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Thursday, October 29, 2009

Hallowe'en Treat: Phoenix Myster by Roxana Illuminated Perfumes

By Tom

A few days ago, perfumer Roxana Villa emailed Justify Fullme with news of a new product- inspired by yours truly. My first reaction was of course, pride since the only thing I had previously inspired would have been mild distaste. Then I felt some fear; what if I hate it? Well, I pretty much knew that wouldn't happen because of the notes (from her site)

- Vanilla: warm and inviting
- Benzoin: purifying, when combined with spice acts an an attractor
- Myrrh: (for the nest) enhances contemplation
- Dragons Blood Resin from a small indigenous village in the Amazon.
- Spices: invigorating, energizing, spell enhancing and uplifting
- Orange: uplifting

I do admit googling "Dragon's Blood Resin" to see if it was for real and lo and behold it is. It's a resin with some medicinal purposes. Vanilla, myrrh, spices and orange are of course right up my alley.

Pheonix Myster is written of in her blog as a celebration of my favorite time of year, Fall. For me it's a time of renewal and contemplation, planning for the upcoming winter and the promise of spring. Growing up in New England fall was a time for putting up preserves, making leaf piles, that nip in the air requiring cashmere sweaters and lit fireplaces. I used to drive on the cold days to school in my little red FIAT Spyder with the top down wearing a scarf, marveling at the beauty of the leaves turning, an experience I was able to recreate with my BFF Bitsy last year in a borrowed Honda S2000. It was just as sublime an experience years later and better shared (and it was nice to not have to crank the car..).

While Roxana writes about Samhain and the celebration when time of year when the "veil between worlds are at their thinnest" the balance of notes neatly straddle the world of my memories and the world of the Druids. Maybe that's the point. Citrus dominates the opening, and never leaves the composition completely. The vanilla and the spices keep it somewhat foody, but not sweet; sort of like walking into a house where someone had been making really good marmalade. Benzoin and myrrh add shadows: those worlds of memory and mysticism merging.

Phoenix Myster is at once as warm and inviting as a rambling country house, but with a touch of October Country darkness making it perfect for this season.

Phoenix Myster is available at her e-shop $25.00 for 1 OZ spray

Image source, Roxana Illuminated Perfume.

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17 Comments:

Blogger Audit Diva said...

How nice to have a perfume made inspired by you!

Based on the notes, it really sounds quite lovely and fall-like. Am very curious about the dragon's blood resin - will go google it now!

6:45 AM EDT  
Anonymous O V Gillies said...

Sounds very interesting!

11:09 AM EDT  
Anonymous lilacskin said...

that really is incredibly flattering...plus the frag. sounds sexy/cozy. if anyone is further curious about dragon's blood resin- BPAL has a full series of oils featuring it.

12:06 PM EDT  
Blogger Ducks said...

Sounds delicious, Tom -- and how darling of her to make you a scent. And wouldn't it be cool if we could all inspire such romantic-sounding blends... I'm sure I would inspire only plebeian musings devoid of phoenixes and dragons' blood. :)

2:05 PM EDT  
Anonymous Flora said...

Congratulations! What a treat to have Roxana mix up a brew inspired by you! It sounds just wonderful.

Of course, I was drawn in by your description of Fall in New England - I get nostalgic for it this time of year, every year, no matter how long I am away from it.

4:23 PM EDT  
Blogger tmp00 said...

Audit Diva-

It's really nice, and I'm not just writing that because I inspired the idea..

4:34 PM EDT  
Blogger tmp00 said...

O V Gillies

It is. It's also a great room scent. I'm using it in my bedroom as I am home with the flu

4:35 PM EDT  
Blogger tmp00 said...

lilacskin-

Thanks fort he info!

4:35 PM EDT  
Blogger tmp00 said...

Ducks-

I don't know HOW she got that out of meeting me, but I will endeavor to live up to it.

4:37 PM EDT  
Blogger tmp00 said...

Donna-

I do too. Incredibly nostalgic. Even if I remember HATING having to rake those freaking scenic leaves and bagging them up for disposal. It was the time where it was late enough in the 20th century you couldn't burn them but not late enough that putting them into plastic bags for disposal was frowned upon

4:39 PM EDT  
Blogger Illuminated Perfume said...

Tom, what a nice all hallows treat! The dragons blood resin came from when I was in Ecuador this summer visiting an indigenous tribe. Pretty special stuff. I really enjoyed your story about the east coast, I can see you so vividly in that little red FIAT Spyder.

5:33 PM EDT  
Blogger tmp00 said...

Roxana-

Thank YOU both for the scent and for ascribing it to me!

5:55 PM EDT  
Blogger elle said...

Wow! How incredibly cool that you inspired this scent! And all the notes are on my check list of faves, including the Dragons Blood.
Fall is my favorite season aesthetically and emotionally - the scents, the colors, the clothes, the time of year when comfort and quiet seem to be most celebrated and valued, but reality kicks in when I have to deal w/ temps below 55 and my fingernails automatically go blue. My body is simply programmed for tropical heat.

9:30 PM EDT  
Blogger tmp00 said...

elle-

I grew up in New England from puritans who swam over after the Mayflower and I much prefer the winters in SoCal. Autumn is something I like to visit and winter is something I like to view on the news.

10:02 PM EDT  
Blogger chayaruchama said...

This is a lovely tribute, especially from such a delightful woman, possessed of so many gifts.

Dragon's blood is fascinating- Opus Oils used it in their spooky line, in Ode de Vampyre, and Charlie [ aka Manson], I believe.

Yahoo !

8:35 AM EDT  
Blogger tmp00 said...

chaya-

it is a lovely tribute from a lovely woman. I'm proud (and slightly bewildered) to be a part of it.

4:19 PM EDT  
Blogger Cynthia said...

Wow - that sounds awesome and your review made me even more nostalgic for the fall of my childhood. My fall now consists of wishing it would finally drop below 80, so it's not quite the same.

I was already drooling and terribly tempted by the scent and then I saw the price tag and almost shrieked with joy. If $100 is the new free, than this is like having someone pay you to wear their scent.

Now I just have to decide if even $25 is enough to send my significant other off the deep end after my latest expenditure in the L'Occitane store this week - yes, I fell in love with the new Labdanum de Seville and had it wrapped and purchased within 5 minutes of testing it on skin. Fortunately, the drydown was just as splendid as the opening.

2:09 PM EST  

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