HEATING UP: Summer might be winding down, but the smell of sex is still lingering around in London and that’s partly because of Yasmin Sewell’s new scents from her brand Vyrao.
She took over the Plaster Store in Soho for the launch of Ludeaux and Ludatrix. The evening included readings of erotic poetry by James Massiah and Adult Entertainment, sensual cocktails canapés by Heal Goblin, as well as beers and cans of water for those who couldn’t get into the crowded venue that poured out onto the street.
Members of Sewell’s team made sure everyone had a whiff of the new fragrances by handing out samples to the guests standing outside.
Vyrao founder Yasmin Sewell
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The fragrance bottles imitate the curved shape of poppers, a legal sex and party drug that can be bought at any convenience store.
“Our sexual well-being is a huge part of who we are and what makes us thrive, I wanted our take on healthy sexuality that is more about how we feel about ourselves. Playfulness was key so we have launched a duo of scents one more about flirtation and one for arousal stepping into your sexuality with a smile and a wink,” Sewell said in an interview.
“The making of these scents actually started with a color, I initially wanted to turn the color pink into a scent and at the same time that came to my mind I was having custom latex made with Atsuko Kudo. I was inspired by the fabric in certain colors: pink, red, certain fleshy tones and, of course, the smell of that fabric. It evolved from there,” she added.
In Ludeaux she uses notes of peach, latex, osmanthus, magnolia, jasmine and tonka bean, while Ludatrix has lipstick accord, latex, Sichuan pepper, ambrette, orris, rose and sandalwood.
Sewell has been working with the Science of Wellness program from IFF for the past three years, which pulls from more than 40 years of neuroscientific research into how scents can influence the brain’s emotional and memory senses.
She selected the fragrances’ common heart of musk and ambrox by conducting MRI scans on a number of people as they smelled different ingredients.
Vyaro will be expanding into bath and body in 2026.
“We are experiencing significant growth and I’m really proud of our growing customer base, with our returning customer rate is way above the industry average. We are also about to launch our retail vision in the U.K. and the U.S.,” Sewell said.
