1. Tell us a bit about yourself.
Right out of high school I attended Otis Art Institute in downtown Los Angeles and felt as if the world had opened up. While there I studied a variety of arts but focused mainly on illustration and letterpress printing. After graduating I started teaching, moved to Brooklyn in NY, purchased a letterpress and began getting freelance illustration work immediately.
Six years later I moved back to Los Angeles, birthed my daughter naturally and studied Aromatherapy professionally. After discovering the wonders of healing with nature I stopped teaching illustration and became a tutor for an aromatherapy school.
Now I live in the Santa Monica Mountains, surrounded by native oaks and run a natural perfume business titled Illuminated Perfume. The name was inspired by illuminated manuscripts.
2. What made you open your shop and why Etsy?
I was invited to be a speaker at a large perfume event in NYC called Sniffapalooza. For the event I choose to launch a series of solid perfumes. At the time I didn't have the funds to redo my website. I decided to open an Etsy shop in order to have a place to sell my solid perfumes. It's been about three years and the success on Etsy has been so great that I still haven't re-done the website!
3. Do you sell your perfume anywhere else?
On my website and when I do events.
4. How did you choose your shop name?
As mentioned above I choose my company name based on a play of words. The word illuminated refers to manuscripts painted in the 1600s and light. I am working with the plant materials to make my perfume instead of synthetic petro chemicals. I feel like I am illuminating a path back to our own essential nature.
5. What are your favourite things to do?
Make art and follow my creative muse are my very favorite things in the world. I also love spending time with husband and daughter, especially when we travel together, thus travel is on the list to.
6. What inspires you?
Inspiration is an interesting thing with me, I find it everywhere. This morning driving my daughter to school she was going over some things for a test and I got massively inspired from the topic. Other times I am inspired by nature, history and great art. Sometimes it's just a little whisper of an aroma that gently wonders into my smell scape. I keep my artistic radar tuned and prepared for inspiration, it may strike at any moment.
Unlike the premise of an artist needing to "starve" to produce great work, I am the opposite, the more vital my life is the more inspired I am.
7. What is your favourite scent you create?
This question is really hard to answer, it's like picking a favorite child or color. The fragrances I most often wear are Cimbalom and Chaparral solid perfumes. I like the creamy quality in the solids and they are so great to throw into ones purse.
8. Which is the most popular item in your shop?
The solid minis are my best selling item, people just love those little pink pots with the iconic bee wax seal. My best selling perfume at the moment is GreenWitch, named after Susan Coopers book.
9. Which handmade possession given to you do you most cherish?
Gosh, I have so many! My husband creates beautiful little painted cards, he created one for me when he proposed on bended knee. I also adore all the knitted and crochet items my mother makes and even have some from my grandmother that I cherish.
10. Name 3 other Etsy shops you love to visit.
www.Geninne.etsy.com
www.almapottery.etsy.com
and I've been yearning for something from Treehouse28 ever since finding Etsy:
www.treehouse28.etsy.com
Thank you to Roxana Illuminated Perfume for being my favourite Etsy shop feature this week. I am a big fan of solid perfume and have been learning about aromatherapy for many years. I love the idea of the solid perfume locket. Its such a genius idea to have a pretty piece of jewelry to wear and be able to have your perfume with you whenever you want a touch up. If your after a unique gift or something for yourself then you should check out this wonderful shop.
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