Alexandra Balahoutis of Strange Invisible Perfumes on Abbot Kinney in Venice launched her botanical perfume business after years of collecting essences and teaching herself the fine art of perfumery. She began by making fragrances for herself, then for her friends, and soon had the beginnings of a collection and opened her store. There are no synthetic essences used in her all-natural line of perfumes and she also offers a custom blend service. Balahoutis talked to Greenopia about her work and living green in L.A.

What is the best part of your job?

I adore making and conceptualizing fragrances. I love the truly capable people that I work with. Lastly, I adore the design process. Boutiques, packaging, and presentation.

What is your favorite local green restaurant?

I like Shima on Abbot Kinney Boulevard in Venice. They make sushi with organic brown rice and it is fantastic. No matter how green a place is, food is good or it isn’t. This is good. I don’t lower my standards when I hear the word “green.” I also really like the restaurant Tender Greens in Culver City. I think that their approach is practical and refreshing. The food is not necessarily vegan, raw, or even vegetarian but the majority of their ingredients are organic.

Where do you shop for organic groceries?

I like going to the farmer’s market in Venice on Friday mornings. Predictably, I also shop at Whole Foods.

Is there a particular environmental non-profit you support?

I support Common Ground Collective, a truly exceptional grassroots organization that is sustainably rebuilding New Orleans since Katrina. We donate a portion of the proceeds from our New Orleans-inspired perfume, Magazine Street, to Common Ground. I also support Environmental Action. I think that they are fantastic. I support Greenpeace as well.

What’s your favorite thing about living in Los Angeles?

It is a very nice lifestyle. I can focus on my life and my projects here. My identity and my experience aren’t overly influenced by the city I live in… I hope. It is fun but also keeps me just bored and restless enough to travel and want more. It is great but dissatisfying. Thinking and wondering about where I still might end up next year keeps me young. Least favorite? It is too big. Many people, as a result of focusing on their projects and themselves, are often socially flighty. It takes a lot to get all of your friends in a room together. Things just don’t gel the way they do in New York or Paris.

What would you say is the city’s undiscovered or underrated jewel?

Turpan, a boutique in Brentwood. It isn’t underrated but rather a little undiscovered as it new. It is sort of like a very edited hybrid of a small boutique and an upscale department store. They have all sorts of gorgeous things, from jewelry, fashion, and beauty to teakettles, dishes, and incredibly good-looking, eco-friendly cloth bags for grocery shopping. They are so clever and chic. Their taste is impeccable and they are very friendly and knowledgeable as well, a sometimes-rare combination. In fact, I was so impressed with them that as soon as they approached me, I agreed to them carrying my line, as I knew it would be in great hands.

Where do you like to take out-of-town visitors?

Back to the airport. Otherwise, the Getty Villa in Malibu.

What’s your favorite vacation destination?

Fez, Morocco, and Venice, Italy. I also like London and some of the Hawaiian Islands. I adore the Tropics.

What’s your favorite weekend outdoor activity?

Sipping homemade limoncello at my family’s citrus grove in Ojai.

If you were a tree, what kind of tree would you be?

A mango tree in Miami. I have such an emotional connection to mango trees from the summers I spent in Miami growing up. Mango is like Proust’s madeleine for me.

Describe your path to green: how and when you became eco-conscious.

My mother used to take me to certain meetings for those concerned when I was in high school. It certainly laid the groundwork and made me aware. Later on I started thinking more and more about it. I am also a purist who naturally gravitates toward natural products, practices, etc., so it was a pretty organic progression. The people that I work with and the neighborhood that I live in also make it easy to stay aware of our environment. That sensitivity is very standard in my circle.