Fragments by NVC Purpureum by J©
Purple is my favourite colour; I’m always in search of purple items to wear as tonally it works so well with blacks, navies and other dark shades I dress myself in. Purple has this sense of depth and mystery other colours don’t possess. Fragments by NVC Purpureum, a collaboration between Neela Vermeire of Neela Vermeire Creations and Cristiano Canali, represents fragments of mystic warmth and the colour purple; it gives me all the beautiful tones and shades of purple my heart desires, covering me like an invisible scented cloak. One of the inspirations for Fragments by NVC came from a mosaic by Marc Chagall in a cathedral in Venice, a place close to Neela’s heart where she spends her summer months. I’ve not seen this mosaic in real life, but smelling Purpureum made me think of another work by Chagall I know, ‘He went up to the Couch and found a young Lady asleep, chemised with her Hair as she were the full Moon rising over the eastern Horizon…’ from the Four Tales from the Arabian Nights series.
Marc Chagall – He went up to the couch… The Arabian Nights, 1948.
It’s epic title along with the artwork itself, in an abstract way, has something of Fragments by NVC Purpureum to it. It’s not just all the purple colours and tones of the painting, but rather there’s a sensuality and wildness in the content that’s deeply evocative and that also feels imbedded within Purpureum’s composition. Yet Chagall’s soft circular line keeps things flowing allowing each fragment its own space as your eyes move around the paintings surface. Again similar to how Purpureum feels as you wear it, teasing you with all its delicious elements but not all at once, it never feels to busy or cloying, rather its more like a beautifully faceted diamond or amethyst, shimmering with tasty purple shades and tones, attracting those near by with its alluring scent.
Portrait of Neela Vermeire, courtesy of Neela Vermeire Creations
This trio of perfumes Nemus, Purpureum, and Thyina arrived in 2022 in an air of mystery, accompanied by stunning graphics by Massimo Alfaioli, illustrating the notes of each perfume. I love how the usual perfume pyramid is discarded; instead we get this beautiful artwork, a kind of fragmented whole. Its much closer to how we really experience perfume notes, as the scent dances on our skin. It leaves you space for mystery.
Fragments By NVC Purpureum© illustration by Massimo Alfaioli
I’ve had a hard time describing Fragments by NVC Purpureum, because each time I sit down to attempt to put words to it, I get lost in its beauty. It teases you with it’s fragments of delicious treats, just enough to keep your mouth-watering as each element is devoured and explored, almost like a decant tasting menu, where the servings feel opulent yet, never over done or cloying. It’s balanced beautifully through it’s evolution, giving a feeling from the start of a rich and complex scent, slowly conjuring a deep fig liquor, perfect for this cold weather, with various elements almost distilled and reduced down, creating a thick rich syrup in the heart. The fig feels roasted, making it a biteable jammy rich purple deliciousness, with a dark sweet liquorice depth, if you know Finnish sweet liquorice it’s close to that. Boozy spiced rum facets shimmer over the top glowing with welcoming warmth. Resinous myrrh gives a different kind of sweetness, getting ambery in new ways. There’s a beautiful counter point from magnolia, which creates a soft clean floral haze, slightly waxy, almost as if its a top coat over the rich amber leather that’s slowly that’s forming in the composition, letting tonka bean make bring out a dryness as it’s coumarin facets come out to play. Purpureum is brilliantly seasoned with just a pinch of black pepper, it elevates the darkly rich and sweet gourmand elements, while simultaneously laying the ground for the star of the show for me, immortelle.
Photo of immortelle in the suburbs of Dublin by J©
Immortelle, or helichrysum, is one of my favourite materials and plants out in the wild; I’m hoping to grow one soon, but for now I’ll settle with passing a bush near where I get coffee. I can smell its scent as I approach; it’s darkly spiced with an almost sticky burnt sugar aroma that forms a kind tea like biscuity sweetness. Here in Purpureum its warm tea like facets makes the rum glow, while its burnt sugar side bakes the fig into a golden jammy richness, one I find utterly mouth-watering. This lets the spiced side bring out an unknown slightly wild edge making it rather sexy; with gentle aromatic facets giving it’s a cool twist. It’s blends beautifully into a sweet tobacco aroma too, where more abstract rich stone fruit aromas bolster the fig, taking it to new depths, as dark roast coffee aromas bring out new darker tones, tanning the rich dark purple leather that was formed. Purpureum never gets sweet sweet, it’s always stays on the right side of opulent, its so beautifully balanced, just giving you enough of a taste of each element, letting other materials compliment and expand each other, all seasoned beautifully. Its does all this while tempting and teasing all those around you with its delicious scent trail. Fragments by NVC Purpureum really feels like rich deep purple leather with a boozy resinous figgy coffee aura of velvety darkness. It’s complex and mysterious in many ways; yet its sweet smile draws you in, pulling you close into Purpureum’s delicious purple haze.
Notes: Black Pepper, Coffee, Fig, Rum, Immortelle, Magnolia, Licorice, Cocoa, Leather, Tobacco, Tonka Bean, Labdanum, Myrrh.
Many thanks for the samples provided by Neela Vermeire. Thoughts and nose my own.
Fragments by NVC Purpureum via the brand and @carolecharbonnier
Thanks to the largesse of Neela Vermeire, we have a 50 ml bottle of Fragments by NVC Purpureum for one registered reader in the USA, and EU. Please be sure to register. To be eligible, please tell us what appeals to you about Fragments by NVC’s Purpureum based on J’s review and where you live. Draw closes 12/3/2023
50 ml bottles and the discovery set are for sale on the Neela Vermeire Website here
Neela Vermeire was Ermano’s Best Creative Director of 2022 and Michelyn’s Hall of Fame recipient of 2022. Thyina was a top ten perfume of 2022 for Michelyn.
Ida Meister awarded the collection in her top ten best perfumes of 2022.
Please read Ida’s reviews and background of Thyina, Nemus and Purpureum here
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