Roxana Illuminated Perfume- Part 2

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.

Roxana Illuminated Perfume- Part 2

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.

Roxana Illuminated Perfume- Part 2

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.

Pacifica Solid Perfumes: Cute Things In Small Packages

As you can see, Lizzy and Giselle found these little pots of Pacifica Solid perfumes to be quite entertaining (then again, they are highly amused with twist ties, bottle caps, the zipper of my favorite hoodie and each other's tail). I enjoyed the cute packaging (they would make nice stocking stuffers) and portability: These tins are smaller than several of my lip balms.

Like most solid perfumes, these ones from Pacifica are low in sillage and stay very close to the skin, while still being detectable if you get close enough. It makes me think that they'd be ideal when one is stuck in a very small space, like on a flight (there's some travel in my very near future, so I think at least one of these tins are boarding the plane with me. The size is TSA-friendly). I apply them to the back of my hand (I like the smooth, waxy feel), so sniffing it to block those horrid airplane smells is another good use.

Out of the ones I tested, Spanish Amber is my favorite. While it's no Ambre Sultan, there's still enough richness and depth even in such a simple product, and the tenacity is great. When applied just before bed, I could still smell traces of it in the morning. My other favorite is Mexican Cocoa, a guilty gourmand indulgence of chocolate, spice and vanilla. Not for the boardroom or a night in the opera, but fun and comforting when you need it. The one that gave me serious issues was the very popular Tibetan Mountain Temple. I wanted to love this incense blend (ginger and a promise for vetiver and patchouli), but had a Serge Noir flashback: all curry, all the time. So I'm sticking with the sweet ones (and would have loved an enviromental oil in Avalon Juniper. It's clean, sharp and green, just like I'd love my house to smell on a winter morning. And maybe also laundry products).

Pacifica solid perfumes ($8.95 each) are available online from the company's website and can also be found at select Whole Foods stores. I receives these lot as a PR freebie.

Pacifica Solid Perfumes: Cute Things In Small Packages

As you can see, Lizzy and Giselle found these little pots of Pacifica Solid perfumes to be quite entertaining (then again, they are highly amused with twist ties, bottle caps, the zipper of my favorite hoodie and each other's tail). I enjoyed the cute packaging (they would make nice stocking stuffers) and portability: These tins are smaller than several of my lip balms.

Like most solid perfumes, these ones from Pacifica are low in sillage and stay very close to the skin, while still being detectable if you get close enough. It makes me think that they'd be ideal when one is stuck in a very small space, like on a flight (there's some travel in my very near future, so I think at least one of these tins are boarding the plane with me. The size is TSA-friendly). I apply them to the back of my hand (I like the smooth, waxy feel), so sniffing it to block those horrid airplane smells is another good use.

Out of the ones I tested, Spanish Amber is my favorite. While it's no Ambre Sultan, there's still enough richness and depth even in such a simple product, and the tenacity is great. When applied just before bed, I could still smell traces of it in the morning. My other favorite is Mexican Cocoa, a guilty gourmand indulgence of chocolate, spice and vanilla. Not for the boardroom or a night in the opera, but fun and comforting when you need it. The one that gave me serious issues was the very popular Tibetan Mountain Temple. I wanted to love this incense blend (ginger and a promise for vetiver and patchouli), but had a Serge Noir flashback: all curry, all the time. So I'm sticking with the sweet ones (and would have loved an enviromental oil in Avalon Juniper. It's clean, sharp and green, just like I'd love my house to smell on a winter morning. And maybe also laundry products).

Pacifica solid perfumes ($8.95 each) are available online from the company's website and can also be found at select Whole Foods stores. I receives these lot as a PR freebie.

Pacifica Solid Perfumes: Cute Things In Small Packages

As you can see, Lizzy and Giselle found these little pots of Pacifica Solid perfumes to be quite entertaining (then again, they are highly amused with twist ties, bottle caps, the zipper of my favorite hoodie and each other's tail). I enjoyed the cute packaging (they would make nice stocking stuffers) and portability: These tins are smaller than several of my lip balms.

Like most solid perfumes, these ones from Pacifica are low in sillage and stay very close to the skin, while still being detectable if you get close enough. It makes me think that they'd be ideal when one is stuck in a very small space, like on a flight (there's some travel in my very near future, so I think at least one of these tins are boarding the plane with me. The size is TSA-friendly). I apply them to the back of my hand (I like the smooth, waxy feel), so sniffing it to block those horrid airplane smells is another good use.

Out of the ones I tested, Spanish Amber is my favorite. While it's no Ambre Sultan, there's still enough richness and depth even in such a simple product, and the tenacity is great. When applied just before bed, I could still smell traces of it in the morning. My other favorite is Mexican Cocoa, a guilty gourmand indulgence of chocolate, spice and vanilla. Not for the boardroom or a night in the opera, but fun and comforting when you need it. The one that gave me serious issues was the very popular Tibetan Mountain Temple. I wanted to love this incense blend (ginger and a promise for vetiver and patchouli), but had a Serge Noir flashback: all curry, all the time. So I'm sticking with the sweet ones (and would have loved an enviromental oil in Avalon Juniper. It's clean, sharp and green, just like I'd love my house to smell on a winter morning. And maybe also laundry products).

Pacifica solid perfumes ($8.95 each) are available online from the company's website and can also be found at select Whole Foods stores. I receives these lot as a PR freebie.