Won't you come into the garden?

“Won't you come into the garden?
I would like my roses to see you”
~ Richard Brinsley Sheridan

The lovely and gracious editor of Sniffapalooza Magazine, Raphaella Brescia Barkley, has included our Rosa in her favorite Rose perfumes. Read about it in the latest issue of Sniffapalooza, in Part Three of Raphaella's Roses.

“I'd rather have roses on my table
than diamonds on my neck.”
~ Emma Goldman

Read more about Rosa here at this journal.

“And she was fair as is the rose in May.”
~ Geoffrey Chaucer

Congratulations Sniffapalooza!

Heartfelt congratulations to Sniffapalooza Magazine for scoring two of the five finalist spots in the online/blog publication category at this mornings FiFi (Fragrance) Awards!! There were among eighteen nominations.

Read more here, with links to the winner and finalists

Wafting my very best to Raphaella, the editor of Sniffapalooza Magazine, Team Karen of Sniffapalooza, Elena Vosnaki of Perfume Shrine, and Nathan Branch.

Sniffapalooza Magazine
Sniffapalooza
Perfume Shrine
Nathan Branch

Vespertina Perfume Review

Trish Vawter of the blog Scent Hive has written a very lovely, poetic review of our Vespertina Botanical perfume for the April 15th issue of the prestigious Sniffapalooza Magazine. Scent Hive is also hosting a giveaway for a 1 gram vial of Vespertina and a special sneak peak sample of the upcoming Vespertina solid perfume.

Vespertina Giveaway at Scent Hive
Sniffapalooza Magazine

Read more about Vespertina here at the journal by following this link.

Scent of the Day: Sniffa

The Scent of the Day is GreenWitch in honor of the latest issue of Sniffapalooza Magazine. Raphaella, the editor in chief, has published my write up about creating the botanical perfume GreenWitch. Take a journey on over by following this link.

Raphaella Brescia Barkley currently publishes the online magazine twice a month. A true labor of love on her part. It is a literary feast for our olfactory imaginations.

The New York City Sniffapalooza Spring Fling takes place in just a few weeks on Saturday, April 4th and Sunday, April 5th.

The gathering includes many of the luminaries of the perfume industry guests with multiple presentations, visits to shops and lots of freebies.

Image above is one of the many photos I took of the 1 gram bottles of GreenWitch. Later when I edited the pictures I realized that the cool little sea horse might turn folk off. Opps, the artist sees things differently than the consumer. A lesson I continue to work on.

Watch for the GreenWitch at Sniffapalooza Magazine
Register for the Sniffapalooza Spring Fling here

Flower Power

"To be overcome by the fragrance of flowers is a delectable form of defeat."
~Beverly Nichols

The term "aromatherapie" was coined by the French cosmetic chemist Rene Gattefoose. In aromatherapy circles we refer to him as the Grandfather of Aromatherapy. He is best known for his book, Gattefosse's Aromatherapy, which documents clinical trials establishing essential oils as vital for both physiological and medicinal applications.

When Michelyn Camen approached me for a contribution to her latest article in Sniffapalooza Magazine I thought of Gattefosse. The article titled "Comforting Scents for Uncomfortable Times." delves into some of the psychological aspects of scent.

All types of aromas have the power to affect us in some way, whether it is the smell of fresh baked cookies, dirty socks or perfume. Botanical perfumes created with pure, whole essential oil and intention can go even deeper due to the aromatherapeutic properties so well documented by Gattefoose back in the early 1900's.

Read Michelyn's contribution to the latest issue of Sniffapalooza by following this link.

Image above is a photo of Vera, our lavender perfume made with pure, organic lavender essential oil grown and distilled in Ojai, California. We offer Vera in a variety of sizes at our shop on Etsy.
www.illuminatedperfume.etsy.com

NY Sniffa 2008: Two

The Sniffa Sunday event transpired in downtown Manhattan, much to my delight, being more of a downtown girl. The festivities began at BOND NO. 9, on Bond St. between Broadway & Lafayette Street. Wasn't Basquiats studio right around here? Hmmm, I'll ask Kelle.

Raphaella greeted me as I walked in the door. We wondered around sniffing and engaging in conversation while brunch was prepared for all the attendees. I had the opportunity to speak with a marvelous grouping of eclectic folks including Cathy Gins the creator of AromaWear, Dorothy McCall of Kingsbury Fragrances and her husband Michael.

Joe Graces asked me to define the difference between natural and synthetic perfume. I graciously obliged, ending with the fact that I use the term "botanical", since I do not use civet (tortured cat excretion) or isolates in my perfumes.


From there Leah and I walked together over to LAFCO, where one can swoon over the Santa Maria Novella potpourri. Along the journey we passed the first apartment I lived in when I moved to NYC in the 80's. Gee, Elizabeth Street has really changed since then!

While at LAFCO Sarah Squerie and I made a pact to be each others olfactory adventure "buddy" for the day. We walked out onto Lafayette to make our way to Le Labo, but got pleasantly distracted by all the merchants on Prince Street. Eventually we headed toward the Country Cafe for the second lunch sitting. The first lunch was running behind schedule so we strolled around a bit and mingled with other second sitting Sniffas. Sarah and I sat at a table up front with Leah and Carol. The four of us had a blast together. We marveled at Sarah's manifesting powers as she won the Sniffapalooza Jazz CD set which she wanted. Poet and perfumer Gerald Dubose blew us all away by his poetry reading and added a whole new level of artistry to Sniffapalooza.


From there we jumped in a cab and made our way to Aedes de Venustas on Christopher Street in the Village. The owners Karl and Robert served up Prosecco Bellini's as we sampled Aedes stellar and vast selection of fragrances.

After saying our goodbyes to beloved Sniffas, a small group of us walked around the corner to Gobo for a savory vegetarian dinner and more inspired conversation. Above is Greg with the heartwarming Ida at his side.

In closing the NYC Sniffapalooza Fall Ball was a dynamic event attended by an array of spirited individuals. Greg and I compare it to the San Diego Comic Con in it's tapestry of souls embodying the art spirit. It is a richly woven, textural fabric intricately threaded with those who create fragrance and the fans who adore it.

Images: The image at top on Bond#9 is by Michael Friedlander, LAFCO image was taken by Karen Adams of Sniffapalooza, photos of Sarah and I at Country Cafe as well as of Gerald Dubois are by Vida, image of Greg and Ida is my contribution.
Roxana Illuminated Perfume™

NY Sniffa 2008: One

In the e-mail that the NY Sniffa 2008 attendees received the Karens stated:

We feel it's our duty to warn you that you will have such a glorious time at this event, you'll meet so many fascinating friends, and you will feel so loved and pampered that you will want to do it again next weekend, and the weekend after that... and you won't be able to!
You have to wait for another Sniffapalooza!

They were spot on., and must have something to do with the magnetism of Team Karen. I auspiciously hooked up with an acquaintance from a dinner party back in 1998, Sarah Squeri. Ah, but I digress, lets begin at the beginning.

The Saturday (Uptown) event began at Bergdorf Goodman commenced at 8:15am with the famous breakfast at Goodman’s Café. At 10am more sniffers arrived and the morning continued on the beauty floor with conversation with special guests and perfumers, sampling, makeup artists, special GWP's, and the legendary BG gift bags.

At 12:30 attendees wondered over to Opia restaurant for a fabulous lunch and more guest presenters, including Avery Gilbert. Avery is the author of What the Nose Knows, he sat next to Greg and I at the luncheon. He was the first presenter and dazzled the attendees with tidbits from What the Nose Knows.

I also presented during this phase of the olfactory adventure. My sampler packages contained a postcard, bookmark and business card. Some contained a liquid perfume sample with a scent strip while others contained the solid perfume version of Sierra. Greg put together a visual presentation to accompany my seven minute discourse.

At 2:45 the gang walked over to Takashimaya for more sniffing & dessert with special guests, like the beloved Neil Morris. Across the street was Henri Bendels, where Janna Sheehan of Trance Essence and Jessica Dunne of Ellie and Ellie Nuit were on hand. Both lovely, beautiful ladies.

While we were all enjoying ourselves inside Henri Bendels the wind and rain began descending upon NYC. Many arrived at the next destination, Spafumerie, drenched from the across town walk. The owner of Spafumerie, Joe Graces, treated us to chocolate covered strawberries amongst other cocktails & reiki work at his spectacular spa. All in honor of the 60th anniversary of Fracas.

(Pictured below, from right to left Greg, Karen Dubin, Vida and myself.)



At this party is where I encountered Sarah, who quickly became my new best friend! Other conjunctions of the heart-kind included; Leah, a sol sister (yes, i mean sol as in sun, we are both Leos with an auspicious amount of similar planetary line-ups) and the passionate and charismatic, Ida.

The evening festivities ended at a long dining table seating at least twenty of us at an Italian restaurant. Stay tuned for the Sniffa Day Two recap next.

Roxana Illuminated Perfume™
Images: Heart table illustration by Greg Spalenka, Breakfast area at Bergdorf Goodman by Sarah Squeri, Roxana presenting at the Opia Lunch by Michael Friedlander, Gang of four at Spafumerie by Sarah Squerie and Video clip by Greg Spalenka

The Big Apple

"One belongs to New York instantly,

one belongs to it as much in five minutes as in five years."

~ Thomas Wolfe

I am back from the big apple with lots of stories and pictures to share. The trip was especially rich with heartfelt connections. We arrived last Wednesday afternoon, after a four hour stint as a sardine. What’s up with those airplane seats? It doesn’t seem to matter how much yoga I do, trying to access my laptop or purse under the seat in front of me was short of impossible.

NYC was grand...the air was crisp, the 24 hour frenetic hum as constant as the inspiration and there was the NYC Sniffapalooza Fall Ball!!!

The Sniffapalooza Fall Ball was so much more than I could ever imagine or anticipate. Two full days of fun, connection with fellow devotees of fragrance. What struck me the most was the kindred spirits I encountered. I knew I would come across some of the most obsessed olfactory beings on the planet. However, as I mentioned above, I was unprepared for the bounty of camaraderie and fellowship.

I’ve experienced some of this type of esprit de corps at Aromatherapy conferences over the past ten years and to a certain extent with artists at the San Diego Comic Con. Sniffa NY was different though...it’s an intangible thing...much like fragrance itself. Part of it, no doubt, was due to being in NYC once again.

"I felt something so intense, I could only express it in a perfume."

~ Jacques Guerlain

We stayed at a friends apartment in the financial district with a spectacular view of the Hudson. On Wednesday we stopped into Enfluerage in the Village and had an amazing Indian meal across the way. Thursday and Friday were filled with visiting friends and colleagues, eating fabulous meals and a tour of FIT, The Fashion Institute of Technology. For those in the city or traveling there I highly recommend the “Gothic: Dark Glamour” show currently on display at the FIT gallery. WOW!

Sniffa took place on Saturday and Sunday. I’ll post about that as soon as I get some photos. For now...from left to right, here I am with Dorothy McCall and Raphaella Brescia Barkley outside of Bond #9 on Sunday morning. The photo was taken by Dorothy’s lovely and talented husband Michael Freidlander. Thank you Michael!

Apple image above, Apple Perfume ©Greg Spalenka

Roxana Illuminated Perfume™

Sloughful

I've turned into what Wendy so lovingly deems "the sloughful blogger". My apologies, life is rather full at the moment, as we get ready for NYC and the Sniffa Fall Ball.

There will be over 150 attendees at the Saturday lunch I am presenting at. This translates into 150+ sample packages to get ready and ship to NYC. Above is a picture of the package contents so far: new postcard, business card, with one liquid and one solid perfume sample. I may put in
one of Greg's postcards as well.

In the meantime Maestro Gregorio has been putting together a visual presentation to accompany my live auditory wisdoms regarding the value of botanical perfume.

It's been one year since we were in NY, yet, about sixteen years since I moved from there to LA. Gee, sixteen years, it doesn't feel that long. I know the city so well and look forward to walking the streets filled with frenzy and a plethora of olfactory delights and horrors all in one sniff.

Back to making packages.

Roxana Illuminated Perfume™

LA Sniffa 2008

The LA Sniffapalooza took place this past Saturday, a very full day fragrance adventure. Attendees began arriving early in the morning to get prime seating, schmooze and fortify themselves with coffee from Mauro's Cafe.

The festivities began at 8am with breakfast, introductions and a presentation by Kate Greene and Stephen Nilsen of Givaudan. This was followed by a procession of several niche perfumers: Lisa Hoffman (Dustin Hoffman's wife), Yosh Han, Kate Growney for Saffron James and Sarah Horowitz-Thran. At 10am the shopping extravaganza began in the Apothia shop with all the perfumers and fragrance reps on hand to assist all you every olfactive needs. Due to my sensitivities to synthetic perfumes I spent most of my time outdoors speaking with other perfumers and attendees. My very favorite sniff during this morning event were two candles by Diptyche. The John Galliano and the Feu de Bois are lovely woody and resiny scents that actually smell of the real thing. The rep was having me experience the florals in the candle line which sent my head spinning. I inquired about the John Galliano candle because I recognized the name, my mother once designed a sweater for his line. Feu de Bois (Firewood), smells of pure Agarwood to my nose, a precious wood note that is one of my all time favorite materials to work with.

Next we journeyed over to Pane e Vino for more presentations and a delicious lunch. At this phase in the pilgrimage it was my turn to present and bring consciousness to the realm of botanical perfume and the plants. I brought with me several native plants from the Theodore Payne Foundation as visual reference. Passionately I presented a case for perfumes created with ACTUAL plant material and the importance of California native plants.

"I speak for the trees, for the trees have no tongues." ~ Dr. Suess, The Lorax

I launched the fifth perfume in the Californica line of fragrances devoted to the aromatic landscape of California. Rosa is devoted to the California wild rose, botanically named Rosa californica. More details on this perfume in the next post.

Other presenters at the luncheon included Brooke-Harvey Taylor of Pacifica and niche perfumer Kristen Micele. It was fabulous to see Kristen Michele again, she as well as Yosh Han, Faith Heckman and Shannon Metclaf and I all attended the Fragrant Alchemist Workshop here in LA about three years back.

From there we walked down the street to the Scent Bar for more sniffing. Then, much to the relief of our noses, we trekked out to Venice to Strange Invisible Perfumes. This class act natural perfume store was a welcome to the noses of the natural perfume devotees on hand. There was about five of us who felt like we had arrived in heaven as we took the olfactory tour through these gorgeous perfumes made primarily with pure essential oils.

To my pleasure, Wendy and her husband Pierre graced us with their presence at the end of the evening. Wendy was wearing her signature, to die for, handcrafted shoes and had her usual luminous glow about her. Below is a link to Wendys blog.

The full day was great fun and a fantastic opportunity to meet, chat and share with others who have a deep appreciation for the realm of fragrance. For me, I {LOVED} seeing and connecting live and in person with Raphaella Barkely-Brescia. She is a magnetic, warm and loving. Her publication Sniffapalooza Magazine will most likely have details from the LA Sniffapalooza in the next issue on October 17th.

The Basenotes Community has a discussion regarding the LA Sniffa, read it here.

Meanwhile, California burns once more, as fire and air element dance in the local mountains. This is probably a good time to get out there and do some rain dancing rituals, as well as get out of dodge. The air is so thick with smoke that creating perfume is useless.

Sniffapalooza
Sniffapalooza Magazine
Sniffapalooza Forum (members only)

Notes of Shoes, Cake & Perfumery

Roxana Illuminated Perfume™

Images: Diptyque Candle, Alchemical Rose engraving on
parchment and Fire in the Eyes image by Greg Spalenka.

Elfin

The LA Sniffapalooza, also termed Fashion Fragrance West, has only a few seats left. Here is a link to read the latest update of participating perfumers, stores and giveaways.

At the LA event I will launch a new perfume that has been in development since March 2005. It began as a complex accord and has gone through all sorts of flips and wiggles, shape shifting regularly. Finally in June of this year, as I was conducting trials for a solid perfume, clarity broke through. I realized sage was the key component.

This perfume is the next in the Californica series, following last years debut of Sierra. I choose the word Californica because it is the species name found in many plants native to California, for example Artemisia californica. (Artemisia is the genus, californica the species.)

I've decided to keep the perfume a secret so that the Sniffapalooza members will be the first to experience the fragrance. Anyone who has been reading this journal regularly may already know which native plant this perfume is based on. The couture pouch, which will house the French glass flacon, was created last Spring. In fact last Spring was the scheduled release for the fragrance. Interesting because the formula back then was not nearly as animalic as it is now. The perfume will also have a companion version as a solid in a antiqued compact.

This mystery perfume shares some of the same accords and tinctures found in Q, Chaparral, Vera and Sierra. A few days ago I realized that this was the fifth perfume in the series. Did you see the film the Fifth Element? Do you recall what the important fifth element was?

My friend Meghan introduced me to this plant which inspired the upcoming fragrance. Up until a little over a year ago, I didn't even know it existed. The native plants of California are a bit mysterious unless you hike regularly in the local hills and pay close attention, beyond the sages. In one of the books lent to me by Meghan, the plant community is referred to as An Elfin Forest. The reason for this name is that one must look closely to indeed witness the magic held in these plants, most of which are quite low to the ground. Besides the elfin sized flora, the fauna found in this community are also quite small.

"These are indeed strange days.
Dreams and legends spring to life out of the grass."

~ Eomer, Lord of the Rings

It seems to me that Natural/Botanical perfume and California native plants both share a magic only revealed to those who stop, and with keen observation, begin to truly witness the secrets of an authentic landscape.

Roxana Illuminated Perfume™

Sniffapalooza LA & NYC

I will be a presenter at the upcoming Fashion Fragrance Week in Los Angeles and NYC Sniffapalooza Fall Ball. Below are some of the details on both the LA and NYC Sniffa events.

Fashion Fragrance Week in Los Angeles, October 11, 2008

Fragrance lovers and industry specialists from all over will be gathering in LA for the most spectacular event of the season, the ultra-fabulous Fashion Fragrance West! We've added some amazing PERKS, so even if you've already registered, you'll want to keep reading to get the full SCOOP!

Our good friend Ron Robinson of Apothia @ Fred Segal Melrose in LA has teamed up with the leading global fragrance house, Givaudan, and they've put together an incredible interactive, gift-laden morning for Sniffapalooza to celebrate Fashion Week. Then we will continue on an LA fragrance odyssey that includes lunch presentations and visits to Scent Bar and Strange Invisible Perfumes.

Our day will begin Saturday, October 11 at 8:00am with a scrumptious breakfast at Mauro's Cafe, housed in the legendary Fred Segal on Melrose Avenue. The store will be closed to the public at this time, and we will have special entree. Givaudan invites us to discover the secrets of fashion fragrance development and get an intimate look at the latest fragrance trends with their customized trend report, 'NEXT! Come See What's Next', which is usually reserved for industry insiders.

An incredible multi-sensory experience awaits us. Givaudan has created four unique fragrances, designed to match each of four fragrance trends. These scents are customized for Apothia, and they will be exclusively available for us to experience and purchase at this event only.

After Givaudan's presentation, several guest fragrance designers will be announcing their new fragrance launches, and we will be the first to premiere them! Included will be Lisa Hoffman of Lisa Hoffman Beauty, Yosh Han of Yosh Olfactory Sense, Kate Growney of Saffron James Parfum, Sara Horowitz-Thran of Sarah Horowitz Parfum, and Ron Robinson of Apothia.

At about 10am we will adjourn to the beauty floor of Apothia, where we can explore and sniff to our heart's content, and chat with representatives from L'Artisan Parfumeur, Serge Lutens, Mark Birley, Nana De Bary, Parfums Rosine, Aphrodisiac, Dumann, Gendarme, Carnival Wax, Comptoir Sud Pacifique, i Profumi di Firenze, and Diptyque.

In true Apothia style, there are some phenomenal *extras* to be had! With every purchase of $100 or more from the Ron Robinson Boutiques, you will be entered in a drawing to win two special collections of fragrances totaling approximately $1,000. And of course you will leave
with one of the legendary & spectacularly generous Apothia gift bags!

After the exhilarating morning events, at about 12:30, we'll enjoy an elegant lunch at one of LA's premier restaurants, Pane e Vino, where we'll have presentations from cult-favorite perfumer ROXANA VILLA, the dynamic founder of Pacifica, BROOK HARVEY-TAYLOR, and passionate new perfumer KRISTEN MICHELE. Then we'll walk just a short distance to LuckyScent's extraordinary Scent Bar to meet special guests and savor desserts, champagne, and coffee.

We're excited to have Scent Bar collaborate for the first time at our LA Sniffapalooza! Our friends Franco and Adam have worked hard & travelled far to present to us the very finest fragrance the world has to offer in 2008. Here's just a sampling of what's waiting for us at Scent Bar:

U.S. Exclusives - only at Scent Bar:
Sinfonia di Note - 8 heavenly fragrances direct from Italy!
Vero Profumo debut - Three exquisite creations in parfume extrait concentration.

New launches from some of our favorite houses:

Andy Tauer's Vetiver Dance, By Kilian: Prelude to Love, Comme des Garcons for Stephen Jones, Keiko Mecheri new creations, Serge Lutens Serge Noire, complete collection from Czech & Speake, and three secret releases... Franco & Adam can't tell us just yet!

As a special thank you, Sniffapalooza customers are being offered an exclusive $15 credit towards any purchase at Scent Bar on the day of the event! WOW! Credit is only available to Sniffapalooza customers who purchase the $75 full-day admission.

After we sniff ourselves into a frenzy at Scent Bar, we will conclude our fragrance journey in Venice, at the beautifully mysterious Strange Invisible Perfumes, where they're throwing us a fabulous cocktail party with champagne and light refreshments! We'll take home a deluxe gift bag, and we're offered a 15% discount on all purchases. We will also premiere SIP's latest creation, Musc Botanique.

Our fragrant day will wrap up around 7pm. Unfortunately we have just a very few spaces left for this event, and it will completely sell out very soon! If you would like to be a part of this one-in-a-lifetime event, please click here to register.

The registration fee is $75 and includes breakfast, lunch, all refreshments, presentations, gift bags and tons of perks!

Looking forward to sniffing with you all soon in LA!

Fall Ball in NYC, Saturday, October 25 - Sunday, October 26

For those of you who are just joining the Sniffapalooza family, the Sniffapalooza Fall Ball is an entire weekend crammed full of olfactory and multi-sensory experiences. You'll come away from the weekend with new knowledge, new friends, lots of new goodies, and a new perspective
on a fragrant life. There's nothing else like it on the planet.

This year's event will be Saturday, October 25 - Sunday, October 26. As always, Saturday will be our 'uptown' day, and Sunday will be our 'downtown' day. We're still in the creative planning stages, but we've had so many requests to sign up that we thought we'd better get the
registration lines open.

Here's our intinerary-in-progress below, with lots of surprises in the works. Many details will be added which we will update you on in the coming weeks!

Guests we're in the process of scheduling for appearances, & more to come:

Kilian Hennessy of By Kilian; Symine Salimpour of Shiloh Perfume;, Joe Garces of Robert Piguet; Tom Crutchfield of Asprey, Annick Goutal, Etro, & Judith Leiber; Dovanna Pagowski & Chely De Pablos of Acqua di Parma; Shelley Levendos of Donna Karan Collection; Maree Damm of Boucheron; Sandi Burrows of Serge Lutens; Brian Kurtz of L'Artisan Parfumeur; Mary Claire Pedone of Jo Malone; Theresa Dickinson of Creed; John Bain of Van Cleef & Arpel; Geri Verlaque of Chanel; Katy Jourav of Tom Ford; Sonia Ciliberti & Jason Beers of Guerlain; Montgomery Taylor of Ambre de Venezia; Ulrich Lang of Parfums Ulrich Lang; Yosh Han of YOSH Olfactory Sense; Neil Morris of Neil Morris Fragrances; Sarah Barton-King of The Pink Room; Patty Namm of Brandy Perfume; Janna Sheehan of TransEssence; Lee Cuthbert of Intelli-Scents; Avery Gilbert, author of 'What the Nose Knows'; Miryana Babic of i Profumi di Firenze; Adelaide Farah of Beauty Fashion Magazine; Phoebe Ellis of Seven Skies Perfume; Marlen Harrison of PerfumeCritic.com, perfumer Roxana Villa of Roxana Illuminated Perfume; Christopher Voigt of Vetivresse.com; Debra Courtright of Floris of London; Raphaella Brescia of Sniffapalooza Magazine; Salomeh Daley from Memoire Liquide; and Miriam Mirani from Aqaba.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 25

8:15-10:00am The famous Breakfast with speakers and presentations at Bergdorf Goodman
**PLEASE NOTE: Breakfast limited to the first 65 guests to sign up!

10:00am-12:00pm Sniffing time on the beauty floor at BG, meet special guests & presenters from the breakfast, exclusive offers, makeup artists, the BG raffle & those legendary gift bags.

12:30-2:30pm Prix Fixe lunch at Opia Restaurant - Special speakers, party favors! (Registration required)

2:45-4:15pm Sniffing & dessert at Takashimaya, with special guests, presentations, terrific promotions, those amazing cupcakes and mango tea, and goodies to take home.

4:15-5:45pm Sniffing at Henri Bendel, with special guests, the exclusive Sniffapalooza GWP, refreshments, and gifts.

We are pleased to welcome new stores to our day, with scheduling TBD: Bloomingdales, Coach, Sephora & Luckyscent!


SUNDAY, OCTOBER 26

10:00-11:30am The famous Brunch & Sniffing at Bond No. 9, meet founder Laurice Rahme, sample new Andy Warhol Lexington Avenue, and gift bags.&nbs p; 15% discount on all purchases.

11:00am-5:00pm Open House sniffing at Le Labo. Meet founders Eddie & Fabrice & have your purchases custom-labeled.

12:00-1:00pm Sniffing at Lafco NY, with sampling, refreshments, special gifts. Meet Creative Team Jon Bresler & Segen Scott. 20% discount on all purchases.

1:00-4:00pm Prix Fixe lunch at Country Cafe, with speakers, party favors, and the incredible Sniffapalooza Magazine raffle!

Two seatings for lunch:

First seating: 1:00-2:30pm
Second seating: 2:30-4:00pm

While the first group is dining, the second seating group will visit L'Artisan Parfumeur right across the street for sampling & treats & an introduction to the new Fleur de Liane. Likewise, for the second seating group.

** Please note that those choosing the second seating will have more time at Bond No.9, Le Labo, and Lafco NY, and we may be adding new stores to the mix as well. If you need to catch a flight or make a train, you should choose the first seating. First seating diners must be seated promptly by 1:00pm.

4:30-6:00pm Prosecco Bellinis & sniffing at Aedes de Venustas. Samples, special guests, exclusive launches & gift bags. Meet creative team Robert & Karl.

We are pleased to welcome new stores to our day, with scheduling TBD: Bloomingdales, Molton Brown, & Sephora!

The rates for Sniffapalooza Fall Ball are as follows:
Saturday, 10/25: $70 covers event & lunch (and maybe a cocktail party!)
Sunday, 10/26: $70 covers event, brunch & lunch

Full weekend: $140 covers events 10/25 & 10/26, lunches both days, the brunch on Sunday, and the BG breakfast (only if you are one of the first 65 people to sign up).

A portion of each registration fee will be donated to a very special charity, with details to follow!

You can register at www.sniffapalooza.com via PayPal. You will need to log in with your Username and Password to access the “Event Registration” page. If you have questions or need to make other payment arrangements, please contact Karen Adams at kadams@sniffapalooza.com.

Please remember that if you would like to attend the breakfast at Bergdorf Goodman on Saturday, October 25--- we are limited to 65 seats! You *must* sign up right away as this always fills up within a few days. BG has strict fire code laws and they will not allow more than 65 guests. (Don’t worry if you don’t receive an immediate confirmation from us. We are taking our much-needed family vacations for the next week, and will confirm your seat as soon as we’re back in town!)

If you've attended a Sniffapalooza before, you know what an incredible experience awaits you... If you haven't, you're in for the time of your life!

** Team Karen cannot be responsible for any addictions to Sniffapalooza, or withdrawal symptoms that may result after the event is over. If such symptoms occur, go immediately to the nearest fragrance counter.

We can't wait to see all our old friends again and meet our new ones!
And remember, *accept no imitations* - this is the ONE and ONLY *SNIFFAPALOOZA*!

Viva La Sniffa, Baby!

TEAM KAREN
Karen Dubin - Founder & Director
Karen Adams - Executive Operations Manager

Sniffapalooza
Sniffapalooza Magazine

Roxana Illuminated Perfume™

Images ©Roxana Villa.

Roxana in Sniffapalooza Magazine

The editor of Sniffapalooza Magazine, Raphaella Brescia Barkley, in September began a new series showcasing Natural Perfumers. She interviewed me in the latest issue and published a review of a few of our perfumes. Click this link and scroll down about halfway into the issue where you will find the interview and reviews. Afterwards, journey down to the very bottom of the page to leave your comments about the magazine, the interview, and/or your experience of our perfumes.

The lineup includes profiles and interviews with fellow colleagues from the larger perfume houses to the smaller individual niche perfumers.

Sniffapalooza Magazine

Roxana Illuminated Perfume™

Image of Perfume bottle illuminated ©Roxana Villa

"A sniffa...what?"

When I encounter fellow perfume lovers, at dinner parties or events, I ask, "Are you a member of Sniffapalooza?" The response is usually, "A sniffa...what?"

I ask this question because it is a pleasure connecting with other Sniffapalooza members. We are all united by our love of fragrance. For some reason I automatically assume that everyone on the planet that loves fragrance is a member of Sniffapalooza.

Sniffapalooza is an organization which organically grew out of a womans passion for perfume. This passionate lady is Karen Dubin. She would gather several friends and together they would explore the terrain of fragrance at the department stores in NYC. The group grew so large that they formed an organization called Sniffapalooza. The membership is now at 500,000 and growing. Karen Dubin has added Karen as the head of operations, thus we tend to refer to them as The Karens.

Out of a passion for the organization and perfume, member Raphaella Brescia Barkely birthed Sniffapalooza Magazine shortly after the first Los Angeles gathering on February 10, of 2007. It was a pleasure to meet Raphaella in LA that fate filled day. She came up to me and inquired, "Where do I know you from?" Indeed, she looked familiar to me, where did I know her from, NYC art days perhaps? We never quite figured it out, it might just be one of those essence connections that reaches beyond time and matter.

I commend the Karens and Raphaella for their hardwork and following their passion. Niche perfume continues to grow and make its mark on the world of fragrance. These ladies are visionary and they follow their nose, after all The Nose Knows.

Cheers to them and all the fragrant lovers out there!

The Karens will make an appearance at the HBA Global Expo held at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City. They will be part of a panel discussion with industry experts titled: Building for the New Fragrance Consumer.

The Sniffapalooza Fall Ball takes place October 25th and 26th, tickets are on sale now.

Read more about Sniffapalooza and Raphaella by clicking here.
Sniffapalooza Magazine
The 2008 HBA Global Expo
Sniffapalooza Forum

Roxana Illuminated Perfume™

Image: Sniffapalooza logo ©Sniffapalooza, Photo of Raphaella, used by permission.

The Chatter

"A true poet does not bother to be poetical. Nor does a nursery gardener scent his roses."
~ Jean Cocteau

As mentioned in the previous post, the Sniffapalooza Spring Fling took place this past weekend in New York City. Now that the event has passed the press, including bloggers, are expressing their points of view about the event and the fragrances. I found the New York Times article especially interesting. Thank You "T" for sending it my way. Here's the link. What's Sniffapalooza? Well, it exists for the serious fragrance lover, read more here. If that's not you, it may require a paradigm shift to really understand. It's sorta like trying to explain Comic Con to someone, well actually, that's probably even harder. Don't ask. However, if you do know about Comic Con and you are a professional in the Industry, now is the time to get your free Pro-badge online.

Image: Old engraving placed onto parchment via photoshop. ©Roxana Villa

The Duir Way

"I am the Lorax,

I speak for the trees,
for the trees have no tongues."

- Dr. Suess

The latest issue of Sniffapalooza Magazine, March 23, 2008, contains a contribution titled "The Duir Way" detailing the inspiration for the perfume "Q", formerly known as Quercus.

The word Duir means Oak, the letter D corresponds to the seventh letter in the Ogham tree alphabet.* The Oak is the most important of all the trees to the Druids and the Celts. The word Duir may have come from the sanscrit word dwr meaning door and is considered a gateway between the Worlds.
*source: Omens, Oghams & Oracles - Richard Webster


Sniffapalooza Magazine
Roxana Illuminated Perfume™

A mini-personal NY Sniffapalooza

After a rich and intoxicating experience at COSM we traveled uptown via subway for a mini Sniffapolooza. Sniffapalozza is a community of perfume enthusiasts that began in NYC by Karen Dubin and a few perfume lovers. In a very short time it has grown into a mega-community with events spanning the globe. I was unable to attend the Fall Ball in NYC, thus, I decided to take my own self guided tour. We began at Takashimaya, a Japanese department store, on Fifth Ave. between 54th and 55th. A beauty of a store with mouth watering grace on each floor. From there we crossed the street over to Henri Bendel and got hooked at the L'Artisan counter. I was spritzed with their 2007 limited edition Fleur d'Oranger, which is pure Neroli heaven. A delightful fragrance which embodies the heart and soul of the Orange tree, utilizing both the wood and leaves of the tree (Petitgrain) as well as the blossoms. It is uplifting and fresh, yet has little to no evolution. I found the 2006 Fleur de Narcissus much more interesting and complex. I've read that their newest in this line is Iris Pallida, unfortunately they did not have this at Henri Bendel NYC when I was there.
In the botanical perfume world Iris pallida is the Latin name for Orris Root, one of my favorite pure essences. A woody-floral note which is rich and velvety with hints of powder. Last year I created a custom perfume for a client melding a floral chord with Orris and notes of the Sea at the base. It is such a lovely fragrance that I've decided to rework the formula as one of our signature scents.
The staff at Henri Bendel was very generous, especially when I told them I had missed the Sniffapalooza Fall Ball. I left anointed with Fleur d"Oranger, loaded with scent strips and lots of samples.
The following day, our last in NYC, was spent traversing Soho. "So" stands for South and "ho" for Houston...thus "SOuth of HOuston." How transformed I found this area. My very first living space in NYC was a studio walk-up on Elizabeth Street. To my great surprise, Elizabeth Street is now filled with fashionable shops, including Le Labo. Le Labo is a small, laboratory looking niche perfume shop with a store in Grasse as well is on Elizabeth Street. Certainly an interesting concept in perfume stores that looks both old+modern, with it's laboratory style. Around the corner on Lafayette Street is Santa Maria Novella, also known as Lafco. During the LA Sniffa last February I had the opportunity to visit the LA location. The NYC store is much larger and more impressive. Santa Maria Novella dates back to 1612 when the Dominican Republic friars began selling their medicinal and ephemeral products to the public. There is an informative streaming video on their website.
Other scented faire in NY still to be explored is Aedes de Venustas, Bond No. 9, Cb "I Hate Perfume" in Brooklyn and Barneys NY which now carries many niche perfumers.
Sniffapalozza
Takashimaya
Henri Bendel
L"Artisan Parfumeur
Le Labo
Santa Maria Novella/Lafco
Aedes de Venustas
Bond No.9
Cb "I Hate Perfume"
Barneys NY