“From the barge a strange invisible perfume hits the sense of the adjacent wharfs” — Antony & Cleopatra by William Shakespeare. 

In 2000, botanical perfumer Alexandra Balahoutis founded Strange Invisible Perfumes in her native California. She creates luxury botanical perfumes. She states that, “Our perfumes are melded in the fires of three essential components: pure aromatic plants, reverent distillation, and evocative compositions.”     

The website further explains: “A Strange Invisible Perfume is a soulful, dynamic, living creation that fuses with each wearer’s particular body chemistry to create a unique aromatic expression. Immediately after application to the main pulse points—the insides of the wrists and arms, the nape of the neck, and the shoulders—a subtle evolution begins. Within the first three to five minutes, the perfume uncoils, whispering allusions of how it will eventually inhabit the skin. After ten to fifteen minutes, the dry down process, wherein the alcohol vanishes from the surface of the skin and the top notes begin the quiet, is complete and the true nature of the fragrance is revealed. These botanical perfumes are crafted without the aid of synthetic fixatives, therefore the longevity of an application will vary depending on the wearer’s chemistry and environmental influences.”

The following two perfumes are the ones I find most interesting from this line; Aquarian Roses and Fire and Cream.

Aquarian Roses ($175.00 USD 50 ML)  “Crisp, aquatic notes of wild roses brighten a warm sea of marjoram and sandalwood. A floral perfume for both sexes, this Aquarian elixir boasts the relevance of rose in contemporary perfumery and on the skin of men.” 

Most rose perfume are too floral and almost too grandma-like for me. But I really like Aquarian Roses. Its a sexy rose perfume, that holds all of the romantic essence of the flower without seeming too old fashioned. I don’t know about the uni-sex value of it, though. I still think it’s pretty feminine.  

Fire and Cream ($145.00 USD 50 ML) — “A path begins in a warm, earthly setting of vetiver, sandalwood, and patchouli. Rising through the delicate light of white lavender and tuberose, this composition quickens toward a blazing glow of top notes. Upon its finish, the perfume’s every nuance smolders in a fiery sky of hydro-distilled oranges and their blossoms.” 

This scent is very smoky and earthy. You can really smell the sandalwood and patchouli. After the dry down, you can kind of smell the orange scent, but it is still pretty heavy. This would be good for winter or evening wear. It’s definitely not an office scent!

Visit www.siperfumes.com to learn more and to purchase these luxurious scents. Enjoy!