Neela Vermeire Creations - Ashoka

Picture: Ashoka in its sylish, Indian inspired bottle
Photo: PR Neela Vermeire Creations (c) 

Ashoka is the latest of  Neela Vermeires Creations and it will be released later this week. Thanks to Neela I've got the opportunity to test a sample of this intriguing fragrance in advance. Ashoka, as also the first three fragrances in the Neela Vermeire line, is created by the top perfumer Bertrand Duchaufour. The inspiration to the perfume comes from an Indian Emperor Ashoka (304-232 BC) a qruel conquer who transformed to a relativley nice guy when he found Buddha.

Ashoka starts intriguing, there is a note that reminds me of lemon balm, which is not mentioned among the ingredients and there is also something thats reminds me of sandalwood. The fragrance has a slight spicy, green, almost foody character, much like green currypaste smoothed by coconut milk. This early stage of Ashoka reminds me of the context of (even if not smelling close) the gourmand (= Asian food, not sweeties) Etat Libre d'Orange Fils de Dieu du riz et des Agrumes, but Ashoka is more distinct in style. After a while notes of figs, both leaf and fruit, enters. The fignotes are so well blended that they don't stand out separately, they contributes with their different ascpects of green, the smooth, milky fruit and the fizzy green of the leaves. Watery and a tad powdery floral notes adding additional dimensions to the the milky fig greenery and the mix is somehow calming and comforting. It's like resting in the shadow at the side of a pond in an oriental garden a very hot day. When Ashoka is settled in the base, the green balsam fir and the incense is dominating and in this phase Ashoka reminds me of Andy Tauers Reverie au Jardin but smoother and milkier in texture.

My overall impression of Ashoka is an oriental styled interpretation of Un Reverie au Jardin, green notes, incense and balsam fir is mutual and take central roles in both fragrances. When I wear Ashoka I think of it as an warm Un Reverie au Jardin.  Ashoka is spicier, smoother and warmer where Un Reverie au Jardin is dewy, balmy and aromatic with its lavander. Even if providing a mutual impression in style, the differences are are sufficient, Ashoka and Un Reverie au Jardin are sort of Yin & Yang, which complement each other in an excellent way.

Ashoka is a high quality fragrance in which naturals are predominant. Fig, insence and fir balm in a smooth, green context is dominating according to my nose. Ashoka is intriguing and there is always something going on during the whole dry down. The longevity is good 12h+ and the radiance is a bit louder  than most of the first Neela Vermeire trio Mohur, Bombay Bling and Trayee. According to my nose, even if  unisex, Ashoka is the most masculine from the Neela Vermeire Creations so far. Probably thats the reason, even if a very well done fragrance, why Ashoka doesn't click with my chemistry as well as the first three creations and the retro beauty Mohur Extrait which will be reviewed later this week. Ashoka is a must try for admirers of the Neela Vermeire Creations and for fine fragrances in general.

Rating: 4

Notes: Fig leaf, leather, white and pink lotus, mimose, fig tree, osmanthus, rose, water hyacinth, vetiver, styrax, incense, sandalwood, myrrh, tonka bean, balsam fir

Ashoka and the other Neela Vermeire Creations could be bought directly from Neelas E-Boutique
I can recommend the discoveryset.

A summary of Neela Vermeire Creations

At first as I read about the Neela Vermeire Creations I was sceptic because the fact that the hyper-producitve Bertrand Duchaufour is the nose. I have to make clear that I really like many of BD:s creations for example Nuit de Tubereuse and Dzongka are two of my top favourites and his Sienne l'Hiver and Bois d'Ombrie are performing well on Mr Parfumista. But in the latest years Bertrand seems to be everywhere, he works for so many houses and projects that it is easy to assume that he will be exhausted and loose the artistic feeling. Therefore my expectations, when I ordered the discovery set, was: High quality perfumes, blends of superior ingredients and technical perfected but without the artistic sense.

I could not be more wrong. All three of Neela Vermeires creations is all of that mentioned above but also with a great artistical sense that is able transmit the images of India (and lot of other images) that the perfumes will convey. Maybe it is Neela who stands for the sentiment of those lovely creations, but also Bertrand definitly demonstrates his artistic skills.

All three of the Neela Vermeire creations are just great and a pleasure to wear. I had a hard time ranking them and even if I have rated all of them as 5 there is of course a ranking within the best rating. Before testing, from what I had read about the pefumes, I thought the rose-oud Mohur would be my favorite as like oud/rose combinations since years. But as often in perfumeland, the obvious candidate in advance, is overtaken by another when it comes to the real test. up to day the spicy oud Trayeé is number one, followed by the original, best fruity blend so far, Bombay Bling with the beautiful pink rose Mohur in bronze position. I guess that Mohur got distanced because I think it's the one of the three fragrances that is as least original compared to other perfumes.

Neela Vermeire Creations is definitly some of the very best fragrances launched during 2011.

Neela Vermeire Creations - Mohur

Picture: Begum Nur Jahan (Mehrunissa) 1577-1645

Wikimedia commons

Mohur is the third fragrance that I tried from the Neela Vermeire Creation Discovery set. It's like it's companions created by Betrand Duchaufour in collaboration with the founder of the perfumehouse Neela Vermeire. Mohur will evoke images of the powerful empress Mehrunissa of the Mogul (Begum Nur Jahan)dynasty but also of the later colonial era in India.

Mohur is a beautiful pink, smooth and creamy rose blend with a almond and gentle traces of pepper, cardamom, coriander, other spices and a foamy leathery note. There is also slight woody and green touch in Mohur and in the basenotes I find a gentle proportion of the almost fresh geranium smelling oudnote from the spicy Trayeé. The oud in Mohur never overpowers the rose, they are interacting in the most harmonius way. There is also a warm and smooth sandalwood among the basenotes, I think Mysore as it has no sharp edges as the australian version.

Mohur is no sillagemonster but it stays close to the skin, unfragmented during a whole day. There is a pleasure to inhale this thick blend loaded with fine ingredients during. Even almost twelve hours after application I can smell the beautiful natural smelling roseoil. This is a fragrance for elegant daytime events and it is also appropriate for elegant summerevenings. And of course, also to cheer the wearer up a gloomy winterday. Other rosefragrances that Mohur reminds me of is Aoud Damascus by Montale, even if thar one is a bit more oudy and have a slight metallic vibe. It has also some similarities (the pink, creamy rose) to Burberry Body, but Mohur is a highquality, oriental version of Body.

Mohur is a must try for pink rose lovers!

Rating: 5

Notes: Cradamom, coriander, ambrette, carrot seeds, elemi, pepper, rose, iris, violet, jasmine, almond, leather, amber, sandalwood, oud, woody notes, patchouli, benzoin, vanilla, tonka been.

Neela Vermeire Creations - Trayeé

Picture: Spices in Mapusa Market, Goa, India

Photo: judepics, (cc) Wikimedia commons, some rights reserved

Trayeé is a very original, thick, spicy blend, created by Bertrand Duchaufour for the indian inspired perfumehouse Neela Vermeire Creations. Trayeé is inspired by the ancient India during the Veda-period.

Trayeé smells as I image an Indian spicemarket with distinct spices with the unconventional addition of a slight smoky tarnote. The tarnote is most evident in the topnotes but lingers in a dimmed version during the whole dry down. As Trayeé reaches the basenotes a bright, geraniumlike oud becomes the star of the show, even if it interacts very well with the spices. The oud note is the same as I percive in Mona di Orios beautiful Oud but as Monas oud is interacting with the flower of osmanthus, the oud in Trayeé interacts with the spices instead. In the basenotes of Trayeé I can finally smell something slight vanillic that rounds out and soften the other potent notes.

Trayeé is a pleasure to wear and it is perfect for cold days. It is suitable for many occasions, to work or casual. Besides the similarities with the oudnote of Mona di Orios Oud, Trayeés spicyness reminds me of Montales Amber & Spices and also of Lorenzo Villoresis Piper Nigrum but the spiciness of Trayeé i thicker, darker and mysterious than in those two mentioned.

Trayeé is a must try for the spice and/or oud lover and so far it's my favorite among the three Neela Vermeire Creations.

Rating: 5

Notes: Ginger, cinnamon, elemi, black currant, basil, jasmine, sandalwood, saffron, clove, cardamom, vetiver, patchouli, okmoss, cedar, amber, incense, myrrhe, vanille, oud