Trayee at sunset – courtesy of Neela Vermeire Creations
Western arts have been fascinated by India since the XVII century, and perfumery is no exception. Even someone like me who never visited the country, just closing his eyes listening to Bizet’s Les pêcheurs de perles (Pearl fishers) languorous romance Je crois entendre encore (I think I still hear) or surrendering to the overwhelming delights of Guerlain Shalimar – the temple of love – one can experience such vivid places, times and atmospheres, from opulent palaces to the intimate delights of private chambers, from the silence of temples to crowded small markets. Inspiration is a conceptualization of reality as seen through the lenses of the viewer’s world, so some landscapes are truer to the original than others. The idea of India as seen by an Indian woman who studied and lived in Europe paired with the name of Master Perfumer Bertrand Duchaufour immediately hooked me back in 2011.
Bizet’s Pearlfishers at Teatro del Maggio musicale of Florence in 2016 – credits Roberto Ricci
The flacon was slightly different from the current one designed by Pierre Dinand, and I remember that I immediately wrote Neela Vermeire who was so nice to send me three vials of Trayee, Mohur and Bombay Bling. Call me sentimental, but smelling the debut trilogy was such a revelation, that I still have the three samples.
Neela Vermeire with Bertrand Duchaufour at Pitti Fragranze a few years ago – Credits Neela Vermeire Creations
The fragrance from the first trilogy that most impressed me and still whisks me away me to India is Neela Vermeire Creations Trayee; its colorful swirls of dried spices soaked in medicinal ointments of aromatic herbs and sweet-and-sour fruits macerations are poured over the most majestic woody bouquet that brings to life the finest oud perfume I ever smelled before.
Guerlain Shalimar ad by Lyse Darcy, 1939
“Trayee has a high concentration of pure Mysore sandalwood oil, nearly 1% pure oud, and two different types of jasmine.”- Neela Vermeire
Trayee distilled ancient Ayurveda medicine and Vedic rituals in a contemporary perfume to redefine Indian-inspired French perfumery and oud overdosing (without falling into the usual oud as a solo note) in 2011; Neela Vermeire Creations Trayee is the Ambre Antique of woods, the Shalimar of Sandalwood and a Modern Masterpiece.
Rig Veda tells the story of Prajapati – the god who created the world
Trayee (meaning the triad in Sanskrit) takes its name from the first three sacred Veda Rig, Yajur e Sama which are the foundations of Hindi wisdom and spirituality. The opening of Trayee unfolds one of the most complex and energizing blast of sensations that surely required all the wisdom of Bertrand Duchaufour. An almost minty cardamom laced fizzy blue ginger and the orange-like pepperiness of elemi feel uplifting and immediately forecast the mineral coldness of incense from the base, like sunbeams breaking through the gloom of an ancient temple and revealing its colorful decorations. What really makes the top notes breathtaking though is the gold medicinal floralcy of saffron and the aromatic freshness of basil bringing a beautiful facet redolent of herbs and flowers macerations. Here’s where a ganja effect renders a slightly smoky, sweet dried herbs carpet, a very innovative take on the typical Lapsang Souchong tea theme made juicy and addictive by the mouthwatering tartness of blackcurrant (which Duchaufour later used in Aedes de Venustas Signature as well).
Baba with a Tilaka (religious mark) smoking a chillum of ritual gānjā
Heady and ripe strawberry-tinged jasmine sambac joined by unctuous Egyptian jasmine fully bloom in the heart but never get cloying backed by a huge load of milky pure Mysore sandalwood to die for. We know well how strokes of naturals can dress up a load of synthetics but here we have a big lesson: how strokes of synthetics can do miracles in a load of naturals. Just a pinch of floralozone (think a green, floral, crisp seabreeze) keeps a gauzy spiciness alive and makes the thick woody bouquet sparkle in thousand reflections.
Endless and ever-changing, the drydown of Neela Vermeire Creations Trayee is the most profound, intricate and mysterious woody trail I’ve ever smelled and it’s like a music where you get different motifs each time.
Jean Patou L’Heure Attendue ad by M. Sue, 1949
Contemplative myrrh burns at a low smolder under the symbolic chypre cauldron of patchouli and oakmoss bridging it with French classics like Jean Patou’s L’Heure Attendue by Henri Almeras. Around this ceremonial fire dark, precious woods play an exotic, energizing bass line. Nutty, almost cashew-like vetiver and real oud Palao from Laos with its penetrating incensey and unforgettable scent, cheese like and floral, surround you in olive and copper hues unfolding in a primal call to Mother Nature.
The Chipko activists, Indian tree huggers movement to protect trees and benefit from empathy with nature – credits Chipko archives
Neela Vermeire Creations Trayee is a sense-awakening, meditative experience able to keep you grounded very much to present in the here and now, like the sense of peace you feel, nose to the bark, while hugging a tree.
Notes: Top: blue ginger from Madagascar, elemi oil, cinnamon bark, ganja effects, blackcurrant absolute, basil; Heart: Sambac jasmine absolute, Egyptian jasmine absolute, cardamom absolute, clove, saffron, sandalwood; Base: Javanese vetiver, Haitian vetiver, incense, Mysore sandalwood oil, patchouli, myrrh, vanilla, cedar, amber notes, oudh palao from Laos, oakmoss
This review is based on a personal bottle of Neela Vermeire Creations Trayee. My opinions are my own.
Ermano Picco, Editor and Perfume Expert
Thanks to the generosity of Neela Vermeire, we have a 60 ml bottle of Neela Vermeire Creations Trayee for one lucky reader in the USA, EU and Canada. The draw is for registered readers only, so be sure to register if you have not done so. To be eligible please let us know your thoughts on Ermano’s essay on Neela Vermeire Creations Trayee for our Modern Masterpiece Series and where you live. Do you have a favorite Neela Vermeire perfume? This is Neela’s webstore https://www.neelavermeire.com/.
Available also @luckyscent and other fine stockists.
Please like CaFleureBon Modern Masterpieces on Facebook and your comment will count twice. Please leave that in your comment. Draw closes May 11, 2020
DRAW EXTENDED
Editor’s Note: Neela Vermeire has a special place in our hearts. Ermano was among the first bloggers to write about Neela Vermeire Creations in early 2012, and CaFleureBon wrote about the collection in 2011. CaFleureBon also featured Neela Vermeire in the Creative Directors in Perfumery Series in 2013. She also is a recipient of the Art and Olfaction Award for Ashoka in 2014.
This is our Privacy and Draw Rules Policy
We announce the winners only on our site and on our Facebook page, so like Çafleurebon and use our blog feed… or your dream prize will be just spilled perfume
Please follow us @cafleurebon and @magnifiscent on Instagram and don’t forget to follow @neelavermeirecreations on Instagram and @neelavermeire and @fifthsensenyc on twitter