I’ve been teaching my daughter Eve to cook. She’s been out of school for her summer break for about two weeks now, going on three. We started with apricot pie utilizing grandmas fresh fruit from her tree. While we were looking for that recipe we came a…
Cooking with Eve
July 7th, 2008 — , Vocabulary of Scent, odor from Roxana @ Illuminated Perfume
The Soul Cracked Open
July 4th, 2008 — , Aritst, fantasy art, inspiration from Roxana @ Illuminated Perfume
My roots as an artist were first nurtured by the visual arts. Artists creating fantastical visions delving into other realms of the psyche, many from Europe, were what fed my creative appetite. One such artist is now featured in a new documentary, he i…
New York, New York
July 2nd, 2008 — , Aritst, illustrator, letterpress, new york from Roxana @ Illuminated Perfume
I took my hearthrob, aka Greg, to the airport last night. He caught the red eye into NYC. He invited me to come along, now I am rather thinking I made a mistake in not going with him. I chose to stay and focus filling orders, custom perfumes and the se…
All Things Lavender
June 30th, 2008 — , Perfume, Vera, essential oils, lavender from Roxana @ Illuminated Perfume
It is Lavender season, many festivals in honor of this universally healing herb take place at this time of year. The word lavender comes from the Latin “Lavare” meaning to wash. The herb has a very rich presence in literature and is used widely in medi…
Vera Perfume Review
June 23rd, 2008 — , Review, Vera, lavender from Roxana @ Illuminated Perfume
Vera, our perfume celebrating Lavender and Ojai, has been reviewed on the Perfume Critic. Here is a link. The author of the perfume review is Sands Murray-Wassink a contemporary fine artist and perfume collector living and working in Amsterdam, The Net…
A Summer Solstice Perfume
June 21st, 2008 — , Summer Solstice, botanical perfume, orange from Roxana @ Illuminated Perfume
The great earth wheel has cycled around once again as the Sun reaches its zenith and marks Midsummer, the longest day of the year. To create a perfume, anointing oil or balm for Summer Solstice consider building it based on orange, calendula and rose.F…
Another doorway
June 20th, 2008 — , Art from Roxana @ Illuminated Perfume
The job of the artist is always to deepen the mystery. ~ Francis BaconI’ve created a new blog for my other artistic passion, visual art. It is a work in progress, however, it has begun and feels like a good time to announce it. Click this link to jum…
Happy Birthday!
June 16th, 2008 — , in the studio, lavender from Roxana @ Illuminated Perfume
Our blog had it’s first birthday yesterday and the website turned one this morning. What an adventure this has been. Exactly one year ago today I was the keynote speaker at the Fourth Annual Ojai Lavender Festival. This years festival is scheduled for …
Red and Green
June 13th, 2008 — , Green, advertising, color from Roxana @ Illuminated Perfume
The standard color wheel depicts from six to twelve, sometimes more, colors arranged in a circle. The three primary colors being red, yellow and blue. The secondary orange, green and violet. If you look at a color wheel you will notice that red and gre…
Lunar Month of Oak
June 10th, 2008 — , Summer Solstice, celtic lore, native plants, oak from Roxana @ Illuminated Perfume
The Celtic Tree Month of Duir begins today. Duir meaning “door” is the Celtic name for Oak. The magick associated with the lunar month coincides with the upcoming celebration of Summer Solstice on June 20th. The Oak is the tree of the sun and is at…
Sensing Organisms
June 10th, 2008 — , Books, california, inspiration, native plants from Roxana @ Illuminated Perfume
In the nineties, when I created illustrations 24/7, I contributed an image for an article in National Geographic on how plants communicate with each other. Recently I’ve come to learn about the inherent wisdom in California native plants, including the…
The beet goes on
June 4th, 2008 — , Books, essential oils, inspiration from Roxana @ Illuminated Perfume
I am a lover of all things synchronisitc and when it occurs I pay attention. Last week I taught my bi-annual introduction to Aromatherapy class. One of the students begged to whiff distilled essence of carrot seed. I joyfully obliged, for it is a good…
A Walk in the Woods
June 3rd, 2008 — , Nature, botanical perfume, chaparral, essential oils, inspiration, native plants from Roxana @ Illuminated Perfume
The perfumes I create are made with actual plant material, sometimes tinctured or infused, and essences obtained from nature in the guise of essential oils. The natural or botanical perfumer has a vast palette to work with in creating their artwork, le…
Escapade
June 1st, 2008 — , Art, San Diego Comic Con, fantasy art, inspiration from Roxana @ Illuminated Perfume
We are stepping into a phase of magical escapade, beginning with an extended journey in Baja California followed by Comic Con. I’m looking forward to the beautiful beaches in Baja, not to mention the olfactory discoveries that await down south.The Sa…
Vera
May 28th, 2008 — , EdC, Vera, bayrum aftershave, botanical perfume, lavender from Roxana @ Illuminated Perfume
I first experimented with an EDC, eau de Cologne, in November of 2005. I built the fragrance utilizing a tincture of bay leaves and a synergy combining bay laurel essential oil with spices and citrus. It was the first time I had ever added water to a c…
herb + citrus = EDC
May 27th, 2008 — , EdC, aromatherapy, botanical perfume, citrus, essential oils, recipe from Roxana @ Illuminated Perfume
History on eau de Cologne is quite varied and difficult to pin down exactly where the word and formula came from. It appears the term eau de Cologne was coined by French soldiers stationed in the city of Köln, Germany. History tells us the first EDC w…
Pumpkin
May 25th, 2008 — , Books, aromatherapy, botanical perfume, essential oils from Roxana @ Illuminated Perfume
Who would have thought that pumpkin pancakes would work in perfect combination with lentils. This morning I made pumpkin pancakes for the family. (A few of them for Eve and I had chocolate chips.) Greg decided we needed more protein, thus the lentils c…
Purple Haze
May 22nd, 2008 — , chaparral, inspiration, native plants, sage from Roxana @ Illuminated Perfume
I power walked up the steep street which leads to the Santa Monica Mountain trails early this morning. The birds were singing, bees a humming and as the landscape shifted from homes to plant life the scent of white sage filled my lungs.There are areas …
Soul Star
May 20th, 2008 — , event from Roxana @ Illuminated Perfume
The second Whole Child, Whole Planet Expo took place this past weekend under a radiant Sun. The word “whole” being the epicenter of this two day event, focusing on all things wholistic, from the inside out.Master Gregorio created the image for the …
The May Tree
May 13th, 2008 — , celtic lore, inspiration, tree from Roxana @ Illuminated Perfume
Today marks the start of a new Celtic lunar cycle according to the Beth-Luis-Nion calendar. Each of the thirteen cycles, consisting of twenty-eight days, is related to one of the trees which the old Celts held sacred. May 13th is the first day of the s…
Name that note
May 10th, 2008 — , Floral, Vespertina, botanical perfume, odor from Roxana @ Illuminated Perfume
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 h…
Fragrance as Sculpture
May 9th, 2008 — , Books, Perfume from Roxana @ Illuminated Perfume
Kurt Anderson of Studio 360 features Perfume in this weeks segment of the nationally syndicated, popular radio program. Fragrance authors Luca Turn and Tania Sanchez of the recent “Perfumes: The Guide” talk with Kurt while walking through aDuane Reade …
Ah, it’s Friday!
May 9th, 2008 — , Books, in the studio, inspiration from Roxana @ Illuminated Perfume
I’ve had a few enquiries as to what I am currently working on. Generally, an artistic endeavor of some sort is happening here in the studio at all times. In the past the studio was mostly a place for creating illustrations for publications. Now there a…
A Secret in the Forest
May 6th, 2008 — , Green, Heather Ettlinger, Perfume, Q, Sierra, botanical perfume, chords, fragrance families from Roxana @ Illuminated Perfume
The main green notes in perfumes come from leaves and stems which give the impression of the scent of grass and crushed leaves. Heather Ettlinger of the blog “Memory and Desire” has just posted an entry about green perfumes which include our “Q??…
Beltane Perfume
May 3rd, 2008 — , Beltane, Duir, Q, botanical perfume, elementals, oak, recipe from Roxana @ Illuminated Perfume
The warming weather, longer daylight hours, the blossoming earth all hearken the turn of the great earth wheel once again. Beltane, one of the high Celtic holy days, has arrived. Traditionally celebrated with wild romps in the woods and dancing around …
Perfume at WCWP Expo
May 1st, 2008 — , Green, News, botanical perfume, event, speaking from Roxana @ Illuminated Perfume
Roxana Illuminated Perfume™ will be at the upcoming Whole Child, Whole Plant Expo in Los Angeles. The super green event features notables in the green movement such as Ed Begley Jr, Amy Brenneman, Stephen Stills, Erin Gray, Sandra Tsing Loh, Cambria …
Natives & Flower Perfumes
April 24th, 2008 — , Aurora, Lyra, Vespertina, botanical perfume, native plants from Roxana @ Illuminated Perfume
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 f…
Pictures, Perfumes & Acoustics, Oh My!
April 23rd, 2008 — , Art, Greg Spalenka, event, exhibition, sensorium from Roxana @ Illuminated Perfume
“O great creator of being grant us one more hour to perform our art and perfect our lives.” ~ Jim MorrisonSunday the…
The Sky is Open
April 21st, 2008 — , chaparral, inspiration, native plants from Roxana @ Illuminated Perfume
We celebrated the earth this weekend in the Santa Monica mountains among divine beings. On Sunday we met some friends up in Topanga, hopped on bikes and scooters and made our way to the Topanga Earth Day Celebration. Through the chaparral scented breez…
The Chatter
April 17th, 2008 — , Perfume, San Diego Comic Con, Sniffapalooza from Roxana @ Illuminated Perfume
“A true poet does not bother to be poetical. Nor does a nursery gardener scent his roses.”~ Jean CocteauAs 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 p…
The Genius of Nature
April 14th, 2008 — , Nature, Rose, Theodore Payne Foundation, botanical perfume, native plants from Roxana @ Illuminated Perfume
“Nature is full of genius, full of divinity;so that not a snow flake escapes it’s fashioned hand.” ~ Henry David ThoreauTwo major events, dear to my heart,…
The Right Side
April 11th, 2008 — , Bliss, Brain, inspiration from Roxana @ Illuminated Perfume
In my first year of art school I decided to read “Drawing From the Right Side of the Brain” to help me master representational drawing. Not only did I read the book, do all the exercises but
The Three Graces: The base meets wood
April 9th, 2008 — , Perfume Inside the Poem, The Three Graces, botanical perfume, essential oils from Roxana @ Illuminated Perfume
I have finished the initial base chord, it took me awhile to decide exactly which Patchouli and which Vetiver to integrate with the other members of this temporal ensemble. In the end I choose an Indonesian Patchouli with a lovely floral aspect to it. …
The Art Spirit
April 9th, 2008 — , Aritst, Art, Books, inspiration from Roxana @ Illuminated Perfume
“When the artist is alive in a person, whatever his kind of work may be, he becomes an inventive, searching, daring, self-expressing creature. He becomes interesting to other people. He disturbs, upsets, enlightens, and opens ways for better understa…
Roxana Illuminated Perfume: REVIEW #2
April 8th, 2008 — , Lyra, Perfume, Review from Roxana @ Illuminated Perfume
Want eco-living tips delivered to your in-box everyday? The tips tend to be short, witty and sassy. All tinged in green with super great ideas and insights into living harmoniously with the earth. If you are a reader of this blog and love all things g…
Roxana Illuminated Perfume: REVIEW
April 7th, 2008 — , Perfume, Review, Vespertina, bath and body from Roxana @ Illuminated Perfume
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 fo…
Andy Tauer in LaLaLand
April 3rd, 2008 — , Andy Tauer, Lucky Scent Bar, Perfume from Roxana @ Illuminated Perfume
For over a year now I’ve been hearing the name Andy Tauer. It began with a fellow blending partner, Ylva Rubensson. She had been intrigued by Andy’s particular methodology for making perfume. Then, my friend and mentor, Gail Adrian highly recommended…
The Three Graces: The base
April 1st, 2008 — , Perfume Inside the Poem, The Three Graces, botanical perfume, essential oils from Roxana @ Illuminated Perfume
“I choose notes with a cool quality for the “wet, dark” earth aspect from which the fragrance will be built upon, such as: Mitti Attar, Patchouli, and Vetiver. I see the base as a dark leather chord in juxtaposition to the bright floral heart. I add a …
Smell is a potent wizard
March 31st, 2008 — , Gratitude, Perfume Inside the Poem from Roxana @ Illuminated Perfume
“Smell is a potent wizard that transports you across thousands of miles and all the years you have lived.”- Helen KellerThe Perfume Inside a Poem two week project comes to a close today. Can you hear me sighing? It has been such a pleasure to parti…
Perfume Inside the Poem Unveiled
March 29th, 2008 — , Perfume, Perfume Inside the Poem from Roxana @ Illuminated Perfume
This afternoon, Heather Ettlinger of Memory and Desire, will publish my contributionto her ongoing project titled Perfume Inside the Poem. I am one of fourteen other perfumers who has participated in this fascinating scent exploration of a poem by Ezra…
Visual and Aromatic Arts
March 27th, 2008 — , Art, Memory and Desire, Perfume Inside the Poem, artist, ayala moriel, conference, perfumer from Roxana @ Illuminated Perfume
The artist is a receptacle for emotions that come from all over the place;from the sky, from the earth, from a scrap of paper,from a passing shape, from a spider’s web. …
The Duir Way
March 25th, 2008 — , Duir, Q, Quercus, Quercus agrifolia, Sniffapalooza, oak from Roxana @ Illuminated Perfume
“I am the Lorax,I speak for the trees,for the trees have no tongues.” - Dr. SuessThe latest issue of Sniffapalooza Magazine, March 23, 2008, contains a contribution titled “The Duir Way” detailing the inspirat…
Lavender and the media
March 24th, 2008 — , Media, aromatherapy, essential oils, lavender, odor from Roxana @ Illuminated Perfume
Mis-information is currently being circulated by the big media conglomerates in regards to Lavender and the benefits of Essential Oils. It makes me think the the large pharmaceutical cartels, who own many media companies, have launched this attack.Fort…
Bunnies, Eggs and Mythical Creatures
March 23rd, 2008 — , Nature, Spring Equinox, chaparral, native plants, spring from Roxana @ Illuminated Perfume
Happy Easter! The origins of the word Easter are found in the ancient Saxon Lunar Goddess known as Eostre and Norse Goddess Ostara. In both these traditions, as well as those of the Greeks and Egyptians we find the symbolic use of eggs and bunnies. Th…
All things Spring
March 20th, 2008 — , Spring Equinox, botanical perfume, tempermants from Roxana @ Illuminated Perfume
Today marks the mid point when the day is equal to the night, appropriately named Equinox, meaning “equal nights” in Latin. We are now in a period where the light begins to grow, peaking at the Summer Solstice on June 20th.”Look deep into nature, and t…
Perfume Inside the Poem
March 17th, 2008 — , Heather Ettlinger, Memory and Desire, Perfume Inside the Poem from Roxana @ Illuminated Perfume
Heather Ettlinger, devotee of both perfume and poetry, has fused her love into a fun and creative project on her blog Memory and Desire. Heather has attracted fourteen perfumers from different terrains to participate. The collaboration is called Perfum…
Spring
March 13th, 2008 — , botanical perfume, chords, spring from Roxana @ Illuminated Perfume
Everything is blooming most recklessly;if it were voices instead of colors, there would be an unbelievable shrieking into the heart of the night. ~Rainer Maria Rilke, Letters of Rainer Maria RilkeSpring has most definitely sprung here in the Santa M…
Oceanic
March 10th, 2008 — , botanical perfume, fragrance families, handmade, sensuous from Roxana @ Illuminated Perfume
“I am you; you are ME. You are the waves;I am the ocean. Know this and be free, be divine.” - Sri Sathya Sai BabaA divine Goddess in m…
Botanical Perfume & Alchemy: Sage
March 4th, 2008 — , Alchemy, botanical perfume, essential oils, ojai from Roxana @ Illuminated Perfume
“You are an alchemist; make gold of that.” - William ShakespeareAlchemy in the Casitas PassMarch 29, 2008Alchemy is often associated with the art of botanical perfume due the transformation of physical matter through the process of distillation. …
Sovereignty
March 1st, 2008 — , Beltane, Californica, Sovereignty, Theodore Payne Foundation, botanical perfume, california, native plants from Roxana @ Illuminated Perfume
Today was the final class in the California Native Plant Design series at the Theodore Payne Foundation. I now have a complete landscape design using native plants for the front portion of our lot. I chose plants from the Woodland and Chaparral communi…