2019 Santa Fe Studio Tour #44

The 15th annual Santa Fe Studio Tour began this morning at 10am with over fifty artist's studios participating. It's a great chance to chat with local artists, learn about their process and support their work. For more information visit the Santa Fe Studio Tour site.

The perfumery is “un-officially” part of the tour since Greg is showing his work in the school portion  of the space. We are STUDIO 44 (an auspicious number), conveniently located in the mid-town Arts District of the city at Lena Street Lofts. Come be enchanted in our synergistic sensorium, grab a matcha from my neighbor Iconik Coffee or hand-made, vegan ice cream from Sunset Swirl across the way. Then head over out to visit the rest of the artists in our collective participating in the studio tour. Todays visitors shared that our space was there favorite!

The scent bar is available for instant olfactory adventures, memory stirring and stories, as well as hydrosol spritzes. Stroll through our macrame permeable wall to the School of Lost Arts where Greg has set up his visionary art with banners, original art, his retrospective book to peruse, and favorite prints for purchase, and get information about upcoming classes planned in the space. Greg and I look forward to transporting you to another realm.

Magnify, Sanctify

Everyday I work on the new perfumery space tirelessly, sometimes obsessively, sandwiched between other pressing responsibilities and distractions.

We're ebbing toward an opening on the Autumnal Equinox, September 22nd. Santa Fe has a mañana quality which can be frustrating for those of us who arrive here from big cities, which reminds you that is both a virtue and a hashtag patience. One arrives here with intentions but the land has her own ideas and will easily crush or spit you out ,if flexibility ain't part of your paradigm.

As of this evening I'm intending to get the electrician back here to finally hang the chandeliers and get all the book shelves up, both by the end of this week. We have, what seems like, hundreds of boxes of books to organize into different sections and make sure they all fit.

I'll check in here next week and let you know how things are coming along, in the meantime, mark your calendars—September 22nd is what we're aiming for, come hell or floods! So get those plane or rail tickets and head to the land of enchantment. While you're here I recommend daily hikes in the crystal clear mountain air, sunset gazing, soaking at Ten Thousand Waves & Ojo Caliente, savoring the diversity of tastes in this foodie town and just unwinding.

The Perfumery in Santa Fe, New Mexico!

After nine months since our arrival to Santa Fe, New Mexico I have finally located and signed the lease on a terrific space for the perfumery. FYI, none of the pictures posted here are my actual space, they have been taken from the website to give you dear readers a feel for the complex.

The location is a two story unit, similar to the one posted above, at the Lena Street Lofts compound that goes by the motto "Rust is a Must." The architecture has a modern/industrial theme playing off of what use to be an industrial area and the adjacent railroad tracks. Although the exterior has a bit of a rugged facade, the interiors are very clean and bright. Read more about the project and the rather visionary developer Rick Brenner at this article published in the Santa Fe New Mexican. One of the many benefits of renting here is that it is a green building uses solar panels, rainwater collection and my unit has radiant heated floors.

There has been a resurgence happening along the railroad tracks here in Santa Fe, with the most obvious being "The Railyard" which is home to our local movie theater The Violet Crown, the farmers market and a variety of galleries that were once on Canyon Road.

Dotted amongst the seven structures are about twenty seven businesses—including the infamous Iconik Coffee Roasters (pictured below),  a craft ice cream shop called La Lecheria which features some very eclectic flavors like black garlic, green chili and brown sugar red chili. There are also a host of other businesses including fitness, ceramic and artist studios.

My two story unit is an approximately 1300 square foot space in building A, a few doors down from the coffee house, pictured above. Like in Agoura Hills, it will be part studio, boutique and teaching space...which I am now calling a school.

I came across the location on Craigs List along with several others in different parts of the diverse city. In the end it was between a very sweet space in downtown and the one I settled on. Although I was drawn to the downtown location it was on a very tiny street and had no parking. I had also been told by a few respected restaurant and shop owners that the locals don't much like to go downtown because of the tourists, congestion, parking and traffic. Thus, after weighing all the options we choose Lena Street Lofts.

Stay tuned for details as I design and renovate the space to become the next manifestation of the perfumery, this time in beautiful Santa Fe, New Mexico!

Lena Street Lofts photos from their website. Railyard water tower ©RoxanaVilla.

So long, farewell....

On Sunday from 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm we are having a little Farewell gathering at the perfumery. We are moving! The next manifestation of Roxana Illuminated Perfume, in a physical form, will be revealed in the near future.

If you’d like to stop by to do some shopping at some point other than this Sunday, please let me know when it would be convenient and I will schedule a 15 minute slot just for you before Wednesday, May 3rd.

I am selling a few pieces of furniture and decor, like the white unit in the photo above. Greg will have his prints and I am bringing my original artwork as well as prints. The intention is to make our load lighter as we transition to the next phase. We are also in the process of fixing up our 1950's ranch style house to put in the market.

A big adventure is on the horizon, it feels a bit like the "Mortificatio" stage of the Alchemical process which is necessary to create something new.

This stage is also referred to as Fermentation and/or Putrefaction. I see it as when a large fallen tree in the forest turns into rich soil so that new trees and life may be birthed.

I leave you with this....

There's a sad sort of clanging

From the clock in the hall

And the bells in the steeple, too

And up in the nursery

An absurd little bird

Is popping out to say coo-coo

coo-coo Regretfully they tell us

coo-coo But firmly they compel us

coo-coo To say goodbye

To you

So long, farewell

Auf wiedersehen, goodnight

I hate to go and leave this pretty sight

So long, farewell

auf Wiedersehen, adieu

Adieu, adieu

To you and you and you

Goddess Rising

Here are a few photos from our event this past Saturday at the perfumery. The day before we had a heck of a storm which caused several power outages throughout the area, mudslides, trees down and even a crazy sink hole in Studio City! Since the weather report claimed the storm would be gone by Saturday we choose to move forward with the event.

The day before Greg created a chalk drawing on the board in the teaching space to infuse it with the imprint of Venus, in this case The Birth of Venus by Botticelli.

Gina from Blue Table Wine and Cheese Bar provided us with a cheese and fruit plate as well as apricot mango mimosas. We had intended guava mimosas but I couldn't find any guava juice at my local markets so we went for the yellow fruits which was delicious, thanks to Gina!

Our local intuitive Draza Jansky provided free readings for the attendees, here she is in my lab with Trina Watson.

I opened the "presentation" portion of our day by having all of us drink a absolutely glorious jasmine sambac hydrosol that was distilled with water from a waterfall in Hawaii. Draza shared a bit about her work as a life coach and her meditation system, she also provided us with a collective reading.

The jasmine sambac elixir I shared at the event is for sale, I will be listing it on the site shortly, if you want to come and have a sample of it misted on your face please send me a note to schedule a sacred moment at the perfumery.

Donna brought several racks of her comfy yet elegant clothes for sale. During her presentation she explained how she creates her clothing from fabric to finish in downtown Los Angeles. I wear Donna's clothing everyday and refer to them as my DonnaYums because they feel like a second skin.

Next up was Monika, one of my students who I am so very proud of! Monika has recently launched her completely botanical/organic/ handmade personalized skin care line, Mala Apothecary, using the same details as me when it comes to creating and sourcing her materials. Her products are custom designed specifically for you after a quick phone call or filling out her an online questionaire.

At the end of our day Donna, Monika and I posed like the Venus behind us, as you can see Donna was instructing Monika and I on how to be demure and strike the pose correctly.

Due to the crazy weather and power outages we are contemplating doing the event again in March. If this is something that interests you please let me know by leaving a comment or sending me a note.

Donna M

I am thrilled to finally have Donna M coming to the perfumery with her domestically designed and produced collection. Like me, Donna is producing the materials that she works with, from the fabrics to the finishing! All fabrics are exclusively knitted in Los Angeles to her precise specifications and sewn in our very own factory.

Each item is “GARMENT DYED”, which means they are pre-shrunk to keep their shape, color, fit and longevity for years to come due to the unique fabric and dye technique! Besides all that good stuff, they feel and wear magnificently. The styles can go from day to evening, from yoga to work to dinner—all while feeling comfortable and beautiful.

Other festivities taking place within the Whizin Market Square include:

• Photo booth
• Live band
• Food drive
• Restaurant food sampling

So, head on over, right around the corner from Paramount Ranch, one of the locations where West World was filmed! We look forward to seeing all your smiling faces!

Studio Tour

We are gearing up for a webinar to launch of The Art of Botanical Perfume via an online course. In the meantime we've put the video that Brain Oh from Ziibra filmed at the perfumery up on YouTube.

The Holi-daze, perfumery hours

I've been so overloaded with making perfume lately there hasn't been much time for writing here at the journal. Today while driving through the Santa Monica Mountains to the perfumery and back I downloaded ideas for two new fragrances. So although I've been feeling a bit dazed, inspiration is alive and well...I just need to be able to duplicate myself more.

I'll be at the perfumery Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of this week making perfume, packing orders and attending those who stop. Although nailing me down on exactly what time is tough, my plan is to be there by 11am until at least 5:00pm. If you would like to schedule a time please contact me via my landline (818)992-0490 or text/e-mail: roxana <at> illuminatedperfume.com.

Lots of perfume synergies are completely done at the moment which is why the fragrances are disappearing from the website and on Etsy. I'm doing my best to keep things up to date. If there is something specific you are looking for please ask, I might just have it.

Silver round compacts will be in stock again soon as well as a whole bunch of other items that are at the perfumery but not online. I'm keeping those a bit under the radar for the moment. See you soon!

WOW: The Women of Whizin

During the summer one of the intuitives working at the crystal shop Serenity Calling proposed creating a group called WOW for the Women of Whizin. Part of the plan was pitching our incredible collective of female talent to magazines. Here is a small fruit of those labors made manifest in an article in our local paper the The Acorn:

Women of Whizen's bring a definite wow factor to the marketplace

Whizin Market Winter Faire

The Whizin Market Square, where my perfumery is located, is having a Winter Faire this Saturday from 2pm until 8pm. The event will feature a food drive, pet adoptions, live music, crafts, scavenger hunt, wine tasting and so much more! It's FREE, it's family friendly and the scent bar is waiting for you.

As part of the scheduled activities I will be part of the scavenger hunt and the wine tasting circle with a beautiful French Merlot Malbec. In honor of the tasting, I have created a special bath salt featuring a synergy of essential oils to evoke the notes of plums, berries, and spice.

Whizin Market Square

28914 Roadside Drive

Agoura Hills, California 

91301

Make Your Own Solid Perfume

This Sunday afternoon I will be teaching an introductory class on how to make your very own solid perfume. We will be going into the fundamentals along with how to make infusions and adding other elements like floral waxes.

Reserve your seat here

The basic formula learned can be applied to making salves and balms, perfect as we move into the winter season and holiday season. See you then.

Floral Consciousness on Valentine's Day!

“With an increased floral consciousness,

humans will begin to make full use of their ‘light brain’ 

and make more refined and sophisticated use of their ‘smell brain.’

The two are portentously linked.

In fact, they overlap to such an extent that they may be considered inseparable.”

— Tom Robbins, Jitterbug Perfume

Saturday, February 14th from 2pm - 4pm

in Agoura Hills, CA

Experience an olfactory adventure exploring the mythology, history and aromatic properties

of flowers and why they are associated with love, attraction and evolution.

Engage in Roxana’s collection of rare botanical essences, how they are obtained and

experience first hand the ability of flowers to elevate our moods and consciousness.

Inhaling floral bouquets are a inspiring and uplifting way to spend a couple hours on Valentine’s Day.

This unique happening is a way to honor oneself. Please share with a friend and or a beloved.

Aromatic treats will be served.
Each participant will receive a trio of solid perfumes or 15% discount*.

$40 per person / $75 per couple

Location:
Roxana Illuminated Perfume
Whizin Market Square, Atrium Building, Mezzanine level
28914 Roadside Dr, unit #219
Agoura Hills, CA 91301

Contact Roxana to reserve your seat:
text/e-mail: roxana <at> illuminatedperfume.com or by phone (818) 992-0490

* Discount excludes gift certificates and samples.

Holiday Hours at the Perfumery

The purpose of the new workspace was to get the perfumery out of the house, since it had taken over every nook and cranny, a bit like ivy. Since it is the place I formulate all my concoctions and potions, and because I am will always have a fierce independent artist thriving at the core, I have not posted hours.

However, since so many are doing Holiday shopping in the next week I have reigned in the wings to assist those who would like to stop by and shop.

The new workspace of Roxana Illuminated Perfume will be open to the public during these special hours to accommodate walk ins, times are subject to change, please check this before heading over.

Friday, December 19th 12pm - 8pm
Saturday, December 20th 10am - 3pm
Sunday, December 21st 11am - 3pm
Monday, December 22nd 11am - 6pm
Tuesday, December 23rd 11am - 6pm

If you would like to schedule an appointment, e-mail or text: roxana@illuminatedperfume.com

Roxana Illuminated Perfume
Whizin Market Square Atrium, second floor
28914 Roadside Dr., #219
Agoura Hills, CA 91301

Parking is plentiful with lots of other great places to shop and delicious food within the Atrium.

Night at the Sensorium: November 2014

The open studio event at the perfumery was deemed Night at the Sensorium due to the abundant sensory delights happening all at one time.

First on the tarmac was Greg's multi media presentation at Mitchells Books, just down the hall from me in the Atrium. He presented 30 years of his art career in 30 minutes with a multi-media presentation followed by a book signing.

Just outside the perfume space, within the atrium, we set up a few tables. One for the cheese, fruit, crackers and our local honey and on the other we had two glass beverage dispensers, one with a special Vermouth rosso with ginger and orange and another with sage water. Off the to side I placed a small spray bottle of Helichrysum hydrosol for spritzing onto the water. The bountiful spread was provided by Gina of Blue Table, which is conveniently located here within the atrium.

Meanwhile, off to the other side door the enchanting Julie Mondin mesmerized everyone with melodies from her glorious concert harp.

Inside the perfumery I stood in back of the glass case answering questions as the attendees inhaled the long row of illuminated perfumes displayed in glass domes.

The garden gate to the apothecary remained closed although easy to view the space within. On the other side, where the teaching and consultorium is located, we placed one of the beautiful, velvety chairs on  top of the violet table with a sign about the Fan Funding.

There was also a platter of fresh lavender obtained from the farmers market that morning and the three new, yet to be released fragrances: Mellifera, Fleurish and Figure 5: Bois.

The event was meant to go from 7:00pm until 9:00pm but lingered on until 12pm! Attendees included a wide range of friends, family, patrons and curious folk who happened to be at the Whizin Market Square that night.

Thank you to all who made it out! We plan to do these events more often and now have a much better idea what to expect and how to orchestrate something of this caliber. For those who missed this event consider visiting on December 13th from 10am to 6pm when the entire Whizin Market Square will be participating in a collective event featuring food, wine, roasted chestnuts, hot cider, entertainment and more!

The photos posted here are from a variety of sources including Ben Neuhart (circle images), Barbara Mitchell, Chiara and Brad Weinman (portrait in front of the display case), Lindsay Turner, Ashley Hackett and a few shots by me.