Our take
What does Elixir des Merveilles smell like?
Hermès extended the Merveilles family in 2006 with this Elixir, after Eau des Merveilles in 2004 and Parfum des Merveilles in 2005. Jean-Claude Ellena composed it, and it has almost nothing to do with the original. It opens on candied orange peel under pale caramel. Next comes a biscuit accord of vanilla, tonka and milk that reads more like pastry than sugar. The base is drier than you would expect. Sandalwood, incense and balsams from Peru and Siam mingle with oak and patchouli. Think of an orange cake stored in a cedar box. Compared with the salty, ambery Eau des Merveilles, the Elixir is warmer and more gourmand. It never sinks into the sugar of Thierry Mugler's Angel. Tonka is the clearest note in the drydown. It clings to wool for days.
When to wear it
A winter perfume for evenings by the fire or Sundays in a heavy coat. Two sprays on a scarf last until the next day.
It belongs to the Oriental / Amber, Woody family. Elixir des Merveilles is one of 47 creations by Hermès in our encyclopedia.
