We Tried Glossier You Eau De Parfum For A Truly Personalized Fragrance Experience

Every generation has a fragrance that defines it. For 1920s beauties, nothing beat the sparkling aroma of Chanel No 5. Disco-goers of the '70s sought out statement-making Charlie, Gen X grabbed Dior Poison, and millennials splashed on the light floral scent of Calvin Klein Euphoria. But things are a little different these days. Since making its debut in 2017, Glossier You Eau de Parfum has demonstrated universal appeal, enchanting fragrance fans from all walks of life.

If you haven't had a chance to fully acquaint yourself with You yet, allow us to give you a proper introduction. Thanks to its shape-shifting properties, the perfume adapts to its wearer, a bit like an olfactory mood ring. Glossier refers to the alluring formula as a "personal skin-scent enhancer," containing little more than a handful of base notes. And judging by the acclaim for You, there's something to be said for this stripped-down approach. "This is the kind of perfume that I want to wear to sleep; it smells so good," raves one reviewer on the Glossier site. Naturally, You has attracted plenty of buzz from fragrance fans, who swear by the unisex scent. But does it really perform differently than its competitors? More importantly, does it smell as good as they say? In search of answers, we at Glam put Glossier You to the test — and can happily confirm that the hype is well-deserved.

Before we tried Glossier You on ourselves, we had an idea of what this fragrance was about. Only recently, we asked a friend what intoxicating scent they were wearing on a night out. The answer? None other than You, of course. To drive the point home about this perfume's hold on the beauty community, we discovered supplies were nearly empty at our local Sephora's display. Available in a spray or solid form, we went with the original Glossier You Eau de Parfum, which retails from $28 (for the 0.27-oz rollerball version) to $98 (a 3.4-oz bottle).

Clutching the last bottle of You in our hands, we couldn't wait to see how it would respond to our chemistry. On our bestie, it smelled rosy, with a mysterious, musky undercurrent that gave it a decidedly unisex quality. Although You's minimalist packaging and soft pink bottle may lead you to believe otherwise, this powdery perfume has a surprisingly dark edge. As we applied it to our wrists, we noticed its familiar floral notes rising from each pulse point. However, they changed course rather quickly. By the end of the first hour of wear, a warm, soapy accord unfolded in what we could only describe as a bubble gum-scented bubble bath. Still, the heady musk hung in the background, creating a potent fusion of unexpected elements.

As with any scent that we sample, we were eager to reveal what made Glossier You so distinctive after wearing it for a day. According to Glossier, the vegan fragrance contains a blend of four notes: pink pepper, iris, ambrette seeds, and ambrox. The pink pepper and iris are responsible for You's floral, fresh opening, while ambrette and ambrox provide the underlying sweetness and musk.

What surprised us most about You was its staying power — despite dispensing a small amount of product, we noticed it on our wrists the morning after we applied it. This is echoed in reviews for the fragrance, which currently holds a 4.3-star rating on Glossier's online storefront. "This is the best smelling, longest lasting perfume I've ever used," writes one You wearer.

Interestingly enough, many fans of the fragrance characterize it as fresh. While we certainly observed some soapiness, it didn't exactly smell like clean laundry, either. In any event, the conflicting reports confirm Glossier's claims: You adapts to, well, you. Whether you're a fan of gender-neutral fragrances or personalized beauty products, we think you'll want to give it a try. Part of the fun is finding out how it wears on your skin, but it's a dynamic addition to any growing perfume collection.