As promised, more botanical goodness from Roxana Illuminated Perfume (Part 1 is here).
Sierra- Sniffing the vial gives a blast of bracing, green citrus. However, on my skin the citrus is sweet, almost candied, and the green element is replaced by a wonderful dirty earth layer. It's warm and soft, and I love the balance between the simple sweetness and the complex depth lurking underneath.
Chaparral might be the most masculine of the bunch. Basically, it's a somewhat smoky herbal incense. It starts quite medicinal and very sharp, but mellows down quickly. Chaparral has a transporting quality- it takes you to a faraway place. In the liquid form there is something that turns sour on my skin after a while, but the solid perfume is smoother and more resinous.
Vespertina is fast becoming a favorite. An orange blossom and incense combination, clean and crisp like a well-made, exquisitely cut white shirt. It might be the most perfumey in the series and very easy to wear. There's something soapy about Vespertina, in the best possible way. For an orange blossom scent, the sillage is pretty minimal, but the staying power is great and it wears beautifully. A solid version is in the works, and I have a feeling it's going to be gorgeous.
Speaking of the solids, I got to try several and loved the way they illuminate one of the star ingredients of the liquid perfumes. There is also a solitary solid, Cimbalom, which doesn't have a liquid twin. On my skin it was a sweet and dirty patchouli, very alive and incredibly sexy. Probably the complete opposite of Vespertina, and I like it just as much. The solid perfume melt into the skin and layer well with the liquid, making them last longer. The scent from most of the Illuminated Perfumes lingers for about three hours. While I thought it was completely gone, some were actually detectable on a sleeve hours later.
Roxana's blog (where I found the photo of the bottles) is a joy to read, especially once you get acquainted with the perfumes and want to learn more about the inspiration for your favorites. There's always a story and artistic references which make the scents more special.
The perfumes and solids can be purchased from Roxana's etsy store.
Sierra- Sniffing the vial gives a blast of bracing, green citrus. However, on my skin the citrus is sweet, almost candied, and the green element is replaced by a wonderful dirty earth layer. It's warm and soft, and I love the balance between the simple sweetness and the complex depth lurking underneath.
Chaparral might be the most masculine of the bunch. Basically, it's a somewhat smoky herbal incense. It starts quite medicinal and very sharp, but mellows down quickly. Chaparral has a transporting quality- it takes you to a faraway place. In the liquid form there is something that turns sour on my skin after a while, but the solid perfume is smoother and more resinous.
Vespertina is fast becoming a favorite. An orange blossom and incense combination, clean and crisp like a well-made, exquisitely cut white shirt. It might be the most perfumey in the series and very easy to wear. There's something soapy about Vespertina, in the best possible way. For an orange blossom scent, the sillage is pretty minimal, but the staying power is great and it wears beautifully. A solid version is in the works, and I have a feeling it's going to be gorgeous.
Speaking of the solids, I got to try several and loved the way they illuminate one of the star ingredients of the liquid perfumes. There is also a solitary solid, Cimbalom, which doesn't have a liquid twin. On my skin it was a sweet and dirty patchouli, very alive and incredibly sexy. Probably the complete opposite of Vespertina, and I like it just as much. The solid perfume melt into the skin and layer well with the liquid, making them last longer. The scent from most of the Illuminated Perfumes lingers for about three hours. While I thought it was completely gone, some were actually detectable on a sleeve hours later.
Roxana's blog (where I found the photo of the bottles) is a joy to read, especially once you get acquainted with the perfumes and want to learn more about the inspiration for your favorites. There's always a story and artistic references which make the scents more special.
The perfumes and solids can be purchased from Roxana's etsy store.
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