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In a way, perfumes have always been magic potions, able to alter your mood, conjure memories, and spellbind those around you. Now though, they’re getting even more witchy. ‘High vibrational scents’ are, allegedly, adding to the alchemy, and feel-good factor of wearing a fragrance.
Here’s the theory: positive energy vibrates at a higher frequency than negative energy. Say you walk into a room and feel a bad vibe, it could be that someone else’s negativity is weighing heavy on you. If you feel light, bright, focused and at ease, it’s likely you’re soaking up those good vibrations.
Scents have long played a part in energy cleansing – burning sage, splashing rose water, lighting incense, or mixing tinctures of lavender, lemon and rosemary. In some wellness circles, essential oils are believed to raise the vibration of a space and the people in it. Rose oil, in particular, is said to be pure catnip, if you want to bewitch the mind and ensnare the senses (you can thank Professor Snape for that last line). But lemongrass, patchouli, frankincense, sage, and a whole host of other oils are supposed to create some serious sorcery, too.
What does science say on the subject? Not a lot, to be fair. It’s a pretty sketchy area that some argue simply hasn’t been researched well enough yet, and others dismiss as outright quackery. Awks. Still, alternative therapies are gaining more merit in many health circles and previously woo-woo practices like Reiki and crystal healing are being taken more seriously for their ability to tangibly boost mood and relieve stress (even if it may, or may not be a placebo).
But, as more of us become attuned to our own wellbeing, previously unorthodox practices are attracting more interest. It’s the basis upon which fashion boss and influencer, Yasmin Sewell traded in her top job at luxury retailer, Farfetch, to start a venture much closer to her heart. Vyrao is a fragrance line that majors on how it makes you feel just as much as how it makes you smell.
“I’ve always worn fragrance for myself rather than for others, and I wear it to amplify my energy. It’s about ritualising your routine and stating your intentions for the day by taking a moment for yourself. I use Vyrao in that moment and so do my friends and we all find it starts our day in a positive way,” Yasmin explains.
If you’re attracted to the occult, this goes heavy on all things mystical. “Within each fragrance are mighty intentions and ingredients with the power to shift your vibration up high,” the website says. One of the five fragrances, Witchy Woo, encourages courage and creativity with a heady blend of earthy orris entwined with patchouli, thorny rose, cinnamon, honey-like opoponax and musk. It’s housed in a purple glass flacon and infused with a supercharged Herkimer diamond crystal, which sits in the bottom of each bottle and is energised by Yasmin’s own healer, Louise Mita, to clear, amplify and raise energy.