I Tried Cult Gaia’s First-Ever Fragrances

The best part about fragrance is that its a total vibe, from the way it can transform your mood to how it looks on your vanity. The bottle is almost as important as the juice inside! Chances are you can probably name a handful of iconic fragrance bottles: the star-shaped Angel, Chanel No. 5’s classic square, Jean Paul Gaultier’s bodyforms, Carolina Herrera’s high heel-shaped Good Girl lineup, and Dior’s fruit-inspired Poison bottles all come to mind. 

When we heard that Cult Gaia, the fashion brand known for its bold, creative, dynamic handbags, was entering the fragrance world, we knew the bottles were going to be gorgeous—and we were right! The brand just dropped three luxury scents in the coolest U-shaped bottles that would definitely look like an objet d’art on your dresser.

Ahead, everything you need to know about the gorgeous new fragrances, plus my honest review.

The Fragrances

Each of the three scents was inspired by a Farsi word that is meaningful to Cult Gaia’s founder and creative director, Jasmin Larian Hekmat. According to the brand, each scent connects to the natural world and is a balance of hard and soft sensorial elements, AKA woods paired with florals. 

Mast, which comes in a vivid emerald green bottle with a matching marbled top, was inspired by the Farsi word for “intoxicating ecstasy.” Zan, in pretty rose pink, was inspired by the word for “woman,” and Noor, in a sheer white, comes from the word for “light.” Each one reflects their namesake in a different way, but the three also feel like a cohesive collection and a smart way for Cult Gaia to begin its foray into the fragrance world.

My Review

The bottles are gorgeous, of course, but the scents inside are total crowd-pleasers too—unique enough to appeal to more seasoned fragheads, but welcoming to newbies who have an idea of what they like and are looking for a more elevated version of their favorite fresh, spicy, or floral scents.

Mast instantly conjures up visions of a tropical vacation where you have nothing on your agenda but sun, sand, and a few blended cocktails consumed beachside. It opens with a bright combo of zesty green bergamot and creamy coconut that feels fresh and inviting, drying down into a surprisingly earthy heart of vetiver and woods before ending in a whisper-soft musk note. It’s tropical without smelling like sunscreen, and it begs you to come closer, like the scent of your lover’s warm skin after a day in the sun. If you typically love a beachy scent, Mast should be your top pick. I’d wear it with a flowing green maxidress and lots of jewelry, plus one of Cult Gaia’s signature bamboo bags.

Zan sparkles with a spicy pink pepper and cardamom combo at the top, lightening up a musk, cedarwood, and incense heart with a lighthearted touch. Zan is definitely on the fresher side of spicy, so it would be just as easy to wear in the warmer months as it will be throughout fall and winter. On my skin, it lingered for several hours and dried down to a lovely soft woody musk. While it’s still sundress season, I’d love to wear Zan with a super-soft ivory cashmere sweater and get a whiff of it on the sleeve after a few hours. 

Noor is as airy as its bottle suggests, but it isn’t afraid to go deeper. The scent opens with a gorgeous rose intensified with a touch of black pepper, then develops into a vetiver and lavender middle. The rose returns at the drydown, relaxing into a plush warmth. Noor is a great way to tiptoe into the many facets of the rose; while this scent would never be categorized as heavy or cloying, it is a darker, more complex take on the flower. I’d pair this with a monochromatic outfit in bright, crisp white or rich chocolate brown for maximum contrast.