Cyrus Veyssi Just Launched Their First Fragrance, and It’s Bougie on a Budget

There’s no shortage of influencers leveraging their massive followings to step into their beauty founder era, like Alix Earle, Jackie Aina, and Funmi Monet, just to name a few. So when I got the early scoop that Cyrus Veyssi was launching a fragrance, my immediate thought was, It’s about damn time! And if you’re also one of Cyrus’s 3 million-plus followers across Instagram and TikTok, you probably understand that sentiment. The self-proclaimed “bougie gay uncle” has impeccable taste, an infectious personality, and a knack for making just about anything feel luxurious. Naturally, I was ready to smell what they were cooking up.Corey OlsonEnter L’Essence Shirin, a $30 collaboration with affordable fine-fragrance house Le Monde Gourmand. The gender-neutral floral musk scent is exactly what I’d expect from the Iranian American, nonbinary comedian, and beauty creator. With notes of pomegranate, bergamot, jasmine, sandalwood, and amber, it’s a deliciously lush concoction that smells far more pricey than it is. On me, it dries down to a soft, intimate skin scent that’s perfect for layering.L’Essence Shirin is a floral musk that blends their Persian heritage and unapologetic self-expression.And while Cyrus has worked on content creation with luxury heavyweights like Valentino, Carolina Herrera, and Chanel (we even traveled to Grasse, France, together with the latter), their fragrance obsession goes way back. As a child, Cyrus would hang with their mom to sample perfumes created exclusively for her Boston boutique. That early introduction to scent, combined with their Persian heritage, became the inspiration behind L’Essence Shirin.But fragrance isn’t the only thing Cyrus is celebrating. They’re also making their Broadway debut this month in & Juliet, playing May, a character they describe as the human embodiment of their new scent: flirty, vibrant, fun, and a little soft. Talk about perfect timing.I caught up with Cyrus so they could dish on the deeply personal inspiration behind their fragrance, why being bougie has nothing to do with spending big bucks, and how this exciting new chapter has them feeling happier and more fulfilled than ever.You could have launched almost anything. Why fragrance, and why now?I think people would have expected my first collab would be like a beauty product or even skincare. I think for me, fragrance has always been my first love, and I think it’s because it just makes me think of my mom and it’s so nostalgic for me.What was the original idea, emotion, or memory that sparked this scent?I knew that I wanted the fragrance to sort of be inspired by my Persian heritage as well as my personal connection to fragrance, of course. But it’s truly a reflection of both.What’s your earliest fragrance memory?I remember being young and I’d sit on my mom’s lap and she would sample all the perfumes that her friend would make for her boutique in Boston.Corey OlsonHow would you describe the fragrance without mentioning a single note?I would say that this fragrance is the perfume you wear to socialize. It’s the perfume you wear to go on your first date. It’s the perfume you wear to dress up with your girls and go out to dinner.If your fragrance had a dating profile, what would the bio say?“Looking for something serious-ish, preferably in Europe. Down for drinks…and chill.”Was there one note or ingredient you knew absolutely had to be in the fragrance?I knew from the start that I wanted amber. It’s so funny; my mom’s favorite fragrance of all time was Prada Amber. I also wanted to incorporate my Persian heritage, and all roads led to pomegranate. It’s such a staple in Persian homes and such a motif in our culture and poetry in Iran.Le Monde GourmandHow involved were you in the actual development?When I say, like, as much complete creative control as possible in this sort of a collab, I really do mean it—everything from the naming of the fragrance to the notes to the many, many iterations that they gave me to the months that they allowed me to review everything. I’m so grateful to work with the brand because they were so unbelievably in my corner throughout the entire process.So how many versions did you go through before you found the winner?There were six different iterations and three rounds of testing that took over six months.What does this scent tell us about you that we might not get from social media?I think people have this perception of me that I’m always in full glam—in a full beat, dressed up, going out, going to events, traveling, doing all that. But 90 percent of the time, I’m in a sweatsuit with no makeup on, chilling at home and just popping this fragrance on.Corey OlsonWhat was your signature scent before you created your own?I was obsessed with Le Monde Gourmand Miel Bébé. I think I’ve gone through 40 bottles of it. So we made sure that L’Essence Shirin could specifically layer well with Miel Bébé. I actually encourage people to layer it with Miel Bébé or use it as a base or as a finisher for any of the amazing cocktails that we all love to do.You’re very intentional about your personal brand. How did that influence your approach to this fragrance?We had gotten offers in the past to do licensing deals, and I’d turned them down because they just didn’t make sense to me. And I think I’m privileged enough to be at a place in my career where I can really work on what I want to do. Plus, if I was going to put my name on it, I wanted it to be accessible. I’m a luxury gal. I love my premium elevated products, but I don’t think you have to sacrifice that for cost. And as much as I am everyone’s bougie uncle, I don’t think bougie means you have expensive taste. I think it means you have good taste.I love getting to know your family on your social media. Did anyone get a say in the final scent?I knew my mom would actually give feedback. So I got a little bit of feedback from her in between versions three and four, which was the final version of L’Essence. I’m happy to say that my mom has been actually a creative in the process. I’m giving her producer credits on one of the versions, for sure. Also, [my boyfriend] Michael absolutely loves it and has been secretly gifting it to his mom and his sister.Who would you love to randomly discover is wearing your fragrance?If there is a version of life in which Zara Larsson right now wears this fragrance, I would personally hand-deliver it to her on tour wherever she was in the world.This interview was edited for length and clarity.Julee Wilson is Beauty Editor at Large at Cosmopolitan. Previously, Julee was Beauty Director at Cosmo and Global Beauty Director at Essence and has held various editorial positions at Huffington Post and Real Simple. She counts herself lucky AF that she gets to play with beauty products for a living and tell dope stories. And if you’re as obsessed with beauty as she is, make sure to follow her on Instagram for plenty of product recs, natural hair inspo, skincare testing, and Black girl magic shenanigans.