Neela Vermeire of Neela Vermeire Creations©
It is rare that a Creative Director in Perfumery can bring our jaded niche community together, not only through fragrance, but through warmth and passion. We wrote about Neela Vermeire in 2011, and named her inaugural collection the best of 2011,that’s how good her brand was just out of the gates. I met Neela in January 2012, during the official launch of Neela Vermeire Creations at the Elements Showcase, January 2012. She greeted me with a warm hug on that cold winter day. Everyone she encounters is greeted by Neela with equal enthusiasm. Ever since, has traveled the world without a publicist or handlers. Neela is the perfect example of how to build a brand… as its greatest advocate and ambassador. She has works solely with only one perfumer, one of the best in all niche perfumery, Bertrand Duchaufour. On the occasion of the upcoming 10th year anniversary our team at CaFleureBon are sharing personal anecdotes and reviews of seven Neela Vermeire Creations. Dear Neela, here is to ten more years of olfactive beauty –Michelyn Camen, Editor In Chief
preview in the artist Gericault’s former atelier
Forward: “How a perfume collector became the founder of an independent French niche perfume company paying tribute to India’s olfactory heritage … my passion for perfumes became easier to learn, access and enjoy when I arrived in Paris in 2003 – culminating in the creation of the brand in autumn 2011, previewing it in Paris in the painter Gericault’s atelier in and then launching it globally at the Elements 2012 show in New York.
Neela Vermeire and Bertrand Duchauour, who is the perfumer behind all her scents to date
Working together with the talented perfumer Bertrand Duchaufour to shape my artistic vision of the collection (seven now) and also with the famous bottle designer Pierre Dinand to create the Neela Vermeire Creations bottle- it has all been a great lesson in this fragrant journey.
With Award Winning Designer Pierre Dinand
I chose the tougher route of self-funding and retaining total creative control of the brand by designing its identity piece-by-piece. Therefore, not going for any turn key service. I am grateful to all who have helped me along the way, and some lasting friends I have made in the fragrance world. Moving forward during these challenging and unpredictable times – let us hope that all of us get through and emerge much stronger and all hopefully beautifully perfumed….” Neela Vermeire, July 2021
Neela Vermeire Creations display
We at ÇaFleureBon find ourselves overjoyed as our dear friend and colleague Creative Director Neela Vermeire of Neela Vermeire Creations celebrates the first decennial of her inimitable brand. It is our pleasure to include you, faithful readers – as we revisit her superb array of perfumes.
I first met Neela Vermeire during the intensely hot and swampy August of 2011 at the Elements Showcase in NYC, one of the top niche trade show events at that time. It was one of those unforgettable magnetic encounters: lively, warm, personable Neela felt like a sister from the get-go, a kindred spirit (I now marvel at how many others she has had a similar effect upon over the years!). As she guided me through her first three fragrances – Trayee, Mohur, and Bombay Bling (based upon three eras of India: Vedic, Mughal Empire, and current day) – her enthusiasm was infectious. Neela’s choice of perfumer was the brilliant, prolific Bertrand Duchaufour; how could her enterprise fail? Ten years later, these two continue to provide knowing perfumistas with some of the most discriminating fragrances available.
Mohur EDP
Neela Vermeire Creations Mohur Eau de Parfum (2011): Mohur (then available as eau de parfum) had me mesmerized at first sniff. I stood conflicted: which did I love more, Trayee or Mohur? I enjoyed Bombay Bling, but at the time I gravitated towards deeply resinous scents and the Rose. “I think Mohur’s my favorite; it’s my mother’s favorite, too”, Neela whispered as I returned to it time and again. Between jammy rose and celestial milky almond, Mohur conjured olfactory images of gulab jamun and kheer combined with well-worn falconer’s glove leather, the tenderness of jasmine, violet and hawthorn – embedded in silken resins and woods kissed by ambrette. Mohur commences as tart, juicy – then transforms into a seraglio pipedream.
Notes: Cardamom, Coriander, Ambrette, Carrot, Black Pepper, Elemi; Turkish Rose, Moroccan Rose, Jasmine, Orris, Hawthorn, Almond Milk Accord, Violet Flower, Leather; Sandalwood, Amber, White Woods, Patchouli,, Benzoin, Vanilla, Tonka Bean.
Ashoka was awarded first place in the independent category at the very first Art and Olfaction Awards held in Los Angeles. In 2014. From the viewpoint of pure artistry, one appreciates Ashoka’s complexity and fragrant evolution – but anointing yourself is key as you follow that selfsame Indian warrior emperor along his path to enlightenment, then devout disseminator of the Buddha’s dharma. There is a distinct sense of unfolding which occurs throughout Ashoka’s development: his youthful fierceness takes volatile form via an intensely virile leather accord, enhanced by osmanthus – and for me, the ardent fig milk and leaf accords serve to further this image. Ashoka’s tender heart is portrayed in the delicate tones of lotus, mimosa, rose and water hyacinth. The drydown is well worth waiting for: contemplative and holy, filled with reverential materials so loved in devotional practice; my favorite part of the journey.
Notes: fig leaves, leather, white & pink lotus, mimosa, fig milk, osmanthus, rose, water hyacinth, vetiver, styrax, incense, sandalwood, myrrh, tonka bean, fir balsam
Please read our review of 2017 Niral by Deputy Editor Ida Meister here
–Ida Meister, Deputy Editor and Natural Perfumery
Neela Vermeire Trayee (2011): Trayee, whose Sanskrit name refers to the first three Vedas (the oldest, most sacred books of India), is one of the most transporting, beautiful incense fragrances I’ve ever encountered. Strewn with Indian spices, smoothed with sandalwood and resins, and adorned with cascades of jasmine, Trayee is gorgeously complex. Perfumer Betrand Duchaufour uses with a high percentage of natural ingredients used traditionally in Vedic ceremonies. Its beauty is kaleidoscopic; the dominant notes shift and reform according to the weather, the time of day, and the heat of the skin. On first spray, in a cool room, Trayee swirls cardamom, clove, elemi and ginger in a sweet-spicy cloud. I get cola and vanilla, like the smell of an old school ice cream float. Later, in the humid warmth of mid-summer, there is loamy vetiver, cedar and saffron and a puffy cloud of incense. In the late hours, Laos oud and amber stir, and my bedroom fills with creamy jasmine blossoms. Duchaufour’s complicated but seamless orchestration is balanced, original, and breathtakingly lovely. Not only my top choice of Neela Vermeire’s perfumes, but one of my favourites of all time.
Notes: Blue ginger, elemi, cinnamon, ganja accord, blackcurrant absolute, basil, jasmine sambac, Egyptian jasmine, cardamom, absolute, clove, saffron, Javanese and Haitian vetiver, incense, Mysore sandalwood oil, patchouli, myrrh, vanilla, cedar, amber notes, oud palao from Laos, oak moss.
Lauryn Beer, Senior Editor
Damir Gašljević collection of Neela Vermeire Perfumes
Note: Reader Damir Gašljević CaFleureBon Fragrant Awakening was with Trayee, please read it here
2011’s Bombay Bling! by Neela Vermeire Créations is the kind of perfume that should be filled out on prescriptions, as a natural remedy for when you feel under the weather. If there ever was a perfume that feels like pure sprayable serotonin, then Bombay Bling is the one. Bombay Bling is bursting at the seams with its fresh and bright mango, a fizzy overdose of tropical fruity brightness, a perfectly tuned heavenly chorus of florals, and just the right amount of spicy accords.
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, gardenia; Base notes: patchouli, tobacco, white woods, sandalwood, cedar, vanilla
Nicoleta Tomsa, Senior Editor
Pichola
Neela Vermeire Créations Pichola 2015: When I met Neela, I was mightily impressed by her genuine warmth, and her serene way of expressing herself (she is a highly intelligent, cultured person, with the wisdom and self-confidence to match). Her fragrances, all composed by Bertrand Duchaufour, conduct themselves in similar manner: without ever resorting to loudness or high-pitched tones, they manage to speak volumes to the senses, and heart. The translucently beautiful Pichola, named after the famous Indian lake, is no exception; its olfactory melody is soft but lingering, amicably haunting like the presence of a loved one’s spirit. Its floating bouquet is dominated by sun-kissed orange blossom and freshly-bloomed jasmine, embellished by strands of fruity-toned florals (tuberose, ylang-ylang, neroli, magnolia), citrusy touches (mandarin, bergamot), and warming spices (saffron, cinnamon, cardamom). As in all Neela Vermeire creations, catalyst of the base is the creamy sandalwood: combined with smoky vetiver and vanillic benzoin, it lends an ethereal smoothness to the mineral, lake-evoking driftwood accord. Notes: Bergamot, Clementine, Cardamom, Cinnamon, Saffron, Juniper, Magnolia, Neroli; Orange Blossom Absolute, Rose Absolute, Tuberose Absolute, Jasmine Sambac, Ylang-Ylang; Benzoin, Sandalwood, Driftwood, Vetiver
– Despina Veneti, Senior Editor
Neela Vermeire Creations Rahele (2017): A legendary figure in the Arts and Crafts Movement, Sir Thomas Wardle introduced many innovations in silk dyeing and textile design. His research and passion brought Kashmir silks to the Victorian Era fashion designers, resulting in a source of wealth for both countries. Creative Director Neela Vermeire and Perfumer Bertrand Duchaufour distilled this inspiration into another masterpiece. A bubbling champagne rosé accord, joyfully unfolds a thousand violet petals and juicy blackcurrant berries as shining as ruby silk satin. Gently the uberchic iris appears woven to spiced green tea fumes caressing your skin like an organdy dress. The gorgeous drydown is a reminder to indulge pleasures, for we only live once. Nothing beats this inebriating cup when you feel like having a toast to life!
Notes: champagne accord, angelica, iris, tea, rose, magnolia, cedarwood, sandalwood, leather
Ermano Picco, Editor
Neela Vermeire Creations Mohur Extrait (2014): For those who know me, I am not a rose perfume fan. I don’t really love the flower itself. I owned Guerlain Nahema Extrait, with its peachy voluptuous sensuality. Then it was gone. There are echoes of Nahema in Neela Vermeire Creations Mohur Extrait, not in its composition but in its brilliance. Look past the obvious inspiration of melding East and Western sensibilities; its greatness and absolute perfection stands on its own. The true Queen of Flowers is crowned in spice, then bathed in benzoin and rich amber. Neela Vermeire Creations Mohur Extrait is the voice of someone I loved and the plaintiff echoes of a melody that I can’t get out of my head. Neela Vermeire Creations Mohur Extrait is similar to Neela’s original Mohur, but deeper, richer and absolutely unforgettable. I don’t think of it as rose perfume, but as a religious experience. If you are like me and shy away when you read that a fragrance has notes of rose and oud…. Mohur Extrait will change your mind.
Notes: cardamom, coriander, ambrette, carrot, black pepper, elemi, Turkish rose oil, jasmine, hawthorn, almond milk accord, leather, sandalwood, amber, patchouli, oudh Palao from Laos, benzoin, vanilla, and tonka bean
– Michelyn Camen, Editor in Chief
10 for 10
Thanks to the generosity of Neela Vermeire Creations on the occasion of her 10th anniversary of Neela Vermeire Creations we have ten draws
USA, Canada, EU: One 60 ml Of Trayee for a registered reader
USA, Canada, EU: 60 ml bottle of Mohur for a registered reader
USA, Canada, EU: 60 ml of Neela Vermeire Creations Bombay Bling for a registered reader
USA, Canada and EU 60 ml for Rahele for a registered reader
USA , Canada and EU One take two Ashoka 15ml x 2 for a registered reader
USA , Canada and EU One take two Pichola 15ml x 2 for a registered reader
USA, Canada and EU: One 15 ml of Mohur Extrait (hand poured as it is out of stock) for a registered reader
Worldwide: three Sample Sets of 6 x 2ml Neela Vermeire Discovery Sets + 2ml Niral for a registered reader
Please leave a QUALITY comment about what you leaned about Neela and her aesthetic, list as many as you are eligible to win, where you live and please wish this wonderful woman and her glorious perfumes happy tenth anniversary. What is your favorite Neela Vermeire Creations perfume? Draw closes August 3, 2021
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