A Perfumed Bestiary, Letter D for Dolphin, Part 2

Playful Dolphin called forth Hawaiian sandalwood as its plant ally. As I smelled scent strips and jotted down notes I choose a few, similar watery essences that are in C for Coral such as Violet Leaf, Clary Sage and Cypress. I added Seaweed and Choya for the ocean and then let the synergy sit in the dark to meld labeled D1.

Meanwhile, the tragic news of the burning Amazon forest had me consider pivoting in a completely new direction to create D for Dragon but I couldn't get the idea to work conceptually so I abandoned it, for now.

When I returned to the marinating D for Dolphin I found the blend a bit to heavy, which was reflected back to me by my visiting friend Mona and Greg. We all felt the blend needed a lighter, playful quality, thus I began again and put the first synergy, D1, into the melding dungeon.

The bottle of C for Coral was on my workbench as well as synergies I am developing for a candle maker that required orange. It became obvious that the playful note for Dolphin would be in the citrus family, possibly paired with some flowers. Thus I labeled a new bottle D2 and began the structure by dissolving a thick Carnation absolute into fresh and vibrant Clementine then adding herbs, more flowers and water elements and Rosemary (rosmarinus officinalis) for its affinity to the sea. The word Rosemary, is derived from the Latin ros (meaning dew) and marinus (meaning sea), translating as the “dew of the sea”.  As a native to the Mediterranean region, the fragrant herb is mentioned in a Greek tale where as Aphrodite rises out of the sea foam, rosemary was draped around her neck.

To ground the fragrance and bring back the oceanic quality I added a few drops of D1 followed by a few more bright, herbaceous notes to create a fluid, watery opening. In total D for Dolphin contains sixteen essences along with the initial twelve in D1, although a few overlap.

Todays September full moon, with names like the Corn and Harvest Moon is in the astrological sign of Pisces, carrying a message self forgiveness. Working on this series brings me to my knees, my heart aches each time I explore another beastie that is on the extinct list, mainly because these extinctions are occurring due to humans complete lack of compassion and connection to the Earth and all the dwellers who share this planet with us. There is a repeating theme rooted in each of these animals that are about to be erased from our collective.

The intention of this series is to bring some awareness to the severity of the situation, which also requires forgiveness. Forgiveness for the human race and for our lack of preventing this magnificent mess that may be the end of all of us.

The next fragrance highlights a beastie that begins with the letter E and will ship this month, September 2019. We are headed out of the ocean into a completely different direction which will work well with the change of season.

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Photos, graphics & text ©RoxanaVilla

A Perfumed Bestiary, Letter C for Coral, Part 2

The full "Sturgeon" moon of August takes place Thursday, August 15th in the morning, thus Wednesday evening will be the best night to gaze upon its silvery splendor. The varying names of the moon come from the first peoples around the world and generally relate to an event taking place in the natural world, such as the catching of the sturgeons in the lakes or harvests like "Green Corn Moon", etc.

This August full moon is in the astrological sign of Aquarius. Each full moon carries a message, this one is about letting go what no longer serves and making room for those dreams and aspirations you've been carrying in your magical backpack.

During this full moon the yearly, natural phenomenon of coral reproduction takes place in the warm waters of the Atlantic Ocean, this broadcast spawning also occurs at the Great Barrier Reef during their summer.

In constructing C for Coral the first ingredient I chose was seaweed absolute, which I crowned as the aromatic plant ally. Seaweed absolute is a thick mass which can be a little intense and overbearing in perfume, especially to portray coral, which has a romantic quality despite its mass.

Seaweed absolute is a middle to base note with excellent fixative qualities for anchoring a fragrance. The aromatics are deeply oceanic, with green, herbaceous woody undertones along with a very subtle floral note that is related to Jasmine. Since the exotic qualities of Jasmine evoke tropical waters as well as a romantic character that I associated with coral, it was the second essence I choose and paired with Seaweed. From there I selected some of the same"watery" notes that I used for A for Axolotl, such as Violet Leaf and Cypress. As I added the drops of Cypress I became conscious of Aphrodite and her connection to the sea as well as the ancient thread of fragrance relating to the island of Cyprus.

“Therefore, when laughter-loving Aphrodite saw [Anchises], she loved him, and terribly desire seized her in her heart. She went to Cyprus, to Paphos, where her precinct is and fragrant altar, and passed into her sweet-smelling temple. There she went in and put to the glittering doors, and there the Graces bathed her with heavenly oil such as blooms upon the bodies of the eternal gods—oil divinely sweet, which she had by her, filled with fragrance.”
—Homeric hymn, tr. H.G. Evelyn-White

Continuing the watery theme I choose to add Clary Sage and then brought in a dilution of Oakmoss since it pairs so nicely with Seaweed. For the structural aspect of Coral and to add another story point I reached for smokey Choya, a destructive distillation of seashells from India.

As with most perfume construction, the process is challenging, especially with the creation of a fragrance that will be bottled and sent out quickly, rather then melding for a few months in a dark space.

I went back and forth, like the ocean tides, with adding more floral as it seemed to disappear into the blend, but I was also concerned that over time the floral might decide to make itself more apparent and overtake the watery theme. In the end I had to just let it go and topped the fragrance off with some citrus, knowing that it would enhance the floral note which adding a bit of sparkle.

In total, there are ten essences in the perfume with the watery, salty marine notes quite prominent in the opening sequence followed by what one customer called "The dry down returned me to shore, a pastoral of floral hay."

A close-up view of coral spawning this week. (Image Credit: Philip Mercurio)

Every year when the oceans waters are warm in combination with the full moon corals mate and produce a spectacular primordial scene. Read more about this beautiful event where you can see some footage at the Australian Geographic site. As I make this post live the moon is cresting into fullness just as the Corals begin their mating ritual.

The next fragrance highlights a beastie that begins with the letter D and will ship in August 2019.

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The Scent of Summer

The garden is very fragrant with the herbaceous scent of the native, white sage at the moment. On days when the air is clear and I am working in the garden I can perceive the aroma of the sage in the soil, which reminds me of the sand at the beach.

Fragrance is a very personal experience, most often tied to our memories. As I ponder "Scents of Summer" I think of childhood when I would go to beach regularly or trips to Catalina Island on my best friends sailboat.  For someone leaving land locked, in say Missouri, they most likely won't have any ocean related scents, and thus a completely different list from mine.

What would go on your list? Here's mine, botanical origin, pulled from my scent palette:

Seaweed absolute

Choya (seashells) which smells of smoke, like summer campfires

Galbanum, green, fresh cut leaves

Citrus: lemon (lemonaid), orange (Orange Julius in Newport beach)

Herbs: Thyme, oregano, parsley, sage, rosemary

Flowers: Plumeria, lavender, tuberose

Fruity: Berries

Not of botanical origin:

Sunscreen

Chlorine

Here's a selection from the Illuminated Collection:

SEA: GreenWitch

BEACH: Page 47

GREEN: Hedera helix

CITRUS: Blossom Cologne (returning June 22nd)

HERBS: Vera

SMOKE: Chaparral, Terrestre, Aumbre and Q

FLOWERS: Chiaroscuro, Rosa, Gracing the Dawn

FRUITY: Cimbalom

Gift Guide: Mermaids and Sea Nymphs

Another collection of handmade beauties from Etsy. This one is for the Mermaiden or Sea Nymph on your list. Me, I'd like some of those chocolate seashells please.

NEW CLASSIC CLUTCH by Upstyle in San Diego
Blue Waters -- Photographic Print 4x6 by Kties in Croatia
Fossil Coral Ring in Sterling with 14kt Gold by Betsy Bensen in Portland, Oregon
Five Edible Chocolate Filled Seashells Samples by Andie's Specialty Sweets in Los Angeles, CA
Urchin Bowl and Votive Holder by Element Clay Studio in Asheville, North Carolina
and
GreenWitch Solid Natural Perfume Compact from my shop


GreenWitch Illumination, Limited Edition Print by Spalenka

For her I've selected GreenWitch solid, a Sea Chypre which featuring seaweed absolute. If you listen closely you just might hear the call of the sea.

A Song for Spring

The Sacred Earth wheel has turned once again this time arriving with a gift from the deep teal taverns of the sea. GreenWitch, the gift for Tethys, has manifested in a creamy solid unguent heralding in the Spring.

Enhanced with the potent sunlight energetics of beeswax the solid perfume expression of GreenWitch embodies all that we love in the liquid and more. The melodic notes of the siren are slightly softened with a resinous heart beat. GreenWitch as a solid sings the song of the sea in a different tone, despite the same synergestic orchestration of accords and botanical essences.


For the base of the perfume Jojoba seed oil has been infused with Hawththorn leaves and flowers as well as Seaweed. The oil is combined with unfiltered, local beeswax and the same pure, natural essences contained within the liquid. The list of these essences is vast, including several accords as well as accords within accords. Read more about the Making of GreenWitch by following this ink here at the journal.

Using authentic language GreenWitch is not a botanical perfume but a natural perfume both as a solid and a liquid. This is due to the minuscule percentage of Africa stone in one of the accords and the beeswax used for the solid. Both expressions of GreenWitch use whole ingredients, I refrain from using disembodied isolates or animal ingredients such as Civet. I have never bought, promoted the use of or utilized these materials nor do I intend to.

The creamy unguent is perfect for travel, tossing into ones purse or layering over the organic liquid. I also like using the cream perfume on my arms and hands as a lotion and for anointing myself with an intention.


GreenWitch is a song to the sea, an offering to Tethys and filled with the intention that human beings will recognize their connection to nature and respect her gifts. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of the flacon go to GreenPeace. When the body butters are released and the compacts return a portion of those proceeds will also be gifted to GreenPeace.

Get your GreenWitch solid sample here and the Honey Pot here. Other renditions such as the liquid or the for your perfume locket can be found also be found t the E-shop or requesting an invoice.

Images: GreenWitch Illumination ©Greg Spalenka, photos of perfume by Roxana Villa.

GreenWitch gets Gold Star

The sea chypre handmade natural perfume offering to Tethys has garnered some gold stars. Green Witch was selected as a Best Natural Perfume of 2010 by Trish at Scent Hive, Donna at the Portland Examiner and Gaia at The Non Blonde.


I'm super grateful for their nods of approval and all the fans and patrons that adore this completely natural and organic perfume. Here are some snippets for you to savor...

"GreenWitch is unquestionably a chypre as oakmoss, galbanum, violet leaves and rose petals greet you from its start. After a bit, it gets a nutty, salty air from vetiver and tonka with floral nuances like boronia and honeysuckle. Honeysuckle is not in the notes, so I’m guessing the mimosa, ylang ylang and beeswax create a hybrid honeysuckle accord on my skin, and I love it. It smells like a day at the beach when you are blessed with warm skin, salt in your hair, and suntan lotion that barely lingers on your body. Green Witch has incredible sillage and staying power which lengthens the fragrance’s evolution, and it might well be Roxana’s most multi-layered perfume yet."
~ Trish, Scent Hive

"Roxana Illuminated Perfume - GreenWitch. This botanical perfume is a green chypre. It took me a few weeks before I could hear the ocean when wearing it, but all of a sudden it was there. Remarkable and original, a must-try for chypraholics."
~ Gaia, The Non-Blonde

"True chypre perfumes area vanishing breed due to ingredient regulations for the European perfume industry, but that doesn't stop this American indie perfumer from making a truly stunning elixir like GreenWitch, a scent in the green chypre style with an added twist of real seaweed. With perfumers like Ms. Villa working today, we need not mourn the loss of chypre scents from the big perfume makers quite so intensely."
~ Donna, Portland Fragrance Examiner


Find GreenWitch at my E-shop:
A sample set of three glass vials containing .25 grams of perfume.
1 gram in a glass vial
and Perfume Flacon

Solid Compact arriving this year, fingers crossed it will be ready for the Spring Equinox.

Perfume Illuminated: Seaweed

"Every time we walk along a beach some ancient urge disturbs us
so that we find ourselves shedding shoes and garments
or scavenging among seaweed and whitened timbers
like the homesick refugees of a long war."
~ Loren Eiseley

The weekend is upon us as is the arrival of sweet Springtime with warmer and longer days. Since the GreenWitch launches in the morrow I thought to highlight the fragrance of Seaweed today.

FRAGRANCE

I've got a vial of Seaweed absolute from France. The aromatic of this rich, dark, viscous perfume raw material has a strong lichen and woody quality with a thread briney. Arctander describes it as "...seaweed drying on a saltwater beach after a heavy storm or surf." Many different types of distillates of this ancient material exist including: Fucus vesiculosus L. commonly referred to as Bladder seaweed, Dictyota dichtoma from Scandinavian and Carragheen also termed Irish Moss.

(A little flashback moment as my mind remembers making marbled paper with Irish Moss. Thus as I write this I am pondering finding my container and tincturing the material for future editions of GreenWitch.)

I like to pair Seaweed absolute with Oakmoss and Lichen as I have done in GreenWitch and Vera. Both these fragrances contain the concept of the ocean as part of the fabric of their story.
Due to the expense and limited production of the material it is not often used in perfumery, although now it is extremely rare to find true nature components in main stream perfume these days.

In "An Introduction to Perfumery" Seaweed is grouped in the Marine family but is not considered to be a good example of this family due to it's darker, aromatic profile. To achieve the more briney aspects of the material I suggest diluting it down in alcohol or with a tincture of seaweed.

Since the fragrance material is an absolute and not an essential oil there is no reference to it for aromatherapy. In general absolutes are not used for aromatherapy purposes because of the solvents involved in the distillation process. Instead I have whole pieces of it in the bath, which definitely makes you feel like a mermaid!


According to Steven Schecter, N.D "There is no family of foods more protective against radiation and environmental pollutants than sea vegetables ... sea vegetables can prevent assimilation of different radionuclitides, heavy metals such as cadmium, and other environmental toxins."

This statement above applies to consuming seaweed and using it in bath and body products. Oceanic material, like seaweed, has been found to contain electrolytic magnetic action which will facilitate in the bodies release of stored waste. As we shift from winter to spring this is the ideal time to support the body in ridding unwanted baggage such as excess body fluids.

"The way to health is to have an aromatic bath and a scented massage every day."
~ Hippocrates

To make a detoxifying salt scrub or bath salts grind some dried seaweed in your food processor or coffee grinder and add to salt. Begin by measuring your salt into a metal or glass bowl. Add your carrier and/or infused oil, the ground seaweed and essential oils. Stir with a metal spoon, fork or ideally a whisker. Spoon into a dry, clean glass jar with a tight fitting lid.

Base ingredients:

Sea Salt (1 cup)
Carrier Oil or an infused oil (1 Tbsp)
Vitamin E oil (1 drop or the contents of a capsule)

Ground Seaweed (1 Tbsp, more if you like the aroma)
Optional: Essential oil synergy

The recommended essential oil dilution for 1 cup salt is 5-7 drops essential oil synergy. I suggest playing around with the amount of carrier oil to salt to fit your liking.

“Love is like seaweed; even if you have pushed it away,
you will not prevent it from coming back.”
~ Nigerian Proverb

Reference:
Steffen Arctander "Perfume and Flavor Materials of Natural Origin"
Tony Curtis and David G. Williams"An Introduction to Perfumery"
Shirley's Wellness Cafe

Images:
The Depth of the Sea by Sir Edward Burne-Jones via Art Magick
A Mermaid by John William Waterhouse via Art Magick
Old engravings on Parchment by Roxana Villa