Cyrus Veyssi is expanding their beauty world with a fragrance built around childhood memories, family history and Persian heritage.
Veyssi has teamed with Le Monde Gourmand to create L’Essence Shirin, which will be available at Ulta stores across the United States and through Gourmandbeauty.com beginning October 5. The collaboration has been roughly a year and a half in the making, with Veyssi retaining full creative control throughout its development.
The actor, performer and digital creator initially hesitated when Le Monde Gourmand approached them. Veyssi assumed the proposal would be a licensing arrangement that required little more than attaching their name to an existing product.
“At first, I thought it was one of those licensing deals where I’d just have to slap my name on something, so I wasn’t interested,” Veyssi said. The offer changed course once they learned they would be able to guide the fragrance creatively.
Le Monde Gourmand’s interest followed Veyssi’s repeated posts about Miel Bébé, one of the company’s fragrances. Veyssi estimates they have purchased more than 40 bottles of it over the years.
L’Essence Shirin emerged after dozens of different versions were created during the process. Veyssi described the final choice as the most beautiful of those iterations.
A fragrance rooted in family memories
The concept traces back to Veyssi’s childhood and their mother’s work in fragrance. Many years ago, she owned a boutique in Paris that carried a scent called Reminiscence. She later brought it to the United States and stocked multiple fragrances created for the store.
That environment gave Veyssi lasting memories of patchouli and amber, both at home and in the boutique. When development began on L’Essence Shirin, they wanted the new scent to capture that personal history while also reflecting their Persian heritage.
The aim was to create something sweet yet fresh. Pomegranate became the starting point because, as Veyssi explained, the fruit could provide qualities that were both tart and lush. The fragrance concept then paired that foundation with juicy and bright elements alongside the warmth of amber and jasmine.
“I wanted to create a sweet but fresh-smelling fragrance that would bring me back to my childhood and remind me of my Persian heritage,” Veyssi said.
From viral TikTok to Broadway
The fragrance marks another development in a career that changed direction during the pandemic. A trained actor and performer, Veyssi found themselves without auditions and with considerable time to fill. They began sharing fashion and beauty content online, though they have described their earliest efforts as “flopping.”
The turning point came when Veyssi posted a comedic TikTok about “bonding with their straight dad” at a barbecue. The video drew 10 million views within one day.
As their platform grew in the years that followed, Veyssi increasingly incorporated products they genuinely loved into their content. Their enthusiasm for Miel Bébé ultimately helped open the conversation with Le Monde Gourmand and led to the development of L’Essence Shirin.
Veyssi has also been announced in the role of May in the Broadway production of & Juliet, bringing their work as an actor and performer back to the forefront while they continue building their presence in fashion and beauty.
What Happens Next?
L’Essence Shirin is scheduled to arrive October 5, with shoppers able to find it in Ulta stores nationwide or order it from Gourmandbeauty.com. For Veyssi, the release represents far more than a name attached to a bottle: It is the final result of an extended creative process shaped by the scents of their childhood, their family’s boutique history and their Persian heritage.