent is perfect for someone who is daring yet poised, using the French word tranquilité. They are decisive yet romantic, and willing to fight for their ideas and for those they love. “Whoever wears this is not afraid to shake things up,” Baghriche adds. “This scent is shaking up the floral category. It’s absolutely unexpected.” All quintessential big sister qualities, of course. To see for ourselves, the ELLE beauty team took the fragrance for a test run. Find our mini reviews below.

Kathleen Hou, beauty director: “This smells like sunshine and showering after a day in the ocean, without any of notes of sunscreen (which, let’s be honest, are often overused). It is a very soft fragrance that evokes the feeling of freshly laundered towels, folded and placed on your bed. Despite the name, the floral notes fade into the background for me, and the salty aspects come forward, like in Jo Malone’s Wood Sage and Sea Salt. It’s very comforting and cozy and the quintessential girlhood scent—this generation’s Marc Jacobs Daisy.”

Katie Berohn, beauty editor: “This scent combines the best of Glossier You’s last two iterations. It has the creaminess of Doux and the sugared petals I smell in Rêve. I am not a big floral person, but this one hits all the right notes for me. It’s airy, solar, and sheer—it reminds me of that first warm day in the spring. It’s picnic season in a scent, and it embodies that feeling of drinking natural wine out of Solo cups and feeling the sun on your skin.”

Glossier You Fleur

Nerisha Penrose, beauty commerce editor: “When I smelled this on my colleagues, it was sunny and floral. On me, I noticed the greenery first—the stems, that is. It reminds me of the last drops of dew dripping down freshly picked flowers; it’s a powdery and bright scent that’s better suited for the first rainy day of spring. Due to its light and airy composition, it serves as a sweet softener for any bold scents I might layer with it. My only wish is that it would linger longer on the skin—this is a perfume I could sniff on my wrists for hours.”

Carol Lee, associate beauty commerce writer: “I was convinced nothing could beat Doux as my favorite Glossier fragrance, but this one may have just dethroned it. Fleur is also a true skin scent (the category I wear almost exclusively), but it has the added floral appeal of ylang ylang and osmanthus, just in time for spring. The first time I smelled the original Glossier You is burned into my brain, and I felt the same spark of joy when I met Fleur. After a long, depressing winter, it’s small delights like this perfume that make life feel just a little brighter.”

Tasha Nicole Smith, beauty assistant: “Powdery florals have always been a go-to for me, so when I first got a whiff of Fleur, there was an instant connection, especially because the fragrance comes in a beautiful lavender vessel, which just so happens to be my favorite color. It is the perfect base for layering. The scent is soft and subtle but still has a creaminess that makes me want to keep spritzing it over and over again. It reminds me a lot of how I felt when I spent my first spring in the city, cradled by the warmth of the sun and excited for what the season could bring.”