Vera Solid Natural Perfume is Back!

Three different lavenders and white sage grown and distilled in Ojai are combined with orange blossom and thirty one other plant essences with two of my own complex chords go into Vera. The labyrinthine orchestration results in a sparkling, sunny, uplifting yet calming pure fume, evocative of the location in Southern California where the inspiration began.

Breath deep, connect to the land, the sunshine, the air, the plants, the honey bees—all guides to our inner sanctum of knowing and peace.

Read more about Vera at these posts here at the journal

The liquid and Eau de Parfum version of Vera is coming along with other fragrances that are sold out and the intoxicating Summer jasmine perfume. I also have To Bee and Blanc as an Eau de Parfum to unveil, which by the way, are fabulous layered over each other. The synergy gives conveys a deep, rich honey note.

I'm a presenter, once again, at the NAHA Beyond Aromatics conference. Yay! This time, the happening takes place at the University of Utah toward the end of October. Come join me and this dynamic community.

Nine

Nine years ago I came out of my aromatic shell 🌱 and debuted the Roxana Illuminated Perfume line, website and blog with being a presenter at the Ojai Lavender Festival. In the photo below I am chatting with the aromatherapy legend Robert Tisserand. As you can see my beginnings were very humble.

"And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud 

was more painful than the risk it took to blossom."

~ Anais Nin

It was my first step into what at the time was a very adversarial field of "Natural Perfume", which is why I used the quote above on my products. I was adamant about not including the historical animal ingredients that my peers were using, as well as synthetics or isolates. Nine years later I am still standing in my truth with supporting and promoting our connection to nature...and inspiring others to do the same.

On that blessed, grand day I released Vera, composed as a song to lavender and the regional farmers working with this healing herb. The handmade fragrance is an herbaceous bouquet of lavender and sage inspired by ingredients from the beautiful Ojai Valley in Southern California. The scent has been expertly woven with several types of lavender, notes of white sage, fresh mown hay, orange blossom and a salty ocean breeze. FYI, I am just about out of the current edition.

We are celebrating the ninth anniversary of Roxana Illuminated Perfume, the completion of my online course and the first day of the Summer with a 25% discount at my website on any orders over $50, enter the code "Lavender" upon checking out.

FYI, I'm sold out and close to be out of many fragrances including Vera, thus don't delay if you have a favorite.

Many thanks to each of you who have been part of this wonder filled adventure. You can read more about that day at the Ojai Lavender Festival at the second post I wrote here at this journal.

VERA Anniversary Celebration 2015

In mid June of 2007 with the help of my friend and graphic designer Terese Harris I launched the website, blog and Vera on the morning of the Ojai Lavender Festival. In honor of that blessed day, lavender and the fabulous journey, here is an anniversary celebration with something for everyone.

The first part of the celebration is a free sample of the Vera natural solid in any order of $25 or over (not including tax or shipping). This is in addition to any other free sample that may be part of your order. To get the sample please include a note with your order upon checkout either via Etsy or my website.

For the second part of the festivities I will be giving away Vera perfume related gifts to four lucky winners. If you are one of the lucky winners you can choose from these two prizes:

- Vera liquid in glass vial, 1 gram by weight
- Vera mini compact solid perfume

- The grand prize is a Vera solid perfume round compact, valued at $195, this prize will go to the most beautiful Pin Board creation, see #1 below.

There are several ways to enter:

(1) PIN BOARD
- Create a board on Pinterest that either evokes the essence of Vera.
- Feel free to use any imagery from the website, this journal, Greg's site, etc. I've started a Vera Pin Board that you can use for reference here. Submit your beautiful creation, or creations, via e-mail (roxana at illuminatedperfume.com) with a link to your board by June 27th 12pm PST.
- The person who creates the most beautiful board will receive the Vera Solid Perfume Round Compact. If you have previously won a Pin It to Win It contest you may enter this contest.

(2) INSTAGRAM

1. Follow @illuminatedperfume on Instagram  2. tag a friend below 3. Repost with @repostapp, tag us @illuminatedperfume and include the hashtags #vera #lavender #giveaway Do all three get THREE entries, or ONE each.

(3) COMMENT
Leave a comment of this blog post and tell me what new product or fragrance you would like to see manifest, ONE entry.

(4) PURCHASE
Any purchase of $25 as of today June 17th, will receive ONE entry. If your entry is for $50 that will count as TWO, if $75 that will count as THREE, etc.

(5) REVIEW
Review one of your favorite Illuminated Perfumes on Make Up Alley, Fragrantica or other major perfume forum (THREE entries per each review). Reviews must be dated June 17, 2015 or there after. Please email me the link to confirm: roxana at illuminatedperfume.com

(6) FOLLOW
Follow this journal or the Roxana Illuminated Perfume on Instagram and you will receive ONE entry per each one. If you already are a follower please let me know.

(7) SHARE
Share this celebration on a social media site with a link to to this post and you will receive ONE entry.

(8) MENTION
Mention this celebration on your blog or any social media platform with a link to to this post and you will receive ONE entry. Please email me the link to confirm: roxana at illuminatedperfume.com

The fine print...

1. The deadline for entering is June 27, 2015 (The day of the Ojai Lavender Festival this year), at 12 pm (PST).
2. Once the pin boards have been looked at all entries will be placed into a random drawing via the "randomizer" and announced on this blog, twitter, instagram and facebook.

Thank you for your support over the years!

Botanical Perfume & Alchemy: Sage

“You are an alchemist; make gold of that.” - William Shakespeare

Alchemy in the Casitas Pass
March 29, 2008

Alchemy is often associated with the art of botanical perfume due the transformation of physical matter through the process of distillation. Sandy Messori of Rivendell Aromatics and Roxana of Illuminated Perfume have aligned their passion and skills to bring you a day of distillation, plant wisdom and scent making. We have chosen White Sage, Salvia apiana, for our day long aromatic exploration. White Sage is a member of the California Chaparral Biome and held sacred by the Native People of America.

Our day begins at 9am at Rivendell Aromatics with hands on preparation of the plant material to be distilled. Once the Prima Materia has been prepared and put into the still we will study the plant from all perspectives including: historical, medicinal and perfumery.

Rivendell Aromatics resides among 3000 Hass Avocado Trees in the lovely Casitas Pass Valley, near Santa Barbara, California. A 50 gallon stainless steel distillation unit with a glass condenser is utilized to distill their own oils and hydrosols from organically grown plants. The farm is owned by the Messori family and operated by Roland and Sandy Messori. Sandy and Roland are graduates of Cal Poly University, California.

Sandy will be the main conductor of the day, as we harvest and prepare the "physical matter" to be transformed into the "quintessence". I will contribute my aromatherapeutic blending and botanical perfumery background to the experience as we learn and create from the plant matter harvested. Together Sandy and I will demonstrate different ways to use both the hydrosol and the essential oil produced from the distillation.

Each participant will take part in the alchemical transformation of the plant matter from solid mass to aromatic treasures as well as prepare at least one item to take home with them. This is a unique and special experience in our local community with a boutique distillation in a gorgeous, peaceful setting. A light, vegetarian lunch will be served. Our day will end at 4pm. Please wear suitable clothing and bring a notebook to write in.

The fee for the entire day, including materials is $140 or $70 for half the day. A deposit of half of which is due up front to reserve your seat. The balance is due before the day of the class. Due to the nature of the class, participation is limited, we encourage you to reserve your seat now. The deposit is non-refundable. We require the full amount at time of registration if you choose to pay with a credit card. Please contact Sandy to reserve your seat and directions: (805) 649-2476 or Rivendell7@aol.com.

Rivendell Aromatics
Roxana Illuminated Perfume™

Ojai Lavender Festival in Review

The Ojai Lavender Festival on Saturday, June 16th, 2007 was a joy to participate in. This was the 4th year of this celebration of Lavender, the 1st in 2004 with illustrious presenters including Suzanne Catty and Michael Scholes.

The air was permeated with the herbaceous, fruity scent of lavender at Libbey Park when we arrived at 8:30 am. Sandy and Roland Messori of Rivendell Aromatics, had already set up most of their extensive booth and I suspect the majority of the glorious vapors were wafting from their beautiful lavender bouquets and plants.

At 1pm I delivered the keynote presentation on The Art Spirit in Aromatic and Visual Art at the outdoor stage, under a large canopy of coastal live oak trees. It was quite an honor to speak out for the oaks with their presence surrounding us all. I had momentarily flashes of Treebeard and the Ents from the Lord of the Rings trilogy by JRR Tolkien.

The talk began with a personal history as an artist working in the mediums of paint and essential oils. I gave an example of how the creation of a visual image and a perfume share the same process, although the tools of the trade vary, in the end you are left with a constructed artwork.

I also shared how the Quercus perfume manifested through a series of synchronistic events, inspired by four oak trees. Quercus was the first perfume of the Californica line with a portion of proceeds supporting the California Oak Foundation

We explored a few elements from the history of aromatherapy and ended with a reminder by Joseph Campbell to "Follow Your Bliss!"

The day was very full with a constant stream of visitors at the booth, recognizing the artwork from various publications and wanting to experience the perfumes. All the perfumes were very well received. Vera, the fragrance created specifically for the festival, and Quercus were the favorites at this event. Visitors included fans, friends, students, clients and Robert Tisserand, shown in the photo above. It was a treat to finally meet him in person and share our perfumes.

My gratitude to Greg, Martha and all my friends for your support as well as Brad and Chiara for the photos!

Ojai Lavendar Festival, Saturday, June 16 1pm

Schedule:
10am: Live entertainment: Dan Wilson, guitarist extraordinaire
11am: Speaker: Nathan Kaehler on "Lavender in Healing: A Look Around the World"
12 noon: Live entertainment: Hillfillies starring Mary Z. Wilson, Rosie Tower and
Karen Orser joined by Barney Tower and Dan Wilson.
1:00: Speaker: Roxana Villa, Visual & Aromatic Artist
2:00: Speaker
3:00: Live entertainment: Deborah Neal and the 5 Star Band

Roxana Villa, noted Southern California perfume artisan. In the tradition of alchemists and perfumers of ancient times, Roxana creates an illuminated line of exclusive, signature fragrances along with extraordinary custom perfumes. She is currently working on a series of California-themed fragrances including a new lavender fragrance inspired by the Ojai Lavender Festival.