India seems to be the source of inspiration lately. Karl Lagerfeld has presented his Paris-Bombay collection and in perfumery we get more and more perfumes that are inspired by the exotic country. I read something about a new Comptoir Sud Pacifique perfume called Souffle des Indes (Breath of India) and I found this very special line by Neela Vermeire, who was born in India and is now living in Paris.

Inspired by her childhood in India, Neela Vermeire dedicated her first trio of fragrances to India. No other than genius Bertrand Duchaufour, who is an admirer of India, created the three perfumes. Each one represents a different era in the history of India.

Trayee stands for the Vedic period with its intricate rituals and temple ceremonies, Ayurveda, the universe of yoga and the holistic quest for knowledge. To me cardamom as a typically Indian spice is the golden thread in this trio. In Trayee it dominates the opening, not without reminding me of Traversée du Bosphore, which Bertrand Duchaufour created for L’Artisan Parfumeur. It’s the cardamom, I tell you. Trayee is a silent explosion of spices, herbs, woods and subtle vanilla in the base. Ginger, saffron, clove, cinnamon bark, you get a whole spice market. The blackcurrant in the opening is a fruity aspect I like. And it really lasts and reaches out its branches into the base. Otherwise the creation would have been too ‘dry’. Trayee really is a peaceful, meditative scent with ethereal peaks.

Notes: blue ginger, elemi oil, cinnamon bark, ganja effects, blackcurrant, basil, sambac jasmine absolute, cardamom absolute, clove, saffron, sandalwood, Javanese vetiver, Haitian vetiver, incense, Mysore sandalwood oil, patchouli, myrrh, vanilla, cedar, amber notes, oudh Palao from Laos, oak moss

Mohur stands for the era of British India. It is an homage to Noor Jahan, the favorite wife of Emperor Jehangir. The word ‘mohur’ derives from Sanskrit and refers to the most valuable gold coin in India’s history. The last pieces were minted in 1918. Mohur is a wonderful light rose scent. When you read the notes like oudh, patchouli and amber you might think of a deep and dark rose scent. But this is so special about it, the perfume smells milky and is nearly transparent in its beauty. As some of you already know, I love the combination of carrot and orris. The combination of rose, carrot and orris is even more beautiful and cardamom as a top note reveals this certain Indian twist to the composition. Vanilla, almond milk and tonka bean add creamy sweetness without being cloying. And what about oudh, leather, patchouli, amber? Bits and pieces that make a creation special but don’t dominate it.

Notes: cardamom absolute, coriander seed oil, ambrette seed, carrot, black pepper, elemi oil, Turkish rose oil, Moroccan rose absolute, rose accords 11 percent, jasmine accord, orris, aubepin flower, almond milk notes, violet flower and orris effects, leather vitessence, sandalwood, amber, white woods, patchouli, oudh Palao oil from Laos, Benjoin Siam, vanilla, tonka bean

Bombay Bling. Wow! I am absolutely not a bling bling girl, but I love this name! And I love the juice. Sorry for using the term ‘juice’, I never do this, but in this case it really fits. Bombay Bling is a cocktail full of lush fruits. Immediately, dancing scenes in Hindi films come to my mind. Have you ever seen one? No? Go for it, it’s so much fun. I remember my first one, it’s called Veer-Zaara with the Indian superstar Shah Rukh Khan. I was completely shocked when the actors started to sing and dance and then I couldn’t stop laughing. Bombay Bling stands for the contemporary India. Buzzy, vibrant, eclectic, modern, ecstatic. This sweet cocktail will make you dance all night long. Mango, lychee, blackcurrant, a little bit of a sweaty cumin note, a bouquet of rose and white flowers plus a woody base with tobacco and vanilla. And, of course, cardamom. Can you hear the music? The idea of this perfume is so inspiring. A fruit punch that doesn’t smell like a teeny shower gel, that’s art. I want to smell this one on men’s skin, must be even better than on a woman. In this case it is the cumin, that works like an aphrodisiac. The drydown feels like a male human body scent. In a very positive way.

Notes: mango, lychee, blackcurrant, cardamom, cumin, cistus, rose, jasmine, ylang-ylang, tuberose, frangipani, gardenia, patchouli, tobacco, white woods, sandalwood, cedar, vanilla

We definitely need more concepts like this on a market that seems to circle around the same themes for too long. These scents – and especially Bombay Bling – managed to surprise me, like a food critic who gets something on his tongue that really makes him wonder. Great work!

Which one is your India? Have you ever been there? And which smell do you remember?

www.neelavermeire.com

Photo: Norman Parkinson

Who doesn’t know the clumsy Mr. Hulot from Jacques Tati’s famous movie from 1952? An eccentric with a hat and pipe who causes trouble everywhere, no matter what he does. Whether driving a car, playing tennis or just listening to jazz. What would a perfume of the same name smell like?

There’s talk of a salty breeze from the Mediterranean where Monsieur spends his holidays, of driftwood, seaweed covered rocks, and the scent of old leather suitcases. In contrast to other aquatic scents like Sel Marin by Heeley or Tirrenico by Profumi del Forte, Mr. Hulot’s Holiday does not exude the typical watery ozone notes. I can’t feel the rough coast of Brittany nor can I find the leather suitcase. For me, the scent is a mixture of a bouquet of white flowers and fresh air. Don’t get me wrong – Mr. Hulot is a synonym for chaos and action, restless like the jazz he loves – that’s what I expected. To my surprise, what I got was a very polite, innocent and clean perfume.

Category: unisex

Perfumer: Christopher Brosius

Year: 2005

Notes: salty breeze, seaweed, driftwood, leather

www.cbihateperfume.com

Close to my apartment is a beautiful store for oriental stuff. The owners also sell small oriental perfumes, that smell really strange – completely different to what we usually call oriental. Based mainly on spices, these scents smell exactly like a bazaar, in all its facets. I once bought one, I think its name was Kerim or so, and gave it to a friend of mine. It was a very strong clove scent.

Marrakech by Aesop reminds me of one of those authentic oriental perfumes. The little brown bottle with the black label has to be used as a splash, the ingredients are 100 per cent natural. I like the idea having a bottle of this in my bag to escape from my everyday life, like a short trip to the Medina.

First of all I smell bergamot and cardamom with its menthol-like flavor – very refreshing. Kind of a tiger balm effect, but with a completely different scent. Rose and clove mixed with sandalwood and earthy patchouli bring you down, ground you. In the background you can feel the uplifting energy of neroli.  This scent is spicy, smoky, fresh and warm at the same time, grounding and uplifting, full of energy and at the same time very peaceful. Magic!

Sometimes I just put some splashes of Marrakech into the palms of my hands and inhale. Then I am far, far away… and very relaxed. You can always find it on my desktop for a little break during my stressful days of work. I put it on – silence, calm, peace. It’s like switching off everything around. Kind of a spiritual thing.

The scent is nothing I would wear to impress someone, I wear it just for myself. And I feel happy.

Category: unisex

Year: 2005

Notes: neroli, bergamot, Rose Otto, jasmine, cardamom, clove, sandalwood, patchouli

www.aesop.com

The line of DSH Perfumes is quite overwhelming – a great many of perfumes, that Dawn Spencer Hurwitz has created within 20 years. So I am happy that she chose some for me, a little surprise bag – among them Nourouz, one of Dawn’s favorite scents.

This perfume is from the Limited Editions Series. It was launched under the name Tamarind/Paprika in 2008 and renamed in 2010 in Nourouz – inspired by the Persian New Year celebration.

I would describe Nourouz as a fruity, exotic, spicy tobacco scent with vintage character. Is it gourmand? No, neither foody with regard to its ingredients. It scintillates in its virtuosity. The tangy dryness of the tobacco is the most dominant note for me, as well as the apricot aroma of osmanthus, the pomegranate and tamarind. The paprika is sweet Hungarian paprika. Nourouz is semi-sweet, but accompanied by something dirty, that gives it this “what the hell are you doing to me“ feeling. I applied it, reapplied it, reapplied it and reapplied it, to get the notes and to explore its complexity. At times a trace of a rose fades in to fade out immediately. Then it smells like sniffing a cork after having opened a bottle of really old red wine with an unlit cigar in your mouth– add some vanilla to this picture. At the same time you get this sticky-fruity-spicy aroma. Over all it’s just amazing and weird at the same time!

Nourouz is a completely outstanding perfume. Better than all the tobacco scents I have smelled so far.

My boyfriend said “Oh, that’s a great scent for a man!“ while I was thinking “Oh, that’s a great scent for a woman!“

Your choice…

Category: unisex

Perfumer: Dawn Spencer Hurwitz

Year: 2010

Notes: black pomegranate (accord), paprika, tamarind, Bulgarian Rose Otto, orris, osmanthus, opoponax, red wine notes, tobacco absolute, vanilla absolute

www.dshperfumes.com

Gold fever! Time to introduce you to Manoa, a perfume that was inspired by the Incan „city of gold and opoponax“ – Manoa. Warm, resinous, spicy, mysterious and marvelous.

I have already mentioned that I am really into amber right now. But I have another raw material, which I adore as much as amber because it smells amber like: opoponax, also known as sweet myrrh or Commiphora erythraea. I fell in love with this essence for the first time when I tested the natural perfume oil Commiphora from the 7 Scents Collection by The Lab Room, which I have recently reviewed. I was thrilled by its touch of amber. Now I found it in Manoa and immediately recognized, that it is this wonderful ingredient, that makes this scent so gorgeous.

At first Manoa smells a little bit difficult, it definitely needs time. The opening is heavy, a little bit sharp and a little bit sour. Bergamot and lemon are fighting to get some attention against the powdery base that wants to be in the limelight. But wait, wait, wait… you will get a wonderful, powdery scent, sweet but not too sweet. The vanilla is not too dominant and the cypress reveals a wonderful green note. Labdanum gives the scent a certain depth, that makes it mysterious and absolutely alluring. The lasting power is huge and opoponax definitely is the central character in this creation. Its amber like flavor is so gourgeous and sensual!

If you like powdery scents with an oriental touch you should really try this one before the sun is getting stronger. Now it’s the perfect weather to wear it. I went out last night and it was really cold outside. Manoa was with me and made me feel safe and surrounded by a warm, golden light. I woke up when the sun came out and Manoa was still there.

Category: I suggest this scent for women

Perfumer: Alienor Massenet

Year: 2010

Notes: bergamot, lemon, ginger, iris, cypress, tonka bean, vanilla, opoponax, labdanum

www.mymemo.com