Our take
What does Eau des Merveilles Bleue smell like?
Hermès released Eau des Merveilles Bleue in 2016. It was one of Christine Nagel’s first creations for the house, and she took on a line that began in 2004. Forget the warm amber of the original Eau des Merveilles. This one opens on a clean marine accord with no fruit and no sugar. The heart turns mineral. There is salt, plus the smell of a pebble picked up at low tide while it is still cold. The base stays woody and quiet. A clean patchouli gives it just enough depth to hold together. The whole thing is dry and bright, nothing like the sweet aquatics of the 1990s. You could link it to Un Jardin en Méditerranée for its clarity, but Bleue is saltier and less green. Some will find it too abstract. It smells like skin after a swim rather than the ocean itself.
When to wear it
Best in high summer, at work or on holiday. Spray it on wrists and a cotton T-shirt, where it lasts longer.
It belongs to the Woody, Aquatic family. Eau des Merveilles Bleue is one of 47 creations by Hermès in our encyclopedia.
