Reviews of Eau des Merveilles (2004)
by Hermès

This was fantastic in the magazine sample and on my mother. It is defiantly for a strong, carefree chemistry. I imagine on some ladies it smells of old cologne! it seems a bit mannish on me, though it turned into a womanly scent
on my mom. It is very nice, the notes all work together for a very sophisticated effect. Recommended for day wear, lovers of woodsy musk and orange.

I tried the parfum. It reminds me of 24 Faubourg (which I did not like at first try) and reminds me of rotten oranges.

Was so surpised by how much I loved the body wash when I got it as a gift that I ran out and got the parfum. Was addicted to it in the Spring and Summer and would agree that its close to being unisex although probably a bit too soft for most men.

Usually I prefer the florals but the pink pepper and cedar really makes the bitter orange that much more interesting. A big thumbs up for summer or vacation to a sunny destination that won't overpower and is an alternative to the often too-sweet female scents out there now.

Like it but it's easy to get bored of it soon. Mysterious.
Artificial citric and green, but clean and not sticky, with a odd mix of salty notes and animalistic ( I only can explain it with the obvious ambergris that I assume It's the main note going alltrough the pyramid).Even so still subtle and easy to wear in any occasion. Worth a try.
Smells very similar to Terre, the masculine one.

I braved the women's fragrance aisle in Sephora to sample this, and will have to go against the seeming consensus of this being unisex. I have to agree with Hermes designation of this as a feminine: from first whiff it is soft and sweetly floral, becoming gently spicy in the drydown. An absolutely beautiful fragrance, but for me, unambiguously feminine. If you are shopping for a wife/girlfriend, check this one out.

This one is a fantastic scent. Much more unisex than what people may think, this one –thankfully- doesn’t feel creamy or dense or flowery at all.
It’s very much like toasted sand, bronzed skin and vacations, it’s not as fresh as other watery fragrances, but here I like it because it makes it last for a long time on my skin.
Even if the pyramid seems upside down you get a lot of the basenotes on the top like the citrus and the pepper.
The pepper here is very soft and I like it because pepper is fragrances makes my nose very uncomfortable, but here it almost feels like the pink pepper used in miracle homme for example. Something softer but still interesting enough.
The ambergris is superb, the quality of it is very obvious and the sheer force of it in the mid notes makes it stand out from the vast majority of scents out there since, in general , this note is not used as a strong stand-alone, more like a soft whiff of it that balances the rest, in here, the note is very present and very unique.
You might even get a bit of chlorine-pool if you think hard enough, wich I like!

I tested this in Neiman Marcus, and although it is pleasant enough & clean, it isn't anything that special, especially considering the company that put it out. Too light, not enough power, smells like the beach, not impressed...I live in Florida.

Eau des Merveilles just doesn't work with my skin chemistry. I can appreciate the unconventional beauty of it, I get the whiffs of dry driftwood and salty skin, but on my skin it's just too soapy/perfumey. It's very light and transparent yet bitter and sharp at the same time, and when I inhale it I get this unpleasant taste of perfume in the back of my throat.

I tried this one a while ago and it was a very masculine unisex. No man needs to feel awkward about using this one. I most definetly thinking about buying it in the future. Unfortunately you cant get hold of The Elixir or the perfume in Sweden. If you could. That would be my preferred choise. Recommended if you can afford it.
benb

I went though a whole bottle of this. Great everyday perfume but......after awhile....I swapped the second bottle and haven't missed it. Got a little boring. Not distinctive enough for me.

I am surprised at how many bad reviews this perfume has received. in contrast to Rouge Hermes which is not at all that pleasant yet seems better received. Anyhow for me this perfume is slowly climbing the charts as one of my favorites. Don't buy it in the EDT for some reason it isn't as good as the EDP in fact it doesn't last that long either. Though there isn't a tobacco note in any of the layers of this perfume, it smells smoky in a delicious rich sort of way. like a baccarat room in the roaring 20's... I can't get enough of it. It is a pleasant surprise

It's creamy, warm, and salty all at the same time. I think it works wonderfully on a man, as a couple of my lady friends agreed. It's very different and if you're looking to stand out from the crowd, look for Merveilles.

I had wished this could have worked on me for it sounded like something I really could have liked, but unfortunately it just smelled like salt on me. Usually I don't have this sort of problem with perfumes, but d'Orange Verte did the same thing. Just Salt.

Lovely though very, very evanescent on me. I like the spicy, citrus elements with no weighty undertones. Great for summer, but I'm looking for more "weight" year-round.

Strangely, this scent reminds me of Miglin's PHEROMONE. It wears extremely close to the skin, not a single flower to be found here! Quality perfumery, albeit not my cup of tea.

I am surprised so many men had reviewed this one, as it is not a uni-sex perfume, but if you like it, wear it! This is exactly what my skin smells like after spending the day in the sun, swimming in the sea and drying off on the sand and the warm air around me. Hmmm, the whole idea appeals to me a lot, but not in the form o a perfume. But the feeling captured really well and lovely bottle.

On the paper strip, it was a dream. On my skin, a nightmare. I know I have a bizarre skin chemistry, but that second-skind scent has to be there somewhere. I loved the first 20 minutes. The top was a creamy citrus. Lovely. Then came the vetiver, which I think is a more masculine scent. And after that? Somehow armpit and wood. And it wouldn't go away. I've smelled it on others, and it's what I want for me. But on my skin, a scrubber.

i wanted to experience this, i has tried it on at the store a while ago and remembered it. on my skin it was a disappointment. very masculine. the more time i gave it the worse it got. vetiver was too much, i expected it to be orange and wood. maybe it would be great on a blond. a blond guy.

I love this one, it is a nice fresh woody aquatic with a feminine touch. If you are looking for the traditional flowery sweet or oriental woman's perfume then this is not for you. It is different from most perfumes, I suppose that is why I like is so much. I constantly get compliments when I wear this from men and women. It seems to have good staying power too and I live in a very dry climate.

Eau Des Merveilles starts beautifully with a light wood accord—rather different from the woods I’m accustomed to. This one is softer, creamier; the oak takes precedence, supported by excellent cedar to give a touch of sharpness. There’s a palpable smoothness and a superb balance, which gives the top notes a wonderful character. There is just enough dissonance and sharpness to keep it intriguing. These great top notes last an impressive length of time. The middle is rather uncomplicated in its presentation of a near single note gray amber. On my skin this amber holds nicely in a semisweet longevity. The base is a light and airy citrus / amber with a pepper grace note to provide an elegant finish making it almost almost aquatic. The base is subtle, close to the skin, and long lasting. It eventually turns a trifle sour on my skin but retains a wonderful presence.
Eau des Merveilles is truly a finely tuned scent. Its construction is unique and brilliant. The fragrance is elegantly subtle—a genuine marvel, indeed.

Big thumbs down on this scent. I came in with high hopes, but found nothing to warrant another wearing. It has a horridly synthetic salty feel to it that turns rancid on my skin. If you're looking for an easily accesibly aquatic scent, stick with L'eau Par Kenzo. This did nothing for me aside from make me want to wipe it off as it got progressively cheaper smelling on me as time went on.

Eau des Merveilles on me is faint peppery orange and an overload on the veviter! To me I think veviter and citrus mixes to become a bit sour and very manly. In my opinion this would smell much better as a man's cologne. VERY MASCULINE is how I'd describe Eau des Merveilles. I do give Eau des Merveilles credit for unbelieveable lasting power and the beautiful unique bottle it comes in. Tho, sadly this is the first Hermes' scent that I've disliked and won't be purchasing!

I really had high hopes for this (had sampled it on a paper strip), since I like to try gender-nonspecific fragrances, but I feel let down. Despite the "upside down" pyramid, on my skin this releases a blast of orange (lollipop) to start, which quickly gives way to a warm, somewhat blah woody accord with what smells like a hint of musk (maybe the ambergris). I just applied it a half hour ago, and the EDT is already fading away. Not bad, exactly -- it's inoffensive enough -- but not something I would buy again.

I can take it or leave it. It has more masculine notes to my nose then feminine notes, yet lacks the povocativeness that wearing a masculine fragrance carries. I'd probably agree - easily a unisex fragrance. Not something I'll be wearing often - if for a quick trip to the supermarket or the drugstore one block away.

Absolute favourite for the past two years. Fresh and so easy to wear. I adore it. My car seems to have absorbed the fragrance also - greets me upon opening the door! Hmmmm. Also long for the sterling silver pendant with the Parfum. Now available from Hermes website. Also seen on Ebay.

Ugh...This is $100 for what? This is a icky perfume. It smells gorgeous at first, but then...ugh! It smells like my head and shoulders shampoo. And believe me thats not the best smell in the world!

Clean, bright, and communicates a lifestyle of the lover of life and sophistication. I like the idea of how the classic fragrance pyramid is reversed in this scent, much like Mat; Very Male, Hermes has created another fresh, transparent masterpiece! Longlasting too! I like how Hermes likes to use the orange note in a lot of their scents. Basenotes is the one place that really helps with providing the information to find scents likes this for everyone to share, wear and appreciate!

This smells great! At first it smells citrusy and fresh, and the deep woody drydown keeps me maniacally sniffing myself. This fragrance is a mood elevator, and it's unique. I swear I smell cinnamon in this and something about it reminds me a little of Dior Addict. It doesn't smell like Dior Addict though, there's just a note that my skin brings out that's common to Addict and Merveilles. This would be quite nice on a man or a woman, but because I know it as a scent I wear I don't think it would smell particularly masculine to me. It's not particularly feminine either, which is part of its appeal. If I hadn't blown my budget on Un Jardin Sur le Nil I'd buy this immediately. But I'm definitely saving up for this unusual "water of wonders."

A charming creation that elicited immediate compliments. Fresh, sparkling, easy to wear, crisp - a winner. Good sillage and lasting power for a citrus with an unusual earthy mid-bouquet. A welcome addition to the Hermes line, albeit slightly a departure in theme. Settles into a clean musk scent.

A very unfortunate case of "smelling-much-better-on the-paper-strip-than-on-my-skin" for me wit EdM. This is a perfectly crafted clean amber scent with some spicy citrus. EdM just smells clean in a way I've never encountered before, it blends into the skin in brilliant way. Unfortunately it takes a feminine turn on my skin that was not present on my sample strip. Every man should try it though, cause I think it is extremely uni-sex. Another winner from Hermès!

Truly a most marvelous summer scent! It's beachy, warm, but not too sweet. I've worn and loved this even in the middle of the summer in Phoenix - very few fragrances hold up to that test! Try layering it with a citrus - I've used Eau d'Orange Vert with good results.