CaFleureBon Profiles in American Perfumery: Alexandra Balahoutis of Strange Invisble Perfumes + Greatest Hits Draw

Mark and I have very different points of view in our personal preferences in fragrance, but we both agree that Alexandra Balahoutis of Strange Invisible Perfumes has the "it" factor in American niche perfumery. Years before there was a Mystery of Musk Internet Project, I fell in love with Musc Botanique, a sheer crystalline musk scent that was composed of all botanical ingredients, (which is the palette Alexandra  Balahoutis, the founder and 'nose' works with). I was the New in Niche Columnist for Basenotes.net at the time (the position Managing Editor Mark Behnke holds today). SIP's Essence of IX was one of Mark's top twenty five best fragraces of 2010.  in addition to perfumistas, she has quite a lot of celebrity fans including Maria Shriver, Angelica Huston, Cate Blanchett, and Brooke Shields.

 

 

 copyright: Alexandra Balahoutis

 

Profile: I’m half Greek. My father is from there and currently lives in Kalamata. My mother is from Kentucky and her background is mainly Irish and English with a hint of German and Native American… a very little hint. I grew up in the Hollywood Hills until we moved to Brentwood when I was about 12. My much beloved stepfather (a technical title as I am definitely his daughter) is in film and I experienced all sorts of interesting adventures growing up. We lived in Chicago for a few months and I went to school there. We also stayed in New Orleans for quite a while. I had a really lovely childhood and had the benefit of being raised by two parents who had and still have an amazing relationship. That was a huge advantage growing up.

 

 

 

 

 

On American  Perfumery: I think indie perfumery, (and especially American perfumery) is important because it allows the perfumer to be the storyteller. The perfumer is regarded as an artist rather than a chemist. The idea of science and chemistry really intrigues people in the context of perfume, but I find it boring. I’d much rather focus on the distiller and the perfumer, who like a chef creates an experiential esthetic meant to be devoured by the senses. Having been inspired by New Orleans, I would say that Magazine Street would be the most American of all my fragrances.

 

 

Note: I chose John Singer Sargent (January 12, 1856 – April 14, 1925) who was an American artist who was considered the leading portrait painter of his time. In addition to the red headed  beauties of the paintings I chose   9evoking Alexandra's portrait), his paintings told stories. His art was outside of  the mainstream.You may be familiar with his famous portrait of Madame X, which was considered scandalous by society at the time.

 

-Michelyn Camen

 Editor in Chief

 


 

http://www.siperfumes.com/products/aquarianrosesparfum
http://www.siperfumes.com/products/arunimaparfum
http://www.siperfumes.com/products/atlanticparfum
http://www.siperfumes.com/products/blackrosetteparfum
http://www.siperfumes.com/products/epicgardeniaparfum
http://www.siperfumes.com/products/fairveronaparfum
http://www.siperfumes.com/products/fireandcreamparfum
http://www.siperfumes.com/products/linvisibleparfum
http://www.siperfumes.com/products/magazinestreetparfum
http://www.siperfumes.com/products/moongardenparfum
http://www.siperfumes.com/products/muscbotaniqueparfum
http://www.siperfumes.com/products/peloponnesianparfum
http://www.siperfumes.com/products/primaballerinaparfum
http://www.siperfumes.com/products/urbanlilyparfum

  Fo For  our Draw: Alexandra and I chose fourteen of of her greatest cult scents, including Peloponnesian her first scent for men, (reviewed here by Mark), and an obvious reference to her half Greek heritage.To be eligible, please leave a comment on something you learned about Alexandra, and why you chose one of  the fragrances you selected. Be sure to include the name of your choice in your comment, or you are disqualified. My personal favorite is L'Invisble. Draw closes October 5, 2011. (For extra credit, which playwright  inspired the name of Starnge Invisible perfume)

For an extra chance to win LIKE our Behind The Bottle: CaFleureBon Q&A Facebook page We announce the winners on our site and on our Facebook page, so Like Cafleurebon and use our RSS option…or your dream prize will be just spilled perfume

.

  For our For

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

54 ÷ 9 =

49 comments

  • Anya says:

    I love Alexandra’s observation that American perfumers are regarded as storytellers and artists. The thought and reference that goes into each of her perfumes reflect that, as each one is crafted to tell a story through scent, beautifully blended. I know the playwright, but will leave the extra credit and draw to some other reader, as I have most of Alexandra’s perfumes.

  • Francesca says:

    I’m a big fan of Alexandra’s work having had the pleasure of visiting her store in Venice beach and managed to sample til overwhelmed. I did recall her Greek background and having lived there for 20 years myself, something like that always makes me curious, the influenece of Greek culture and how it has formed her. I know Kalamata where her Dad lives, I can imagine the streets, taste the olives and smell the ouzo as the top is unleashed for that first Meze of the evening. I’d have choose Pelaponnesian.

  • Lisa BTB says:

    I find it interesting the places she has lived. They are so varied I can imagine what she has taken from each place. There are several SI perfumes I’d like to try with Magazine Street being my first choice.

  • Neil says:

    I’m definitely going to have to visit that store someday! Sampling her fragrance “Temple of Musk” was one of the most unforgettable moments of my scent memory. For that reason alone I’m interested in Fair Verona, with its organic Italian citrus. Not to mention Juliet, The Bard, and all the other reasons!!! However, I also have to admit that Black Rosette sounds incredibly sexy. Gotta sniff that one, FOR SURE.

    Love the fact that she has Kentucky roots. The forests of Kentucky are among my favorite places in the world. I like that she sees perfumery more as a gourmet and a distiller and less as a chemist – bravo to that. As a chemist I certainly love chemistry, but perfumery could really do with more focus on the biological end of things, IMO.

  • Tama says:

    I love that kind of family story – a real family built on love as much as blood.

    How can I choose? I have always loved Magazine Street, love the over ripeness of Moon Garden, but have just tried Atlantic and love it as well. Draw a name out of a hat if I win, and I’ll take it! lol

  • JenM says:

    These are all new to me, so I learned a lot about Alexandra. Her Greek heritage is very interesting. I would like to try Moon Garden as the name sounds magical.

  • harper says:

    i had no idea alexandra did not grow up with her biological father.
    and i am very happy to hear that the father she *did* grow up with sounds like a very wonderful man 🙂

    i’ve known her creations for many many years, and i remember vividly smelling black rosette — 10 years ago or so? can that be? is it that old? am i? yikes… — at barneys in beverley hills with a friend.

    i was instantly smitten: the tea, the bog, the leather, the rose…

    i had to have it.

    years later i smelled magazine street (with trepidation, i thought “magnolia?” — come on, not me! but — you guessed it — i sniffed and …i had to have it! the vetiver in this is truly spectacular…)

    loved prima ballerina: ditto.

    loved mysc botanique (not ditto, alas, because it gave me contact dermatitis. rats!)

    smelled fire and cream — ah — i still need to get that.

    and then ther e is my VERY treasured little sample vial of atlantis — that was NOT to be found anywhere for a while.

    and that is what i would want: atlantis.

  • Asali says:

    Surely it’s from Anthony and Cleopatra, ” a stange invisible perfume hits the sense” as Shakespeare writes?
    I like where Alexandra talks of her love of natural perfumery, and likens it to being a chef. Very enlightening:-)
    Having never tried her fragrances, I must say they all sound lovely, but the spices and warmth of Arunima had me very inspired.
    Thanks for the great perfumers profiles and draw:-)

  • Zazie says:

    I’ve been curious to try “fire and cream” since it launched.
    First becasue the name is so incredibly appealing.
    Second becasue I read somewhere that Alexandra designed this scent for herself – if I reacll correctly she said she drew her inspiration form a fiery sunset. Love!

  • brigitte says:

    I have heard of Strange Invisible Perfumes but did not know that the perfumer was so strikingly beautiful with an interesting heritage. I love her idea that a perfumer is a “storyteller”- so true!! Having been a professional ballet dancer 23 years ago I would chose Prima Ballerina,

  • london says:

    Arunima for me! The playwright is Shakespeare. And I didn’t know Alexandra was a fellow redhead.

  • Evgeniy says:

    Everything about Alexandra was new to me. She is very beautiful btw 🙂
    I’d like to try Black Rosette – I’m a sucker for leather in fragrances!

  • carol says:

    I have never had the opportunity to try any of Alexandra’s fragrances, but L’Invisible is the one I’d like most to try (being the favorite of my scent twin!). I was most touched by Alexandra’s comment about the perfumer being an artist, and not a chemist. I love the passion for her work that it suggests.

  • Tanja Bochnig says:

    I am a big fan of SIP. I love that the line is all botanical and natural. Everytime I am in LA, I visit the store, (which is so extra special and beautiful and the people who work in there are very helpful and patient)…. and treat myself for a bottle…I love Prima Ballerina and Fair Verona and would love to try s.th. new.
    I would leave it up to the editor or Alexandra to make a choice, if I would be lucky to win…:-)

    Thank you for featuring this line.

    Fragrant Blessings,

    Tanja
    April Aromatics

  • marcopietro says:

    I’m european and never tried A.Balahoutis fragrances, my know out about American niche perfumery is very basic, like my english, but I’m studyng to fill my gaps.
    In the draw my choice is peloponnesian

  • Isa says:

    I have learnt that Alexandra has Greek blood and that she lived in Hollywood Hills, which must have been very exciting 🙂 That picture of her as a child is lovely!

    They perfume I would pick is Magazine Street. I have read wonderful reviews of it and I’m very intrigued by the magnolia and vetiver mix.

    Thanks on the draw!

  • d3m0lici0n says:

    Is interesting her point of view in perfumery, and saying her role as perfumer and storyteller, and i really like her idea of the perfume is the experiental thing to be devoured by the senses.
    My choice is Magazine Street. Thanks.

  • Ccc says:

    Red head and Greek , that is an interesting combination.
    Perfumery is associated with the chef’s creativity and less with chemistry and science. Interesting thought.

    It is difficult making a choice between Black Rosette and L’invisible.
    I love them both for different reasons. One is a fantastic leather, the other is a lovely chypre. Well, if I have to then L’invisible , it is like a poetry.

  • kathleen says:

    I didn’t know anything about Alexandra before reading this. I do, however, enjoy a few of her fragrances. Persica, being my favorite. I am missing Lady Day, by the way. Epic Gardenia, whilst lovely, is not a replacement. Out of the fragrances listed, I would choose, Magazine Street. I love the magnolia note in this, and am due for a refill.

    Oh, and the name was inspired by a line in William Shakespeare’s Antony and Cleopatra.

  • Felicia says:

    Another happy childhood! This is not our first to timeE being introduced to niche perfumers with whimsical childhoods! Makes me very happy to hear. Also makes me curious If having a good homelike has helped to allow the child’s mind to go beyond muspie and earthen clay into pressed botanicals. The hollywoodhills what backdrop for glamour.
    Wonderful story. I’d love to try epic gardenia because of my great devotion to gardenia.

  • Felicia S. says:

    Interesting how a happy childhood, meaning emotional intelligence, can correlate with success in the work world. I’d love to try Magazine Street.

  • Maureen says:

    What a beautiful woman, with such an interesting , lovely background. I have never tried any of Alexandra’s line, but I would love to . I would like to try L’Invisible. Thank you for the draw.

  • Tama says:

    Well, if I was pressed, I would have to say I would want the first fragrance I smelled from the line, Magazine Street.

  • maiastras says:

    I appreciate how this interview reveals Alexandra Balahoutis’ focus on the narrative effect of perfume, rather than the specifics of its molecular chemistry. Galatea was my first encounter with this unique compositional approach, and the fact that Ms. Balahoutis’ artisanal perfumes are chemical-free further enhances my olfactory experience.

    ” A strange invisible perfume hits the sense.” – Anthony and Cleopatra, by William Shakespeare.

    Given Ms. Balahoutis’ affinity to New Orleans, I am intrigued by Magazine Street.

  • Dani says:

    I found very nice the fact that she thinks that to be perfumer you need to be an artist not a chemist. I really think the same way, however, it seems that the industry does not share the same thought anymore. I’ve never tried any of her fragrances, so it would be an honor to try at least L’Invisible.

  • Elemi says:

    I own and enjoy Alexandras Magazine Street. I like the artistic idea of storytelling using a perfume. I am very in the story behind Aquarian Roses. 😉

  • einsof says:

    Ms. Balahoutis is one of my all time favorite perfumers/story tellers/weaver of moments spent with my nose to my skin and breathing the universe !

    i didn’t understand her father was in the film industry, although people have mentioned something like this when i gush over one of her creations.

    shakespeare has never been so proud!

    picking from her line is delightful torture for a libra like myself… so i will say Black Rosette and hit “submit” before i look at the list again.

  • Michael says:

    Something I learned about Alexandra was her focus on the distillers, which is really admirable and noteworthy. She was actually also just awarded a Natural Perfumers Guild Fleur Award for 21st Century Innovator that highlighted this as well. So congrats to Alexandra for that also!

    As for which perfume to try, this was a hard one to narrow down with so many options that each sound incredible. I am going to have to settle on Musc Botanique though, the white amber note is new to me and sounds intriguing. Arunima was a very close second though, and there were many close thirds and fourths and…

    Is the name from Antony and Cleopatra by Shakespeare? “A strange invisible perfume hits the sense of the adjacent wharfs”

    Are we going to hear more about the Limited Edition Astrological Collection soon?

  • aba says:

    I had the pleasure of visiting the SIP boutique in Venice, California in August this year. It was a wonderful experience. I learned from this profile about Alenxandria’s multi ethnic background and I like her comparison of a perfumer to a chef. My perfume choice is L’invisible. I choose this because of its link to the name Strange Invisible Perfumes but also because It contains some of my favorite perfumery notes.

  • Sean says:

    Very interesting that Ms. Balahoutis finds the science and chemistry part of perfumery boring. I would have guess that it would be an evolving area of understanding that could offer new tools to the perfumer.

    For the draw, I choose Black Rosette because of the idea of leather with roses , black tea and spearmint sounds amazing.

  • Vivienne says:

    I visted SIP last year and I found it so inspirational. Selecting a perfume was incredibly difficult for me as I was drawn to almost everone of Alexandra’s perfumes. Finally I chose Fair Verona! One of the most exquisite perfumes I have had the pleasure of wearing.
    Enjoyed learning more about Alexandra.

  • Cynthia says:

    It is nice that she had a happy childhood, and it sounds like she’s been fortunate to live in some wonderful places. Like many here have said, it’s hard to choose. But so many of the notes in Fire and Cream are my favorites, so I’ll go with that. Thank you for an interesting introduction to this perfumer.

  • Michelyn Camen says:

    Viv- I remember when you traveled to the States . I was so sorry to miss you. but what a treat that you toured the country and especially The SIP store. Which is your choice for this draw?
    Aba great choice
    Carol it’s a chypre like skin scent

  • angie f says:

    What a lovely childhood with many oppertunies to see the world. I have a few favorites of SIP. I love Prima Ballerina, Epic Gardenia and Fair Verona. But I would have to say my absolute favorite is Atlantic. It smells so perfect on my husband, I want to attack him when I smell it on him.
    William Shakespere Antony and Cleopatra

  • samberg says:

    I learned Ms. Balahoutis is a reader of Shakespeare, and choose Epic Gardenia because the fleshy porcelain of Galatea is not on the chosen list.

  • Alica says:

    It’s fantastic how she expressed her relationship to her stepfather. She couldn’t say it better. Wonderful mixture of genes. I would choose Fire and CreamThanks!

  • Tourbillion says:

    I would like to try the Musc, it sounds really nice. I liked learning that Alexandra is a redhead.

  • Kathryn says:

    I learned that Alexandra Balahoutis has lived in Chicago, New Orleans, and southern California. Those places are all quite distinctive and each very different from one other. That, with all the different strands of her cultural heritage, helps me understand the complexity of her perfumes. That she christened her line of perfumes with a quote from Shakespeare confirms her understanding of allusion, metaphor, nuance.

    I wear and love several SIPs, but Magazine Street and L’Invisible are my favorites. The one I’d choose for this draw is Atlantic because I would love to smell one of her perfumes on my husband, too. He might be just the kind of “well-traveled gentleman” for whom that scent was created.

  • JoAnne Bassett says:

    The playwright is Shakespeare….I love the story telling aspect of perfume..

    I do not own any of her collection…I would like to try Aquarian Roses.

    What an interesting childhood..thank you for sharing your story.

  • Lisa says:

    I had heard of SIP before, but now I feel much more familiar with its perfumer, and its line of fragrances. I love that I imagined the scent of olives when I read that Alexandra’s father lives in Kalamata.

    If I were to choose just one of Alexandra’s creations, I would choose Arunima, I am a fool for a lime and ginger accord, and this one, on top of incense, sounds inventive and interesting!

  • Warum says:

    I have known about Alexandra because she is a somewhat cult figure in the world of natural perfumery, so I may be familiar with her work and her attention to the materials, but I had no idea about any of the personal stuff. I did know that she was half Greek, but I did not know about the family she grew up in, nor the cities she lived in. What I love these series most is that they bring perfumers closer to the readers of Cafleurebon.

    The playwright is Shaekspeare, and his immortal Romeo and Juliette inspired Fair Verona.

    I would love to try Peloponnesian because I cannot resist a note of mountain sage honey and because I love the combination of sparkling citrus and viscous honey in general. Thank you for the draw, I am excited about this!

  • Joe says:

    Wonderful profile. I am only slightly familiar with the line, so there is a lot I didn’t know about Alexandra, but notably I didn’t know that she was from Southern California, and learning that there is a shop in Venice — sort of just “down the road” from where I am in Santa Barbara — is a happy surprise. I’ll have to keep that in mind!

    I’ve been very curious about Peloponnesian since it was launched, so that would be my choice (though Arunima is SO very compelling also). Again, living a stone’s throw from wine country n this Mediterranean climate makes me even more curious (especially after reading Mark’s review. Thank you to Cafleurebon & Alexandra for this draw opportunity.

  • Holly F. says:

    Shakespeare, of course! I love Alexandra’s concept of the perfumer as storyteller, and I agree wholeheartedly. I would choose Fire and Cream, I’ve wanted this one forever (and not just for the cool name). Though it suggests a warm vs. cool aspect, I love how the name really originated as Alexandra looked at the sky and actually designed it as a custom perfume for herself. Thanks for the draw!

  • sandi L says:

    Lovely article, Lovely series! I love that she is bored with the science and chemistry of perfume. I am amazed at her distilling. Please don’t enter me in the draw but I would choose Moon Garden.

  • Jules says:

    I totally agree with Alexandra that indie perfumers are more so story tellers and artists than just mere chemists. But then I believe all perfumers, even the ones with chemist backgrounds need to have a fair amount of artistry to make a good perfumer.
    I must admit, I’ve not sampled many of the SIP line yet, and from the ones I have I’m yet to find one that blows me away. Still, I hold hope for liking yet. It’s a pity that SIP’s “Aramaic” is not part of the list, as I suspect that that might be one I might enjoy best. But as they say beggars can’t be choosers ;o) So out of those 14 I’d choose “Black Rosette” as I think I might just appreciate it’s dark gothic nature.