Star rating: 5 stars–outstanding/potential classic, 4 stars–very good, 3 stars–adequate, 2 stars–disappointing, 1 star–poor. Show Hermès Eau des Merveilles, created by Ralf Schwieger (the nose behind Frédéric Malle Lipstick Rose) and Nathalie Feisthauer for Hermès in 2004, is a fragrance that catches by surprise. From the first accord, it vacillates between reflecting either the translucent amber and delicately sweet tobacco or sweet glow of citrus. Intertwined with the scintillating central accord is lily of the valley. The floral aspect is rather subtle, resembling a crushed flower stem caught in the driftwood on the beach, however it lends an interesting facet. An inky note appears in the heart of the composition, and although slightly sharp at first, it develops into salty undercurrent, touched by dry peppery warmth. The base notes glow through the translucent layers, creating a scent of sand and sun warmed skin, which remains rather subtle. The winey veil of ambergris is touched by a lush whisper of hyacinth, which is elusive, yet during certain moments, its sweetness appears suddenly, caressing and seductive, only to fold back into the base accords. Where Eau des Merveilles is punctuated by the green coldness of lily of the valley, Parfum des Merveilles, which has debuted in the fall of 2005, has a warmer feel. The winey warmth that gives Eau des Merveilles its elegant twist is amplified in the extrait de parfum. The smooth cognac-like sweetness runs in a rich wave under the jeweled citrusy veil. Yet, the citrus is closer to candied variety than to fresh zest, which suits the composition well. Its dark woody notes become more pronounced as the fragrance develops, following similar patterns as Eau des Merveilles, but reinterpreting each point as darker and richer. While Eau des Merveilles is a scent of sun warmed skin, Parfum des Merveilles evokes a vision of driftwood covering the water’s edge on the solitary beach. In order to so, it does not resort to the typical marine notes. Instead, the salty undercurrent provides an elegant counterpoint that acts as an olfactory surprise against the warm notes, recalling a sensation of biting into a piece of salt water taffy. Notes include elemi, bitter orange, Italian lemon, Indonesian pepper, pink pepper, “ambergris accord”, oakwood, cedarwood, vetiver, balsam of Peru, benzoin. Notice the lovely Serge Mansau designed bottle that is ornamented with silver stars and glitter against orange background. Eau des Merveilles and Parfum des Merveilles are available from Hermès boutiques, Neiman Marcus as well as other selected retailers. The former can also be easily obtained from various online stores. Eau de Merveilles is GLORIOUS! Maybe it's the way it mixes with my skin chemistry is just soooo good. The saltiness and the orange are such a good balance. Sillage is arm's length, and longevity is 8+ hours. BEAUTIFUL!  I suppose orange and cedar are not my favorite pairing. I've never cared for a cedar note. I find the vetiver to be dusty and the orange to be overwhelming and dry. I don't find the ambergris note. I do experience a floral overtone but somehow this composition doesn't please me. An hour in I'm wondering how they got this effect and what synthetic chemicals are at play-- the orange is orange: it's not sour, but sweet. And yet dessicated, underpinned by something that tickles my gag reflex. Not fecal, not animalic, not civet. As I type the above...I realize I'm back to hating peppered fruity florals. Oh my, this is giving me Stephanie flashbacks. Edit written not 15 minutes later: My dear son comes out of his room. Stops 12 feet away from me to stand longingly in front of the pantry--I've walked through the kitchen about 30 minutes ago but not so far as the pantry, about two hours after four small spritzes (context for sillage and longevity.) Spontaneously says: "I like that perfume you have on." This is the second complement I've ever gotten from him, the last when he was 10 years old for Blue Amber. What's a mama to do.... I like the citrus mixed with elemi at the beginning. It is sorta unusual and very pretty. Nothing overwhelms here. It moves into a creamy thing... The middle tends to mellow into a half summer, half autumnal feel. No note seems to fight for attention. They all just groove along... The heart later becomes rather dull, in my opinion. Too safe. The fir note in the base gives me interest. The base has a muted fresh, forest vibe. Still, there isn't enough here to thrill me. The top was great then the whole thing fell flat. Later, fir and cedar seem to make the base a bit more pleasant for me. Not a lot of sillage for this one. Skin scent, for sure. A perfectly pleasant but not particularly challenging or complex scent. Similar to other reviewers I get a slight soapiness to the orange and the florals are quite muted. A very safe, unobtrusive scent to wear. A little green, some orange and a really nice hand soap smell. Starts off unisex but I feel this starts to go feminine quickly. Still though, the nice soap smell can work on anybody. Le bonheur de vivre BY Henri Matisse It's reverse. It's dry with lots of amber. It's unisex. This makes it unique enough for this review to be positive. But I feel it's way too weak, both in projection and in sillage. An interesting green chypre smell encased in soap. It's got everything you'd want from a green chypre - that sour fusion of bergamot and moss, heavy on the galbanum and verdant patchouli, with a pinch of vetiver later on. There's even a subtle aldehydic sparkle on top for a while. But the real focus is always on the soap. Instead of smelling like perfume, Merveilles always smells to me more like soap perfumed with an unexpectedly complex green scent. In all, I enjoy Eau de Merveilles, but not enough to go through a bottle, as soapy-clean perfumes, no matter how interesting, are rarely anything I'd reach for. But still a thumbs up for quality and novelty. Eau des Merveilles is SO UNIQUE!!! I seem to ALWAYS get compliments when I wear this! I do detect the orange, but not that sweet of an orange, more like clementine. I first purchased this in the summer and wore it to a 4th of July picnic, where it received many compliments. I will be wearing it this winter, which will most likely make a beautiful fragrance to wear during the holidays! I ABSOLUTELY LOVE Eau des Merveilles by Hermes!!! My bottle of this fragrance was given to me by a rather profligate friend who had blind-bought it under the misapprehension that the "amber" of Eau des Merveilles was that sweet, warm, almost edible-smelling accord made from labdanum and vanilla and benzoin and other sticky resinous things. This is not that kind of amber. The 'amber' here is an attempt to replicate the smell of "grey amber," ambergris, which is salty and animalic and excreted by sperm whales. It's a rather important distinction, so let my friend's error serve as a cautionary tale: if you're looking for a sweet vanillic 'amber,' this isn't what you want. There's nothing very sweet in here at all. Even the orange is bitter and pithy and dry, dry, dry. Bone dry. Dryness, in fact, is pretty much what this fragrance is all about. I've seen beach imagery used to describe this scent, and I find that apt enough so long as one understands that the aspects of "beach" being invoked here are mainly the salty, parched, and even somewhat uncomfortable aspects: the hot hot sand, the sharp-edged dune grasses, salt-encrusted skin feeling increasingly taut and stretched as it begins to sunburn. An orange peel left out in the merciless sun long enough for it to dry to the texture of a tough curl of pebble-grained leather. The bleached white, twisted forms that when seen from a distance could be either driftwood or bones. But there's life here, too, beside this strange sea. I've never smelled real ambergris, but many who have claim that the ambergris note in this fragrance is remarkably realistic. And I believe it, because there is a strange undercurrent here that feels positively primeval, just as one would expect of ancient, sea-aged whale excreta. It is a warm and animalic smell, one that is immensely welcoming, yet which also suggests saliva-licked skin, or the milky spit-up of a still-unweaned infant. It's a weirdly intimate smell, simultaneously oceanic and mammalian, and whether it registers as appealing or as disgusting to me seems to depend entirely on my mood. The overall effect, however, is to add the sea to this otherwise dry beach -- and yet also to suggest it as a somewhat strange and alien sea, perhaps an ancient one, perhaps even one of those shallow warm primeval seas that predate our existence as a species altogether. I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with this fragrance. While I find it both fascinating and immensely sophisticated, I also--as already mentioned--sometimes find its animalic ambergris note more icky than inviting. Then there are also some days when I find this stuff to be an instant migraine, and others when it clogs my sinuses. Don't wear this one around people with allergies or people who are in any way environmentally sensitive! There's something extremely allergenic about it -- it's not the oakmoss, I don't think, but one or more other things that combine with the throat-tickling oakmoss to form a kind of perfect storm of immune response triggering. Many people seem to like this as a summer fragrance, but for me, high heat and humidity make it far more likely that I'll find myself not enjoying its more animalic facets. I prefer this fragrance for the transitional periods bracketing high summer: late spring to early summer, and late summer to early fall. It is not easy to find a lovely svent like Eau Des Merveilles In perfumery. Everytime i smelled it, i want breathe in slowly and deeply. It is definitely a Interesting scent. Woody, modern, subtle, Fresh, clean, heavenly and at the same time. Sophisticated and elegant. A bright, luminous departure. At the beginning this scent seems to melt into your skin and surround you in a soft cloud of orange scent. Definitely citrusy scent with a touch of sharp. The middle is feminine and the base is woody. This Hermes EDT is the perfect touch to start an unforgettable day and makes a delicious feeling of freedom and independence for the elegance lady especially if she is around 30/35 years old. This scent also is light enough for everyday use but still special enough for evening intimate occasions in spring / autumn. The upside-down fragrance... Eau des Merveilles by Hermès is a lovely fragrance, if not slightly unusual in that it has an upside-down note pyramid! You start out with the woody notes, which Hermès calls the "The Spirit of Wood", consisting of resins, balsams, woods (cedar and oak) and vetiver. Then comes the heart of the fragrance (which Hermès calls "The Memory of the Ocean") consisting of Ambergirs... that wonderful material which comes from the belly of a whale and which smells salty, musky and sweet all at the same time! the perfumer here, Ralf Schwieger, wanted to create a fragrance which centred around this note... and I must admit it smells beautiful! It smells of the sea, with the salty air and also has a musky quality which blends really well on skin, almost like a "second-skin" type of scent. Then finally the dry-down (called "The Sparkle of a Constellation"), a sweet pairing of lemon and orange, followed by a spicy mixture of cardamom, black & pink pepper. This is a very unusual ending for a fragrance, but it somehow lasts a long time on skin, blending really well. My impression is almost like someone sitting on a beach eating an orange. I really like it actually. it's also very unisex (no flowers are involved in the composition), but it is also quite feminine at the same time! Apparently this was the last fragrance made before Jean-Claude Ellena arrived at Hermès (although he later made the flankers to this one, including the Eau de Parfum). I would say that anyone could wear this one, it's a very "happy" fragrance (the name means "Water of Wonders"), and there is something quite happy and magical about it, like fireworks in a bottle. I would say this version (the Eau de Toilette) is perfect for summer and the warmer months, although it could probably be worn at any time of year, but just sitting closer to the skin. Pure sunshine and fireworks in a bottle! If you like casual, happy, but unique or "different" smelling perfumes... then give this one a try! Starts as the most interesting fragrance I've sampled so far. Struggling to identify any of the notes except perhaps pepper and some light sweet orange. A half hour later there's a note that I don't care for - somewhat cheap. Still hours later, that's disappeared, and I'm detecting some floral, though I can't identify which. Testing this was a very thought-provoking experience! Overall though, it seemed to work very nicely on my skin and I'm looking forward to trying this one again. Eau de Merveilles... THE Scent... In my mind, this is the zenith, epitome of a fragrance for women. It reminds me of the great James Bond femmes- Vesper, Holly Goodhead from Moonraker, Octopussy, Kristina Wayborn also from Octopussy, Natalya Simonova in Goldeneye played by Izabella Scorupco (woman with a capital W!) and above all...XXX aka Barbara Bach from The Spy who Loved Me. It is the face and body of Barbara Bach that soars through my mind when I smell Merveilles...strong, feminine, luxurious, gorgeous... there is a scent of sea, warmth, spice and very faint tobacco... anything that will remind me of Kristina Wayborn and Barbara Bach gets a 10/10, the perfect scent Genre: Citrus It's hard to resist Eau des Merveilles' top notes: a juicy, yet peculiarly briny tangerine that's spiked with pink peppercorn and warmed by a subtle animalic accent. As the salt and citrus subside they cede the olfactory stage to a more conventional blend of woody notes and dry vetiver, with some light incense (elemi) contributing a slightly astringent, medicinal dimension. It's all very bright and sheer, but the central accord makes an increasingly chemical impression as it develops. I sense kinship with The Different Company's Sel de Vétiver and Miller Harris's Fleurs de Sel here, but I find both of those scents more coherent, sharper in profile, and more enduringly compelling than Eau des Merveilles. Like both of the others, Eau des Merveilles strikes me as entirely gender-neutral. At no point is Eau des Merveilles a potent fragrance, and it does not endure more than two or three hours on my skin. If the opening movement were extended to cover a couple of hours I'd be more excited by this scent, but I don't feel that Eau des Merveilles lives up to its initial promise as it is. Citrus, vanilla, violet, sandal wood, a lavender accord, some metallic aldehydes feel, nice fruity notes (a hint of freshly-cut pimiento) and quite a recognisable load of Iso E Super plus hedione. Which smell great I'm a big fan. A bit later you get more clearly the amber-vetiver base. I don't get the balsamic aroma which should be there, actually the more minutes pass the more I get only the aromachems and the other notes vanish what you get then for hours is a salty, pleasant, synthetic "good feeling", like a cozy, clean, opalescent airport lounge where *someone* with a good scent and just a hint of sweat has just left leaving you there alone (hedione and Iso E - if you know Odeur 53, that's it, and I quite like that kind of subtle, weird salty/woody/milky accord). Unisex, slightly floral, slightly salty-skin, pleasant and with a hell of persistence. More "eau" than "merveille", but still nice - more "avantgarde" than it may look like. 7/10 Eau Des Merveilles by Hermes is a beautiful and sophisticated fragrance. After many positive reviews on this site I ordered a bottle for me. I sprayed it on and it made my senses feel wonderful. The orange comes out at first and dried down into a sweet, woody scent. The next morning I still smelled it on my clothes. I am glad I ordered it and I am male. I think this fragrance should really be unisex. It will on top of my list from now on. Slightly woody, slightly citrusy is a good way to discribe Eau des Merveilles. This one could possibly pass as an aquatic fragrance also IMO. Don't know where Hermes was trying to go with this one. Not a bad fragrance if you can get it at a good price. What does Hermès Merveilles smell like?The woody and amber eau de toilette blends enveloping benzoin, spicy elemi and sparkling bigarade orange. Designed by Serge Mansau, the star-spangled magnifying-glass bottle twinkles with an orange light that shifts from intense to ethereal. What gender is Eau des Merveilles?Eau des Merveilles by Hermès is an “Eau de Toilette“ for women, with oriental wood notes. Does Hermès perfume last long?For an eau de toilette fragrance, Terre D'Hermes cologne is surprisingly long lasting with considerable longevity and sillage up to 5 hours of wear. Does Hermès perfume smell good?Hermes perfumes are one of the most sought-after brands in the world and are known for their status and outstanding compositions created by many famous perfumers. They have many different perfumes that range from bubbly and aldehydic, floral and citrus, fresh and green, luxurious and vanillic and sweetly floral. |
