Strange Invisible Perfumes
Strange Invisible Perfumes is a wonderful niche perfumery founded in 2000 by Alexandra Balahoutis. Located in Los Angeles, California, Strange Invisible Perfumes offers a line of completely natural, botanical perfumes that are handcrafted using the finest ingredients. Alexandra uses the gentle process of hydrodistillation to obtain the essential oils from the plants. This procedure maintains the subtle nuances of the oils.
Strange Invisible Perfumes are either
- organic
- wild-crafted
- pesticide-free
- or biodynamically cultivated.
The gentle care combined with the high quality ingredients and Alexandra’s poetic artistry result in very unique and beautiful fragrances. I sampled three of the newest perfumes in the Signature Collection; they launched in 2006.
The first was Moongarden. This lush, heady floral perfume contains notes of tuberose, jasmine, pikake and African resins. The name, Moongarden, evokes the white, night-blooming blossoms which are so opulent. This fragrance was very indolic when I first applied it, but after about 30 minutes it began to bloom into an elegant, rich fragrance. It lasted several hours, and continued to become more delightful as time went by.
The second fragrance, Magazine Street, captures the brazen, romantic energy of New Orleans. Its notes are magnolia, vanilla, patchouli, vetiver and botanical musk. It started out very musty and sweet, with the vetiver and patchouli notes dominating. And then, fifteen minutes later, it turned into a soft, woodsy, floral wonder. Of the three fragrances I sampled, I think this would appeal equally to both men and women.
An added bonus: Eight percent of retail sales from every 1/4 fl. oz. bottle of Magazine Street supports the Katrina relief work of Common Ground Collective, a non-profit organization providing immediate aid and long-term support to sustainably rebuild devastated communities in New Orleans.
The third fragance was Prima Ballerina. It has notes of Egyptian and Turkish roses, Greek sage, lime, and botanical musk. This is a rose-lover’s delight that smells like genuine, old-fashioned, fragrant roses. And this happy, soaring fragrance really does conjure up the graceful image of a Prima Ballerina in Grand jeté, floating above the ground. It is my favorite of the three, one I could easily enjoy wearing on a regular basis.
Cost: 1/4 fl. oz. flacon of perfume can be purchased for $185 at select Barneys New York locations, the Strange Invisible Perfumes boutique and perfumery in Los Angeles (tel. 310-314-1505) or online at www.siperfumes.com. Sample vials can be purchased online for $7.
