Finally, I Found a Fragrance Brand That Matches My Witchy-Girl Energy

If there’s anything I’ve learned in my fledgling beauty career, it’s that fragrance does so much more than just smell good. Not to pull a Miranda Priestly, but that oud perfume you selected because it “smells like fall” contains a hero ingredient that predates the Roman Empire by more than 1000 years—a good-as-gold liquid that enhanced religious rituals and evidenced royalty. Oh, and that cool-girl Le Labo scent you’re adding to your cart right now? It contains petrichor (the bottled essence of rain-soaked earth), a scent that whisks you back to a gloomy April evening in your childhood home.

You see, fragrance has depth that other beauty categories can barely wade in—with roots in ancient medicinal practices that tangle with folklore and witchcraft. To put it plainly, it goes so much further than chic packaging. When fragrance is done right, it’s designed with intention: to enhance your aura, your outfit, and, in the best-case scenario, your innermost sense of well-being. At least, that’s the philosophy that Australian fashion industry maven-turned-fragrance connoisseur Yasmin Sewell, founder of the neuroscience-backed fragrance brand, Vyrao, abides by.

“It’s all about energy and intention,” Sewell tells Who What Wear. “Vyrao blends time-honoured ingredients and healing traditions with modern neuroscience, harnessing the power of plants and flowers.” The brand’s motto is to create beautiful things that don’t just look and smell gorgeous, but deliver on something deeper. “Neuroscents,” they’re called. “Each fragrance is a multisensory experience. … They feel transformative, thoughtful, and deeply personal,” she adds. Sewell balanced a career in fashion with her interests in holistic health and spirituality, which later inspired a professional overhaul after 25 years. “I left my last job in fashion in 2018, went through some personal life changes, and decided it was time to channel everything I love and know into one thing, which became Vyrao.”

If you’re anything like me, some of your favorite acts of self-care are whispered prayers over lit candles, tarot readings with friends, and crystals charging in the moonlight that washes over your windowsill. These fragrances, charged by a “white witch” of the perfume world, were made for people like us. Oh, and they smell really good, too.

What is Vyrao?

Fragrance has, quite noticeably, become one of the most profitable beauty categories over the last few years. According to a June 2025 article published on a consumer insights website, Circana, perfume sales have shot up 31% since 2024—with potent formulas like eau de parfums leading the charge. Perfumery is no doubt an act of chemistry, but what on earth constitutes a fragrance as neuroscience-backed?

Vyrao’s lead perfumer, Meabh McCurtin, is referred to endearingly as a “white witch” in her industry for her scent synaesthesia. She aids Sewell in selecting which accords are used to create these wellness-inspired elixirs, but even with her PhD in molecular science, there is a larger game of intelligence at play. These neuroscents are created via a specialized program with the IFF Science of Wellness, a bioscience solutions and innovation company that puts the arithmetic behind the aroma.

“These neuroscientific methods are used to objectively and scientifically measure brain activities associated with different emotional states coming from experiencing certain fragrance ingredients or the fragrance itself,” explains Céline Manetta, IFF’s global human and consumer insights innovation group lead. “In this program, we solicit consumers’ 'conscious’ perception of the emotions, measure brain activities from scent experience, and use an IFF proprietary AI-based tool to identify the best ingredients or combination of ingredients driving a specific emotion, like energy or relaxation,” she explains. Afterwards, these ingredients are then edited down by selected by McCurtin “according to her creative intention.”

It helps that each full-sized bottle of Vyrao fragrances has a small, supercharged Herkimer diamond crystal swimming around in the elixir, which amplifies the energy of your perfume. Ahead, the three neuroscents I favored for creativity, mindfulness, and joy—and of course, the compliments they earned.

For Courage and Creativity: Witchy Woo

By the pricking of my thumbs, something… witchy… this way comes. Vyrao’s Witchy Woo was at the top of my list of scents to try, with creativity, courage, enlightenment, and stress relief being the apex sensations illuminated in this bottle. My friends described this perfume as a “moody fall scent,” whereas I liken it to a bookish, dark academia–inspired fragrance. In fact, the word that comes to mind when I inhale this scent is “wise.”

“Each ingredient in Witchy Woo is chosen for its energetic benefits: Moroccan orris absolute encourages courage and creativity, while frankincense brings illumination and clarity,” Sewell explains. “Together, they work to open the mind, spark inspiration, and invite a sense of possibility and flow,” she adds.

In the weeks I've spent testing this fragrance, I've found myself reaching for it not when I, myself, am doing something creative, but when I'm being inspired by others' creativity. A cloud of this warm, incense-like mist best complements a dive into a good book, a walk through a new art gallery, or an afternoon spent in deep conversation. “It really is a wonderful potion that one, people get quite obsessed with it,” muses Sewell. “Including me.”

For Intuition and Mindfulness: The Sixth

To be quite honest, I wasn't sure what to think about The Sixth before it showed up at my door. Its purpose—to enhance your intuition, invite introspection, and calm the nervous system—piqued my interest immensely, but I wasn't fawning over its olfactory profile on paper. That said, when I first spritzed the scent on my skin, clothes, and hair, my eyes widened in realization that I'd just found a new signature.

“The Sixth offers a beautifully light, uplifting perfume made using carefully selected ingredients by Meabh," says Manetta, before launching into a laundry list of healing notes. Juniper berry oil offers an enhanced sense of calm and lessened stress while cypress and patchouli oils inspire presence, awareness, and trust in the process.

My roommate walked past me one day and complimented the complexity of this perfume; her nose first picked up on the sweetness of apples and juniper berries before appreciating the nostalgic scent of fir balsam and cedar. “It smells like November,” she quipped before heading out the door. A welcome winter scent it may be, but its grounding elements make this perfume an invisible shield whenever the wearer may need it—be it a boardroom meeting, a first date, or an intense day of work.

For Happiness and Joy: Sun Rae

Some scents scream summer, but this one whispers warmth. This fragrance is a true ray of sunlight in a golden vessel and smells like happiness, plain and simple. If you couldn't already tell from the name, Manetta confirms that this was the goal all along.

“We used cardamom CO₂ extract from LMR that are associated [with] emotions such as energy, happiness, and attention,” Manetta explains, LMR being a very high-quality ranking of natural ingredients, according to IFF. Black pepper oil inspires a sense of energy and self-esteem, while grounding sandalwood, vetiver, and amber bring this scent back down to earth.

My friend, after smelling this lilting, light fragrance on my clothes, commented on how “pretty and clean” it smelled. Bursting with summer fruits and florals in the first whiff and swirling with sensual sandalwood in the dry-down, this scent is surprisingly perennial—proving that you can make your own sunlight, even on the darkest of days. When I pick up this bottle, I know my happy place is just a spritz away.

How to Wear Vyrao Scents

With each scent encourages such varied feelings, it may feel daunting—if not impossible—to layer these scents together. But Sewell says that this is where the magic lies. “People wear Vyrao scents in different ways. Some days I like to layer them, I usually tap into how I feel and ask myself what I need—protection, joy, self-love,” she quips. Because each fragrance is made from natural ingredients, it's easier to blend these scents with those from other brands. “You can layer fragrances like Witchy Woo, The Sixth, or Sun Rae and Free 00, to enhance creativity, joy, or any energy you want to invite,” she suggests. “There are no rules—it’s all about whatever feels right for you.”

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