Burning Bright

The autumn festival of Michaelmas, one of the ancient holy days, has come back around. Michaelmas Day is considered the feast of the Archangel Saint Michael and/or the feast of all the Angels. The celebration appears to come out of the Christian tradition. If you dig deeper, you will find references and similar stories coming out of the Vedas in India.

In Waldorf schools, Michaelmas is celebrated by honoring the brave knight St. George when, with the assistance of the Archangel Michael, he conquered the dragon. There is lots of symbolism woven through out this story, the main one being how we need to slay, train or master the dragon within us. The dragon can be seen as our lower chakra, the self that acts out of fear, using our primal brain over our higher awareness and the dark. Carl Jung views a dragon as a symbol of the universal unconscious. The main message of the story of St. George and the Dragon, no matter which version(s) you may subscribe to, is that ultimately good prevails over evil.

After looking at many paintings from the 14th through 19th century depicting this story I noticed something interesting that was not evident to me in the past. Look closely, and you will see a maiden in almost all these depictions. Thus another symbol here is that the brave knight is rescuing a damsel in distress, or the divine feminine, from the monster. I'm thinking about the Netflix series Stranger Things here, but that's another post!  The feminine is the aspect of our self that is centered on love, the right brain, circular form of being/thinking. She is not necessarily a "woman", we are looking at the symbol here. There are loads of women in our society that have severed themselves from their feminine side. The symbol is about balancing our selves and the dualistic nature of this reality that pulls us away from the truth.

The alchemists interpreted this aspect as Sol y Luna, the sun and moon, who in the process of transformation are balanced and become one.

In the story of Vespertina, she is a truth seeker, a lover of the ultimate truth hidden behind the veils of reality. She is struggling with many dualistic principals throughout her epic journey.

I've selected Vespertina as our collective anointing balm since she is a female hero and the perfume contains lots of the resin frankincense. I see the resins as holding the light, just as we are beckoned to do here in the Northern hemisphere as the light begins to dwindle and the dark rises.

More posts on Michaelmas here.

Images:
Gustave Moreau, St. George and the Dragon, c. 1870. Oil on canvas. The National Gallery, London
Alchemical Image
Photograph of Vespertina Round Compact, Roxana Villa

Musical Odyssey

We are just about ready to share the Vespertina LookBook, in the meantime, here is a little video that Greg compiled for the CD.

Vespers

The Vespertina Eau de Parfum was filtered yesterday and has infused the Agoura workspace with the most divine and delicious aroma of woods, resin and florals all weaved together. There is approximately eight ounces of this first batch of the 2015 edition.

Greg and I are still hard at work on the LookBook which will debut shortly. As I was compiling imagery and content I came across a few nice reviews worth visiting or re-visiting. The first is this one by Beth published over at Perfume Smelling Things, which features some glorious writing by Ms. Gehring. Here's one by Divina at the Fragrance Bouquet and the third is somewhat hidden thus I am re-posting it here. The piece was written by Trish Vawter and first appeared in Sniffapalooza Magazine in 2009. Keep in mind that these were written based on the liquid and solid versions of the fragrance in its early incarnations. The formula has changed over the years due to the disappearance of many botanicals, but, it still retains the rich incense, sacred wood and floral imprint.

Roxana Villa’s Vespertina : An Illuminated Perfume

These past few months, I have spent a lot of time looking at Roxana Villa’s Illuminated Perfume website, reading her online journal, corresponding with her, and of course, wearing her fragrances. Delving into Ms. Villa’s creative work, and getting to know her has been an inspiration. Her love of nature, art and fragrance all flow organically through each other and so clearly through her, that one cannot help but be touched by her passion. I have had the honor to sample most of her fragrances and I can honestly report that Ms. Villa is an extraordinary perfumer who blends her fragrances with sophistication and a nature lover’s heart. Vespertina is the chosen perfume for review, and is intrinsically linked to the art and music of The Visions of Vespertina.

The Visions of Vespertina was recorded by Greg Spalenka, Ms. Villa’s husband, and Michelle Barnes. This was a ten year project that was first recorded by them and then later picked up for distribution and released in 1998. But it wasn’t until 2007 that Ms. Villa created Vespertina the fragrance, for what she refers to as a “threefold sensorium; music, art and scent”. Both the music and art of The Visions of Vespertina are moody, haunting, and medieval in tone. Not unlike the fragrance.

The citrusy, sparkly, subtly spicy topnotes of Verspertina conjure up an image of a mythical orange blossom wine that would be served during communion in a medieval church. Intoxicating, but reverent.

Uplifting, yet solemn. Apparently orange blossoms are not in Vespertina’s blend, but rather four different essential oils of citrus. But its floral heart emerges quickly, which might explain the suggestion of sweet orange blossom. Thankfully the sweetness is not cloying or overbearing. It is a nectar tempered by a medicinal, boozy twinge. Like heavy drunken buds, hanging from dark branches in the evening’s moonlight.

These images, one of non-compliant nature, and one of a devotional ancient ritual have occurred to me while wearing other Illuminated Perfumes.

It’s as though Ms. Villa is able to tap into the desire to connect with past reverential realms while staying grounded within the beauty of our present, albeit chaotic moments.

The evolution of Vespertina continues to ground its wearer as more of the woods move to the foreground, along with a slightly indolic jasmine. Rose and lotus are listed in the fragrance notes as well, but jasmine has the most depth and presence. As the fragrance ultimately settles into its drydown, very subtle hints of earthy leather can be noticed amidst the floral woodiness. Ms. Villa describes Vespertina as “orange woven with flowers, grounded by earth;” a concise and
entirely accurate depiction. Whether or not one is a seeker of natural perfumes, Vespertina is a compelling, complex citrusy floral, with much to offer all perfume lovers.

Vespertina Liquid is Back

The 2nd edition of Vespertina as a liquid perfume extract is now back! Orchestrated like her solid, creamy counterpart, the synergy contains the same precious essences but in a base of 190 proof organic grape alcohol with two tinctures one from frankincense resin and one from Indian ambrette seeds.

The aromatic is very similar to the solid but varies from the first edition of the liquid. I tested the first edition on one hand and the second edition on the other and noted that the newly constructed fragrance has more complexity and depth, as well as robust longevity when compared side by side.

A rich floral triad at the heart is spun of luxurious rose, jasmine and lotus which gently recline on ancient resinous wood. The affect is an intricate seduction. Images of a golden Bysantine crown come to mind with the rubies, emeralds and opals replaced by precious essences from Arabian deserts and lush ancient forests.

I invite you to sample to new edition and send me your testimonials to include on the new website.

Vespertina Flacon
Vespertina 1 gram in glass vial
Sample set of three

Coming soon: Solid and liquid sample set and 4 grams in a classic bottle.

Hedera helix and Gracing the Dawn

I've been spending my evenings making large amounts of the synergies for all the perfumes, in both solid and liquid form. Page 47 liquid and Eau de Parfum will be arriving shortly as well as Vespertina and Chiaroscuro liquid.

As I was meticulously making my way through the fragrances I noticed that the solid synergies for Hedera helix and Gracing the Dawn were running low. Thus I got out the formulas for both the liquid and solid varieties of each one with the intention to start building them. To my dismay, there are a few ingredients that have become challenging to obtain. What is left in both those perfumes is located at the website. Find them by putting Hedera helix and or Gracing the Dawn into the search bar at the top right.

Figure 5: Bois and Figure 8: Coeur de Jasmin will debut shortly. I am awaiting wax for Bois, in the meantime I am happy to make round tins, mini compact tins and compacts for those who make the request via e-mail or through the website.

I have also been slowly adding Valentine related items to the shops, more on that soon.

A Dream Menagerie

"I was in a deep wood, at twilight, and all your fragrances were actually PEOPLE...well..some of them were fairies or elemental/goddess-like beings...but basically people. They were all gathering around me, coming in and out of focus, and they each had their own story to tell about their lives and their experiences as who and what they were. Chaparral was obviously something of a cowboy, but in a surprisingly dapper and genteel Victorian, almost steam-punk sort of way...Hedera Helix was the spirit of the forest itself, and Rosa an almost vaporous woman dressed entirely in rose and flower petals...Gracing the Dawn wore antique lace on soft, soft modern white dresses, and she glowed like the very early morning sun when she spoke...It went on and on and i wish i remembered more of it, but it was like a beautiful spell, and it was wonderful.
Vespertina, and the GreenWitch, both of which i have never yet smelled, were the last to come to me, and the ones i remember best, for some reason. Vespertina was a tiny girl/woman, who frequently sprouted wings and both spoke and behaved like an eccentric spirit, or a very innocent and precocious fairy...she clung to my hand and whispered stories to me that i would give my I-teeth to remember clearly....and when the GreenWitch appeared, just before i woke, she came in a swirl of cool air and water-scent, and was more a deep presence than a person i could clearly see...she said nothing in words, but left a deep, heartening impression on me...it was just plain magical! :)

So, odd as it is, i wanted to tell you about it; your scents have the ability to really inspire the mind, even in sleep!
Thank you so much for sharing your talent with us all! :)"

~ KatnipKitty

Vespertina image by Greg Spalenka, available at his E-shop

Waxing and waning

Several perfumes are just about out of stock or completely out. This re-occurring new phenomena is a sign that the formulas need to be made in much larger batches when the materials allow it. I'm going to create a post that lives here toward the top of the journal titled Editions, so that you all know what edition is currently in stock, running low on etc.

Here's the latest as I type this.

GREEN WITCH

GreenWitch in liquid form is completely out, more is in the works and will be back shortly.

IMPROMPTU

In the shop currently there are three vials with 1 gram. I discovered a bigger amber glass vial with 3.75 grams of perfume the other night in the studio, however it may already be spoken for. Keep in mind 1 gram is roughly equivalent to .036oz. There is about 1/4 ounce left of the original formula, although the client that has requested the 3.75 gram vial might take it. If you want to be put on a waiting list for it send me an e-mail at roxana (at) illuminatedperfume (dot) com.
Another edition is currently in the works which will also be available as a solid. I already have the wax for this one which makes things flow much better.

VESPERTINA

There is only 11 grams left of the 1st edition, which contains many precious distillates not currently available. When I had launched Vespertina in August of 2007 the formula contained quite a large amount of essences from when I was working in aromatherapy. Regrettably these essences are no longer on the market. The next edition will shift slightly in its aromatic experience and be aligned with the fragrance of the solid since that one also is being re-constructed.

I thought I was out of the synergy for the solid, however, I am not. I apologize if I created any panic.

The Wild Woodland Rose is back!

"A rose does not preach - it simply spreads its fragrance."

~ Ghandi

Rosa, the perfume created for the wild, woodland rose of California is now back in liquid form! The flacon, the vial with 1 gram of juice and the samples have all been updated in the E-shop.

The reason this perfume was gone for many months was twofold: primarily because some of the precious aromatics were not available to me and secondly Rosa contains many chords and thus a complicated fragrance to make.

 I create fragrances from an artists perspective, not taking into account the possible extinction of raw materials. The challenge with this approach is that the perfume editions will change from one batch to another, even if I make chords to replace missing ingredients, there will undoubtedly be subtle fluctuations.

The February 2013 vintage of Rosa in her liquid form luckily did not shift from the last formula because two materials that were off the market eventually were made available again. I was working on creating chords of the missing materials, when, wahlah they returned.

Despite this rather fortunate turn of events, my amber bottle of the very precious Rosa bourbonica absolute also known as "Edward rose",  which is featured in both Rosa and Vespertina, is just about out. This honeyed, wood, rose essence comes from the dry dessert just outside the holy city of Pushkar in Rajasthan, India where it thrives alongside vetiver, another essence in both Rosa and Vespertina.

Many of the sacred oils that I use that come from India are cultivated and distilled in traditional alchemical vessels. The Rosa bourbonica from the region of Pushkar is prized for the high amount of Damascenone molecules present in the aromatic profile. The aroma is much deeper than other roses, with balsamic incense notes which pairs nicely with complimentary oils like Mysore sandalwood, vetiver and frankincense.

If I am not able to procure more Rosa bourbonica absolute for feature editions of  Rosa and Vespertina than it is possible the aroma of each will have subtle fluctuations. Due to the constantly shifting terrain of botanical raw material I am going to start putting a date on the listing of each item. For example, the date of the new Rosa liquid edition and Vespertina solid is February 2013. At this moment in time I am expecting the next editions will contain very little Rosa bourbonica.

Read about the orchestration of Rosa liquid here at the journal.

Gift Guide: Shabby Chic, Pink and the Vamp

Here's a few beauties I found on Etsy weaved in with some of my pieces. The first collection is for the romantic, lover of shabby chic and vintage style.

Bed from Painted Cottage in New Jersey
Vintage Crochet Bedspread - Coverlet from Ethanol in Portland Oregon
Large Coral Branch from EveryEskimo in Michigan
and the Page 47 mini compact from my shop.

I choose Page 47 natural solid perfume because it is a soft and feminine floral vanilla fragrance.


This second collection is along the same lines but pink with a touch of the Girly Girl.

White Chocolate Raspberry Macarons from The Whimsical Spoon in Charlotte, North Carolina
Pink Moon 8x12 Print by MKendall Photography in Atlanta, Georgia
Ballerina Series Blush Tank by ClaireLa Faye in Portland, Oregon
and Lyra solid perfume compact from my shop.

For her I chose the sweet, floral oriental profile of Lyra in her pretty pink crochet pouch.

Off in a completely different tangent we enter the world of the red, hot diva who likes sophistication and bling.


Set of 3 Holiday, Soy Wax Candles by Accessory Closet in Cleveland, Ohio
Red Rose Cocktail Hat w/ Black Netting by Sai Sai Arts in Nashville, Tennessee
Vintage Red Ruffle Stilettos by CaptainCat in Portland, Oregon
and Vespertina liquid botanical perfume from my shop.

I chose Vespertina liquid for this vamp who likes rose and jasmine in her perfume with a bit of mystery. The melding of floral, incense and botanical musk seemed right up her alley.

Pictorialism

During the late 1800's there was a group of photographers who made a conscious effort to focus their work on the artistic quality and aesthetics of an image, rather than be representational. This photographic movement was termed pictorialism.


The imagery portrayed was often very similar to the trends in painting at the time, specifically the symbolist movement and the Pre-Raphaelite painters of Britain. Photographic prints were manipulated in the darkroom, printed on special papers and sometimes engraved. These techniques disrupted the smooth surface of the imagery further distancing themselves from the traditional photography.


Alfred Stieglitz an American photographer was influenced and part of early movement of pictorialism in America. The group managed to have photography established as a legitimate art form in 1910, before that time photography was seen only as a tool not an art form.


I was introduced to this genre of photography by my husband Greg who has a collection of these works as well as many books on the subject. I adore the dreamy, poetic and romantic quality of the imagery. The Vespertina illustrated novel Greg has been working on has been influenced by the pictorialists.

Images
Opener:The Bubble by Clarence H. White (American, 1871–1925)
"Speed", by Robert Demachy
"The Dirigible" by Alfred Stieglitz
William of Northampton by Greg Spalenka

Choux & Vespertina

The scent of my day today has been Vespertina™ solid perfume mixed with the aroma of puffed pastry. Eve and I decided to make Cream Puffs this very rainy and grey washed day in the Santa Monica Mountains.


Invented in France, by the Pastry chef of Catherine de Medici, Puff Pastry is referred to as Choux meaning small cabbages, according to Stephanie Jaworski at The Joy of Baking. The word was most likely used because the small puffs of pastry when cooked resemble cabbages.


We filled ours with fresh blueberries and homemade whipped cream. The crispy pastries turned out delicious. Decadent, rich and extremely messy to eat...but well worth it.


Vespertina™ solid perfume feels like a good match with French pastries. The Jasmine and Rose in this fragrance have a vintage yet modern feel, like something Kirsten Dunst would have worn while filming Marie Antoinette. Staying close to the skin she would have enjoyed it's aromatic without nuking her fellow actors overpowering silage.


Eve and I are planning a photo shoot inspired by these photographs from the film Marie Antoinette by Sofia Coppola. Here's a small clip for you to enjoy...

V is for Vespertina

Vespertina™in her myriad of manifestations as a perfume, art and illuminated music has been honored by the most intricately woven spell. Journey over to Perfume Smellin' Things to read the an enchanted tale by the ever so gifted Beth, while you are there, if you fell inspired please leave a comment. Here is a link where you can listen to a few tracks from Vespertina while reading the review.

Find Vespertina™ in all her formats here.

For the historical view of Vespertina™, how she traveled from being a painting at the Tate, to an illuminated music CD and now a natural and botanical perfume follow this link here at the journal. There are also some other reviews, one by Divina at Fragrance Bouquet and Trish of Scent Hive wrote a wonderful review which is buried somewhere within Sniffapalooza Magazine. As soon as I uncover it I will post the link here.

Cheers to Wednesday, ruled by the planet closest to our sun and named after a Roman God, Mercury.

Back cover "V" image from Vespertina and illustrated image ©Greg Spalenka.

Vespertina Giveaway

In honor of this new expression of Vespertina™ we are doing a Perfume Giveaway! Enter for your chance to win your very own 1 gram liquid perfume with a solid mini.

How to enter:
1) Leave a comment on this Illuminated Perfume journal with your name, e-mail address and favorite perfume category: floral, spice, oriental, etc.

For extra entries:
2) Follow this Illuminated Perfume blog. (1 extra)
3) Tweet the giveaway on Twitter. (1 extra)
4) Blog or post on Facebook about this giveaway. (1 extra)
5) Post a link to this giveaway on your blog. (1 extra)
6) Go over to my Illuminated Perfume shop at Etsy and tell me what your favorite item is or what you'd like to see added. (1 extra)
7) Buy something from my Etsy shop (each $25 purchase counts for 2 extra entries)
8) If you purchase Vespertina solid and mention what you liked most about it on a blog, forum (Basenotes, MakeUpAlley, Perfume of Life, etc.) you get 2 extra entries.
9) Join the fan page on Facebook (1 extra)
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Roxana-Illuminated-Perfume/112429538898?ref=mf

If you do 2-9, please let me know so I can count each of your entries separately. Also provide me with the links to your activities. One comment with all your activities is sufficient.

More fine print, learned along the way
1. If we cannot contact you we will give your prize away to someone else.
2. Each entry is assigned a card from a red and blue deck, I then have a handy family member pick a card a winner and a runner up if the winner cannot be located.
4. If you have won the Artist Feature and Giveaway in the past you may enter again.

The deadline for entering is Wednesday, July 29 at 10pm (PST)
The winner will be contacted privately and announced via Twitter and the Blog on Thursday, July 30th.

Ready, set, GO!

Vespertina Solid Perfume

"Knowest thou the land, where the lemon trees bloom,
Where the gold orange glows in the deep thickets gloom,
Where a wind ever soft, from the blue heaven blows,
And the groves are of laurel and myrtle and rose."
~ Goethe

The summer of 2007 marked the release of Vespertina™ Perfume in a liquid format. Two years later, on a very auspicious July 22nd, I introduce to you Vespertina™ as a solid perfume. On July 22nd there will be a total eclipse of the Sun with a length of duration of six minutes. July 22nd is also the day the Sun moves into Leo and the feast day of Mary Magdalene. All this provides a nice energetic blueprint for debuting Vespertina in her new attire.

The composition of the perfume is very similar to that of the liquid, containing essences associated with heightened consciousness like sandalwood and frankincense. The floral bouquet at the heart which bridges from base to middle is created with roses, jasmines and lotus. For the head notes spice is melded with citrus producing an opening similar to the liquid version yet with some differences as well. The solid perfume layers beautifully over the liquid perfume.


The aromatic synergy is completely plant based including: barks, flowers, fruits, leaves, resins, roots, seeds and woods. There are twenty botanical essences total in this formula. The base ingredients for the solid perfume are organic golden jojoba oil and pure beeswax. The beeswax is the only item in this fragrance that is non botanical.


Since the epic tale of Vespertina has a back story of her romance with the young knight Dante I added essences that have been c-distilled and attars. These components bring one essence that is the marriage of two separate parts, like Vespertina and Dante.

Vespertina is categorized as a floral perfume moving into the terrain of wood and oriental. Thus the dominant theme is romantic floral, with woody and oriental aspects peeking through.

Read reviews of Vespertina in the liquid format by following these links:

Scent Hive & Sniffapalooza
Fragrance Bouquet

To read where the inspiration for this perfume came from, please follow this link here at the our illuminated perfume journal.

Vespertina is available as a solid mini or within an antique finished compact clothed in her signature burgundy, heirloom pouch, available exclusively at my E-shop which can be easily found by entering Vespertina into the search with "This Shop" selected.

Stay tuned for a giveaway beginning Wednesday, July 22nd here at this journal.

The artwork for Vespertina has been created by Greg Spalenka: www.spalenka.com

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: Lucky 13

Since it's Friday the 13th I thought I'd post wear something that relates to lucky 13. My research makes it's way to essential oil associations with luck to come up with todays fragrance. This takes me to "Aromatherapy for the Family" by Jan Kusmirek. Jan has an Index of Mental/Emotional Symptoms on page 24 of this little book.

So, I am pondering what mental/emotional challenges would block someone from luck? Hmm, that would be very individual. I'm thinking and feeling that the essences that would be most relevant are: Clary Sage, Frankincense, YlangYlang, Orange.

Courage: Frankincense, which also works on Perseverance, Paranoia and Self-criticism

Change:
- coping with: Ylang Ylang
- difficulty in adjusting: Clary Sage
- difficulty in making: Orange

Anxiety: Cedarwood, Chamomile, Clary Sage, Frankincense, Geranium, Juniper, Lavender, Marjoram, Rosewood, Sandalwood Tangerine, Orange, Ylang Ylang

Keep in mind this is specific to "essential oils" not fragrance oils or synthetic perfume.

The other aspect of luck to check out is magical associations. For this I defer to many of the same references I used when I created the prosperity accord contained in Sierra Solid Gold.

Some of the fragrances (includes essential oils, plant materials and synthetic aromas) associated with Luck according to Scott Cunningham include: Allspice, Calamus, Fern, Hazel, Heather, Irish Moss, Nutmeg, Orange,Poppy seed, Rose, Spikenard, Star Anise, Tonka, Vetiver, and Violet.

The planet connected with luck is Venus, thus all plants associated wiht here would be a great addition. Here are a few: Rose, Orris, Myrtle, Tonka, Tuberose, Ylang Ylang, Vanilla, Rose Geranium and Tonka. Another rather synchronistic item here is that Venus is the planet for Friday!

Well, based on the information gathered here, I suggest Vespertina as our scent of the day. The botanical perfume Vespertina many of the essences discussed and also contains a vibrational aspect of Venus.

This has been terrific to write, I am currently working on a perfume for the Equinox. I have now added a Lucky perfume to the list. Stay tuned on this blog or twitter for their release.

Vespertina at Fragrance Bouquet

"Meaning “Evening”, Vespertina is a glorious, floral scent with rich veins of spice. Its construction is absolutely marvelous, with top notes that you’ll want to chase after like fleeting dreams, floral heart notes so deep they make you feel like you can get lost in their nuances forever, and spicy, woody base notes that linger comfortingly on the skin until the skin’s own beauty shines through."

These are a few of the eloquent words Divina has written to describe the botanical perfume Vespertina. Head on over to her blog to read more and post a comment if you have experienced Vespertina.

Divina's Fragrance Bouquet Blog

I am particularly struck by her choice of descriptive words and paragraphs. They mimic the journey that the character Vespertina goes on in her quest for the spiritual heart. It is obviously that Divina has a very astute nose, besides being a gifted writer.

I feel very humbled when an inspired writer transcribes their sensory exploration of one of my perfumes. It is a profoundly tangible sensation. I heard once that artists live and create for recognition not for money. Hmmmm....

Vespertina perfume extrait is available at my new etsy shop in a variety of quantities from
.25 gram and 1 gram vials to the 7gram bottle. Read more about Vespertina on the website and here at this journal.

The image at top, ©Greg Spalenka, is a cropped version of the music cover CD titled The Visions of Vespertina.

Roxana Illuminated Perfume™

Name that note

He arrived back from the farmers market with the usual suspects: greens for juicing, plenty of salad greens, plump berries of all kinds and a surprise! I thought, mmmm chocolate perhaps? He instructed me to close my eyes, which I did obediently. Then he said "Now smell this." Oh, I thought, not chocolate, brain switches to olfactory mode and I inhale with odor identification in mind. A floral, but not the usual farmers market flowers...a little powdery, a bit of green, a slight spice note and hmmm, is that a back note of soap. I am perplexed, I think...not rose, not jasmine. I finally give up. It was a bouquet of beautiful violet and white lilacs!
Lilac, as a raw material to the botanical perfumer is not currently available. They have tried many times to extract the lovely fragrance, but, to no avail. It is one of those rare beauties whose time has not yet come. Although, may arrive shortly. As I've continued to inhale the fragrance throughout the day, studying the array of notes permeating the dining room. I have come to the conclusion that there is a lilac component to the botanical perfume Vespertina. I have cracked open a few of the perfume books in my collection. Sure enough some of the natural components which create the fragrance of lilac are in Vespertina.

Images ©Roxana Villa. The blueberry photograph was taken at a farmers market in Vancouver last Summer and the Lilacs are the ones that Greg brought me today.

Natives & Flower Perfumes

The box with little sampler bottles arrived yesterday as I was formulating a new perfume. It was a super busy day. I poured Vespertina samples in the morning, pondered packaging with Martha while eating delicious croquettas, crossed hills and valleys for a few more native plants and finished up the second edition of both Aurora and Lyra.

Vespertina, Lyra and Aurora currently make up the triad of our floral perfumes. Many new ones are in the works and will be released as as Spirit guides me. Some of you have had little sampler previews enclosed with your packages.

Although Lyra was released first, Aurora is the initial floral perfume I created. Back in the nineties I had sat down to recreate the aroma of carnations shortly following a Natural Perfumery class I had organized at the Bodhi Tree. Originally titled Experiment #2, Aurora has a spicy floral quality reminiscent of carnations. I consider both these botanical perfumes much simpler than the ones which followed. In fact “Q”, Chaparral, Vera, Vespertina and Sierra have quite a number of chords which are specific to them. I suppose it would be easier to develop one wood chord that would be used in all of of my perfumes. Alas, that is not how my inner artist functions. By the way, I prefer to use the word chord, instead of the French accord. My first perfume teacher used that name and it stuck. In most perfume circles you will notice they use the French accord. To be honest, I never quite understood the concept of using a word in a different language than the one we speak in. Perhaps this is because my first language is not English.

This morning I will be putting the native Salvias I purchased at the Theodore Payne Foundation into the dirt. The dirt chord I have been working on smells too much of patchouli, so that one will need some tinkering. The Three Graces are beckoning me and the new perfume needs her final accessories.

Roxana Illuminated Perfume™
Greg Spalenka
Image at top and bottom ©Greg Spalenka, Carnation engraving placed on parchment by Roxana.

Roxana Illuminated Perfume: REVIEW

Ms Bella, Kimbery Ayers, has posted a review of our perfumes and other ephemera on the Bath and Body portion of The Craft Gossip Blog Network.

I especially appreciated reading about Lyra and the odyssey the little sampler was taken on. So appropriate for that perfume! Kim's favorite perfume is Vespertina. I’ve been finding that this fragrance is quickly becoming the iconic favorite. Read more about Vespertina on our journal here.

Bath and Body is a terrific resource for those who do not know of it. Kim reviews quite a number of hand crafted products as well as providing recipes and tips.

Thank you Bella!

Bath and Body news @ CraftGossip: Roxana Illuminated Perfume

Perfume bottle image with logo at left ©Roxana Villa