Figure 1: Noir
"Roxana Illuminated Perfume introduces a curious collection of natural perfume narratives
beginning with Figure 1: Noir, a fragrance tailored for those with a passion for patchouli.
From her tool box of cross fertilized artistic disciplines, Roxana illuminates an eccentric
curiosity birthed of primordial earth. Figure 1: Noir is an intriguing perfume oddity,
deep and resinous with a loamy plume of botanical musk featuring harmonious notes
of patchouli, green vetiver, Mysore sandalwood, orris and valerian juxtaposed with the
pungent tartness of buchu leaf, black cumin, green cognac and davana. The effect is
as intimate and universal as human skin with an unsettling wild animalic shadow." The
synergy for the perfume is made with essential oils, c02 extracts and absolutes. Fig. 1: Noir
was originally a dark, chocolate perfume I debuted in 2009. Since so many fans requested
it as a synergy without the chocolate I expanded the original formula to make it a richer stand
alone fragrance. The liquid perfume is in a base of organic grape alcohol from a local supplier
where as the solid is in a base of local beeswax, sometimes from my hives with organic jojoba
seed oil. Figure 1: Noir is available as a sample set, 1 and 4 grams in glass bottles, solid
perfumes in a variety of sizes and a French Flacon.
"A primal, feral animal, searching the blackest night.
His fur damp and musky, his paws dirty with earth,
dug up roots, and the faint aroma of trodden
berries. This is the image that Noir conjured in my mind.
Fig. 1: Noir is heavy, earthy, strong and long-lasting.
And utterly beautiful. The sweet berry notes that emerge
soon after application are subtle,
but when under the shadow of this intoxicating
patchouli they mingle together so well.
This is a true blessing for patchouli lovers."
~ Sam (In reference to the liquid)
"You have outdone yourself with this fragrance!
Each morning I put the scent on my wrists, tracing the veins there that look like roots,
and I am reminded of my rootedness to the earth.
Such a gift. Thank you!"
~ Sarah
Figure 1: Noir Reviews
"Figure 1: Noir is a patchouli-fest- but an excellent one. It’s not one of those oily, head-shoppy patches. It’s a bone-dry one with
threads of dark greenness and creamy orris and tart buchu leaf to it and a big slug of botanical musk with a touch of cumin. It’s
almost unsettling, in a really delightful way it’s like a walk in a dark woods on a hot day. The woods are cool because of the shade
but you know when you hit a clearing you’ll be hot. You also know someone (or something) is following you and you are hoping to
make that clearing before looking back to see who or what it is."
~ Tom via
"Roxana Villa has a gift for bringing woods and forests to life in her perfumes. Her bottled scenes of the California chaparral are
usually incredibly serene. But Figure1: Noir takes a different route, thanks to her use of a botanical musk. Musks are a funny thing;
the cleanest ones can be loud and screechy, while some of the most feral interpretations are often warm and very intimate. This is
the case here, with the wild animal that lurks in the darkness. The longer Figure 1 spend on my skin the softer it gets, almost coating
the exposed roots and twigs with its fur. The musk doesn't cover the patchouli, though, which has such a strong presence it barely
lets slivers of moonlight in. There are green threads that emerge here and there, an herbal presence barely emerging from the
forest floor, but everything else, is swallowed by the patchouli and musk, damp and slightly sweet."
~ Gaia via
The artist Greg Spalenka illuminates Figure 1: Noir. When Greg and I sat down to brainstorm a bit the illumination for Figure 1: Noir
I first had him experience the perfume and ingredients, then I explained the concept, gave him some keywords about the fragrance,
informed him that the color harmony would be black and a bit about the feel I was looking to convey. Lastly I took him to a collection
of images on Pinterest as reference. Greg shared the pictorial collection with model Jessica Lough before traveling up to Seattle to
shoot photos of her. In this way the three of us were able to discuss wardrobe and prop ideas so that the photo shoot time would be
as productive as possible.The photo shoot took place in Seattle while Greg was up that way doing an Artist as Brand workshop. So
far two illuminations have been produced for Figure 1: Noir with more in the works.
I also commissioned photographer Lucy Snowe to shoot some photos, the collaboration began via e-mail then sending her a couple flacons and a few compacts for the shoot