Artist Spotlight: Roxana with Illuminated Perfume

    For this Artist Spotlight I chose the work of Roxana from Illuminated Perfume.  I was first drawn to her lovely photos and then to the names of her elixirs like Gracing the Dawn, an herb, floral and spice arrangement, Page 47, a nectarous fragrance, and Green Witch, a bouquet of scents dedicated to the Greek sea goddess Tethys, I knew there was more to this lady and her shop than meets the eye or nose as the case may be.  

    I am so delighted to present her shop, her story, and to get to know her better.  Roxana says of her work,  "I create organic perfumes with stories to remind us of our own essential nature and the connection with mother earth. These fragrances are mindfully crafted from the vitality of nature using whole essences from the plant world."

Bleu:  What would you most like for people to understand about your work?

Roxana:  The most important thing is that people understand that almost ALL scented products on the market, even those labeled as "natural" are made with synthetic fragrance molecules. These molecules are made with petroleum and were introduced to perfumes at the turn of the century during the industrial revolution. They are very toxic to humans, animals and the planet. 

B:  Roxana, was there a particular moment that you knew you wanted to enter the world of alchemy or was it part of a natural progression?

R:   My interest in alchemy became apparent during art school when I was introduced to alchemical imagery. The interest turned into a realization when I began to study aromatherapy and saw the connections between working with plant material to induce higher states of consciousness.

B:  The photos of your creations are very powerful.  It is a true testament to you skill as an artist to be able to visually represent scents.

R:   Thank you!

B:  What is your favorite scent or product that you've created and why?

R:  Hmm, I have many favorites, they are a bit like ones own children, I love them al! Some have a higher resonance with me personally. For example I have just released Fleurish and I am completely addicted to it, I adore the uplifting fresh jasmine notes and how it mixes with my chemistry. However, my favorite perfume I've created as a work of art is GreenWitch. The fragrance came about very auspiciously during a study group with other botanical perfumers. We had taken on the theme of "Chypre" and were each working on constructing a fragrance based on that family of perfumes which is are characterized by the contrast of bergamot in the top-notes with oakmoss in the base. I decided to do a "green" themed fragranced which progressed into including seaweed when I decided to create the scent based on the book "GreenWitch" by Susan Cooper. The perfume has gone on the win awards and is my biggest seller.

B:  As an alchemist, do you consider yourself an artist or a scientist?

R:  I am most definitely an artist although I do try to understand the world much like scientists do by deeply observing things, asking lots of questions, doing research and looking at different perspectives. I must say I am completely perplexed by how so many people take what they hear in the "news" as fact. Particularly when it makes absolutely no sense or is contradictory to the wellness of humanity. 

 

B:  What has been the most rewarding experience you've had from this endeavor?

R:  As I stop and look back on my life, I can see that this is what I was meant to be doing, there is no doubt and that quite profound feeling. I get great satisfaction from elevating peoples consciousness, even if it is something subtle like understanding the importance of native plants or the honey bee. Little realizations like that can have profound impact on civilization. I see it a bit like the concept of Chaos Theory how the flutter of one butterfly wings might affect weather patterns.

B:  That is a worthy calling and a wonderful feeling to know that you are where you are meant to be.  I look forward to what the future has in store for you.  Thank you so much for joining me today. 

You can find Roxana's creations at her Etsy.com shop  Illuminated Perfume

or visit her workshop in Agoura Hills, California