Woman listening to a gramophone, Peter Zelei
Imagine the voice of the one you loved and lost. The one you will never get over as long as you live. A voice husky from whiskey and from wanting you, which will never vocalize high tones of joy again, but which is beautiful in the depths of its brokenness. Imagine that it is years too late, that they are gone from this earth and the only way you can hear that voice is in your dreams. Imagine you stumble upon some recording device, and there is a message for you on it from them saying they never stopped loving you all these years. It would make you weep. This is how Neela Vermeire’s Mohur Extrait de Parfum makes me feel.
Painting of Empress Nur Jahan
The inspiration for Mohur was Empress Nur Jahan, chief consort of Emperor Jahangir of India’s Mughal Empire. Their romance was legendary, but her husband fell into addiction and the empress ended up running the land. After much political upheaval and her husband’s death, she spent the remainder of her life in luxurious confinement, where she devoted her time to artistic pursuits, including perfumery.
Empress Nur’s story brings to mind conversations I have had many times with friends about what it really means to be a "Queen" or a "King". There are many who think they are royalty,by birthright or by their fame; they demand attention and wear a sense of entitlement like a red ermine robe. They are pretenders. The real nobility are entirely different. Through history they have fought in the trenches with their people, rallied spirits when there was no hope, and shed blood for freedom. Some of their names have gone down in history, like Joan of Arc or Mahatma Gandhi. Others will mostly be forgotten in a generation, like the band who played on the deck of the Titanic.
To make what may be the greatest rose fragrance of our generation is a feat, although how can a perfume equate with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. or Abraham Lincoln. And yet this collaboration between Neela Vermeire and Bertrand Duchaufour brings to mind Michelangelo or Van Gogh. True art is one of the chief pleasures of being human. This fragrance, in all of its rapture, smells of the certainty that all was worth it, and the sense of relief when the pain ends. It is the reward I hope with all my heart that heroes recieve and deserve, whoever they are. They are the royals.
Notes are 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. If you have tried the eau de parfum version of Mohur, you will find the scents are similar but the new, concentrated version is deeper, richer, smoother, and absolutely unforgettable. I can’t dissect it into stages because it’s almost a religious experience.
Photo:Gladys Ng
As of this writing, Mohur Extrait is available only from Neela Vermeire in the EU as a limited edition, numbered French flacon. I hope that it will be introduced to other markets soon, (Editor’s Note: Mohur Extrait will be available at select stockists in the Fall) because this rich, creamy, dark but transcendent rose is truly a visionary work of olfactive art.
DISCLAIMER: This review was based upon a sample won in a draw from NVC.
— Nancy Knows, Senior Editor and Beauty Editor
Thanks to the generosity of Neela Vermeire we have a worldwide draw for 10 ml of Mohur Extrait that will be sent to the winner tied with a beautiful purple ribbon and the NVC ceramic disk. To be eligible please leave a comment indicating what appeals to you about Mohur Extrait (or your favorite Neela Vermeire Fragrance). Be sure to like Neela Vermeire Creations on Facebook or use our twitter button and tweet @neelavermeire #mohurextraitperfume. Draw closes June 7, 2014. Be sure to tell us where you live
Editor's Note: Congratulations to Neela for winning a 2014 Art + Olfaction Award for best perfume in the Independent Category for Ashoka
We announce the winners only on site and on our Facebook page, so Like Cafleurebon and use our RSS option…or your dream prize will be just spilled perfume.