Elixir des Merveilles by Hermès

What an incredible find! Nothing synthetic here, smells super natural 🥰, ideal for autumn and winter 💞.

I love that sweet, beautiful candied orange. What fine creativity from Jean-Claude Ellena; his perfumes are always elegant, natural, and balanced. Elixir Des Merveilles embraces the senses. Upon opening, that sweet, ambered, crystallized orange comes out, as if trapped in the resin of a tree. You can note the orange, the amber, the woods, a touch of incense, fine caramel, and vanilla, perhaps a bit of vetiver in the background. It’s a perfect dance: at first the orange shines, and at the end woods, amber, and resins reign. It’s an imposing perfume, sweet without being gourmand or cloying, festive yet with chic and formal touches. One of the most beautiful and complex oranges I’ve ever smelled, niche quality and very unisex. I wear it in cold seasons and at night, dressed up. It lasts 8 to 10 hours with a strong to moderate trail. I insist, it’s a treasure.

A perfume different from everything on the market, serious and elegant. It smells like a millionaire according to the compliments; I consider it refined and wearable for special occasions.

I have about 50cc left, half a bottle. Until now, I used it without control because my skin is very dry, but when I wanted to buy a refill, I saw it’s not even on the Hermès website, so I’m saving it to ration it and make it last longer. Thanks for the replies.

Claconga, I heard they reformulated it. Now the atomizer is gold, and they say the trail and longevity dropped quite a bit. You can find it at El Corte Inglés.

One of my go-to perfumes, I absolutely love this orange!

It’s my Christmas perfume; that non-citrusy orange scent reminds me of candied orange strips with sugar. It’s not gourmand, not floral, not citrusy… it’s unique! There’s nothing like it. Maybe a very faint base note reminds me of Ombre des Merveilles, with similar incense and Peru balsam, but the Elixir is in a league of its own. Incredible longevity; you wash with soap and it still smells. On the skin, it feels oily, you can tell the quality. Try it even if it’s hard to find (I’ve only seen it at Harrods and took it home). Don’t buy it blindly if you’re used to the cheap sprays and floral notes of commercial perfumes. It would look perfect on a man too.

A beautiful and rare perfume, sweet and bitter, balsamic, attractive, warm, resinous, unisex, with personality, and enveloping. It’s the best one they’ve released since Eau des Merveilles. It pleases everyone around you and draws compliments.

What a beauty! The resins, the amber, the orange peel… it’s deep, mysterious, seductive, and dark, yet warm and friendly. I’d wear it both for Christmas and to seduce my dream man. Totally unisex. I think the best thing I can say is that it’s BEAUTIFUL, without flaws.

Elixir des Merveilles is a delight of an orange, but not citrusy or light; it’s more mature, pulpy, and candied with flashes of vanilla and sandalwood, accompanied by a dark, earthy patchouli that gives it a chocolatey accord to that orange, like a truffle filled with jam, but not extremely sweet—more like dark, bitter cocoa—all over an amber and resinous base with a slight medicinal touch from benzoin. The opening didn’t fall in love with me the first time, but I’ve definitely grown to like it. It’s a creation by master Jean-Claude Ellena for Hermès, far from his comfort zone (those minimalist and neat ones we’re used to), and, contrary to most of the brand’s creations, it has great performance: skin longevity can exceed 8 hours and it projects quite well. It could be a perfectly unisex fragrance, as there are no floral traces; it’s an oriental with gourmand touches that, although intended for a female audience and with a certain sweetness, wouldn’t be out of place on a man.

Elixir des Merveilles… it’s like salt crystals, nomen omen, wonderfully packaged. I licked my elbow, and the taste of sea salt stayed on my tongue, with just a subtly soapy touch. The EDT is ‘schizophrenic’ for me: spicy and soft at the same time, delicate yet strong. These notes blend incredibly well. The constant is the salt. Sometimes I catch a bubblegum scent. The Passiflora gives a ‘bubblegum’ effect, but I think it’s more caramel (nothing like that specific caramel you know). Orange peel? Yes, it appears and disappears like a game of hide-and-seek. Peru Balsam adds a bitter, slightly smoky touch. It seems simple but has a lot to say. I’m not a huge fan of Ellena, but this smells like home and is a masterpiece for me. It lasts forever on my skin and has excellent projection.

Walking through an Arab souk, next to a spice stall where they squeeze oranges for fresh juice. That’s how Elixir des Merveilles smells. It’s spicy, cozy, with a light sweetness and an amber base. Although it has orange, it’s not citrusy or refreshing. I use it in any season: it’s winter and warm, but it shines on summer nights if you don’t overapply. The bottle is pretty, though it gives me conflict because it doesn’t stand well on its own and would make me suffer on the vanity. Moderate to notable sillage and 8 to 10 hours longevity. Layering is wonderful: a little Lush Karma solid perfume, then spray Elixir, and you enjoy hours of that orange and spice paradise. Scent 9/10, Longevity 9/10, Sillage 8/10, Value/Quality 8/10, Versatility 8/10, Packaging 7/10. Would I buy it again? Yes.

It’s not easy to review Elixir des Merveilles, as my objectivity goes to pot with Jean-Claude Ellena. But I say that, unlike other creations of his, this has great performance: it projects more than moderately and lasts up to 10 hours. It shares similarities with Eau des Merveilles, but here the orange takes a balsamic and sweet path; sometimes it reminds me of putting orange peels on a wood stove in southern Chile. You can taste the caramel, something smoky, with a super comforting sensation that makes me smile. Today my 50ml bottle is finished. I enjoyed it a lot and also decanted some. I hope to find it again.

It’s a delicious, well-structured interpretation, warm and enveloping with light oriental vibes. It adapts better to cold months but looks good on hot nights with an exotic air. It has the original DNA, but this flanker is rougher, resinous, and ambiguous. It works great on both sexes and doesn’t clash at any event. It’s totally chameleon-like: on a woman, it gives an intellectual, dreamy air, and on a man, a naughty touch for seduction. On my skin, it highlights a rough resinous note wrapped in warm amber sweetened by orange marmalade. Good performance, excellent essence quality, and superb versatility. A warm, romantic-glam fragrance that I love. Great for important events, dates, and dinners. It has a hard-to-find vibe nowadays.

I’ve heard a thousand wonderful things about this scent, but when I tried it, it didn’t quite take. The fragrance is good, special, and original; Hermès quality is undeniable. However, it feels very versatile: it changes drastically depending on who wears it. On a friend, it smells like a sweet, woody balm—intoxicating and super sensual. On me, it smells literally like wood varnish, and once it dries, it smells like turpentine and varnish, which made me sad because I loved it so much… but whatever, xD. I think you should try it before buying for two reasons: the price and the risk that it might be either amazing or terrible. Even if it’s not for me, whoever it works for will look spectacular in it; it’s a work of art.