Neela Vermeire Rahele – Perfume Review

neela vermeire raheleNeela Vermeire Rahele was released in late 2016/early 2017.  Centered on osmanthus, it has notes of green mandarin, cardamom, cinnamon, violet leaf absolute, osmanthus, rose, magnolia, jasmine, iris, violet, cedar, sandalwood, oakmoss, patchouli, leather.  

Inspired by travelers to India in the 17th century, it was created by Bertrand Duchaufour.

 Okay, we have covered the basics. How does it smell?  Perfect leathery spiced osmanthus.    It has a brightness on the open with the mandarin, iris and violet that is beautiful and happy.  Give it a few minutes, and the beautiful, soft leather osmanthus comes out.  This is a joy to wear, and I feel like I should have more to say than this is happily joyous, and beautiful.  It is everything you want in a perfume.  As you wear it, you can start to get some warming from the spices, which is a beautiful touch I wasn’t sure I’d like at first.  

It was the perfect thing to wear today.  

I’m not looking for sympathy for the below, because I know most of you, and me as well, have lost our much-loved furry friends.  My cat, Boo, had been with me for 17 years.  He has been healthy and happy for almost all of those 17 years. He had his first cold about 6 months ago, and it recurred once.  Other than that, he lived a great life – he was never hungry, never thirsty, never cold, never sick, always loved.

And he was such a terror. He loved being petted rough.  If you petted him nice, he would bite you until you rolled him over on his back and attacked his belly.  He yowled at the top of his lungs sometimes just because for an hour or more.  He would go head first into the trash can, and I fished him out all the time.  If you left anything on the counter or in the sink – pizza box, defrosting chicken – he would find a way to haul it off there, get it open and start eating it.  

He was ornery and badly behaved, and I was never even sure if I liked him much of the time.  But I loved him because loved me and had been by my side 365 days of the year for 17 years.  Then, just like that, he stopped eating and barely drank, was so cold he would only sleep by the heater vent, didn’t want affection, and stopped sitting right by my shoulder on the arm of the couch under my reading light.  In just a few days, my super healthy, never ill black cat was so thin and frail.  You just know it’s time, and now he’s gone.  

I don’t want sympathy because everyone has their own story of loss – and you can share them in comments if you like!  I just thought his crazy, ornery, attention aggressive kitty life needed a few words before his memory slips below the now and into was.

Neela Vermeire Rahele was the perfect perfume to wear today after we euthanized him.  It brightened a day I knew I just had to get through – and I have, and it’s okay, and tomorrow it will snow and lay down a soft white blanket on my missing him.

Winner of the perfume grab bag – PJMoore. Just click on Drop Us a Note at the top, send me an e-mail, remind me of what you won, give me the ten samples you want and get me your mailing address. I’ll send you a quick e-mail to let you know I got your e-mail and it didn’t land in a spam filter and then get it on the way to you.  

Of course I’m going to give away a couple of samples of this beautiful osmanthus perfume – everyone should try some, it’s so beautiful, my favorite of all of her perfume, and I really like them all.  Just leave a comment to be entered in the drawing, and I’ll pick four winners drawn at random!  So osmanthus, yes, no?  Not really sure?

  • Eva N says:

    Sorry about your lost. I love to try osmanthus. It is hard to find fragrance with this note. If it is available, it is usually in limited edition.

  • leslie r says:

    i am so very saddened to hear about your Boo. i lost a sweet fur baby kitten- cat named Buckley 3 Christmases ago…always terrible to lose a beastie, somehow worse at the holidays.

    also, yes on osmanthus, would love to try.

  • Ann says:

    Oh, dear Patty, so sorry for your loss. Losing a beloved pet always leaves a huge hole in your life. But thank you for the great tribute to Boo; he had a rich, happy life and was obviously well-loved. Sending you big, comforting hugs. (As always, DNEM.)

  • Christine says:

    So sorry to hear about your cat! I’m glad this perfume brightened your day. ??

  • Nemo says:

    Boo sounds like he had a lot of personality! ? He kinda reminds me of my last late pet, a fat bossy guinea pig who never hesitated to let you know she was the boss, and boy was she smart! So many good pet memories.

  • SamanthaL says:

    I appreciate every single day with my big, old,dog Lady. She’s 12 and gotten so grey…I worry that she’ll be leaving us soon. They’re so hard to lose. Anyway, I like osmanthus very much and would love to try!

  • Jenbat says:

    DNEM, I got to smell Rahele and it smells just like Gucci Rush to me, my BFF’s fave. I’m very sorry about your Boo, losing beloved pets is very sad.

  • mikasminion says:

    What a lovely tribute to Boo. Thank you for sharing his story with us and for giving him a life of love and safety.
    Osmanthus is a note I love to begin with it but that often gets turned to sweet fluff by the end of the day. I haven’t found a osmanthus to love but I might be able to appreciate it with some spice.

  • Mocha says:

    Patty, I’m so sorry about Boo. That’s one of the hardest decisions one can make.
    Big osmanthus fan here. I love OJ Osmanthus although technically it’s more of a citrus frag.

  • pixel says:

    So sorry to hear about your Boo. We lost our ferocious girl kitty, Espresso, at 17, a few years back, and I still miss her. She attacked construction workers, and pinned my father-in-law (6’6″ tall) to the couch with a growl and a death stare. 12 pounds of bad-ass, that girl. We have two nutty boy cats now, so fun; but each pet has their own special place in our hearts.

    DNEM just because I can’t even wait long enough for a draw — ordering a sample now!

  • Bastet says:

    I have a fierce troublesome kitty whom I perversely adore so I think I understand how you feel.

  • Sapphire says:

    Thank you for telling all of us about Boo. He sounds like a combination of my two kitties. I have been looking forward to trying Rahele so much. Thank you for the drawing!

  • I’m sorry to hear about Boo. It sounds like he had a good long life. He sounds kind of like my Sammy, also an ornery black cat.

    As for the perfume, Rahele sounds great! I love osmanthus. I have a jar of dried flowers that I buy at an Asian market near my house and add to my tea. Sometimes I just open the jar and inhale.

  • Taxi says:

    Sorry to hear that you’ve lost your furry friend. 17 is a good long life for a cat & shows you provided well for your pet.
    Osmanthus is a scent with which I’m unfamiliar. Perhaps a draw will enlighten me?

  • Zazie says:

    I thank you for sharing your feelings. I am sorry you lost your furry companion of 17 years, and I am happy for him for all the love and the happy life he lived with you! And the heartfelt lines you wrote about him… they feel so right.
    Did he care for your perfume? If so, he must have been quite a lucky cat! My husband’s old and wise Chagall the cat, who also died age 17, always honored my Shalimar.
    Lots of love to you. Hugs, hugs, hugs.
    I hope you find comfort in the beauty around and within you.
    I easily imagine perfume shedding some light in an otherwise sad day. Especially osmanthus. Last year I discovered Absolue d’osmanthe, by Perris Montecarlo, and it has brightened a few rough days with its warm apricotty light and lush floral bouquet. I’m sure Neela Vermeire’s take is beautiful. Her Mohur is a favorite of mine, especially in extrait concentration.
    I send you lots of love. Take care!

  • maggiecat says:

    I love the scent of real osmanthus but have yet to find a perfume with this note that I love, so it would be wonderful to be able to try this one! And lucky Boo, to have had such a loving home for so long. so sympathy – but long distance hugs from one who understands.

  • Spring-pansy says:

    Please enter me – I love osmanthus and this one sounds fabulous! Happy New Year, Patty.

    RIP, Boo. I’m so glad he had a wonderful well-loved and well-lived life with you!

  • Janet says:

    It is so painful to loose a family member, furry or not. They are with us for too short a time.
    On a happier note, I love osmanthus!

  • sunnlitt says:

    I am sorry about Boo. But, happy to hear that he and you had a good life together.
    We lost my parents’ cat this year; it’s amazing how big of a hole your heart a small cat can leave behind.
    I would love to try Rehele.

  • Katherine says:

    I had a cat like Boo. So tough until the end. That’s what made Boo and my cat Eduardo so special. Eduardo passed the week before we had to move. It made it ten times more difficult. We have an orange buddy named Marmalade now. Perfume does help lift the mood.

  • Ellen M says:

    Losing one’s furry friends is so difficult. You were lucky to have had so many worry free years with such an irascible buddy. Rahele sounds beautiful.

  • HeidiC says:

    So sorry for the loss of your Boo. We have a lovable asshole of a cat that’s getting older, and we’ve lost 2 ancient cats in the past 2 years, so I’m with you. Big fuzzy hugs to you.

    Thanks for the draw on Rahele! This is just cruel — a Vermeire with leather? I die! I’m not well-versed in osmanthus — I love Hermessence Osmanthe Yunnan, and I’ve tried SL’s Nuit de Cellophane — but this sounds gorgeous.

  • Gigi says:

    I’m sorry for your loss. I love my kitty so much I sometimes feel my heart will burst. Their personalities are so distinct, trying to give them a happy life is such a joy.

  • Jeanne says:

    Just when you say no more, another will come into your life. At least that’s the way I’ve experienced it. Somehow they can sense the ones who will love them no matter what. We too lost our beloved Rosie this year, also 17. But not before Flower found us. And on it goes. We who have been there understand. My sympathies to you.

  • Musette says:

    I LOVED Boo! What a weirdo he was, insisting on sitting right next to my shoulder BECAUSE HE KNEW I WAS ALLERGIC TO HIM! And he didn’t care.

    The best consolation is one you already printed – he was loved. Even when you weren’t sure you liked him, you loved him. That’s pretty much THE WIN! For both of you.

    xoxoxoA (and dnem – I just wanted to laud the BooFreak here)

  • CbSutcliffe says:

    We said goodbye to an elderly pet this year as well. As you said, there comes a point when you know it is time.

    And osmanthus is always a yes for me!

  • Caroline says:

    Osmanthus is a not really sure for me–and I don’t have a great track record with Duchaufour, but would love to give this a try. Wishing you a happy new year, Patty.

  • Connie says:

    I am so sorry to hear of your loss. Boo sounds like a lovable character. Sometimes we love our pets for their flaws as much as for their best qualities.
    Thank you for sharing.

  • Miriam says:

    I am sorry to hear about your loss. Remembering the happy times, love and companionship is a great way through– it’s what helped me get through the loss of my furry friends.

    Osmanthus is a note that intrigues me but I’m not really familiar enough with it to judge whether or not a perfume that contains it is a “true” rendering. But we could all use Beauty and joy in our lives so please Count Me In this draw

  • solanace says:

    RIP, Boo.
    Not sure I have ever tried anything Osmanthus…

  • Neva says:

    I’m sorry to hear about your loss and I like your attitude – Boo had a great life and brought you joy. That’s all it matters now. The sadness will go away, it always does.
    I’d say I like osmanthus in perfumes so thank you for the opportunity.

  • Claudia Strandstra says:

    I’d love to test it out! Thanks

  • rosarita313 says:

    Thanks for sharing about Boo. Cats are so entertaining, loving, mysterious and often full of sheer cussedness, sounds like Boo had it made thanks to you. I like osmanthus. Thanks for the chance!

  • Koyel says:

    Thank you for telling us about Boo. It sounds like you have no regrets over your life with him. It sounds like you lost him in the best possible way.

    I’ve never lost a pet, but only because I got my first ones, two fuzzy grey cats, four years ago (and even those are step-fur babies). One of them got very, very sick earlier this year, and we were worried we would lose him at the age of seven. I hope they grow up to a ripe, old age like Boo and then goes suddenly.

    I’m glad you had Rahele to keep you company <3

  • Maya says:

    I’m glad you told us about Boo. I think it’s good to know that others understand your feelings and that you are not alone.

    I am not sure about osmanthus. i know it’s in some scents that I have tried and I think I like it, but am not quite sure.

  • crystesmom says:

    I am not sure whether or not I have ever tried an osmanthus scent, but I would be interested try it.. My sympathies on losing Boo. Today is particularly dark for me also, as it is the anniversary f my son’s death. Thank you for the chance to try Rahele; it sounds lovely indeed!

  • Michelle Little says:

    Boo sounds so much like my black cat Lilith. She is my familiar- they are gifts to us. Osmanthus I have never smelled and can’t wait to explore it! This perfume sounds lovely. Thanks for the opportunity!

  • Sylvia says:

    Our animals make our families and lives more interesting. I wish many happy memories for you.
    Thanks for the draw chance! I don’t think I’ve ever smelled Osmanthus. So I’m interested in finding out what it’s like.

  • Maria says:

    It’s not the end that defines a life. That’s best left forgotten. I celebrate Boo’s fierce little spirit and a happy life spent on your shoulder, under the lamp. ? Osmanthus is excellent for lifting sore spirits.

  • Tara C says:

    What a nice tribute to your ornery Boo. I have a soft spot for black kitties. 17 years is a good long life and he was lucky to have you.

    Rahele sounds lovely, will certainly give it a sniff when I get the chance.

  • Sarah says:

    Our beloved furry companions break our hearts time and again. And we keep allowing it. Grateful to allow it. May our hearts love and break- for without such what are we?
    What I’ve learned since your last erudition on osmanthus is that it is all about the sourrounding stinks supporting it. Both swoonable and revolting it is an interesting character to attend to. Rahele sounds great.

  • Teresa says:

    I feel for your loss of you beloved Boo ; I lost my sweet Corgi at the grand old age of 18…by that point, a pet certainly qualifies as family! I’d love a chance to try Rahele…I’ve heard a lot about it recently. Thank you for the chance.

  • Luna Green says:

    I am dyyyinggg to try this!

  • Banshee Hews says:

    Sometimes the ornery ones charm us without us realizing it. I’m glad you could find and comfort. It’s amazing how scent transports us.

  • Tiara says:

    Sorry to hear about Boo…sounds like life wasn’t dull with him around. We lost our own black cat this past spring, but he was gentle and sweet. I think our dog trained him well when he was young because he rarely caused a fuss. So many good reviews and comments about Rahele, looking forward to trying it. Osmanthus? Yes, if done well.