A new niche fragrance line has been born. Neela Vermeire Créations offers three fragrances (Trayee, Mohur and Bombay Bling) developed by perfumer Bertrand Duchaufour, which have been inspired by India.
Neela’s main sources of inspiration are memories of her childhood in India and many travels to visit her family there. Neela herself is proof that, though one may wander far and live in vastly different places, the fascination of India can never be left behind!
Neela’s love for art and fragrances was fostered in her early years by her family, and this project stems from an intimacy with the three great historic periods of India gained through her lifelong journey. Each fragrance, like each period, is unique yet totally connected. Each pays tribute based on the olfactive inspiration from various sources such as Indian spirituality, history, the amazing landscape, the peaceful Himalayas, the trips to hill stations and sea ports, the arts, the varied architecture, the amazing food, music, cinema and vivid colours of India.
Trayee (pronounced ‘try-ee’, meaning ‘the triad’) “is a complex fragrance that represents the boundless spiritual landscape of the great Vedic period, which started many centuries ago: its intricate rituals and temple ceremonies, ayurveda, the universe of yoga and the holistic quest for knowledge. The perfume itself has a high percentage of natural ingredients used in many of the Vedic ceremonies.
Top notes: blue ginger from Madagascar, elemi oil, cinnamon bark, ganja effects, blackcurrant absolute, basil
Heart notes: Sambac jasmine absolute, Egyptian jasmine absolute, cardamom absolute, clove, saffron, sandalwood
Base notes: Javanese vetiver, Haitian vetiver, incense, Mysore sandalwood oil, patchouli, myrrh, vanilla, cedar, amber notes, oudh palao from Laos, oak moss.”
Mohur is “a rose-based fragrance, a combination of opulent moghul rose perfumes and a distinguished spicy leather bouquet that can only be imagined during a high tea after a polo match. To capture this moment, Mohur has been created as a refined rose-oudh alliance that pays tribute to Noor Jahan’s power and talent.
Top notes: cardamom absolute, coriander seed oil, ambrette seed, carrot, black pepper, elemi oil
Heart notes: Turkish rose oil, Morrocan rose absolute rose accords more or less 11%, jasmine accord, orris, aubepin flower, almond milk notes, violet flower and orris effects, leather vitessence
Base notes: sandalwood, ambre, white woods, patchouli, oudh Palao oil from Laos, benjoin Siam, vanilla, tonka bean.”
Bombay Bling is “a joyful creation embodies every aspect of the very modern, colourful, eclectic, esoteric, ecstatic, liberal, happy side of buzzing India, a world economic power, where nothing is to be taken for granted, where the underbelly of the big city combines with the glitter of Bollywood on the vast sandy stretches of Juhu Beach and the Queen’s Necklace. Fortunes are made and lost on the Bombay stock exchange and gambling dens of Mumbai. Abandon yourself to the nightlife as dawn breaks over the city. There is nothing like it and there will be nothing like it. Welcome to a vibrant new India!
Top notes: mango, lychee, blackcurrant, cardamom, cumin, cistus
Heart notes: rose accord, Turkish rose, jasmine sambac absolute, Madagascar ylang-ylang, white floral accord of tuberose, frangipani, and gardenia
Base notes: patchouli, tobacco, white woods, sandalwood, cedar, vanilla.”
The fragrances will be sold via Neela Vermeire Créations website. “Try your India” 2 ml x3 perfumes sets will retail for 15 Euro; discovery set of 10 ml x 3 perfumes–for 75 Euro plus shipping.
Update: the e-boutique will open on Nov 4th.
Disclosure: I have met Neela via Makeupalley fragrance board, and she also took me on her Perfume Paths tour in 2005.
14 Comments
Nikki: The website is lovely, purple and gold…very well made. The e-boutique is not running yet though…This may be something to try…I think a portrait/profile photo instead of the full length photo of the owner of the website and the perfumer would have been more elegant, though…it should be cropped. November 3, 2011 at 9:58am
Nikki: You are welcome! Great, V, that will be fun! I love purple and gold…it would be a great packaging idea for a very special perfume….Elizabeth Taylor actually used the colors but more violet than purple. I am thinking about an attar with amber and cinnamon in a tiny bottle carried in a purple/gold pouch. November 3, 2011 at 11:40am
Nikki: Yes, Alien is a great purple…the shape is so starwars, unfortunately. The fragrance is pretty good but aesthetics rule in my world of perfume which is why I never buy Nasomatto because of the ugly wooden stopper. Fragrance needs to be housed in something beautiful, like the Mauboussin perfume bottle or the Lalique Le Parfum bottle or Safari in heavy crystal, Chantecaille has some lovely flacons with round crystal stoppers. Dolce Vita was a beautiful flacon as well. I think the old Norell flacons in heavy gold with green perfume were very chic. November 3, 2011 at 2:00pm
Victoria: Purple and gold is such a great combination! My first sari was in that color scheme, and it is still my favorite.
I think that the website opened just recently, so the boutique should be up and running soon.
Btw, thank you for your email and movie recommendation! Your idea to have a thread on favorite books and movies among perfume lovers is a great one, and I will put it up over the weekend. November 3, 2011 at 10:06am
sweetlife: So much fun to see someone with actual Indian roots and memories creating perfumes out of her transnational experience–a change from the crowd of bottles created out of Western fantasies of the East. I wish Neela a hearty congratulations and look forward to trying these. November 3, 2011 at 5:09pm
Victoria: I love the purple of Thierry Mugler Alien bottle, but not crazy about the shape. Trying to remember other purple bottles I loved. Dior Poison, for instance… November 3, 2011 at 1:45pm
Lynn Morgan: Swoon! It all sounds so sexy and divine- it makes me think of beautiful Indian textiles and jewels: bright, vibrant and overwhelming, in a good way. Best of luck to her- I can’t wait to try Bollywood Bling! November 3, 2011 at 6:04pm
Victoria: I love Dolce Vita bottle too, which is so playful. Very much matching the concept! November 4, 2011 at 8:24am
Victoria: Yes, very true! Plus, India is such an olfactory kaleidoscope, and it would be exciting to see how Neela might interpret it. November 4, 2011 at 8:25am
Victoria: Indian textiles and jewels are so splendid. Whenever I go to India, I want to buy fabric, because the process of buying is exciting. Sitting surrounded by shinning silks in all the colors you can imagine is such an intoxicating experience. November 4, 2011 at 8:27am
Nikki: I want some! I looked up some colorful Sari fabrics on e-bay which were made into panels for windows in absolutely magnificent colors…there was a big Indian town in Chicago on Devon street with lots of Indian stores, really fun! November 5, 2011 at 10:25am
Nikki: Have tried several times to get on the website but after the first page, it is over…how sad. Too much traffic or a glitch? November 5, 2011 at 7:07pm
Victoria: I think that it is working now. I checked a couple of hours ago, and it was active. November 6, 2011 at 11:05pm
Victoria: It is hard to buy fabric online! The quality of silk is so much in how it feels to touch. Still, I get seduced by the bright colors. 🙂 November 6, 2011 at 11:06pm