Trayee

Neela Vermiere Trayee Before you read on, I must tell you that I am adding this paragraph last (chronologically speaking) having experienced her perfumes on the whole, and it is my opinion that Neela Vermiere’s creations, bought to life by the immensely talented Bertrand Duchaufour, are the closest representation of India in olfactory terms through the lens of French perfumery, nothing I tell you comes close to capturing the scent story of India. The intellectual conception, the perfumes themselves, and the beautiful presentation are to me, the most authentic representation of my dear motherland. The first spray of this is an utter explosion of gorgeously volatile top notes, there’s juicy blackcurrant and spiced cinnamon enveloped in an aromatic greenness from the cannabis (i.e. the ganja accord) and the basil, this greenness is important in that it doesn’t open too sweet, the zing in all this is the piercing (and mind you prominent) ginger which rounds the massive opening. I already know this I’m going to love, the elemi in the background is why this feels easier, I do not generally like elemi because to me it’s a rather ‘airy resin’, but here it's lemony and mildly smoky, and these facets are much appreciated. The density of this composition isn’t quite obvious right away, the composition of the heart of the fragrance is the sacred matrimony of my favourite spices, namely cardamom, clove and saffron, all of which find use extensively in the Indian culinary arts, both savoury and sweet alike. Here however the intention is to encase them in a well-knit orb of Jasmine sambac absolute (and Egyptian jasmine) and sandalwood. This sandalwood persists through the heart and forms a larger part of the base too. Neela’s brief to Bertrand was to spare no expense and create a tribute to the grandeur of India’s glorious Vedic past, and I believe with that in mind, the maestro has overdosed the whole composition with a dusty, spicy albeit lactonic Mysore sandalwood, a pleasure to the senses and a must for the connoisseur that looks for the best example of it in niche/artisanal perfumery, and it’s here in abundance to satiate your craving. The base is voluptuous, an amalgam of incense, patchouli, myrrh, vanilla, amber, oudh, oakmoss and the aforementioned Mysore sandalwood, also in this melange is two types of vetiver (Javanese and Haitian), which expresses itself as a kind of earthy freshness (?) that cuts through the unrestrained thickness of the other base notes. I will also reference the oudh oil used minutely here as a spectacular example wherein the mild woody depth of the oudh is only a small supporting character to the other notes, neither does it dominate the composition, nor is it obtrusive. It exists in the background as it should and for those that do not harmonise well with oudh, you have not one thing to worry about, it is used expertly here and will not be obvious to you if you don’t know what to look for. (My fervent side prayer, can we please start using oudh in moderation as one would another resin or something like oakmoss, just the way it has been used here, there is no need to flood just about every new release, that too with the same ‘medicinal oudh accord’, the novelty is now lost upon us, especially when there isn’t even a smidge of the real oil.) With each development I find myself mystified because this is art that transcends understanding and rationale, how do I tell you that this creation is the essence of my people, the people of the larger Indian subcontinent, our past, our ancient philosophy, our ‘bhakti’ (faith) and our hopes and aspirations. This elixir is entrenched with the scent of the soil, the very soil which has always been sacred to us, the soil of my motherland. How do I tell you of the ancestral roots which draw me back to a world when the winds were new, the trees so young, the soil wet from the caressing rains, the sutras of the Vedas chanted in resounding voices, passed onto from the old to young through oral tradition, and the ‘homas’ and ‘yagnas’ (Vedic rituals and ceremonies honouring the element and deities of fire) performed in temples created from carved stone, the worship of the divinity that resides within, and within you and I... This elixir is perhaps the olfactory distillation of all that is familiar to me and has always been, through every life that I have lived in this cosmic space through the cycle of rebirth, it is a call to my origins, my roots that are entwined in this ancestry which beckons to me with its weight and the knowledge of the ancients, this is the material essence of my being, now and forever. Your very own, The Perfume Vigilante Note: If you are familiar with perfumes such as Tom Ford’s Noir Pour Femme or Kenzo Jungle L’Elephant, I’d say those were like stealing a glimpse into a traveller’s diary of Indian customs, Trayee however is Indian savoir-faire from a bygone era. Mind you there’s no similarity in scent profile whatsoever, but just a facsimile of the vibe. Trayee remains incomparable if I’m being honest. Synesthesia: Weeping Tree by Solace.

I have a suspicion that at some point far along in the composition of Trayee, Bertrand Duchaufour swore aloud and put his head in his hands as he realized he was making a gourmand perfume and not staying on course to the creative brief. Rather than clearing everything away and starting from scratch, he hit backspace a few times to insert a hard left turn so that Trayee couldn’t be so easily classified as a gourmand. Smelling Trayee I find myself saying, “I bet Serge Lutens loves this. He’s always loved a foodie sandalwood perfume.” Duchaufour is doing his best Sheldrake impression... that is, if Sheldrake steered towards India instead of Arabia. By no means are my words besmirching the efforts or the creative brief that has gone into Trayee. As with all art forms, true originality is exceptionally rare; if your criterion for loving a perfume is that it’s a true first and unlike anything else before, you will find yourself liking only a handful of perfumes amongst millions. When there is honesty, beauty, and heart behind something derivative, it is compelling art all the same. There is a lot of heart, a lot of devotion, and a lot of beauty in Trayee. I love the opening of Trayee, but, then again, I love the openings of every Vermeire I have smelled. Duchaufour knows exactly how to introduce Vermeire’s perfumes to our noses. The ginger and resinous incense opening is electric green. Neon bright, hard, piquant and zesty, from one angle it is citrus-skin bitter but from another angle it is earthy sour. Then comes the heart, where Trayee goes nearly full-on gourmand in a truly tantalizing and mouthwatering way - but Duchaufour’s hard left turn is also immediately noticed. Amongst the melange of herbs and spices - cardamom, coriander, cinnamon, basil, and saffron - is a lactone heavy sandalwood. The herb and spice blend is stunning. They are freshly ground and just picked, oils still oozing from them, an effect significantly helped along by the ultra creamy sandalwood that gives the blend a silky and buttery sheen, and a dusting of powdered sugar. Fruity florals of jasmine and possibly neroli or orange blossom play very quietly in the background, adding a breadth and depth of color and texture that is truly addictive. In essence, Trayee is a gourmand vis-a-vis a floral sandalwood; you can see where Duchaufour hit the backspace key in order to insert florals and earthy elements into the small, empty spaces of the perfume so that it isn’t blatantly gourmand. The creamy sandalwood carries into the base where plenty of vanillic amber notes await - again, gourmand - but a big slug of mosses brings a damp and earthy woodiness to the proceedings. The moss seems a bit “detached”; backspace, backspace, insert moss. But, it works as a very pleasant left-field juxtaposition to the creamy and vanillic sandalwood amber notes. The summation is certainly a rich, decadent, and luxurious wearing experience. Anyone else hungry? I’m starving.

Trayee is a sublime creation with a glorious, energetic, tonic opening composed mainly of black currant, ginger, and cinnamon. It is fruity but also dry at the same time, a special effect that creates a natural spackle, as if you cut open a sacred fruit. It's bold and hides nothing; it has a certain level of resinous attributes. The sweet basil and the resins come slowly right after the grand opening and set the tone to the darker, calmer aspects, creating an inevitable aura of zen. The initial sweet burst is tamed masterfully and leads to the consequential dark aspect of this creation. The first 2.0 dry down reveals the cinnamon as if it were a juxtaposition with the saffron and basil, to later reinvent itself into both a sweeter saffron and jasmine as a multidimensional flower 2.1. Both are sweet but also creamy. This middle is even more wow-inducing, as it takes all the above elements and makes them one, floating into the space between beautiful natural sweetness and spice fog, a spectacular skin cream effect. The jasmine in the 2.2 phase reaches a beautiful sweetness; it might even reach those rare handmade soaps that you can't buy because they are way too expensive, as they are made with dozens of natural, long-lasting elements. Finally, this is where it settles down. The loud boldness is finally tamed and controlled 2.3, but it isn't shy; it is meditative and joyful. The jasmine comes back again and becomes darker 2.4. It reaches points where it smells like the best dessert in the world and a very fresh tropical juice, some sort of a fruity Turkish delight (without any rose), but way more elevated. Note: To my huge disappointment, this perfume lasts maybe 2 hour (effective) After literally 30 minutes, becomes tame, after 1h, you try to understand where is going (Might need more time to macerate, but after few weeks this is the result) (People saying that last 12h? Is absolutely a lie - Or they changed the formula for some reason?) After multiple use the scent stays on you for hours, but is a deep skin scent, still, i wish performed better.

A very unusual creation that smells most definitely niche and exotic, yet familiar at the same time. Opens with a spicy, camphorous blast of cardamom, green ginger, piney elemi resin and cloves. On paper it has a piquant intensity that rings clear as a bell and sits high in the nose, a bit sharp. On my skin, however, this phase is quite short-lived and is soon followed by a dry, smokey oud accord tinged with the leathery nuance of saffron. A whisper of fruity sweetness weaves shyly through the strong columns of cracked wood and incense. Before long it settles into drier, dustier phase of muted spice, vague blackcurrant and milky sandalwood. There are many layers here and the blending is well executed. Still, I don't find myself falling head over heels. It reminds me a lot of "Jubilation XXV" -which I wasn't crazy about- only with much more weight to the woods and smoke. I do find that at some points, the sharpness of the opening makes me think of hairspray :/. This is probably due to the combination of elemi and saffron, which sort of mimics the bitter solvent smell in the air after you pump a can of Elle Net. I've observed a similar effect in Amouage's "Beloved Man". It's a little headache-inducing. That said, overall I do think "Trayee" is a better perfume than Jubilation XXV. It's brighter, punchier and the ingredients are more defined. Longevity doesn't seem to be terrific on me, but that could be fatigue. It is after all, highly concentrated. Definitely interesting, but sample before you buy.

What's not to love about Neela Vermeire's creations? Extremely good quality ingredients and classy. Unfortunately my cultural background is working against me. Living in Southeast Asia and having visited India, this fragrance immediately conjures up RAS MALAI and MASALA CHAI! Ras Malai is an Indian dessert of cheese soaked in a milky base of cardamom flavoured cream. Masala Chai is a sweet Indian beverage of black tea and spices. And I absolutely love both. Hence, despite Neela Vermeire's stated dislike of gourmands, Trayee is an unmitigated gourmand for anyone who is familiar with Indian cuisine. I grew up eating it and I stilI eat it on a regular basis. This is an Indian equivalent of Serge Lutens's Five O'Clock Au Gingembre! I almost wish I didn't have these associations so that I may enjoy this fragrance simply as an extremely well-crafted spicy Oriental. But we can't escape our baggage can we? Currently working my way (rather quickly) through a sample. I'll see if I can live without it. There may be a FB in sight but I'm torn between this and Ashoka :)

Trayee is a stunner. I guess if you combine a talent like Bertrand Duchaufour with a bunch of premium ingredients like oud and Mysore sandalwood oil, excellence is to be expected, but still, I was wowed. If you're familiar with CdG's Avignon and Kyoto, then you know what magic Duchaufour can weave with incense, and Trayee has plenty of incense. It also has the kind of opulent spices and woods that I associate with the Amouage frags. The sandalwood in Trayee is the gorgeous kind that you seldom find these days now that the tree has become endangered and Polysantol is the rule, rather than the exception. With all that olfactory luxury, you might expect Trayee to be over the top, but it isn't. It is gorgeously serene and dignified, and it reminds me of Aishwarya Rai, the Indian actress who shares those qualities. Highly recommended, especially for fans of incense, sandalwood and materials of superb quality. Thanks to Fragrantica and Neela Vermeire Creations for the lovely sample. I will be trying the other two NVC frags, no question.

Trayee is a very calm and composed fragrance. I am reminded of Serge's Cherugi with a good heaping of the old candies "red hots" while testing. The woodiness is rich and full of flavor with a little sprinkle of cinnamon that keeps it from being too serious. There is nothing loud, in your face, harsh or citrus here. Incense is what they call it, oh it's classy alright. The quality of the ingredients is front and center. The woody notes combined create a bold and deep elegance while the vanilla levels the smoothness. This would be completely wearable on a cool and sunny winter's day. I think this would be a good fragrance for a casual social gathering, maybe game night at your best friend's house or for a second date on a picnic in the park. Since these types of settings don't happen ever day it could be reserved for special occasions. This fragrance reminds me of the way my dad used to smoke a cigar, not very often, only on special occasions, and savored to the very last drop! Thank you for gifting me this sample FGM #10!

This is a perfect marriage of India and France. It's one of those scents you'll always associate with your first time wearing it, a madeleine of a scent, which relates to Jungle only as a Thoroughbred relates to a Percheron. I adore it, and it's well worth the money because the ingredients are super fine quality, the sillage and cloud you move around in are French and the notes are the best India has to offer. Very creamy sandalwood note, sweet but smoky, airy and expansive, with noticeable floral and wood notes as the drydown shifts, peaks and falls, and it develops all day long. Lasts 24 hrs easily. I don't know why it took me so long since its release, but this is now in my top 5 niche scents ever. I'm one of those who will pay if the scent is good, because cheap scent smells cheap and the craftsman is worth his or her price, don't you think? This smells glorious. Well worth a test xx

Forget the austere-sounding notes list; the core of Trayee is a rosy-woody glow of surpassing tenderness. Lightly sweetened, lightly spiced, milky sandalwood, almost like a modernized Bois des Iles. It has that Duchaufour signature of quiet radiance, like backlighting that seems to come from everywhere and nowhere. It’s as warm as a mother’s touch without being cloying or heavy. Other notes wink in and out of focus throughout the day. There’s dry, lemony elemi in the opening, and a darker, smokier incense later on; sometimes there’s a purple-fruit note (like grape cough syrup but somehow good) that intersects with the rosy glow of the woods. But basically this is a sandalwood story. Warm, kindly, softly luminous sandalwood. If Deanna Troi had a signature scent, this would be it; the combination of warmth and weightlessness is perfect for a therapist on a spaceship.

Like others have said, a lovely, spicy well-made perfume with unfortunately, very low silage. The longevity is somewhat better. Because of the notes (especially ginger and cardamom), this is reminiscent of Hiram Green's Voyage (which I think is longer and stronger), as well as Kenzo Jungle L'elephant. Though this and HG may be "better made" with "quality" and "natural ingredients"--I have to say I'm sticking with my Kenzo L'elephant--which is a LONG, STRONG, 80's powerhouse, and frankly, came first, and in some ways, did it better. Trayee has more subtle nuances, and flickers of difference at various moments of the day. So, I enjoy this perfume and HGV--but the sticker price prevents me from buying more than 15 ml. of Trayee. If you want to go to the spice market bazaar, Kenzo may be the less pricey airline.

Trayee (The Triad) is in my opinion, Bertrand Duchaufour's masterpiece and to date the best offering from Neela Vermiere Creations. An ode to the three ancient Indian Vedas, the perfume incorporates most of the ingredients used in Vedic ceremonies. The perfumer has also brilliantly divided the notes into 6 beautiful groups: green (basil, cardamom, cassis), floral (jasmine), spicy (ginger, cinnamon, clove), leather (saffron, oud), smoky (ganja, vetiver, sandalwood) and balsamic (myrrh, vanilla). The unisex perfume has moderate sillage and good longevity. A mystical haunting and beautifully sweet fragrance that lingers pleasantly over your skin, and actually induces a meditative healing state. Also one that brings one back to the ancient roots of perfumery!

Stimulating, clarifying, meditative, calming. This is the last scent I'm sampling tonight. I'm hoping for revelations or divine epiphanies in my dreams as I deeply inhale Trayee's ethereal vapor. A transcendental fragrance with curative notes. I especially love the elemi and encountered it noticeably for the first time in Guerlain's LIDGE. I think in that review I described it as peacefully euphoric, and it is no different here--a little citric and balmy. Amusingly, Trayee softens into a fragrance evocative of a blackcurrant ginger-spiced ale, aged in a wooded barrel parched with sunshine and salty beach air. So perhaps instead, tonight I'll dream of El Diablo cocktails on a Tunisian beach.

This fragrance is absolutely sensational, a masterpiece, but definitely not for the faint-hearted or anyone who isn't totally sure of themselves. Like Estee Lauder's Knowing, this truly is a POWER fragrance - if you're going to wear it, you need to own it totally, otherwise it will own you. I can't imagine anyone other than a mature, confident person successfully pulling this fragrance off. Knowing has been my signature fragrance for a very long time, but I'm now deciding whether its been deposed by Trayee. This is the most expensive fragrance I've ever purchased for myself but I love it, love it, love it - worth every costly cent I paid for a 55ml bottle.

This smells so natural and high quality, it has many,many layers, many notes perfectly blended and intertwined, the sourness fruitiness of blackcurrant leaves, the mintiness of cardamom, the zestiness of ginger, ligthly pungent cannabis leaf, the right dose of cinnamon.It's aromatic, spicy, herbaceous, incensey more than "smoky". Despite its complexity it wonderfully manages to be ethereal and mystical for the incense working as an orchestra's director for all the other notes. One of the few times in niche perfumery where the price truly reflects the quality. Not to be missed. It's a masterpiece

This is one of my new favorites. What a rich scent! The only problem is that they should have gone with a better spray cap, especially for the price paid. There's heavy scent leakage and there's always an oily residue on the bottle where it joins the cap. When I open my perfume cabinet, all I smell is Trayee (not a bad thing to smell but nevertheless). I think I might have to tape the bottle or it will evaporate far too quickly. Or I might put the non-spray cap back on (it came with both spray and non-spray) to keep it contained.

Absolute heaven in a bottle. Leaning gourmand but not quite. It’s nowhere near sugar or vanilla, it’s sweet in the way almond is sweet. It is warm, cozy, and dare I say, philosophical?! (Do you get what I mean?) I do not detect any sort of harshness. It smells like almond powder a little bit. The performance is great, soft sillage lasts for 10+ hours. I now want a full bottle...lol...but I think for starters Take Two is an excellent buy. Edit: lasts approx. 12hrs

I think this is super interesting and quite original. Quite a rich and creamy opening which sort of reminded me of Sandalwood by Trumper, although Trayee is much drier in a spicy way. The dry down is great. Some classic Duchafour incense (in a slightly aldehydic way) with lovely cedar and sandalwood. I probably wouldn't pay for a full bottle but might get a decant. Not a showstopper like Timbuktu or Chypre Palatin. Overall: 8.5/10.

I find Trayee wonderful, delicious, great great great! I'm afraid I wouldn't wear it since it is totally feminine for my taste but it's a pleasure to spray some on my arm and smell this for hours and hours. It stays looong and it's truly charming. Well blended, gorgeously composed... an oriental goddess indeed. I hadn't been this content with an oriental since my beloved Arabie. Outstanding work (again!)Bertrand.

I’m genuinely at a loss trying to describe how beautiful this is. So instead of banging out some half-baked nonsense to describe a ridiculously intricate blend of florals and spice sitting on what might be the most outrageously good sandalwood base I’ve smelled in years, I’ll just say this... If I caught a whiff of this on someone in the wild, I’d need a moment. Possibly several.

sampled this yesterday and if i could afford it, i'd buy up a few bottles. I really get the smoky, churchy, temple smell. It's smoky sweet but complex and each stage is very beautiful, from first spray to the end. It's incredibly long lasting and unusual but remarkable perfume

While one must admit this is truly a well crafted perfume, the opening is a bit too austere-meditative-smoky for me. The drydown gets more balmy, which is more to my liking. I have a 55ml bottle for sale on Delcampe.fr, only tried once.

I like the dry down. Ordered 1 ml and I was in love with the ginger opening. I pick up Oud and sandalwood with cardamom. It was a random sample and now I want a bottle. Unfortunately it’s 55ml for an outrageous price. Wow

I love Trayee on myself. It is calming. From the moment I wear it I feel composed and ready for the day, evening, whatever....perhaps it's the sandalwood.

Ginger opening is so bright and a little sweet, like a candied peel. Spicy and herbaceous but smoothed out with creamy woods. Quite beautiful.

What a divine creation this is! So easy to wear, just so complex. The notes work in such harmony that it puts you in a bubble of happiness ❤️

This is hautingly exotic and beautiful, from the first spray to the far drydown.

This perfume develops beautifully from start to finish. The quality of ingredients is immediately obvious. I smell sandalwood and cedar, not sure if the sandalwood is mysore but it does smell like it. (I had some powdered mysore sandalwood a while back) The fruity note of blackcurrant reminds me slightly of rose in this composition, the spices are subtle (mostly cardamom) and blended and the incense gently smoky as opposed to the unlit raw resins. After an hour or so though, the whole perfume becomes sweeter, almost milky with vanilla, sandalwood, saffron and, I think jasmine. I'm reminded of cardamom flavoured kulfi icecream, so this is actually a soft, sweet, sensual perfume in dry down, yet complex enough with its powdery incense to smell special. Think 'Sira des Indes' with more spice and incense, or Epic Woman but less medicinal. I actually said in my review of Sira des Indes 'I wish this had more cardamom'. Now I'm saying 'I wish this wasn't so pricy'! It's worth the money I think, but sample first. This is a sophisticated, gorgeous Indian summer of a perfume (by which I mean - those unusual autumns in the UK when it stays warm right up to October, which we call an 'Indian summer') but this perfume is quintessentially Indian - rich oppulent, sensual and ethereal all at once. Well done Duchaufour and Neela Vermeire!

Trayee is absolutely gorgeous and quite probably my favorite incense/olibanum perfume. Every note in it is in perfect balance with the rest of the composition, a charming orchestra on which the smoky-sweet incense and spicy ginger dance together a flawless waltz. The myrrh and incense here are not reminiscent of a church interior, like most perfumes featuring these notes tend to be. This incense is playful, sexy, spirited and has none of the solemn heaviness of Roman Catholicism. The myrrh is soothing and inviting, almost sensual and the ginger is spicy and mischievous as always. All in all, the effect is surprisingly sexual, in the best of ways. A harmony of aromatic notes give character and ampleness to the whole composition: jammy blackcurrant, fresh cedar, rooty vetiver, aromatic basil, nutty cardamom, bitter saffron, sour oud... all singing together in perfect accord until the drydown, which reveals the amber and vanilla at the very base. Trayee is a brilliant creation - Bertrand Duchaufour is surely a genius of perfumery! I whole heartedly recommend all 3 perfumes from Neela Vermeire, each of them is a wonderful work of art. But I think Trayee is probably my favorite and a must try for all perfume lovers.

This is such a stunning scent, a Duchaufour masterpiece in my opinion. The opening notes are heavy spices with a fairly heavy animalic undertone which you may not like initially, but give it time. This one develops into such a beauty. After about 30 minutes to an hour you will smell the most beautiful currant and spices with florals and woods coming in the base notes. The ginger is in the background adding a freshness but does not stand out awkwardly like it does in some fragrances. This is the best perfume I have ever tried with oud. The oud is barely discernable as an individual note but as a part of a seamless whole it is stupendous. After wearing this scent for a few days, it does go to a skin scent after about 4 hours but it's still definitely there. I will be re-spraying because I love a bit of sillage. The bottle is big so there's plenty for re-spraying. I still think this is worth every penny I paid for a full bottle. As Keats said, "A thing of beauty is a joy forever." That is true of this perfume.

This is a complex, multi-layered perfume. Not a classic perfumery piece, this one will take you to the East. If you don't enjoy the scent of sandalwood mixed with sweet spice and Indian curry, skip it straight away. It's not chocking or sharp but Indian in nostalgic, maybe even romantic way. To me, the opening is aromatic and juicy with a woody note peeking trough. The wood continues deep into the scent but the spice in the middle stage is replaced by smoky incense, myrrh and vanilla in the dry down. They last quite a bit and the dry down is almost relaxing/ sense comforting. Very original but not for everyday use.

From this I get above all a coconut sandalwood, spicy ginger, sweet, peppery elemi, with creamy cardamom in the opening. It continues with a suede and velvet texture of sweet cinnamon and saffron. In the layer below I have a glue of fig milk, jasmins, vanilla, woods, amber musks and incense. Somehow I find similarities with Coco Blanc, especially in the creamy part combined with sandalwood. A fragrant, strongly woody, exotic gourmand, feminine with a spicy, dense and persistent green sweetness. Best suited for daytime and hot weather where you need durability. Careful! It is sweet and mellow. Go dosed!

It’s quite lovely. I purchased a partial bottle which was exactly half full, and I used it with abandon, and ended up draining it. I really like it, it’s a beautiful and easy wear. I repurchased with the Take Two. I’d only worn it in cooler weather, or moderate, but wore it in the warm sun today, and it was so lovely. It melded with the smell of the sun in my clothes. It’s just an all-around winner. If you like creamy sandalwood notes, give this a try. It’s a classically “well-blended” perfume and difficult to pick out the plethora of notes listed, other than sandalwood and interesting, light things.

I smell something different than others mention. I wore it without looking at the notes. It was bitter and herbal in the top right off with the oakmoss, vetiver and basil. Quickly it morphed into a whisp of a sweet myrrh scent. Myrrh. That's what I get. Not the cola kind but one that hints at cardamon and saffron but doesn't really smell like them. A more eastern myrrh. Think Baby Jesus. Then it lasted more then 12 hours. Way in to the fragrance I got the amber, cinnamon and cardamon on my skin when sniffed very close.

A lot has been said about this fragrance and they're all true! It's sweet, intriguing, very natural, and almost indie smelling; the only one I've tried from this brand after reading a glowing article, and though I didn't understand it when I first sampled it, now I see surprisingly similarities with Areej Le Dore (specifically the ultra limited Santal Galore)!

I have a small sample of 3 scents and Trayee is my fave. It was so long time I didn't feel my nose with great sandalwood! It is much more than linear sandalwood, but it's all so packed together in this perfume, all the notes so stuck together... at the end it smells just like glorious mellow sandalwood on my skin. I love it.

This for me evokes some kind of summer beverage which I’m not sure exists—something dry, herbal, lemon-ish (but not sour, maybe I just mean “refreshing,” warm in flavour, not temperature)...some kind of yerba mate with a nice balance of elements. I can certainly sense ginger or turmeric.

Mind numbingly complex. A fireworks display of ginger, oud, saffron, florals, and sandalwood. "Oriental Spicy" in every sense possible

#1551 in my "Tour de Fragrance" I got this as a decant. I have no prior experience with this fragrance house, and I found the reviews interesting. But not in a good way. I've learned not to get excited when all the reviewers seem to be auditioning for a job in marketing with the fragrance maker, writing rapturous, adjective-laden reviews about what a spiritual experience they had when they spritzed. This fragrance is okay, but you can find dozens of forgettable scents like this. it becomes challenging to find anything unique to speak to that separates this from the pack. The notes most prominent to me in the opening and the dry down are black currant and cinnamon. So let's go with those. Put this among a bunch of unlabeled sprayers that include under $30 scents and $300 scents with black currant and cinnamon notes, and could you really pick this one out? Because at $260 for 60ml, there better be something identifiably different about a scent. But I find this similar to a couple dozen fragrances for women. I'll mention two you're most likely to be familiar with: Fredric Malle "Portrait of a Lady", and Boss "Alive." Both nice scents, but like this, nothing all that unique. But, if you put a simpler black currant and cinnamon scent among them, like Maison Crivelli "Bois Datchai", the tea and papyrus are a dead giveaway. If you put in M. Micallef "DesirToxic" I could pick it out instantly because of the cannabis. There's nothing like that about this scent. If you want currants and cinnamon women can get a bottle of Boss "Alive" for $50 that would serve as well. Guys could go for Dumont "Nitro Intense", more a Creed "Aventus Absolu" similar, but you get the currants and cinnamon. I just don't think this "Trayee" is worth the money. The projection initially is a bit beyond arm's length and longevity till lunch. Unisex. It's a nice comfortable scent, but it's overpriced, and there's nothing particularly attractive about it to justify the cost.

I really wanted to like this based on the notes but I didn't get the promised spiciness/smoke. On me, it turned out quite sweet and almond-like. It is a beautiful fragrance. I'd describe it as a honeyed grounded gourmand. Not for me though.

Just a nice scent, soft and calming. It give me tropical vibe but not sunny beach type, more like a lazy afternoon warmth.

The notes list looks amazing but the resulting accord is kinda like medicinal smell plus bubble gum. Very expensive too.

I tried and tried to judge Trayee on its own merit, but I can not get the thought out of my head that it smells nearly identical to Jungle l'Elephant without that awful heap of hot cinnamon that smothers the wearer to death along with anyone who is in the same room. It has the same spiced vanilla custard in it that I found to be the only redeeming quality in Jungle l'Elephant. Trayee also reminds me of my beloved Aedes de Venustas, created by the same nose, which was interesting because Aedes contains an intense cassis note. So I double checked the pyramid, and I am surprised to see black currant as I simply didn't realize the note was in here. The incense upon application reminded me of Timbuktu (also the same nose). It's an airy smokiness and perhaps a bit green. Because Trayee reminds me of too many other perfumes, it fails to inspire any strong feelings in me. While I think it's a really nice fragrance, I don't think it warrants the hefty price tag. I think more highly of the other perfumes I mentioned above (except for the Kenzo), and yet they are more affordable, and they don't remind me of each other. @Tarleisio: Why are you "baffled" when you have essentially agreed with me by saying that you "understand some of the similarities" between Jungle l'Elephant and Trayee and that Trayee lacks the strong cinnamon? You stated almost exactly what I said! I said that Jungle l'Elephant has a vanilla custard effect that I also smell in Trayee. I never said they were the same perfume, far from it! However, the two perfumes have a lot of notes in common. I also mentioned other perfumes that simply REMIND me of Trayee. A perfume can REMIND someone of another.

I love Neela Vermeire and think she is an absolute perfume genius. That said, Trayee is my least favorite of all her scents. It opens with a gorgeous spice-infused incense, and if it would stay right there, it would be a love match. Unfortunately, my chemistry takes amber and turns it into a Very Bad Thing, a screeching resinous wail that makes me want to scrub. If a scent note were art, amber would be Edvard Munch's The Scream. It is not Vermeire's fault, of course. Her perfume composition is brilliant, and my body chemistry imperfect. It is unrequited love, if you will. So, Trayee falls to the bottom of my Vermeire list, but with Bombay Bling, Ashoka, and Mohur to console me, my scream of disappointment will be short indeed.

Oh geezez Berty c'mon.... I mean.....really? It's like you are getting drowned in a marzipan pool (shocked that it's not listed by the way) while Bertie is boiling his favorite black currant jam in his couldran (again) next to you. Well I swear I'm gonna forbid in my will that I'd die this way. I gave the sample that I ordered to someone else to finish it.I wanna keep Bert in my memory with his chef d'œvres like Jubilation Amouage, Fahrenheit Summer CD, Avignon and Kyoto by CDG,Or du Serail by NGS, Lothair and Sartorial by Penhaligon's, Mure and Musc & Traverse du Bosphor by Artisan Parfumeur, Enchanted Forest and Land of Warriors by Vagabond Prince, and many many more but not by this.Sorry Bert

I really wanted to like this, as I think Neela Vermeire is a revolutionary. It's an incredibly "oniony" scent in that it has many layers and evolves as it is worn. I applaud it for that characteristic. The opening is incredibly difficult for me to tolerate and get through. I get a strong basil scent that hits the back of my throat. Eventually that goes away and gives the spotlight to the more grounding, smoky aspects of the scent. And those are really what I enjoy in this one. These notes are done terribly well. Unfortunately, it's not enough for me to tolerate the opening notes to get to that spot. Sorry, Neela.

I seem to be the lone dissenting voice on this one. Strong, off-putting cinnamon open. Dries down to nothing that my nose can detect. Smells like hippy essential oils from childhood with a off tang, like they've gone a little rotten. Way too sweet on my skin, like mom lotion. Ended up giving the sample away so I can't retry it and see if I was just having an off day. I REALLY disliked this, which is unusual for me, but I'm starting to think that I can't hang with cinnamon.

Not for me. Perhaps it's my skin, but all I get here is quite a swampy vetiver which reminds me of an Udon noodle dish. Starchy, woody, edible but not seasoned in quite the right way...

Trayee is an incense fragrance of such monumental beauty that I find it difficult to parse. Wielding a wide panoply of notes that range from spice to fruits to wood, Trayee nevertheless feels streamlined and elemental. This is due to its roots in both religious ritual and ayurvedic medicine, but that list of notes keeps one's nose entertained for hours, seeking the basil, the ganja, and both the Javanese and Haitian vetiver. Without a doubt they are all present and accounted for, but so smooth is the composition that each one simply fuses onto the fragrance in such a way that what you smell is far greater than the mere sum of its parts. If one had to name a benchmark incense fragrance, Trayee would be it; there is none of the gray clouds or sour smoke of so many other compositions. Trayee is restrained and as disciplined as its roots should require; when a note advances it does so gently. Such is the course that nearly every note follows, until the wearer is lost in the harmonious relationship of one note to each other, and, more importantly, to the whole. Trayee intially gravitates towards the spicy and the green, with a non-foody cinnamon note mixed into a "green bud" ganja accord that makes me smile in its humidity and edge. Details soon accumulate: lively ginger note with its clean sweetness meets a brilliant cardamom absolute in an ornate complexity that defies language but not smell--smoky facets are as present as grounded, oud-based facets. This is a perfectly balanced fragrance that transcends, in my opinion, perfume and takes on a homeopathic facet. I feel more grounded when wearing Trayee and it is the only fragrance I can say that about. In general, Neela Vermeire Creations sources and uses the very finest ingredients available and it is very evident when one acquires an olfactory library from which one can make comparisons-there is no doubt that NVC holds to the highest standard. The brilliant overlapping of earthy, floral, and green notes in Trayee is a case in point. Of my many incense fragrances, Trayee is an easy favorite; it is just smoky, sweet, and earthy enough to elevate itself beyond a mere incense motif into something more complex--it is a feeling even more than it is a fragrance, and it feels marvelous. That it is hard to pin down, note-wise, only adds to its allure. This is a major swoon.

Trayee is a concrete evocation of India’s Vedic period (1500 BC to 500 BC), a time of great antiquity shrouded in mystery but known to be the source for what eventually became modern Hinduism. The name is an allusion to the sacred origin of the first three Vedas, the most ancient sacred texts in India. As I have a penchant for perfume archaelogy (in a Foucauldian sense) I have read that the notes are drawn from the ingredients used in religious rituals and Ayurvedic medicine during the Vedic era. Rich in incense, myrrh and oud, the fragrance is a poignant blend of smoke, spices and resins that harks back to the very origins of perfumery – a burnt offering to the gods and an aid to meditation. Trayee opens with a rich, potent burst of saffron, cardamom and oud. The oud was, as is often the case with agarwood, entwined with strong notes of rose. It was never synthetic or screechy, but true to the faintly medicinal, camphorous, chilly aspects of real agarwood. The combination of beautiful sweet saffron with the faintly nutty, aromatic sweetness of the cardamom provide a perfect counterbalance. Following on the heels of those notes is incense whose peppery, smoky accords provide a bit of a bite to the richness of the other ingredients. I think there are hints of cassis which impart a welcome sourness and also a good dose of clove and ginger. The spices are just one side of this magnificent concoction, and the most prominent is saffron; at times, it reminds me of safran Troublant. But the other side of Trayee is a wonderful sandalwood that in my 2015 bottle seems like real creamy mysore sandalwood joined by a hearthy vetiver. he middle to end stages of Trayee are much sweeter than the dryer, spiced early stage. The perfume warms up in a way, evoking colours of soft burnished bronze and warm copper. The unctuous, creamy, luxurious sandalwood and deeply resinous, smoky amber rise like waves of molten gold and red, enveloping you in a scent that is deeply sensuous. My fav from Neela. IG @alexolympia6

Bertrand Duchaufour’s magnum opus, in my humble opinion. An incredibly complex, deep, and otherworldly creation by this visionary perfumer. I first discovered Trayee back in 2018 through a small subscription box of samples. I liked it immediately—it’s a unique creation, something you’ve never smelled before, and something open to endless interpretation. Reading others’ reviews has been a pleasure in itself, seeing how differently each person perceives Trayee. It’s also one of those fragrances that’s fun to show to friends and family—a one-of-a-kind olfactory experience. I still don’t own a full bottle, partly due to its relative rarity and steep, non-discounted price. It’s not an everyday wear either, so 5–10 ml decants are perfect. But for collectors, this entire line is pure delight—and I know Trayee will eventually join my shelf. To my nose, Trayee is mysterious. Resinous and deeply spicy—a kaleidoscope of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and perhaps a hint of allspice. Yet it opens with bright citrus and fresh ginger before settling into a warm, ambery, slightly sweet, vanillic base. The overall experience is smooth, refined, and quietly enveloping; I imagine rainy weather could make it even more magical. What impresses me most is how meticulously this fragrance is crafted. With so many bold and intense notes, the result could have been chaotic—but instead, it feels ultra-refined, almost ethereal. Truly an impressive composition, and Duchaufour’s absolute best in my view. If you appreciate unconventional fragrances and admire Bertrand Duchaufour’s work, make sure to put your nose on Trayee.