Ashoka by Neela Vermeire Creations

Best Ashoka by Neela Vermeire Creations Alternatives & Similar Perfumes

Ashoka by Neela Vermeire Creations is a woody aromatic fragrance that blends fig and mimosa with rich leather and creamy sandalwood, enhanced by floral accents of white and pink lotus alongside hyacinth and rose. Incense, myrrh, styrax, and vetiver introduce smoky, resinous depth, while tonka beans add warmth and sweetness. Those drawn to balanced yet complex compositions with a mix of green, floral, leathery, and resinous notes will find elements to explore in this scent profile.

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1
Nanban

Nanban by Arquiste £162.50

Not sure yet? Try a 1 ml sample for £6.67
  • Key notes:
  • black pepper
  • frankincense
  • leather
  • myrrh
  • osmanthus
  • sandalwood
  • Tags:
  • #sexy
  • #smoky
  • Aromagroups:
  • edible
  • woody

January 1618 A Japanese Galleon, the Pacific Ocean

Following a diplomatic mission to the West, a galleon carrying a delegation of samurai charges through dark ocean currents. Loaded with a rare and precious cargo, the ship’s hull is redolent of sweet-smelling tropical woods, heady Spanish leather, frankincense, fine black pepper and other exotic ground spices—the intoxicating spirit of a singular, extraordinary voyage of discovery.

A good perfume to visit if your are in a search for perfect true sandalwood,  smoky and a touch dirty. Arquiste carefully selected the companions for its sandal in this formula: tea and osmanthus, coffee, myrrh and stryrax and others to give it a dark, sensual depth.

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GQ US on Nanban:

"This is my signature scent. I wear it all the time. And let me tell you: I’ve never worn something that has gotten so many compliments—no sunglasses, no sneakers, no full-body rubber suit. People actually turn their heads and ask me what I'm wearing. And then they jot down the product name. Arquiste’s masterpiece introduces itself with Malabar black pepper and Persian saffron, gives way to coffee, sandalwood, myrrh, and Spanish leather, and embraces you all day with a blanket of frankincense, balsam, and cade juniper."

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Financial Times' resident perfume writer Victoria Frolova on Nanban:

"... approach coffee notes creatively. Instead of mimicking nature, a perfumer instead might fashion a blend that hints at coffee’s pleasing bitterness and heady richness. Such is Arquiste’s Nanban (£160 for 100ml EDP). The composition uses a plush backdrop of woods to frame the smoky, spicy notes of myrrh and incense, with an accent of coffee to lend the composition a dark, delicious twist. It teases with its smoky, nutty warmth, but keeps its presence mellow behind layers of sandalwood and leather."

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2
Zagal

Zagal by Otzlab £200.00

Not sure yet? Try a 1 ml sample for £10.00
  • Key notes:
  • fig
  • milky nuance
  • myrrh
  • sandalwood
  • vanilla
  • Tags:
  • #clean
  • #savory
  • Aromagroups:
  • fruity
  • vintage/old school
  • woody

Zagal is the Spanish word for a shepherd’s apprentice, a figure that embodies discovery and innocence. This namesake fragrance invites you to approach the familiar with fresh eyes. Zagal is a dialogue between saffron’s dry, subtle bitterness, and fig’s fleshy, vegetal sweetness. Rose, jasmine, sandalwood, myrrh and vanilla provide deeply cushioned upholstery, rendering Zagal as a contemporary oriental.

Perfumer: Gaël Montero 

  • Key notes:
  • frankincense
  • incense
  • myrrh
  • styrax
  • tolu balm
  • vetiver
  • Tags:
  • #animalic
  • #powdery
  • Aromagroups:
  • spicy
  • vintage/old school
  • woody

An ancient ritual. The wonder of green, perfumed resin flowing from the tree. It is reminiscent of journeys along the perfume routes, of the magic of nocturnal ceremonies. Fresh, intense notes of Incense, Opoponax, Storax and Tolu.

4
Ms. Macadamia

Ms. Macadamia by Raconteur £129.17

Not sure yet? Try a 1 ml sample for £8.33
  • Key notes:
  • macadamia
  • mimosa
  • orris (iris root)
  • peach
  • sandalwood
  • vanilla
  • vetiver
  • Tags:
  • #powdery
  • #sexy
  • #sweet
  • Aromagroups:
  • fruity
  • woody

Not just a fine addition to luxury white chocolate chip cookies, macadamia is also an intriguing perfume material. Creamy, buttery and velvety, it’s the starting point for this unusual fruity floral. The floral is mimosa, a cute li’l flower that looks innocent, but plays dirty. Don’t let those fluffy yellow pom-poms fool you — mimosa’s got a raunchy side thanks to its dusty niff of overripe honey. Orris doubletracks mimosa’s powderiness, while peach twins mimosa’s earthy sweetness. Mellow sandalwood steers macadamia from a nut to wood. Macadamia? That’s Ms Macadamia to you.

 

5
Mimosa Gold

Mimosa Gold by Exaltatum £108.33

Not sure yet? Try a 1 ml sample for £5.83
  • Key notes:
  • almond
  • champaca
  • heliotrope
  • mimosa
  • tonka beans
  • Tags:
  • #fresh
  • Aromagroups:
  • floral
  • woody

Our life is a long journey through good times and difficult times. We carry our inner child through those hardships and hills, trying to protect it, guarding it on the road. 

For me, mimosa flower is a symbol of a beautiful, fluffy pompon, innocent and micro-sized Earth. 

I remember myself at the age of three, dressed in a short puffed mimosa-yellow georgette dress, hiding in the tall, light green grass, experiencing a tremendous sense of bliss and joy. 

This memory follows me all my life. MIMOSA GOLD is a memory of my happy childhood. Therefore I encourage you to remember good times in your own childhood while experiencing this perfume.

That's why I chose a marvellous mimosa dealbata absolute from France and acacia farnesiana from Egypt to create the heart of this perfume, supported with a creamy ylang-ylang from Comoros. They have not only beautiful smell, but are an incarnation of innocence, beauty of Nature and joy.  

 

6
Ambrosia

Ambrosia by Byermia £104.17

Not sure yet? Try a 1 ml sample for £6.67
  • Key notes:
  • civet
  • coconut
  • guava
  • heliotrope
  • mango
  • mimosa
  • orris (iris root)
  • peach
  • plumeria
  • sandalwood
  • tuberose
  • Tags:
  • #fresh
  • #powdery
  • #sexy
  • Aromagroups:
  • floral
  • fruity
  • vintage/old school

Inspired by the mythical nectar of the gods, Ambrosia opens with the sweet, delicate notes of plumeria and mango, layered with the lush richness of peach, lychee, and coconut. The heart reveals the creamy depth of heliotrope, musk, and guava, while wafts of French orris, Mysore and Sri Lankan sandalwood, Indian tuberose and vintage Ethiopian civet evoke a divine atmosphere—capturing the essence of heavenly indulgence.

7
The Serpent’s Orchard

The Serpent’s Orchard by Pictura Fragrans £138.33

Not sure yet? Try a 1 ml sample for £7.50
  • Key notes:
  • animalic notes
  • fig
  • honey
  • jasmine
  • lactonic nuance
  • myrrh
  • nettles
  • Tags:
  • #animalic
  • #fresh
  • Aromagroups:
  • fruity
  • vintage/old school
  • woody

In a garden long unguarded, where fig trees ripen past reason and the perfume of crushed blooms rises from the warm ground, Eve returns to Eden, empowered. The Serpent’s Orchard is a heady surge of wine and rose, honey and myrrh, jasmine and sandalwood. Look out for the snake among the figs.

Stone Cap: 100% peacock quartz

8
Fig Man

Fig Man by CARNER £125.00

Not sure yet? Try a 1 ml sample for £5.83
  • Key notes:
  • cardamom
  • fig
  • sea salt
  • tonka beans
  • violet leaf
  • Tags:
  • #fresh
  • Aromagroups:
  • green
  • marine
  • woody

The Fresh collection.

Inspired by the wondrous illustration Homme Figuier by Dali, Fig Man takes seemingly classic earthy notes and subverts them into a fanciful surreal fig theme mixed with salt, cool spices and dry woods.

Fig Man is a fresh, lush and spacious green formula.

9
A Grove By The Sea

A Grove By The Sea by Arquiste £162.50

Not sure yet? Try a 1 ml sample for £6.67
  • Key notes:
  • clay
  • fig
  • fig tree leaves
  • fir
  • mineral accord
  • rosemary
  • sea salt
  • Tags:
  • #clean
  • #fresh
  • #sweet
  • Aromagroups:
  • aromatic
  • citrusy
  • green
  • woody

August 1508, Lopud Island, Adriatic Sea

A sunny island in the Adriatic, a small harbour with stone houses and fig trees. Across the verdant Mediterranean hills sprawls an aromatic landscape of cypress stands, pine, rosemary, thyme — and olive groves with their subtle, nutty scent.

10
Fathom V

Fathom V by Beaufort £104.17

Not sure yet? Try a 1 ml sample for £5.00
  • Key notes:
  • green leaves
  • lily
  • mimosa
  • sea salt
  • vetiver
  • Aromagroups:
  • floral
  • green
  • woody

Beaufort’s latest fragrance, the confounding and aquatic leaning Fathom V, broadly takes it’s cues from Shakespeare. Throughout The Tempest, the writer conjures vivid images of violent weather, shipwrecks and magical islands but the name Fathom V itself stems from a phrase gleaned from ‘Ariel’s Song’ within the play:

“Full fathom five thy father lies; 
Of his bones are coral made; 
Those are pearls that were his eyes: 
Nothing of him that doth fade, 
But doth suffer a sea-change 
Into something rich and strange.”

The idea of this ’sea-change’ and the constant tidal flux of the sea is properly explored in Fathom V with the overdosed use of contrasting materials: salt and earth, fragrant herbs and mosses, pleasant floral notes and intense dark spices encompassing and outlining the push and pull of the oceanic torrents. 


Grooming Guru on Fathom V:

"Fathom V’s cleverness lies in its ability to take the concept of an aquatic fragrance and turn it on its head. Instead of following the bright and breezy, surf’s up approach that so many marine scents take, it plots an entirely different course, taking the wearer on a dark, foggy, Gothic adventure that conjures up images of dark, 17th century sea ports full of smugglers, ships with moss-covered hulls and illegally obtained barrels of spice."

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Candy Perfume Boy on Fathom V:

"How Does it Smell? Like gunpowder, lush vegetation, murky waters and the barnacle-covered hulls of pirate ships."

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About Ashoka by Neela Vermeire Creations

How does Ashoka differ from these fragrances?
Ashoka balances woody, aromatic, fruity, floral, and resinous notes with a rich complexity centred on fig, mimosa, leather, and incense. The listed fragrances share one or more of these elements but each emphasises different facets such as smoky resins, fresh aquatic accords, or powdery florals, offering varied interpretations rather than exact matches.
What makes Ashoka’s use of fig unique?
Ashoka incorporates fig alongside a layered floral bouquet and smoky resins, creating a nuanced balance of sweetness, greenery, and depth. This contrasts with some fragrances that highlight fig in a fresher or sweeter manner without the accompanying leathery or incense facets.
Are these fragrances suitable for both day and evening wear?
Many of these fragrances offer versatile profiles with fresh, woody, or powdery elements suitable for daytime, while those with smoky, leathery, or animalic notes tend to work well for evening occasions. Personal preference and context will determine suitability.