I’m uncertain about Neith. I absolutely loved the brand’s green tuberose fragrance, Eshal, from last year. However, Neith isn’t making as strong an impression on me. It’s a much darker composition than Eshal, and I can’t shake the modern amber wood notes that dominate its base.
Neith opens with a puff of smoke, which actually made me cough the first time I sprayed it. The myrrh and olibanum notes feel overwhelming. The myrrh adds an unexpected sweetness (bordering on too sugary), and beneath all the smoke, I can detect a floral component. This red rose floral note enhances the fragrance’s sweet character. Gradually, this rose deepens until it becomes crimson. It’s syrupy, rich, and opulent. Once my coughing subsides after a few minutes, the next thirty minutes, enhanced by this floral aspect, become the best part of the perfume.
Like other Neela Vermeire scents, I find Neith complex and layered. However, unlike her other creations, I don’t enjoy all of these layers. A carnation note stands out prominently and gives the middle phases an almost medicinal, clove-like quality. The oud note on top of this augments the medicinal feel. Despite castoreum being listed, I don’t experience anything overly animalic. As the floral notes fade, the balance and beauty become disrupted, with the cypriol element heralding a scratchier, woodier base.
Everything after thirty minutes feels like a downhill ski ride to the bottom of a mountain with nothing but woody ambers to cushion me in the outrun. While Neith isn’t a Nagano 98 Hermann Maier-style wipeout, there’s no getting around the fact that this fragrance doesn’t develop like others from the house. It doesn’t bloom. Ducahaufour has padded the base with superfluous woody ambers, which extend longevity and sillage, but I’m not sure they add much to the overall composition. While it’s not the worst use of materials, it feels slightly off for a Neela Vermeire creation—almost as if Mazzy Star suddenly appeared on Headbangers Ball. Everything seems out of sync. As a result, Neith lacks the melodic beauty that characterises some of her other works.
Neith was one of the scents I was most looking forward to trying this year, particularly after all the positive reviews. But it’s a letdown. Perhaps some folk are anosmic to these scratchy bases. So, by all means, try the fragrance, but enter at your own risk. The brand and perfumer have done better. Neith isn’t an out-and-out rose, but it plays a significant role in the scent. For fans of dark, resinous rose scents, I’d recommend checking out Feu de Rose from Reservation Parfums. Even Duchaufour’s own Ensang Noir from his L’Entropiste beats this one out. Both are significantly cheaper than Neith’s 375-euro price tag. Disappointing.
Notes: vetiver, myrrh, rose, oud, cypriol, black pepper, carnation, labdanum, frankincense, opoponax, cedar, castoreum, ambergris, vanilla, sandalwood.
Has anyone else tried this one? Did you pick up the woody ambers?
Note: Bottle image from the brand. All other photos are my own. I purchased the sample of Neith.
Beautiful flowers, but the scent doesn’t sound nice to me.
Thanks very much, Tetê. Yes, the scent could have done without the unnecessary amberwoods.