Figure 5: Bois REVIEWS

This is the landing page for all Figure 5: Bois reviews, beginning with an exquisite piece by Einsof posted at CaFleureBon and Tom at Perfume Posse. I am feeling pretty darn fortunate on this Venus Day to have two reviews by two stellar guys. Here's a taste of the one my Einsof...

“Myth must be kept alive. The people who can keep it alive are the artists of one kind or another.”

"Myth speaks to the journey of the soul, of the evolutionary process of our lives; handed down by the great religious, psychological and spiritual traditions of the world. Joseph Campbell took great length to describe and collect these small stories containing the universe, and it is in this methodology Roxana Villa of Roxana Illuminated Perfume provides small vials of archetypal aromas- Figure 5: Bois being the latest rendition of the The World Tree."

Continue reading here CaFleureBon
and this one at Perfume Posse by Tom

Figure 5: Bois illumination by Greg Spalenka, his name for the image is Love Incense. 
Photos by Roxana Villa. All images © Greg Spalenka and Roxana Villa.

Figure 5: Bois

The four standard fragrance families are floral, oriental, wood and fresh. Floral and wood are fairly self explanatory, oriental refers to scents that have rich notes of: spice, resin, vanilla and/or amber, where as the family fresh governs fruity/citrus, green and oceanic.

The word bois in french means wood, the fragrance Figure 5: Bois belongs smack in the middle of the wood family. Additional notes of tobacco, leather and resin support the hearty timber to deepen the experience of a magical, mysterious forest. The fragrance evokes an old growth woodland where one might hear whispers and echoes of mystical creatures from long lost legends.

According to Kleercut.net, we humans have managed to eradicate 80% of our original old growth forests from "logging, clearing for agricultural land, and oil, gas and hydroelectric development."

Figure 5 Bois, like the fragrances Q and Sierra, remind us of how important trees are to our fragile eco-system and life here on planet Earth.

As with most of the fragrances I create, the formula is complex and dense, with quite a long list of essential oils that went into the orchestration, the most dominant notes come from what is referred to as cellulose fibers of a tree and end with wood:

- Cedar
- Cypress
- Sandal
- Guiac
- Ho
- Agar
- Holy / Saint (Palo santo)

I have also weaved leaves, resins and roots.

The energetics of this fragrance, due to so much wood, is primarily associated with the 1st chakra, providing strength, fortitude and stability, like the trees. Other attributes related to the other essential oils include: higher knowledge (7th chakra), perspective (6th chakra), and unconditional love (4th chakra).

The illumination for this fragrance reminds us of the balance in our dualistic nature and the importance of embracing her dwindling land and the elemental deities that dwell within.

Marriage is a Work of Art

Greg and I are part of a collective art show at the KrabJab Studio in Seattle called Marriage is a Work of Art. We selected Figure 5: Bois as our common theme. Greg created the illumination for the perfume while I re-formulated the fragrance. The exhibit features the 3x5 foot printed image on canvas with wooden slats on the top and bottom. I sent up a sample of the solid perfume with one of my little domes for people to experience the scent while gazing at the beauty of Greg's image.

Here's the artist statement that goes along with the visual image:

"This image represents the union of two souls. Their physical nature like trees are rooted to the ground  while their embrace creates a smoldering essence of love that branches upward manifesting a sacred geometric imprint in the ethers."

and the sentence for the pure fume.

"A weathered and warm embrace from the undergrowth of a mystic forest."

The fragrance as a solid and Eau de Parfum are currently only for sale the perfumery. Both formats will appear online soon or perhaps as a surprise sample in your next order.

Scent of the Day: WOODS

"I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately,
to front only the essential facts of life,
and see if I could not learn what it had to teach,
and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived."
~ Thoreau

The wood note in the botanical perfumers palette stems from the barks of trees. The two primary ingredients in this category are Sandalwood and Cedarwood with others like Japanese Hibawood and Rosewood. Sandalwood and Rosewood are controversial materials due to issues of deforestation of the species. We now use Sandalwood from other sources than the East Indian variety such as New Caledonian and Sri Lankan Sandalwood. Rosewood may be substituted with Howood.

When the trees and vines such as Jasmine begin to bloom my allergies kick in. I tend to find solace in the wood notes. Illuminated perfumes with woody characteristics are Sierra and Chaparral, in both the solid and liquid versions. Rosa gets has an earthy woody quality as well with from the strong presence of precious Agarwood.

For me today, I'm going with Chaparral Solid as my scent. Yesterday I received a lovely note via e-mail from a patron. With his approval I am sharing a few of his words, slightly edited for privacy:

"I received your beautifully packaged sampler set and have fallen under the spell of Chaparral. As a native Californian and sage-lover, it really speaks to me. Thank you for your great work!"

Thank you!