Another fun day in Paris.
Since this is my vacation, I slept in today and started at Etro. The price difference between New York and Paris is insane. I did the Euro conversion and the shirts are between 80 and 120 EURO cheaper in Paris than New York. Picked up a sample of their new scent Greene Street which is really nice.
Neela Vermeire invites you to “Discover Your India” through her delightful trio of fragrances inspired by the culture and history of India. Trayee represents the ancient Vedic era, Mohur is inspired by the Mogul empire, and Bollywood Bling captures the optimistic spirit of modern India. Together with perfumer Bertand Duchaufour, she followed her dream as a long-time perfumista to create the scents that tell her story.
Ron Slomowicz: What is your earliest scent memory as a child?
Neela Vermeire: My earliest scent memory is actually from my grandparents’ garden. They had a country home that had a lot of flowers. They grew stands of flowers, jasmine, and shrubs. My memories go back to the days that I was able to play in the garden. Growing up in a Hindu family, we had many religious ceremonies at home every couple of days and that is why we created Trayee. The smells of the incense and the sandalwood came from those memories. I would say that it’s a combination of the country home smell and also the religious ceremonies.
RS: What are some traditional fragrances that Indian or Hindu people wear?
Neela Vermeire: I have no idea. In India, we have a very mixed community. The main perfume makers are Muslims at the Attar-wallahs that make Ouds. I would say that most people wear natural oils straight on their skin. From a religious connotation they don’t always sell perfume with alcohol, they go back to the traditional use of oils. In general, there is a lot of fascination with western perfumery. When I was growing up in India, the people that used to travel would bring back named perfumes such as Guerlain as gifts, they were much appreciated. In general it is very tough to say, though; a lot of people know the perfumed oils and what they like. They go to the little perfume shops called Attar-wallahs where they sell oils like oud, sandalwood, and jasmine. With India being so big, it’s very difficult to give you an answer. It is like asking what people in America wear.
* Bombay Bling kicks off with a juicy fruit bouquet that has a refreshing, almost cold feel. The fruits are exotic with lychee, mango, black currant, and something citrus, perhaps lemon or verbena.
* Part of a trio of fragrances celebrating the history and traditions of India by Neela Vermeire and perfumer Bertrand Duchaufor, Bombay Bling draws inspirations from the joyous, celebratory feel of modern India.
* Imagine a pleasant version of menthol, a cold that is bracing but not overbrearing. This is the effect of the vivid and dimensional top notes.
* The fruits are joined by white floral heart notes. The listed notes are jasmine, tuberose, plumeria, gardenia, and ylang ylang, but I am not able point out which ones are actually there since it seems very blended.
* The florals recede a bit, but the fruity top notes act as a haze over the base notes of wood, patchouli, and a not too sweet vanilla.
Summary: Fruity floral fragrances are all over the place, but Bombay Bling stands out as one of the best ones that I have ever experienced. Not only is there a clear development, it feels incredibly rich and full without being too strong. I used the words ‘vivid’ and ‘dimensional’ to describe the top notes, but those words also describe the floral midnotes and the woody base. I found myself sniffing the scent nonstop while wearing it, because it feels like a three-dimensional fragrance. The inspiration of colorful, modern India is definitely clear throughout the development of the fragrance. Even though Bombay Bling is a fruity floral, guys could definitely wear it, and it’s not too loud for an office fragrance. Longevity is excellent, with it lasting more than 12 hours on my skin.
Bombay Bling is available at Lucky Scent and the Neela Vermiere website.
Disclaimer: Sample provided by Neela Vermeire My opinions are my own and I am not financially compensated for this review or any others. Image from www.luckyscent.com
* Mohur is all about the rose with its development being an exploration of rose combinations.
* The top note is a soapy rose that projects strongly for the first 20 minutes or so.
* Part of a trio of fragrances celebrating the history and traditions of India by Neela Vermeire and perfumer Bertrand Duchaufor, the name Mohur comes from a gold coin that was important in the history of India. It is also a tribute to an empress of the Mughal dynasty Noor Jahan, who celebrated the art of perfumery.
* The soap of the rose burns off and it gets a little bit sweeter, almost gourmand with the almond milk and iris – making it more luscious.
* The sweetness quiets a bit as oud comes into play. Before you shake your head and say, please not another oud fragrance, this is one of the rare scents where oud is a supporting player and not stage hog. The oud makes the rose a little sweaty and almost brazen in feel.
* The oud dissipates and the base of vanilla and tonka sweetens the rose, with wood and patchouli settling it.
Summary: Mohur is a fragrance that I didn’t get the first few times I wore it. I wouldn’t say it’s an intellectual fragrance, but the development is quite subtle and gradual over a long period of time. Aside from the rose, none of the other notes stand out or scream. They act as supporting players that tell a story about the rose. Mohur is not one that I personally love, but I could see people who like rose loving it. If you are interested in a different take on rose and oud that is more subtle and refined, Mohur is definitely one worth experiencing.
Mohur is available at Lucky Scent and the Neela Vermiere website.
Disclaimer: Sample provided by Neela Vermeire My opinions are my own and I am not financially compensated for this review or any others. Image from www.luckyscent.com