Alexandra Balahoutis

Strange Invisible Perfumes has announced the Reserve Series, “a rare collection of limited-batch botanical perfumes.” The collection is based on small batches of exquisite materials, which by their nature, make themselves limited editions. ”Each perfume stirs the sense with layered notes of beauty, eros and intrigue.” Emerald Moss is the stunning debut from The Reserve Series, both in color as well as aroma. A gemstone green liquid shines from the bottle as if lit from within. “The inspiration for this fragrance was originally sparked by a shipment I received of mate extract that I had never worked with before,” says perfumer Alexandra Balahoutis, “It had a dense, jewel-green color that made me think of South America and moss-covered ruins.” The Brazilian mate does not let down- both in the opulent visual of the jus itself and the green backbone of Emerald Moss.

A spritz of an almost lemongrass tea opens Emerald Moss, a melange of Hawaiian temple mandarin and ginger with the piquant top notes of mate itself. This impression soon gives way to the jungle covered Brazilian temple green note suggested in the description. Mate lends a less powdered oakmoss type note which gives the perfume its emerald color as well as moss in the title. An immediately clean and calmly glamorous body as luminous as the jewel colored perfume- to inhale is to refresh, surely as effective as the yerba mate drank in place of coffee.

Memory 2 http://andaria.deviantart.com/

From within the mossen temple the heart beat of rose is drumming up a floral beat encouraged by Californian lavender. The spicy flickering of ginger shines through the depths of mate and rose until peaking in what Alexandra describes as, “…almost like the most gorgeous soap imaginable.” This leaves one with the feeling of being completely cleansed- an olfactory reset button for the esthetic and physical mind. The kus ruh adds to this not-quite powder note and eases the perfume into dry down, which instead of resting on one note, fades like the memories of a world wide tour- which Emerald Moss provides in globally sourced materials from Maui to the foothills of the Himalayas. As committed to the distillation of plant materials (such as a hydro-distilled first distillation rose) as they are to working with the family farms (which provide the Maui ginger and lavender from Santa Barbara)- Strange Invisible Perfumes continues to set the standard for ethical/ecological business.

Emerald Moss is a perfume with which I would scent the world had I the capability- the very air of the Garden of Eden this planet we live on actually could be.

Notes:  Mate, hydro-distilled from the leaves of a southern Brazilian tree, Fresh, organic ginger grown on a family-owned farm in Kipahulu Valley in Maui, Temple mandarin, distilled from a biodynamic farm in Maui, Lavender grown and hydro-distilled on an organic farm in Santa Barbara County, Kus ruh, an essential oil distilled from the roots vetiver plants grown in the Himalayan foothills in India, Hydro-distilled organic rose essence- obtained from the first distillation of the flower.

–Einsof, Natural Perfume Contributor

 For a limited time receive a complimentary body lotion with every $150  Strange Invisible Perfume purchase (while supplies last  February 28, 2015)

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