AN INTIMACY COMPANY THAT EMBRACES SENSUALITY IN EVERY DAY, IN BODY AND MIND.
Our name [no - en] finds its origins in the root of the word “to tremble” in Coptic Egyptian and “to think” in Ancient Greek. Cleopatra is our muse, reminding us of a time where comprehensive intimacy–of both body and mind–was an integral part of everyday routines, embraced without shame. Where it was held in the center of our lives, beautifully designed rather than hidden away in our nightstands.
We're an intimacy company
Intentionally veering away from calling ourselves 'sexual wellness,' we're exploring everyday sensuality as a part of modern rituals of care and connection. Because in an age of disconnection, the way we touch each other has less and less to do with sex itself. We wanted to bring our sensuality back in focus with products that paired effortlessly with our lifestyles, outside of the orgasm: intentionally designed, highly efficacious, and all natural. Meant to be shown, to be used everyday, not embarrassingly hidden away.
Centering on afterplay and moments often overlooked
What comes after physical intimacy has become an afterthought. We wanted something that helps with soreness, recovery, a change of pace (and so much more outside of penetration). Afterplay helps us transition, wind us down, care for our bodies, connect more deeply, and bring the energy we've created into our every day. We believe intimacy is about embracing all life’s simple pleasures, not just the act of "doing it."
Cleopatra is our muse
We take notes from a time where sensuality was a ritual people practiced and what we put onto and into our bodies was sacred. Cleopatra believed intimacy was all-pervasive and was in touch with the instinctive, ancestral and fertile notion of sexuality that was imbued in every day. Lathering herself with luxurious blends of oils and botanicals–like the blue lotus, moringa and calendula we have in our formula–we are reminded that sex is actually not about sex at all, but self care. We carry this forward in everything we do, balancing beauty, health, and sensuality in a way that feels both timeless and progressive.
The founders
We bonded over a real life Sex in the City moment: the realization that intimacy in New York was utterly and horrifically broken. Too many choices in a swipe culture that makes ghosting permissible and true vulnerability a rarity.
MARISA GOLDSTEIN
From just outside of New York City, I spent my early career working to understand what makes people feel good in advertising, research, and innovation for future-thinking brands. Growing up with so much around me in a city like New York, I spent years navigating questions around my own identity, grappling with societal pressures, self-doubt, and ambiguity around my own queerness. Trying to find where I fit in, I started looking around at how brands talked about sex and intimacy and couldn’t find something that felt like me: fluid, subtle, quiet yet passionate, beautiful and ever-present. So that’s what Noén came to be – something as grounding, alluring and empowering as our true sensual selves out in the open.
NATALIE MANKARIOUS
Born and raised in Sydney, Australia, to Armenian and Egyptian parents, I grew up at the intersection of a strict cultural heritage and liberal surroundings. In a world of “no sex before marriage” and purity pledges, I was fascinated by love, intimacy, and sensuality from a young age. My passion for exploring connection was often hidden, shaped by shame, but it was always there, quietly guiding me. The notion of aftercare started with a ritual with an ex-boyfriend. I got sore and sometimes it hurt. Coconut oil became part of a shared moment of care, to heal before, during, and after. As I went back into the world post break up, I realized this ritual wasn’t common, so we took it upon ourselves to create it. Insert: Afterplay OIl.