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Friday, July 23, 2010

Roxana Illuminated Perfume: Chaparral; A Real Bodice Ripper

By Beth

"Pa said I could have my choice of any man....I’d rather have my choice of any
horse"
I remember the first time that I ever fell in love with a cowboy. Yep…. It was that head over heels, madly in lust, throw it all away and follow him madly off into the sunset kind of passion. I believe that at the time I was 15.

My parents used to take me on wonderful trips, to beautiful places that we enjoyed together , but then they discovered the game of golf which I really hated and to this day have never developed any kind of passion for . So we struck a deal of sorts and they began to find beautiful places to play golf where there were horses for me to ride, a formula which worked out for us very well. They’d tee off early in the morning and I’d go running down to the stables after breakfast to spend the day grooming the horses and playing with the barn cats after my morning ride. I was lucky enough to ride horses all over Hawaii, learn to swim with them through the glacier rivers of the Canadian Rockies and the beautiful streams of West Virginia and the Carolinas. All of these places were beautiful, but none compared to the Arizona Biltmore where we stayed in beautiful Spanish style cottages and as a fairly precocious youngster I fairly well enjoyed the run of the place. There were beautiful stables on the Biltmore grounds and I spent blissful days riding the beautiful trails around the hotel with a guide while my parents enjoyed perfecting their precious game.

The lands around the Biltmore Hotel were beautifully manicured and gorgeous but soon I began to long to ride up in the beautiful mountains that surrounded the Phoenix /Scottsdale area. My mother found a stable somewhere around Camelback mountain and dropped me off with a kiss and a packed lunch for the day. I was in heaven….I was going to get to ride my dream horse, a gorgeous paint mare up into those mountains for the day. We saddled up and off we went, me and my mare and the very quiet cowboy who was assigned to keep me out of trouble for the day. I still remember how he looked that day. He wore a stetson that was fairly battered but kept his wavy brown hair out of his green eyes. Nothing fancy dress about him at all , just button front Levi’s and a worn chambray shirt. He was a bit shy and a wee bit dusty but when he swung his leg over his beautiful chestnut gelding I was completely mesmerized.

I still remember the smell of that day….my horse, the cactus , desert and mesquite with the ever present creosote lending a bitter sweat tang to the sweetness in the very dry heat . I followed him up the trail and we rode together silently along the ridge. That was when it happened ……suddenly and with the ferocity of a bolt of lightning his horse reared and came crashing down over and over again with his front hooves , striking an unseen target. My horse spun away, but I quieted her easily and only then did I turn to see what had happened. My cowboy smiled softly and pointed to the ground where a desert rattler lay in many pieces, crushed to death with a terrifying accuracy. I still remember his only words….”I promised them that I’d keep you safe” and we rode side by side for the rest of the afternoon. He smelled incredible…of salt sweat, tobacco, horse and sage. I never knew his real name, but it didn’t matter. In that moment he became a huge part of my emotional landscape….. of what I wanted a man to be. He kept me riding close to him for the rest of that afternoon and I’m sure that he’s the reason that I’ve always had such a passionate love affair with my horses. I can promise that you’ve never never lived until you’ve seen the beginnings of an Arizona sunset from the back of a splendid steed in the company of a fine man like that.

Thank God he was such a gentleman for I’m pretty sure that I would have thrown myself at him if given the opportunity but sadly he never asked. I know that my mother thought that I’d gone just a wee bit mad, which perhaps I had and the power of that first unsatisfied lust....alternately loving and hating him held me captive for quite a few years.

I’ve never completely forgotten about him, but he’s been tucked away safely, locked deep in my heart for many years. That is until the day that I arrived home to find a package from Roxana Villa awaiting me. In it were 2 samples of her Chaparral perfume, one liquid and one of her sumptuous honeyed solids. I opened them both and applied each to my wrists. I wasn’t prepared for the primal response that I had to Chaparral as it melted into my skin. In an instant that day up on the mountain came flooding back to me and I was turned once again into that young girl who couldn’t bear to leave the stables that evening.

To me, Chaparral is the smell of unbridled passion , of virgin heat roaring between your thighs and of a desert so fiery and beautiful that it can make you cry with your first breath of it. Like all of Roxana’s perfumes it is completely natural and filled with her magical handcrafted accords which are beautiful and filled with incredible intention and energy. The California Chaparral is a gorgeous landscape filled with beautifully fragrant , draught tolerant plants that is constantly under threat of destruction by wildfire, landslide and urban sprawl. The California Chaparral Institute , an organization that Roxana supports with proceeds from the sales of her wonderful perfumes is devoted to protecting this fragile ecosystem and educating us all so that our grandchildren can know the captivating energy and fragrance of “The Wild West” that’s long gone, but seems to be forever branded in our souls.

Roxana’s Chaparral is honey and white sage, herbs , woods and a bit of Frankincense blended to create a ferocious inner fire in the way that only Roxana Villa can. This is the smell of Viggo Mortensen releasing his beloved paint stallion back into the wild in the beautiful film Hidalgo or Anthony Hopkins cast as the romantic Zorro with his hands quietly calming his beautiful black horse…some men can just live that large in your dreams. Chaparral is so incredibly sexy on my husband that I can barely keep my hands off of him when he’s wearing it. Be careful with it because it’s provocative, almost enough so that it should come with a warning! If you try it and I truly think that you ought to, I can’t take any responsibility for the abandonment of your good sense. But by nature I’m definitely a pot stirrer and I do have samples which of course I am willing to share with you….just let me know by stating in your comments below that you’d love to be included in the drawing! The draw is now closed.

All of her beautiful Chaparral products can be purchased through Roxana’s Etsy site. The California Chaparral Institute can be found at californiachaparral.com. Quote above: source unknown. Chaparral Photo courtesy of Roxana Villa. Viggo Mortenson Photograph courtesy of: unrealitymag.com

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74 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

What lovely imagery! I fell a little bit in love with your cowboy too; thank you for sharing such a beautiful story :)

12:12 AM EDT  
Anonymous Tamara*J said...

Beth!!!

Your posts are always so tempting and sensual. I love how you described this and always appreciate the stories of your life, so intimate and breathtaking, like perfume itself on my skin.
Please enter me for the sample doll.<3

Thank you,
Tamara Jackson
zebra_cupcakes@yahoo.com

12:56 AM EDT  
Blogger tmp00 said...

I don't need to be in the drawing since I know this lovely scent well but I had to chime in with kudos. I also love the Arizona Biltmore and those divine bungalows. THe Architect, Albert Chase McArthur studied under Frank Lloyd Wright and it's rumored that FLW actually designed it, a rumor he never really denied.

Chaparral for me reminds me of Malibu. Way up in the hills where you can feel the heat of the Valley at your back, smell last years wildfires yet see the cool Pacific in front of you. I agree, it is incredibly sexy!

1:01 AM EDT  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I would like to be in the drawing, many thanks - Alica, alica@cleis.net

1:08 AM EDT  
Blogger Abigail said...

oh, may, gahd, what a tale!

NO NEED to enter me.

Just wanted to say I loved the story. I've been to the Arizona Biltmore a few times myself so know exactly what you describe. =)

3:02 AM EDT  
Blogger Unknown said...

Lovely to read your writing again!
Please do enter me for the draw.
If necessary, you can use my email for this draw.
Many thanks!

3:27 AM EDT  
Blogger Ines said...

Oh, I miss being young and falling madly in love at first sight. :)
Please enter me - I'd like to try the perfume that evokes such great memories.

4:21 AM EDT  
Anonymous Fernando said...

Forget the cowboy, I'm impressed by the horse!

Please enter me.

5:32 AM EDT  
Blogger Solander said...

I was more impressed with Indians than Cowboys in my youth... But horses, anything that smells vaguely like horses I'd like to try! To me, Guet-Apens/Attrape-Coeur is the closest a perfume comes to that lovely warm horse smell.

5:52 AM EDT  
Blogger Karin said...

Wow, Beth! What wonderful imagery and memories! Thanks for sharing such an emotional story with us. Beautiful. Would love to try Chaparral!

7:15 AM EDT  
Anonymous sybil said...

I'm in love with your description, and i could use a little fiery excitement in my life, so please enter me in this drawing!

7:17 AM EDT  
Anonymous Bagfish said...

What a wonderful image you have conjured up here, the scent sounds like it's poetry on a wrist. The dry scent of the desert is something special and it sounds like Roxana Illuminated has captured it in Chapparal

I would love to be entered into the drawing. My e-mail is bagfish0@yahoo.co.uk

7:43 AM EDT  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I so enjoyed reading this- so beautifully written, and beautiful horses, real cowboys, and Viggo in Hidalgo are things that push all my buttons.

Now I'm dying to know if Chapparal will push them too. Please do enter me in the drawing.

8:38 AM EDT  
Blogger Anatole Lebreton said...

I just sampled Chaparral a few days ago and fell in love. it reminds me of one of my favorite spot in LA area: Topanga Canyon.
Does the solid and liquid version smell different ?
Would I be considered greedy If I ask to be entered in the draw? My sample is almost empty yet... And I'm saving for vacations.

8:43 AM EDT  
Anonymous Janet in CA said...

That was the most evocative perfume review I have ever read. Beautiful. I have always wanted to try Chaparral, being a California girl, but it has now moved to the top of my sample list.

Please enter me in the draw. And thanks for the lovely start to my day!

9:32 AM EDT  
Blogger Unknown said...

I love hiking through this dry, fragrant, expansive landscape on some of the outdoor adventures I've taken in California. Really want to try this!

Please enter me in the draw

9:44 AM EDT  
Blogger tsetse said...

Oh my goodness, what a bodice ripper of a review! And what a wonderful, lusty memory for you :) Please enter me in the draw, as I am now *dying* to try this. Lonestar Memories has been my gaga about cowboys scent, but that's not to say I can't have two, right?

10:18 AM EDT  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

It was a lovely story but I can't help but think that it was quite long-winded...just interested in finding out about the perfume.

10:18 AM EDT  
Blogger snowpavement said...

What a deeply pivotal experience. I am so moved by this story, I felt things I haven't felt for years! Absolutely loved it! Please enter me into the draw.

10:34 AM EDT  
Anonymous chris g said...

I've spent my whole life in chaparral (New Mexico and West Texas) and there is nothing like the smell of the desert after a hard monsoon rain! Please enter me in the draw - thanks.

10:45 AM EDT  
Blogger queen_cupcake said...

Beautiful post today, and I find myself falling in love with falling in love. Enjoyed reading about such a lovely memory...Please enter me in the drawing; Chaparral sounds like my kind of thing.

11:13 AM EDT  
Blogger Cymbaline said...

You lassoed me in with the picture of Viggo! Beautiful post-enter me in the draw.

11:17 AM EDT  
Anonymous lilacskin said...

gorgeous review...i ached a bit for your fifteen year old self- and for your poor mother!

i, too, know the arizona biltmore tho' the time i spent there was at the end of a crumbling marriage.very different experience.

please enter me in the draw- my (new)dh still wears 'farenheit', his highschool scent, on the rare occasion he wears cologne...

11:26 AM EDT  
Anonymous Scent Hive said...

Stunning tale Beth, I loved reading every word! No need to enter me as I already have samples of this beauty.

11:26 AM EDT  
Blogger StyleSpy said...

My goodness! I need a cigarette or a drink or something. Whew!

Please enter me in the draw, I'd love to smell this.

11:30 AM EDT  
Anonymous Prettywitty said...

Yum! Please enter me in the drawing, and thanks for the story!

11:31 AM EDT  
Anonymous dleep said...

Your review has left me with goosebumps! It was beautiful. I could see and smell everything! I would love to be entered. Thank you.

12:02 PM EDT  
Blogger Lorelie said...

Love your imagery, Beth. Beautifully written.
This is a must try for me!

12:25 PM EDT  
Blogger Unknown said...

Holy cow! Your review has left me a little overheated. Please include me in the draw, I want to smell this on my husband too.

12:47 PM EDT  
Anonymous Olivia said...

Wow! It really is amazing how a single fragrance can tell an intricate, intimate story. Your story was truly beautiful, and I'd love the opportunity to smell the fragrance that inspired it :-)

I'm sure I'll have to try Chaparral anyway, but please enter me in the draw in case I'm lucky this time? Thanks for your generosity! :-)

1:15 PM EDT  
Blogger Illuminated Perfume said...

Beth, what a glorious review...my goodness! You wield the pen like a skilled swords woman. Wafting gratitude in your direction. xo

1:50 PM EDT  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I like the way the story ended. Somethings are better left unresolved. I've heard that sage has a catnip effect for women...some kind of hormonal thing.???
Please enter my name!

2:16 PM EDT  
Anonymous PhinClio said...

I've never tried Roxana's perfumes, but I've always wanted to!

Please enter me in the draw.

2:21 PM EDT  
Blogger Dink said...

Thanks for your beautiful memories and making them come alive. I would love to be in the draw and smell this!

2:51 PM EDT  
Blogger Dionne said...

Oh my! What a lovely sounding fragrance.

I have a 5yo who is absolutely horse-crazy, and will tell anyone in her hearing she wants to grow up to be a cowgirl.

We visited a ranch a couple of weeks ago, and I mentioned to one of the cowboys how much she loves horses, and he got a big grin on his face and drawled, "That's why I'm a cowboy. Women love horses. I have horses."

3:07 PM EDT  
Blogger cbstarker said...

I've never wanted a horse or a cowgirl so bad! A beautiful review, please enter me in the drawing.

3:12 PM EDT  
Anonymous Denise said...

Thank you for your wonderful post and giving me a lovely escape from my dull workday! I always enjoy reading your musings and descriptions of scents and sensuality. Perfume sounds truly amazing -I'm a big chaparral fan and would love a sample. Please enter me in the draw-dccavaliere@yahoo.com
much love and thanks,
denise

3:45 PM EDT  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Blimey O'Reilly! I need a deep breath and a cool cloth over my forehead. What a wonderful story and how fantastic that the scent "Chaparral" evokes intimate deep-down memories like that for you.

All that and Viggo too ... (fans herself rapidly).

It would be lovely to win a sample - please enter me in the draw, and I'm off to watch Hidalgo again:-)

cheerio, Anna in Edinburgh

4:04 PM EDT  
Blogger Tama said...

What an amazing story!! I rode as a girl but never had that kind of companion. Yum.
Definitely put me in the draw - this stuff sounds amazing.

5:47 PM EDT  
Blogger Flay Wray said...

Well I'm sold! Amazing blog.:)
Please do enter me.xx

7:22 PM EDT  
Anonymous Lavanya said...

Lovely post, Beth! And I love the sound of your cowboy too..

(And please enter me in the draw- Chaparral sounds goood!)

7:37 PM EDT  
Blogger Veroushka said...

After reading that, how would I NOT want to smell this? You made me remember what it feels like to be young and infatuated. Now I'm all wistful. ;)

9:29 PM EDT  
Anonymous Natalie said...

Whew! After that story, you'd better believe I'd like to be entered in the sample drawing -- I'd love to try this if I can ever stop hyperventilating...

10:06 PM EDT  
Blogger The Gastronomic Goddess said...

Your writing and imagery created by it are stunning! It's like I'm there with you and can smell and see and feel everything you did! This sounds like an amazing scent, and I would love to be entered for it please. Thanks for sharing your lovely memories! :)

10:10 PM EDT  
Anonymous ElizabethN said...

Oh my goodness, I might have to buy this unsniffed. Your description is mouth-watering. I love the smell of chaparral, and I can imagine this is something that I would love. Please enter me!

11:26 PM EDT  
Blogger Scott said...

Wow, that's quite a review! I've been married for 23 years and we could use a little "fire between the thighs" to spice things up so PLEASE include me in the drawing! Chaparral...who knew?

11:41 PM EDT  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Wow! I've never fallen in love with a cowboy - maybe I should. :)
I've also never gotten to experience the West, so I'd like to be included in the drawing.
Thank you.
Alicia K

12:29 AM EDT  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Oh , my email address is : altair@rock.com

Thanks Again,
Alicia K

12:30 AM EDT  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Beautiful review, Beth. Mmmm, Viggo...

~divinemama~

12:32 AM EDT  
Blogger Akimon Azuki said...

I have always had a thing for sage and desert landscape and smells, and I am very intrigued by your review. I would love to be included in the drawing.

12:40 AM EDT  
Anonymous L said...

Mmmmm. What evocative images. I would love to win this. Please sign me up.

1:31 AM EDT  
Anonymous Jiyin said...

What a lovely review -- it makes me quite curious to try the perfume!

Please enter me in the draw, thank you!

1:58 AM EDT  
Anonymous zeram1 said...

Sounds fantastic. Please enter me in the drawing as well.

2:33 AM EDT  
Blogger JAntoinette said...

Such a beautiful narration; I can almost feel the heat and dust on my face. Now I'm wondering what my Frenchman would smell like all cowboyed up:) Please enter me in the draw as well.

5:58 AM EDT  
Blogger Robin E. said...

I've been dying to place an order with Roxana for quite sometime now. I think you may have pushed me over the edge...this sounds absolutely incredible! Please enter me in the draw!

8:46 AM EDT  
Anonymous Marian said...

As a horse lover, especially a swim-with-horses lover, who had a pretty big crush on a cowboy when I was about the same age, I felt every word you wrote.
If Chaparral could bring back those days........
I don't usually enter draws, but for the memories, yes please.

9:12 AM EDT  
Blogger Sue said...

Whew, somebody turn on the FAN! Sounds like a scent that could wake up this 50+ mind/ body of mine!
Please enter me in the draw.
Sue

9:45 AM EDT  
Blogger Root said...

I like it thanks you very much :x
Download Phim-Film | Download game | Software | My Blog | NonStop DJ

10:43 AM EDT  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Very evocative! I would love to be entered in the draw.

11:49 AM EDT  
Blogger Peg said...

What a wonderful tale. Thank you for sharing it, and for hosting the giveaway. It's amazing how scent can call up memories, more so than any other sense, I think. Please enter me in the drawing, and thanks!

:-) Peg
cwestpost'at'aol'dot'com

4:06 PM EDT  
Blogger Flora said...

No need to enter me as I know Chaparral - and love it course! What a wonderful story. I had a "cowboy crush" of my own at about that age, so I know exactly how that works! :-)

Viggo is perfect touchstone for a scent like this; any female with a heartbeat would love to smell this perfume on him! It's one of those fragrances that is lovely for a woman to wear, but really comes alive on a man.

4:34 PM EDT  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

you always paint such great visions. please enter me in the draw. dremybluz
dremybluz@aol.com

10:09 AM EDT  
Anonymous icing said...

Oh!
How could I not want to experience this?!

11:00 AM EDT  
Anonymous kathleen said...

Hoping it is not too late to be included in the draw.

12:50 PM EDT  
Anonymous Ali the perfume girl said...

Your description of your childhood crush leading up to the description of Chaparral was like a delightful (and descriptive) romance novel. The notes in this are not my favorite but after reading this post, I may just be inclined to try it! :)

7:10 PM EDT  
Blogger marmee said...

Wow! What a strory! I'd love to be included in the draw, try some Chaparral and find me a cowboy!

7:38 AM EDT  
Anonymous london said...

There is no way I can resist the lure of that! Please enter me for the sample drawing.

8:31 AM EDT  
Anonymous Tiara said...

I was blown away by this! I've spent time in the desert and have seen some gorgeous Arizona sunsets, but sadly never from a horse with a magnificent cowboy by my side.

Chaparral sounds magnificent and worth sharing with my husband! I've been tempted by several of Roxana's fragrances, but this may be the push I needed to buy.

Would love to be included in the drawing.

Thank you for sharing your story!

9:16 AM EDT  
Blogger Janet said...

I would LOVE a sample! Please include me in the drawing :-)

2:32 PM EDT  
Anonymous Laurie said...

Wow! I just love your writing, Beth, so rich and sexy! And Rox~ I can't wait to smell this! Beautiful!I love your earthy scents like "Sierra".You are fab!

XOXO~Laurie, Velvet & Sweet Pea's

2:46 PM EDT  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I would love to try this since your description of it is so tempting! Please enter me in the drawing!

Melanie

4:49 PM EDT  
Anonymous Greg Spalenka said...

Well Beth, that is a movie in itself!
Best piece of writing I have experienced of yours. I bow to your passion and artistry.

2:58 PM EDT  
Anonymous Perfume24 said...

Very nice story. For me it is a good inspiration.
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perfume

12:23 PM EDT  
Anonymous Cheap_Perfume said...

Wow! What wonderful story.Thanks for sharing such an emotional story with us. Beautiful.

2:02 AM EDT  

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