When in doubt, make something certain and tap into your tools.
That’s exactly what Victoria McKinley did during a very transformative time in her life – through divorce and dating, essentially – when she sought to make the laws – and science – of attraction work to HER advantage. The result of her efforts? 11th Haus, a line of pheromone products that, since their inception in 2021, have hooked countless people who either “just like the scent” or have attributed them to actually landing new friends and lovers. Cue our FP team’s testimonials:
NOTE TO SELF
The Pheromones (Almost) No One Can Escape
By: Carrie Yotter
And after reading 11th Haus’s story, you may not want to.
“The scent is subtle and lovely. I noticed myself reaching for it every day - maybe the pheromones were working on me more than noticeable to others. A perfect self-love treat.”
– Misa, Merchandising
– Misa, Merchandising
“I think I fell in love with 11th Haus after mixing True Allure with Double Take. I got so many compliments on my energy and it gave me such a confidence boost!” – Leyla, Buying
Pheromone fragrances have been a hot topic within the fragrance industry, and rightfully so – they take the idea of perfume up several notches. Because, simply put, pheromones are chemicals that animals produce to influence the behavior of another of the same species. So applying pheromones, then, enhances one’s personal fragrance by eliciting some sort of action. Say you were wearing a pheromone base like 11th Haus (which encourages layering with other scents you already know and love), and someone was standing next to you. In line for a coffee. That person may not only serve up a “you smell good,” but the pheromones could beckon them to: a) smile b) buy your coffee c) initiate a business partnership on the spot d) propose.
Just maybe…the lows of attraction are a strange and powerful thing.
Our Q&A with Victoria below:
Free People: Is it true that dating (or maybe lack thereof) served as the impetus for your creation of 11th Haus?
Victoria McKinley: 11th Haus as a concept was born from the most transformational time of my life — at the height of COVID -- just one day after my 29th birthday, when my then-husband of a decade left me. My stepdad was also dying of cancer and I couldn’t see him due to COVID protocols. My husband was all I knew my entire adult life, so I took 73 days to mourn and cry every morning. And then I woke up ready to take on my new life.
I come from a transformational life coaching background so I did what I would tell my clients to do — tap into their tools. I started working out, doing mindset work, and dating. In dating I started using pheromones as a tool to enhance my sexual attraction (my husband leaving me destroyed my self-confidence). I found that other pheromones on the market worked — but they often needed a LOT of product and they were filled with cheap filler fragrances that didn’t align with my Tom Ford. ;) I thought they would work better for people who maybe have jobs that don’t allow them to wear heavy fragrances and they can wear them alone. I told my mom that I wished I could start my own company and create the strongest pheromones possible, and she actually started helping me contact labs all over the world to start the process that very day at her kitchen table! During the testing period I became a luxury furniture sales rep and that’s when I realized pheromones go so much further than just sexual attraction — they are the ultimate tool for HUMAN CONNECTION.
FP: The 11th House, in astrology, is known as the House of Friendship. Did a personal affinity with the stars influence you in naming your pheromones as such?
VM: The 11th House in astrology is known as the house of friendship in a simplistic way —- it’s an even deeper connection to really being HOW you show up in your social circles (the world) and the RECEPTION you get back — that’s why, for every product we launch, we ask deeply, “How does this help me show up in the world more, to connect and be more authentically myself? How does this ignite flames of confidence for me to show up today?” It’s also the house of wishes, desires and manifesting and 11th Haus really is one of our greatest manifestations to date!
FP: 11th Haus is unique in that you recommend pairing your pheromones with other scents (essential oils included). How are they able to “shine through” or would you consider 11th Haus more of an “enhancement?”
VM: To me, it was really important that our first product line be true base layers — as there wasn’t anything like that on the market and I felt people really love and enjoy the journey of fragrances on their own. I wanted our products to complement what they were already using and how they felt. We made sure to pack our bottles with formulas that are skin safe! That education to our customers, that these are NOT true fragrances and meant to layer, is so important to us — we don’t want people to be confused on why the scents are so light or different when they wear alone (which still so many people wear and love without layering).
Just maybe…the lows of attraction are a strange and powerful thing.
Our Q&A with Victoria below:
Free People: Is it true that dating (or maybe lack thereof) served as the impetus for your creation of 11th Haus?
Victoria McKinley: 11th Haus as a concept was born from the most transformational time of my life — at the height of COVID -- just one day after my 29th birthday, when my then-husband of a decade left me. My stepdad was also dying of cancer and I couldn’t see him due to COVID protocols. My husband was all I knew my entire adult life, so I took 73 days to mourn and cry every morning. And then I woke up ready to take on my new life.
I come from a transformational life coaching background so I did what I would tell my clients to do — tap into their tools. I started working out, doing mindset work, and dating. In dating I started using pheromones as a tool to enhance my sexual attraction (my husband leaving me destroyed my self-confidence). I found that other pheromones on the market worked — but they often needed a LOT of product and they were filled with cheap filler fragrances that didn’t align with my Tom Ford. ;) I thought they would work better for people who maybe have jobs that don’t allow them to wear heavy fragrances and they can wear them alone. I told my mom that I wished I could start my own company and create the strongest pheromones possible, and she actually started helping me contact labs all over the world to start the process that very day at her kitchen table! During the testing period I became a luxury furniture sales rep and that’s when I realized pheromones go so much further than just sexual attraction — they are the ultimate tool for HUMAN CONNECTION.
FP: The 11th House, in astrology, is known as the House of Friendship. Did a personal affinity with the stars influence you in naming your pheromones as such?
VM: The 11th House in astrology is known as the house of friendship in a simplistic way —- it’s an even deeper connection to really being HOW you show up in your social circles (the world) and the RECEPTION you get back — that’s why, for every product we launch, we ask deeply, “How does this help me show up in the world more, to connect and be more authentically myself? How does this ignite flames of confidence for me to show up today?” It’s also the house of wishes, desires and manifesting and 11th Haus really is one of our greatest manifestations to date!
FP: 11th Haus is unique in that you recommend pairing your pheromones with other scents (essential oils included). How are they able to “shine through” or would you consider 11th Haus more of an “enhancement?”
VM: To me, it was really important that our first product line be true base layers — as there wasn’t anything like that on the market and I felt people really love and enjoy the journey of fragrances on their own. I wanted our products to complement what they were already using and how they felt. We made sure to pack our bottles with formulas that are skin safe! That education to our customers, that these are NOT true fragrances and meant to layer, is so important to us — we don’t want people to be confused on why the scents are so light or different when they wear alone (which still so many people wear and love without layering).
FP: Can you tell us about bottling social and sexual attraction – what did that process entail?
VM: We contacted labs all over the planet (literally) in hopes of finding just one who would educate me on the types of pheromones available and the processes used to create them — we are very proud to offer the strongest available while also still being vegan/cruelty free.
VM: We contacted labs all over the planet (literally) in hopes of finding just one who would educate me on the types of pheromones available and the processes used to create them — we are very proud to offer the strongest available while also still being vegan/cruelty free.
FP: How would you describe 11th Haus’s “naked” scents (unmixed)?
VM: When wearing them naked or unmixed we get so many crazy stories back — sometimes people’s partners literally follow them around wondering what they are wearing that’s different — it’s just amplifying their natural pheromones.
FP: Do you have any personal favorite concoctions? And, is the rule of thumb always – a little goes a long way?
VM: My favorite concoction depends on where I will be. I wear True Allure every day no matter where I am because I find it gives me a little boost in feeling happier, while if I know I will be around a lot of women in a social scene I wear True Allure + Wild Boy — I tend to have resting b*tch face and this helps me better connect with women. I will say my mom (who is single) LOVES Double Take and taught our community to wear it between their breasts — that sweat amplifies everything for her. And for our attraction blends, a little goes a long way — for True Allure it’s all about finding your personal body chemistry sweet spot.
Our products are TOOLS, NOT THE RULE — not every social experience will be magically better but it definitely ups your odds. If you’re exhausted and stressed from your day and your partner is wearing pheromones, that doesn’t mean it takes away their free will — but it does mean it will help to make the likelihood of connection better.
Can you attribute any of your relationships to wearing these pheromones?
I’ve definitely closed more deals, got more opportunities, and met more people with better conversations because of it. And there really is a science to scent — I also got a new husband (a chemist in the military who invested during our testing period because he saw such a difference in how Wild Boy helped to position him as a leader at work).
Did it help me snag my husband? Maybe. Did it help upgrade my ring an extra karat? Abso-f*ckin-lutely.
Can we soon look forward to more from 11th Haus?
As a small, independent company it’s tough to launch new products quickly, but we have been working on the most insanely good fragrance launch — those in our testing period text us weekly, praying for a full run because now they are obsessed! I also would love love love to do a true collaboration with Free People on a custom pheromone fragrance.
What planet and sign rule your 11th House?
In my personal chart , my Pisces moon is my 11th House chart ruler — it’s why you see so much moon imagery within our branding. It’s also why the company as a whole is so whimsical and intuitive.
VM: When wearing them naked or unmixed we get so many crazy stories back — sometimes people’s partners literally follow them around wondering what they are wearing that’s different — it’s just amplifying their natural pheromones.
FP: Do you have any personal favorite concoctions? And, is the rule of thumb always – a little goes a long way?
VM: My favorite concoction depends on where I will be. I wear True Allure every day no matter where I am because I find it gives me a little boost in feeling happier, while if I know I will be around a lot of women in a social scene I wear True Allure + Wild Boy — I tend to have resting b*tch face and this helps me better connect with women. I will say my mom (who is single) LOVES Double Take and taught our community to wear it between their breasts — that sweat amplifies everything for her. And for our attraction blends, a little goes a long way — for True Allure it’s all about finding your personal body chemistry sweet spot.
Our products are TOOLS, NOT THE RULE — not every social experience will be magically better but it definitely ups your odds. If you’re exhausted and stressed from your day and your partner is wearing pheromones, that doesn’t mean it takes away their free will — but it does mean it will help to make the likelihood of connection better.
Can you attribute any of your relationships to wearing these pheromones?
I’ve definitely closed more deals, got more opportunities, and met more people with better conversations because of it. And there really is a science to scent — I also got a new husband (a chemist in the military who invested during our testing period because he saw such a difference in how Wild Boy helped to position him as a leader at work).
Did it help me snag my husband? Maybe. Did it help upgrade my ring an extra karat? Abso-f*ckin-lutely.
Can we soon look forward to more from 11th Haus?
As a small, independent company it’s tough to launch new products quickly, but we have been working on the most insanely good fragrance launch — those in our testing period text us weekly, praying for a full run because now they are obsessed! I also would love love love to do a true collaboration with Free People on a custom pheromone fragrance.
What planet and sign rule your 11th House?
In my personal chart , my Pisces moon is my 11th House chart ruler — it’s why you see so much moon imagery within our branding. It’s also why the company as a whole is so whimsical and intuitive.
MORE TO READ
1|5|24 | The Big “O”
For Self-Love Maven, maude, That Also Means Organic
The inclusive brand on their holistic view of intimacy.
12/29/23 | FP HOROSCOPES
A Time Of Change And Profound Understanding
Pluto, the planet of death and rebirth, makes big moves.
12/15/23 | HELP, DELIVERED
Which Self-Tanner Best Suits My Skin Tone?
A natural-looking sunless tan IS achievable.