Ashoka

So, I just took a sample spray I had from MiN New York years ago of this fragrance, and literally smashed it with a hammer so I can smell it again. Had glass everywhere on my counter but it was worth it to get barely a sniff from it. Needless to say, I finally decided to purchase a bottle of it today... What’s to say of this one, it has intrigued me all these years but I never fully committed to a bottle until now for some reason. I mean it’s definitely out of my spectrum of fragrances, I tend to wear dark orientals, leathers etc (even though I live in a tropical climate) but this fragrance touches enough in my favorite notes to really reel me in and appreciate a far different take than what I’m used to. This fragrance has a journey which is what I love about it, even if the opening to me isn’t an “eyes roll in the back of the head” reaction. It’s a unique opening I’ve never smelled in another fragrance, it’s green but not a typical green, like petals of a mimosa and lotus thrown in a glass of coconut milk. It’s hard to even explain it without you just smelling it yourself. The fig here has a strong coconut vibe and mixes superbly well with the rest of the notes, which gives it a tropical feel but definitely with depth, especially as the soft leather and tonka start emerging. This is when the fragrance becomes addictive, the blend of all of these creates a comforting fragrance that smells divine; a mixture of sweet, green, floral and leather notes makes it transcend all boundaries of fragrance families, seasons and genders. This could be the most unique signature scent you can come across because I can’t even explain what kind of fragrance this could be categorized as. It’s floral, green, fresh, leathery and warm all in one. I’ve smelled thousands of fragrances and still have never smelled anything even remotely similar. Also let’s not forget the ingredient quality, which is just phenomenal and smells so natural like I’m in the garden of a Maharaja’s palace. Longevity from what I remember was pretty solid due to the heavier base notes, but projection/silage I can’t say until I get my full bottle. Price-wise, while this isn’t in Roja terms of expensive, it’s definitely not cheap but you can tell a lot of care went into this from the packaging, ingredients and of course the perfumer Bertrand who is a perfumer legend. EDIT: Got my full bottle and the leather is intense in this one! It adds a smoky nature amongst all the other notes, and a half spray constantly wafts to my nose from my arm so this is definitely a noticeable batch! A clear winner.

Far more discreet, femme and fragrant than I was expecting, but genuinely lovely. Maybe the name (Ashoka was one of the founding emperors of India's ancient Maurya dynasty), the house and the price misled me, because I thought this would be far, far louder - a great spicy trampling elephant charge of a scent - and instead it's a serene, reflective interlude by a pool in some lavish but tasteful gardens. In film terms, this is Satyajit Ray, not Bollywood. Classy and intelligent, not blasting your head off in a whirl of clashing sensation, but lulling you into calm contemplation. Extremely creamy at first - I could have sworn it was a good, natural, organic coconut note! - and the milkiness of the fig wood works wonderfully. There's not a whiff of bitterness or overbearing fruitiness, as many fig-centric scents can have; instead it's pure, botanical gorgeousness, smelling of natural sap and discretion. The lotus, tonka and mimosa are kept in check so it never gets too sweet or too rampantly floral. There's a really nice, mild, greenish note throughout which never gets bitter or overly herbal - it's like the very first few seconds of the smell of a snapped blade of grass, but without the hay or acridity that creep in to older, drier cut grass. Styrax and vetiver give a hint of earthiness underneath it all, but no more than a very subtle hint. Vague auras of sweet-very-gentle spiciness hang about from the sandalwood and resins, but they are not dominant at all. I get barely any rose or leather so don't be afraid of them. Overall this is still a green/floral, but one which is warm and restrained enough for me to absolutely love it - even if it's subcontinents away from my usual favourites. It's not cliched in any way, and while some facets reminded me of L'Artisan Caligna or Diptyque Philosykos, this is still a very different animal. Its performance is pretty low-key, and the full beauty of the initial creaminess doesn't last much past 2 hours, but every later phase is absolutely lovely too, and you can still get the odd whiff of pleasure up to 6h later. Coconut and/or fig fans should try it straight away; absolutely anyone who gets the chance should give it a go and prepare to be pleasantly, mildly surprised. ETA: and I cracked its code - if you want it to last longer, just put more on yourself! With 6- generous, but not extravagant, sprays - yes it can and will last all day. And be beautiful throughout. Just one more reason to get with its program and sign up for life.

"Opulent and majestic; a true Indian royalty with milky coconut fused with soothing incense and lush florals." Ashoka is an award-winning fragrance from Neela Vermeire Creations (NVC), a French perfume house by Neela Vermeire and a collaboration with Bertrand Duchaufour, who is perhaps one of the foremost noses in the perfume industry. All of the fragrances in NVC is spectacular in their respective way but Ashoka is perhaps my favourite of them all. On my skin, it opens beautifully with notes of fig leaves, soothing incense and white lotus. Fig leaves to me smells a lot like coconut: milky, sweet and soothing. The one I sense in Ashoka is more milky and less sweet, a high-quality type unlike those from most designer fragrances where the coconut/fig leaf note is more synthetic-sweet instead. The incense is not the dark, smoky kind; it's very smooth, light and meditative, one that renders the wearer relaxed and at ease. White lotus, a symbol of Buddhism, perfectly portrays the image that Ashoka is meant to conjure: peaceful, soft and soothing. Many have claimed that there is a leather note too, but I haven't been able to detect it till now (I highly suspect that it's the suede type because I do not hints of dark leather one bit). The longevity works decently on my skin: in the office, it will last up to 9 hours. Out in the hot weather, it will last approximately 5-6 hours. Same for the sillage: it trails beautifully up to a metre or so. The best kind of season to wear Ashoka, I can imagine, is spring and autumn but more to the former since it's a "bright" fragrance ("dark" fragrances is more appropriate for autumn IMHO). The price of Ashoka and the other NVC fragrances (sans Mohur Extrait) is around USD 250 for 50ml, which is kinda steep for most people. Although I find Ashoka utterly amazing, I hesitate to purchase it simply because of the price. Hope the day comes when I get my hands on the beautifully crafted flacon... Duchaufour is one of my favourite perfumers in the industry; his vision and mastery in crafting fragrances are impeccable. He doesn't simply create fragrances that smell good; his fragrances create stories and images, and only great perfumers can do that. All of his NVC fragrances tell a story, and Ashoka's story appeals to me the most. I will definitely try out the others when I have the chance.

Masterpiece incredible!!! the first thing I said after the first few seconds was .. WOW ... this is a wonderful symphony, this is peace, this is gourmand .. (followed by a happy smile). It is a really nice scent,that gives me happiness,joy,serenity,everything .. everything! is a ravishing beauty, here B.Duchaufour created another work of art. I love his compositions, and Ashoka on each note gives its value, blends perfectly with the other, everything is combined to create something truly divine,unique and special! The opening is intense calm after a few minutes, wrapping in an embrace soft,warm, comfortable,loving, and also elegant. All is peace, all is Love! the leather is not known invasive here, but there is so moderate, note that predominates is the fig leaf, but also the sandalwood and incense are felt. I love this fragrance, it gives me happiness and love, from the beginning up to the base notes! is a masterpiece. My soul thanks ... I've never heard a scent so!! High level. ***** Recommended !!!! Sillage: 6.5/10 Longevity: 8/10 Scent: 10/10 Overall: 10/10

A fragrance so unique and different that it sits in its own island on the olfactive map, waiting patently for anyone to approach it. While mimosa has been sort of overdone in perfumery, most mimosa fragrances evoke the fresh, green, and powdery pollen-like quality of the flower. These are beautiful fragrances, but never had I found a masculine twist to this accord until I came across this one. Ashoka cleverly lures you in with a powdery, feminine flower, an abstract "pink" mimosa, only to then enrapture you fully with a dense sandalwood-fig energy, transitioning to something leathery eventually. Duchaufour has a unique way of putting together contrasting elements at a very low volume. If you turned the sound up, surely it would be a cacophony. But at the levels you see in Ashoka, it becomes something of a natural hum, curious, mysterious, and alluring. No fragrance is intrinsically worth over 100 bucks, but with this fragrance I firmly believe you are buying an artistic masterpiece, unique and irreproducible.