Strange Invisible Perfumes Poets in the Canyon via the brand

Native Californian botanical perfumer Alexandra Balahoutis may have founded Strange Invisible Perfumes in the year 2000, but her earliest fragrances hail from 2005 – just one year before Barney’s NY opened its doors to an astonished Boston. It was there that I first became acquainted with her brilliant, intriguing, and idiosyncratic natural fragrances. At that time, I was ensnared by the exquisite, terribly costly (for that year), and now-discontinued Arunima – a mystical concoction of lavender, ginger, lime, blue lotus and frankincense. It was never their most popular fragrance, but it was the first one for which I paid dearly and gratefully (bear in mind that young mothers with several children don’t possess that level of disposable income, and you’ll intuit what I mean in terms of its magnificence). I’ve been following Alexandra ever since.

Alexandra Balahoutis courtesy of the brand

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

In addition to the roster of popular fragrances which have withstood the test of time, Alexandra periodically composes rare, limited-batch perfumes which she includes in her Reserve Series annals. Some are re-issued later on, while others remain the sort of scent which one must immediately seize upon, as they are certain to disappear in a very short time. The two I had purchased previously were Lost Era (2020) and Essence of IX  from 2010 (the latter being a beloved of former Senior Editor Mark Behnke and myself). Upon reading the description of her latest (and now sold out!) reserve fragrance, Strange Invisible Perfumes Poets in the Canyon – I took a leap of faith. Catnip for Ida: allude to the 1960s-70s, all the creative goings-on in Laurel Canyon, and then extrapolate Joni Mitchell’s iconic song released in April 1970 (Ladies of the Canyon) – and you have me effectively over the proverbial barrel. As it turns out, I was not mistaken: Strange Invisible Perfumes Poets in the Canyon is a vision of delight which commences with initial effusive herbal enthusiasm. Its inevitable drydown leads to the winding path of contemplation and succor.

Were I to drag you along my forays into Laurel Canyon, you might be overwhelmed: its inhabitants have included the likes of Frank Zappa, Linda Ronstadt, Carly Simon, Carole King, Joni Mitchell and Graham Nash, David Crosby, Stephen Stills, Bonnie Raitt, Jim Morrison, Mama Cass (of The Mamas and The Papas), James Taylor, Jackson Browne, The Eagles, Brian Wilson of The Beach Boys, Jack Kerouac, and British blues legend John Mayall. Hollywood icons have also called Laurel Canyon home – Bella Lugosi, Harry Houdini, Natalie Wood, Marilyn Monroe, Leonardo Di Capria. Bohemians of every stripe have found this mountainous vista compelling. In the halcyon days that preceded Charlie Manson and the Sharon Tate murders, the canyon proved a fertile environment for bards and wordsmiths.

Strange Invisible Perfumes Poets in the Canyon via the brand

How does all this lore translate into a perfume worthy of its name? Firstly, it HAS to be poetic, and also nod to a burgeoning interest in anything natural or botanical. I fondly recall the pied-piper appeal of an organic, vegetarian diet – to the point that I was happily macrobiotic for years. For me, it was emblematic of our desire for a more peaceful, gentler world. Strange Invisible Perfumes Poets in The Canyon portrays this hopeful naïveté in lyrical tones of honeyed gold, moody greens and blues. A vintage lemongrass (? Tincture? Absolute?) is zesty and optimistic as it encounters the anisic freshness of basil (I have smelt many varieties, but am unaware how ‘wild basil’ differs from these.) A lavender heart never fails to enchant me – be it of an herbal, floral, invigorating, or calming disposition. This introductory energy is cool and lively, and with the evolution of its base, Poets assumes the chalorous depth and smoldering wisp which vetiver provides. Botanical musks (ambrette, to my nose) and an amber accord (which suggests labdanum and a dash of aged patchouli) ally themselves serenely, forming a tender, tenacious fundament. As was the case of the many muses of Laurel Canyon, this heartfelt fragrance is an aromatic homage to those who continue to capture the imagination and inspire us.

Ladies of the Canyon via wikimusic

Trina takes her paints and her threads
And she weaves a pattern all her own
Annie bakes her cakes and her breads
And she gathers flowers for her home
For her home she gathers flowers
And Estrella, dear companion
Colors up the sunshine hours
Pouring music down the canyon
Coloring the sunshine hours
They are the ladies of the canyon ~ Joni Mitchell, excerpt from Ladies of the Canyon (released in April, 1970)

Notes: vintage (~ 50 year old) lemongrass, wild basil, California lavender, organic vetiver, vanilla, botanical accords of amber and musk (perceived note: patchouli)

My bottle of Strange Invisible Perfumes Poets of the Canyon was a personal purchase. My nose is my own…

~ Ida Meister, Deputy and Natural Perfumery Editor

All images courtesy of Strange Invisible Perfumes unless noted otherwise

Strange Invisible Perfumes Poets in the Canyon Reserve Series is sold out.

Please read Ida’s review of Shadows in The Garden (also in the Reserve series)

Enjoy Michelyn’s review of The Rose with a Broken Neck which marked the return of the The Reserve Series.We awarded The Rose with The Broken Neck Best Natural Perfume, Best name for a Perfume and Best Limited Edition in our ÇaFleureBon Best and Worst of 2013.

Please read Ida’s review of Shadows in The Garden (also in the Reserve series)

Alexandra Balahoutis was a guest contributor and her essay In Defense of Natural Perfumery as Olfactory Art is amongst the top five most read article of the past decade.

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