Is spirituality fragrance’s next gold mine?

When Yasmin Sewell launched fragrance brand Vyrao in 2021, she wasn’t sure it would find a wide audience. All of its seven scents promise a particular type of “energy amplification”, with a crystal inside the bottle charged by the brand’s “master energist” Louise Mita. “I was worried it would alienate too many people who were just not into the subject, even though I had the sense the world was shifting,” recalls Sewell. That doubt has faded in the face of growing consumer interest and a wave of entrants to the spiritual fragrance market. Among them, Bella Hadid, who launched her brand Orebella in May, with “aura-elevating scents” in bottles emblazoned with angel numbers (repeating number sequences that are believed by some to hold spiritual significance). Charlotte Tilbury launched a line of six ‘Law of Attraction’ fragrances this year, which included scents like ‘Cosmic Power’ and ‘Magic Energy’ designed to enhance the wearer’s mood. Kate Moss’s brand Cosmoss sells a ‘Sacred Mist’ that is designed by an in-house alchemist to “uplift your aura”. Taking the principle of “functional fragrances” one step further, these perfumes promise to not only improve your mood but amplify your energy or aura, with packaging and marketing language that draws on alternative wellness ideas such as crystal healing, astrology, energy alignment and angel numbers. It remains a niche part of the fragrance industry, with some vocal detractors. But Sewell believes even the most sceptical can be convinced. Vyrao’s proposition got a stamp of approval in September when the brand received investment from LVMH-backed private equity firm L Catterton to accelerate its growth. “Now that these holistic practices are becoming more and more accepted, it’s only the beginning,” says Sewell. A natural next step for fragrance? Consumer interest has been accelerated by the current climate, observers say. As harrowing news of global conflicts pervades the media, people are seeking out escapism and ways to control and improve their emotions. Terms like “alternative medicine”, “energy healing” and “aromatherapy” have been consistently trending on Google over the past year. Pinterest reports a rise in searches for “spirituality aesthetic”, which includes things like crystal charging stations and potion cabinets, and “healing aesthetic”, or ways of practising self-care through candles, crystals and flowers. US corporation International Flavors & Fragrances’s (IFF) Science of Well-being programme explores the holistic healing potential of fragrance and has worked with a number of brands in the development of their lines. “The role of fragrance has clearly evolved from a superficial and social role of feeling sexy to one with deeper and more meaningful expectations,” says Céline Manetta, senior manager of human and consumer insights at IFF’s scent division. “Consumers today want well-being 24-7. They want energy; to be alert as they begin their workdays. They also want to relax or to get a little help falling asleep at the end of the day. They want to feel happy, seductive or confident when meeting friends. Consumers are on a continuous search for positive emotions.” Initio Parfums Privés was ahead of the game when it came to this trend, having launched in 2015 with “a visual and olfactory identity that is designed to evoke a sense of mystery and transcendence, inviting wearers to explore the unseen energies that fragrance can channel”. The brand’s end-of-year report revealed it recorded its highest-ever sales at $129 million in fiscal 2024. “Perfume goes beyond being just a scent — it’s a tool for emotional and spiritual connection,” says a spokesperson for the brand. “In today’s uncertain world, people might be more drawn to fragrances that provide comfort, grounding and a sense of empowerment.” Alison Romash, global head of marketing and sales at Orebella, believes this approach to perfumery is a natural next step for the industry. People are more open to alternative wellness “because there is so much more visibility to these concepts — be it across social media, from celebrities, within entertainment platforms, or just throughout broader popular culture”, she says. “These ideas are part of a lifestyle that, simply put, is seen as cool. Secondly, it ladders back to the overall desire to improve holistic well-being and longevity and shifting mindsets to focus more on preventative medicine. And finally, as people look to spirituality to round out their wellness practice, a number of these modalities find synergies in that space.” Each bottle in Charlotte Tilbury’s Law of Attraction range is the colour of different healing crystals, and they are all made to look like potion vials. “I was inspired by a shift in customer behaviour, which saw people tailoring their fragrance to fit how they want to feel,” says Tilbury. “We all know how certain scents can make you time travel to distant memories. This sparked my fascination with the idea of a dream in a bottle and magical potions that could instantly transform your world. I knew that I wanted to capture dreams, frequencies and access emotions, all through the power of scent.” The ‘woo-woo’ of it all While a growing number of consumers — especially Gen Zs — are embracing products that promise spiritual enlightenment, there remains a risk of alienating those who don’t buy into it. “The need to present a particular concept, a common thread, has gone into overdrive lately, and, for me, it produces results that are quite ridiculous,” says YouTuber Persolaise Perfumes in a review of Vyrao and Bibbi (the latter brand’s founder claims that, while practicing meditation, she can transport her consciousness to another dimension). When Altra co-founder Beckielou Brown started making fragrances, she leaned heavily into alternative healing concepts, putting crystals in every bottle; but when it came to officially launching her own company, she decided to forgo making those ideas a part of the brand’s identity. “I thought carefully about that aspect when I was launching and just thought that I can’t really imprint upon someone how they should experience a scent,” she says. “Scent is so personal and when you breathe it in, there might be an experience that you get from it that is so different from the next person.” It’s a sentiment echoed by Kira Lillie, founder of fragrance brand Incorp. Incorp’s three scents are inspired by the healing and alternative medicine practices Lillie grew up around, but are not designed to evoke particular emotions — as, in her own words, “I can’t tell you the way you should feel”. However, proponents argue that tapping into spirituality is harmless — akin to publishing horoscopes in a magazine — and provides a fun way to cut through in a crowded fragrance market. Other beauty categories are poised to follow fragrance’s lead: cosmetics brand Glossier already has a crystal-infused highlighter, while salons like Salon C Stellar in London and Raquel New York are offering horoscope facials. This trend is only the very beginning of a much larger movement in beauty, predicts Salon C Stellar founder Andrea Pfeffer. “The pandemic forced us inward, stripping away the distractions of our busy lives, and left many of us feeling spiritually adrift,” she says. “This void began to manifest in our selfcare practices, which have taken on the role of spiritual homes for many.” Pfeffer predicts that fragrance brands pairing scents with apps to integrate sound frequencies, meditative tools and community-building into perfume-wearing will be the next big driver in this space (an early example is fragrance brand Øthers). Psychodermatology, which claims to treat skin conditions using psychological and psychiatric techniques, and neurocosmetics, which claim to impact your mood by interacting with the skin’s nerve endings, also have growth potential, says Pfeffer. Like mood-altering fragrances, they promise to address consumers’ concerns on a deeper level. “Clients now expect more depth and connection from their beauty routines,” she says. “These multidimensional products aren’t just about beauty — they’re tools for managing stress and navigating daily life, much like a therapist session might be.” Comments, questions or feedback? Email us at feedback@voguebusiness.com.

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