L'Ombre Des Merveilles Hermès for women and men

So unexpectedly good. This was immediately a solid “like,” but I did not expect it to become a strong love so fast.

It is so soothing. A very nice, slightly sweetened black tea with a hint of orange (that you get in all Eau des Merveilles) are mixed with a bit of incense. The incense is clean and slightly reminiscent of Passage d’Enfers by L’Artisan Parfumeur. The final result is so easy to like, almost impossible to dislike, yet smells special.

I put it in the same genre as L’Envol de Cartier EDP, of being lightly sweetened honeyed relaxing scents. Hope this never gets discontinued (unlike the Cartier).

Purchased this winter and put it up for sale. It was 87 degrees in Las Vegas today, so tried it on warm skin. Totally different fragrance I swear fig is the prominent note. Delicious.

Smells like a light and flowery version of Ganymede.

A cup of iced sweet black tea on your porch on a hot summers day after a shower. Life is good.

It opens with a very refreshing contrast of black tea and a luxury soap, a wonderful twist on the shampoo freshie all too prevalent in todays designer fragrances. Then as it dries it gains this herbal and resinous amber/tonka sweetness that ups the versatility of this fragrance up from anytime during the day to night as well. After this sweetness starts to develop there aren’t any more new notes or accords that show up, but the nuances to the 3 major accords, the tea, the soap, and the sweetness are very nice.

Out of all the Hermés fragrances I have tried, this is probably the most mass appealing fresh fragrance for men, but gender in perfume is silly. It’s a very nice deviation from the standard fresh blue, but not a large enough deviation for this to be a love for me. Would highly recommend getting your nose on this if you want a blue style fragrance that’s both mass appealing yet not basic. I wish they had a candle of this.

Moderate projection with surprisingly high performance.

7.8/10. Signature scent worthy.

Tested on paper, first smell instantly reminded me of Jagermeister.
A few minutes later smells more like fragrance. I think I like it.
Will test on skin and give a full review.

This is actually a unisex scent that I do love, it is a fresh pleasant scent that has a mentholated vibe that I like so much,although it doesn't have any spicy note(I do love spicy scents) but I still love it. I do think it has a good performance. I have only tried elixir along this one from this line, and I do think that I love both, but I love elixir a bit more than this.

To me this is straight up fizzy carbonated drink. First it's like Coca-Cloa, then goes into an herbaceous territory.
I find it intriguing and well executed but I wouldn't wear it myself.

Whenever I have time to kill in an airport, I try to sniff some unfamiliar things at the Duty Free, and this was the standout from my last trip. I had the original EdM years ago but sold it b/c it didn’t really suit me. This is a great riff on that theme, darker, maybe a little more “masculine” and to my nose, a little more contemporary (which could be good or bad depending on what you like). There seems to be a ton of bottles out there at very good prices, so I wouldn’t spend full retail at the Duty Free, but it’s a terrific snag for half that.

Eau des Merveilles is the absolute greatest fragrance of all time, but I find it too feminine to wear it myself.

This is a happy medium between the original EdM scent DNA and something a little more masculine. Love it.

This one is a lovely treat. Starts out masculine and intense and then simmers down to a powder-laundry detergent-tea scent lol Clean, cozy and sexy. I recommend wearing this on a first date or even a hookup lol its very much giving aphrodisiac vibes

Vert forward and masculine. Fresh and spicy. A decent blend, but you can do so much better. For this day and age, it's objectively meh.

Giftexpress sent me this instead of the full size Bleue. I enjoy the dry down of this more than what you first smell. This perfume is eternal so don't spray it on yourself if you aren't sure haha.

I am not expecting to smell something like it. It smells like a warm black tea and earthy ground. It is far from the original and less « old fashioned lady ». This one is mostly unisex and very niche like. Not easy to understand but very intimate to wear.

There's no fruity notes in here, but the sweet part in this is fruity. and it reminds me of the fruity part of Chloe nomade absolu.

I d dare to say in this millenium Hermes had forgotten the true icons and only makes flankers. In this case L'Ombre Des Merveilles Hermès is so similar to Au Thee Blanche by Bvlgari ... Anised tea, humid and wet as a field-force. Very interesting!

Meh - I don't smell any tea or incense. I smell a vaguely fruity-metallic thing. Feels unfinished. Not terrible, but I had higher hopes.

Heavily underrated. Sweet & light fragrant tea. It's not a hot weather scent, but on a mild spring day this really hits the spot. Even on this cold autumn day as I wear it again, it's really wonderful.

It is not as simplistic as the notes suggest, and yet at the same time it's not busy and marred with conflicting notes. It's an alluring scent that will get people noticing you and not for the wrong reasons.

I like it. But I'm not falling in love.
Objectively, I should love this. It has the freshness of tea and the mineral smokiness of incense. It is adequate both in a professional setting as well is in a more introspective moment.
I can't precisely point what is making me not fall in love. I just don't find it warm - warm as in "human". It is very cold, dare I say lifeless?

This is a lovely, strange and unique frag.

Tea, tea and more tea!!

I do smell the tea, but to me this is very aquatic, synthetic, very humid perfume, like sugared tea, I don't feel the incense, it's all a mess. I don't get anything ambery or sea-like. Yes, it's very unisex.

I think this is the best tea scent around. Smells mellow and smoky. A cup of black tea with honey. Suitable for every season and occasion, but do not overspray. This is a strong one.

My first impression was not of the scent itself, but of its texture. It smells like glass. It's cold, transparent, mineralic and thin. "Glassy" feels like the polar opposite of powdery. L'Ombre des Merveilles is so smooth that it's almost oily. Unfortunately I don't get incense, but I do get a bitterish herbal tea accord mixed with some rather unfriendly, saline ambergris. The very delicate sweetness brings the overall scent profile closer to shampoo. I wonder if this scent is Hermés pandering to far eastern markets.
There isn't a strong resemblance to Eau des Merveilles here. L'Ombre isn't salty or ambery- neither is it as reminiscent of men's cologne.
The scent reminded me of the door-slamming Madame Chauchat from The Magic Mountain with her delicate hands and thin neck, living in the sanatorium, surrounded by mountain air and neverending snow. It's brittle, aloof, homely and alluring simultaneously. Magical!

starting off i get tea and incense. tonka comes a few seconds later. this is smoky and traditionally masculine...the incense note is the strongest on me and the tea seems to come and go. something in here almost smells akin to tobacco, just a hint of it, but it's there. i really want to try this on my partner and on myself in cooler weather. i think it's too warm for it right now.

Tried in cooler weather and it's better but still leans to trad. masculine for me. smells good on my partner though, so he can have it.

I don't smell any tea, I don't smell any incense, I don't smell any tonka, just the same, spicy, resinous smell as Elixir des Merveilles. In fact, there's almost no difference to me. I feel like this fragrance gets a fair amount of hype on here, and I don't know why. The pyramid is total nonsense, and I don't think the branding fits this either, because it's definitely a warm, spicy scent and it doesn't evoke anything to do with the night sky or the color blue. It does smell luxurious and rich, but in a mean rich aunt kind of way. It is unisex, that much is true.

This scent arouses me. Any time, any place; pure, subtle, sexiness.

I find this perfume to be perfect for layering together with very sweet fragrances like Vilhelm Perfumery - Mango Skin or Lush - Vanillary. On its own it's almost too dry.

This isn't what I was expecting at all, it's a bit weird as compared to the notes as it's more of a fruity light smoke rather than anything resembling tea or the starchy tobacco almondy like smell from tonka.

It's ok I guess, but there are far better flankers and the original of course from this line.

This is such a disappointment, I absolutely adore every single one of the notes in this perfume but mixed together… just some lambda perfume, unisex tending more to masculine, without anything special really.

I wear a ton of unisex perfumes, but this one smells completely masculine to me. Now, I very rarely like cologne on men (I prefer their natural scents), but I would like this one on a man. So in summary, I hate this for women but love this for men.

This is one of my favorites! When I am wearing this perfume, I close my eyes and I feel like I am on a vacation in the mountains, it’s raining, I am laying on the couch and relaxing. It’s amazing! It does give me more of a masculine vibe but I truly love it! It was one of the best blind buys of my life!

Right so I Just obtained a sample of this. I can now understand why someone said 'bitter orange' now. This smells herbal slightly and REALLY familiar, though I'm not sure where. it smells a tiny bit like the inside of a lush shop? It is somehow incense- esque but fresh? Not sure how i feel. i think the 'incense' note is missing something of actual incense, perhaps because it is fresh, and i think this has citrus in it. If your wondering if it actually unisex, i would say so. It's ... breezy. This might be mixing with my other perfume, but i don't think i put any on my neck ... someone said sulphuric, i'm afraid to say, there is a bit of a 'poo' note, sounds so grim and is but only subtle and i'm hoping it's just and unfortunate mix. I'm going to wait for the dry down, I need something more fresh for the summer but at the moment it's not going to be this. Ah, carbolic soap with less of a bite. Thick woods. Ew so when you rub your skin with this on you get the farm, wet dog, animalic in the worst way. The tonka does not blend well. no from me,,, but it might be the grim soap that was previously on my hand.... i'll try again another day

From the olfactory notes, I expected something smoky and mysterious. A Japanese night, burning incense, samurai gathered around a well-infused black tea, preparing for a prominent danger...
Unfortunately, all I captured from this scent was black tea. And a little shy tonka that comes through at the end of the day. No incense note, nothing mysterious. We are really in the "Shadow" (Ombre) of the Merveille series.
In this concept, I think the "Kenzo Memori" series has created much better perfumes, which really reflect the Japanese vibe.

7.5/10

This is a fresh one. Smells like men’s soap. I wear this when it’s cool and/raining outside.

It realy gives a sensation like you are smelling the air breeze late at night by a lake...wow
At the same time its kinda like boss orange, a similar vibe

This is gorgeous, like all other versions of Merveilles which I own. Each is a little different, but all are beautiful. I have the original Eau Des Merveilles, Elixir Des Merveilles, Ambre Des Merveilles collector edition, and now L'ombre Des Merveilles. This version is closer to Elixir, but without the intense orange sweetness. It has instead a herbal tea aroma, which in the beginning feels even a bit minty. After the brilliant and sparkly opening, the perfume moves closer and closer to the traditional Merveilles territory. There is incense and black tea, fresh patchouly and delicate Christmas spices. It has pretty good lasting power and average silage. This is the only one I have in a blue bottle. I really wanted a Merveille in blue, but I was, ever so slightly, disappointed. Somehow the orange tone bottles are more harmonious, since the writing on the blue bottle is still with orange letters. The liquid is not totally clear, is has a light brown tinge, which interferes with the transparent blue bottle. Overall, if you are a fan of this line, like I am, I highly recommend it. One could never have too many Merveilles. I love it.

I like the whole Merveilles line. This perfume opens with a heavy note of tea. The dry-down is so beautiful on my skin, the combination of wood and incense is just amazing (I experience the same thing with Elixir des Merveilles). It keeps the "balsamic" touch of the line. It is fresh to my nose, perfect to wear during the evening, walking by a cold beach (I found it quite romantic the first time that I sprayed it under those conditions). However, I always knew that there was something that I disliked and I couldn't find what it was until now: it reminded me of the smell of Coca-Cola. I still love the woody dry-down but I have to be in the mood to wear it. I guess it is meant to be worn only during those evenings.

I like this line, but this one in particular has something mineral and SULFURIC in it, or at least when it reacts with my skin it smells a little bit like cleaning silver! I've never experienced anything like this before.

Smells very heavy and mature. The first spray was sharp wood and bitter orange. It settled into a strong incense. I’m getting mothballs? Not really my cup of tea. I can’t seem to get past associating wood and citrus with cleaning products. Maybe it would be better on a man.

Get no tea on my skin, a very smoky amber and incense which is amazing. Can be worn in the cold. On clothing the cooling tea note comes out, which gives a feeling if a cold tea jam in a way and makes it suitable for warm weather. Unisex for sure, a man can easily pull it off with the smoky amber and incense, although slightly harder but very possible if the tea comes into play

Smells like ambergris and burning driftwood without relief. I smell it from the cap and on a strip and I like it. I smelled it on myself and I don’t enjoy it. I smelled it again after my husband did 5 sprays and was so annoyed by it. It does smell salty and coastal but very sharp all of a sudden and can go in a strange direction on the clothes/ body.

My new favorite! I was surprised when I saw the notes because I was expecting patchouli in it. Normally I’m not a fan of tonka bean in perfumes, but in this one it’s really well done! It’s not a dark and heavy perfume, more a cold and cool perfume. Definitely unisex! It reminds me slightly of MFK Amyris Femme. I really, really enjoy this scent!

I sprayed a sample of L'Ombre des Merveilles once; it turned sort of animalic on me like Elixir des Merveilles did. For this reason, I do not suggest blind buying the entire Merveilles range. It's a shame because I really like the fragrance- it has a smokey, mineral feel to it.
I later received a free coffret of L'Ombre again. This time, I dabbed it behind my ears and it's just enough to project the smokey, amber, tea notes while only slightly being animalic (I don't get the tonka bean note on me at all). It's one of my favorite intimate scents now; even if it doesn't smell the way it's intended to on my skin. It lasts so long and projects well even if it's just two small drops on my skin.

It’s “tea” but more in the direction of brewed green tea I would say. There is a sort of soapiness to this, like tea-scented soap for instance, but it’s not quite as sharp or piercing. It’s also quite chalky? Like, the tea aspect of the fragrance fades pretty quickly, and you’re left with a more subtle chalky vanilla-but-not-really skin scent. There isn’t much sweetness in this at all, which is why this is much more unisex than the previous releases. Calming, soothing, but also pretty weird. I like it!

I think not clicking with this one is on me. I doused myself on it at the airport after smelling it on paper and let me tell you, the smoky notes of tea and incense really compliment the airport smells of gasoline and rubber. I really like this on paper but the reality is that the scent doesn’t really evolve on the skin. It has three notes and will smell like them the whole time. Huge disappointment for me.

A beautiful, festive, sparkling december evening. I have a head full of expectations about what life and this magical evening will bring. Using this perfume exclusively on December dark and snowy evenings, I feel like a Cinderella everytime I sprinkle this gem on my winter coat. Do you know that feeling when you come out from a freezing outside and smell your hair, that chimney smoke of a snowy season? This bottle has it all 🌟

I love this! I almost wear it exclusively on rainy days. It’s cold, and it almost smells minty. The tea note is very prominent and rich and the tonka helps deepen it. I’m not sure if it’s the incense that’s causing the minty feel but I love this stuff. I layer with LV imagination for the ultimate spa smell and feel.

I do not like it. It is unfortunately a little too masculine and mens soap-y for my taste, it smells nice but I wouldn't wear it myself at this point. Maybe it will grow on me before I get a chance to sell it.

This one’s polarizing and not at all a safe blind buy. My sister gifted LDM to me since it didn’t match her tastes and I felt similarly, as someone who leans more towards ‘feminine’ scents. Though I adore unisex fragrances, this wasn’t scratching the itch for me…until one day it just clicked. All confusion I had about this scent faded after allowing the black tea note to take root and the incense (+cinnamon?) note to spice the senses. The citrus lightens the depth of the incense, making LDM clean and fresh smelling. I’m in awe of this fragrance.

Occasion: Work appropriate, great for cooler nights.
Longevity: 8 hrs

Oh this is very pretty and deep. The black tea note is most prominent to me and tends to last quite a while, and I almost smell black licorice, as well. While I prefer Eau des Merveilles Bleue and somewhat recognize a vague similarity/feel between the two, I think they are certainly differentiated enough to warrant having both.

Simple and straightforward, black tea amber with a light smokey background.
Normally I'm not a huge fan of tea notes in fragrances, but it is very well done here.
Subtle and very smooth.

I adore the Merveilles line, in particular the original and Elixir. However, I was underwhelmed by Eau de Merveilles Bleue, and felt that this scent would be similar due to the blue bottle. While the Merveilles DNA is somewhat present in both, they are quite different. Bleue has a sea breeze-like opening that falls flat after a short while, while L'Ombre - the far superior scent in my opinion - is a balsamic smoky-woody tea scent. I love a tea note in perfume, and here it is placed front and centre, given a rare chance to showcase its distinctive cool freshness.

L'Ombre opens with its green tea note, followed by some subtle smoky incense after a while. It becomes quite dry, with a soft, woody undertone emerging later.

The incense becomes less smoky and more balsamic as it develops, segueing to a lovely light amber accord, spicy-sweet and slightly fresh, even green. It fades to a softly spicy, slightly woody skin scent. Sillage and longevity are moderate.

Perfectly unisex in my opinion, this is an excellent marriage of tea and incense to create a unique-yet-wearable, sophisticated fresh scent that is ideal for transeasonal daytime use. Christine Nagel has done it again. 4/5.

edit - in full transparency I just listed my bottle for sale. It's not coming together for me unfortunately.

The original didn’t work for me — it was too dry and I hated the citrus. I haven’t smelled. blue. And I was on the fence about l’ombré, having sampled it once and turned off by one of the notes, I came across it again months later, and I was intrigued. I may be imagining this but it smells similar to Terre yet it’s softer and less fresh. (i agree w/ others that l’ombre is unisex).

L'Ombre is interesting, and complex, and I don’t get it fully. I feel as if I’m missing something or rushing the experience. I don’t know what I thought the notes were but “incense” is surprising. it’s also not smoky to me - it’s kind of indescribable, and I’m comforted to read that others are similarly perplexed. It smells good but it is not a head turner.or eye rolling in the back of your head smell good scent. It’s stimulating but not sexual, assertive but still soft around the edges, and warm, but not sweet.

So I found a 1 oz bottle for a steal so I went ahead and picked it up. I’m looking forward to getting to know this better as a cool weather scent and in the office

i have given this blind buy (was on a clearance sale) a few weeks of occasional wear, and have not ever felt any real attraction to it. Today, i am wearing it here at my desk and feel utterly ill from it-to the point of needing to go scrub it off. It is a dry smell, very much like men's deodorant. synthetic? I'm not sure, but a lot going on here. I have held off on writing this review and tried to read the reviews from others to get on board with it, but no. I would not want to give this to a man friend due to the fact that i would end up smelling it again! I know it is not a bad smell, but for me its a full NO. I think it is not a good unisex fragrance. To me it is fully a man's fragrance.

I purchased a set of assorted samples of the Hermes Merveilles collection. I tried this one today, as it smelled the most promising to me in the bottle. On my skin, it was disappointing. Once I had worn it for awhile, the overwhelming scent note I was getting was the "fresh" kind of scent one expects in a men's stick deodorant. I would not recommend this one; or, don't buy it without trying it first!

I really like this fragrance, I think it’s my most favorite fragrance from Merveilles collection. Whenever I smell it, I automatically close my eyes in pleasure😌, probably Incense🌫️ note gives me that Zen🧘🏻♀️ feeling.
I am kind of surprised that Fragrantica marked it as unisex, Hermes marks this fragrance and all others from this line as feminine. Even bottle has a feminine design. So I personally don’t see that on a man either, but if you like it, why not?

Oopsie, I bought a decant of this by mistake. I thought I was buying the other blue bottle, Hermes Eau Des Merveilles BLUE.
This had an addictive quality, but I'm going to gift this to a male friend. The incense is more smokey and not incense-y at all to me. Because of that, I think that it could be nice year 'round scent including the Spring and Summer. It has a lot of depth to it without feeling heavy. Meaning, it's not just a smoke scent, there is clearly many layers to discover, but it's not sweet at all. 4 sprays became a skin scent on me after 4 hours, so not a loud fragrance either. And you could easily switch up to a different fragrance mid-day without this one ruining things. I actually kind of like that about some fragrances. Because of the artistry that seems to be in this one, I really want to try Blue.

On paper this seems perfect. In reality... It's sorta a weird green scent with a hint of tea and almost an orange hard candy accord that feels out of place. I was really excited for this but I get no smoke and basically no incense at all, perhaps my nose is broken.

Intriguing dark veil. Black tea, slightly sweetened, with a hint of incense (not noticeable on its own). I'm comfortable wearing this as a woman since it's not smoky/harsh/overtly masculine, but perhaps some women would not enjoy it. It would be divine on a man. I will wear it in the autumn or winter, as it will complement cooler temperatures and dark evenings with the leaves falling. A nice palate-cleanser from florals, fruities, or spicy ambers.

Projection is limited, but I found the longevity to be really good on skin (still there faintly the next day).

This is exactly "Breath of God" from Lush, with a bit of green in the back, maybe it's the tea. No Tonka whatsoever. Beautiful concept but I don't get the intended ambiguity nor polarizing element. Strange and confusing scent I thought I'd love by the notes. I find it dusty, as in the "old dust accumulated on gross, old books" kind of bad way. Yet it's earthy but musty. The incense is more damp, moldy earth than dry, smoky woods. The moldy characteristic makes my stomach turn, it's a bit upsetting, my body rejects that trace. I would have loved to get the cola gummies but there's no sweetness in this for me, maybe that would have offset the moldy but "green" basement vibe.

Projection, silage and lasting power is nonexistent, which is a good thing.
Pretty whimsical bottle. Nothing blue or sparky or silver about this. Kind of nasty honestly, awkward. Expensive choice to end uo smelling like damp, decaying books harboring dangerous mold spores. I definitely don't want to smell like this.

This is amazing. Its a smoky dusty black tea with a tiny tiny green facets. Opens up with a super bitter black tea, but after a few more sniff, the incense comes out to give the massive soft cloud of smoke and dustiness. Along the way, little sweet scent comes through but not at all vanilla or gourmand-y, maybe its the tonka. Dries down to a slightly musky powdery skinscent with a little bit of that dusty tone left. Its simple yet intricate. Was looking for a unisex scent and this is perfect.

This is a very sharp perfume which surprised me given the note breakdown. Love the original and Bleue so I’m familiar with the mervilles line and had high hopes for this flanker. Of course I expected smokiness - love smoke in perfume - but instead my nose pulls only the bitter aspects of both incense and black tea. I also expected more roundness and warmth from the tonka bean. It’s quite harsh on my skin all through the dry down. After several wearings it’s just not working for me. So happy I purchased the travel size and not a full bottle. Maybe better suited for fall? We’ll see.

Top: Black Tea
Middle: Incense
Base: Tonka Bean

Blind bought this at TJ Maxx for $55 after looking at the notes and watching some reviews.
First Wear: Wore non-perfumed lotion. Initial spray it smells kinda weird but I didn't hate it at all. Within a few minutes the tea I guess comes out? I really don't feel like if I smelled this blind I would be able to guess any notes at all. Within half an hour it becomes more smooth and creamy, and within an hour or two it settles into what I guess is just tonka bean? kinda sweet/slightly powdery/rich/smooth scent. It is pretty close to the skin and light but it's not a weak smell. After three hours that is the smell and it doesn't seem like it will go anywhere for a while.

Overall I like it. It has a richness yet lightness or freshness. I don't think I smelled incense at all. I love love love the dry down, which it got to pretty quickly. The beginning and middle are interesting. Is this what tea smells like? (yes) This won't give anyone a headache, though the hubby says he doesn't like it (on me) from beginning to end basically. Too bad for him!

this is beautiful to get right to the point. its simplicity is perfect. smells like a cold fizzy cola on a summer morning after a catholic mass. im very very into it. my boyfriends dad said i smelled like a church so a win imo

this one sits between elixir and bleu for me based on my personal preference. I am obsessed with this series and as a guy, i love to use most of the members of the collection.
Eau des merveilles is my absolute favorite. It would be holy grail for me, if only its longevity and sillage were better, at least close to elixir. but it is a beautiful scent.
I always keep elixir in my wardrobe since it has better performance, still a good scent and more usable by a guy.
my next favorite is l'ombre. It still has the DNA of the collection, not dark and sweet as elixir and not light and joyful as eau des. in the middle. which i do not like about it because I like both the characters of those and middle of them is not the place that i would like to be in.
Bleu is my next choice. it is quite synthetic, not easy to wear, a little bit plasticy but still has the same DNA. and my least favorite is l'ambre spite of that one most favorable by users. But i am finding it too sweet and cloying and so much lineer and lack of complexity.
Now i found a great deal for l'ombre, even though it is my 3rd favorite in the line, i will buy it because as I said I am obsessed with this line.

This reminds me of a time I met a girl at a winter solstice party in the woods. We met around a campfire with friends then later took a blanket out onto the frozen lake to be alone. We laid under the stars and cuddled in the crisp night air.

This is somehow cold yet warming, happy yet melancholy, quiet and peaceful and shimmering all at once.

This is utterly, utterly sublime. It smells like the most mouthwatering drink.

It's got a fizziness to it like tea infused sprite. It has a subtle citrus fruitiness to it, and feels far more complex than the simple note breakdown suggests.

This to me feels like it's perfect for a summer's evening, but also will work just as well during the day. It's fresh, yet deep and alluring. I originally didn't pay much attention to the Hermes stand but my girlfriend was drawn to the bottles and we tried them out and I ended up leaving with this for myself. She preferred it on me thankfully.

This has suddenly shot up to one of my all time favourite scents. I definitely have an attraction to fragrances that give off a drink-like feel to it, and so discovering this was a fantastic moment for me.

My favorite of the Des Merveilles line! It's intense scent keeps transforming on my skin the longer it's there and is a favorite of many people who have smelled it on me.

I blind bought this as it's unisex...I don't regret it - however I have to say there is something Mugler-ish about this fragrance. Reminiscent of the Mugler universe somehow.

Fizzy cola, black tea, lemon on a clean laundry base. Wisp of incense. A lot more unique than I was expecting. Makes me think of summer nights 🌞🌚

Like des Merveilles but cooler, fresher, bluer, and without the sparkly top notes.
Pretty, but I prefer the sparkling top notes and warmth of the amber version

Oh, I'm in love! This makes me think of Halloween night. The incense really stands out to me, which reminds me of all the New Age shops I've ever visited. Not smoke like you get from a campfire, but quality incense for meditation or prayer (very similar to the incense note in Jardin Sur La Nil). For me the tea scent sits just beneath that, complimenting the incense well, and leaning the combination just a bit darker. There's also something sweet - the tonka? - balancing out the bitter tea. Some people say they get almost an orange or citrus scent, too, and I agree. I didn't know how it would mingle with the rest of the notes, but it all goes very well.

I really love the direction the astringent black tea takes the incense and tonka. I’ve got a lot of fragrances with those amber accords, but this one defies easy categorization. It’s unlikely you’ll smell like anyone else around you, but not in a weird or offensive way, just not the standard fare. I find it stays intriguing the whole time I’m wearing it. Lots of notes mentioned in the posts here, but on me it’s very true to the Hermès description. Black tea is often described as having fruity and/or floral elements and those complexities are here, but definitely filtered through the black tea scent. The incense and tonka always take me to a happy place.

Went to the Hermès boutique to test some of their scents and walked out with this one. I have 24 Faubourg, but had not smelled any others because the full line is hard to find at my local stores. This one caught my imagination immediately. The guy who helped me said that although some consider it unisex, he had tried it and liked it on himself at first, but felt it dried down too feminine for his taste. Not a blind buy, and for men, you might want to wear it for while before deciding, but certainly worth sampling.

This is a dupe of Surge Lutens 5 oclock au Gingembre. Not an exact dupe but a transparent skin scent version of 5 oclock.

I unintentionally sprayed this when I already had H24 on and it transformed the H24 into cola flavour (on my skin), which takes L'Ombre Des Merveilles to a whole new level for me.

So comforting, that's the feeling I get from this, start to finish. This fragrance is unisex, leans masculine a bit. But wow, I love it. I reach for this when I want to curl up on the couch with a warm blanket. Or sit in the rocking chair in the warm sun and cool fall breeze.

This smells exactly like this cough syrup we have in germany that every kid loves. So weird but so good. Definitely unisex which is usually not my style but tthis is so interesting i can't stop smelling my wrist whenever i spray this. Definitely a day time scent for girls. I envision a walk along a northern stony beach, not like a caribbean vibe, with a bit of a breeze.
Beautiful fragrance and I'd love for my boyfriend to wear this

This fragrance is difficult to adequately describe...it is cool and warm at the same time, mysterious and comforting...I get wafts of cinnamon and florals, but at the very moment I notice them, they disappear.

The visual for me is being in a tea shop: the kind with tea in large silver cannisters on shelves against the wall. The SA is presenting one to you and fanning the lid over the tea leaves so you can both see the loose leaf tea and inhale the aroma...mild and black, high quality...cinnamon and incense and a smokiness can be detected now and again, probably from the motion of the sales associate as her actions disturb the lit candles on some of the tables...and you notice that the tables also have small vases with a fresh flower of some sort in each...adding bright, beautiful color to the dark wood of the shop. Rain pours in sheets against the windows and outside the sky is gray...but inside this little tea shop, it is warm, and comforting, and calm.

Longevity is 12 hours (a skin scent the last couple of hours but still detectable) and sillage is reaching but not loud; it is soft and mild and noticeable. Lovely.

This couldn’t be more Hermès. It starts with the very distinctive, Eau des Merveilles balsamic accord. It’s actually closer to Ambre des Merveilles as it is more ambery and rich. The opening is sparkling, and the smoky black tea shines through quite quickly. This fragrance also reminds me of Nagel’s Citron Noir and H24. It has a slightly metallic touch, and a tart note. Overall a great scent. I was gifted it and probably wouldn’t have bought it myself but I’m glad I have it in my collection and I have to say the bottle is STUNNING. Can’t stop looking at it.
100% unisex

Des Merveilles line all share the same DNA, although the notes here are so not complete, this beautiful Orangy Vanilla Resin is in all of them.
The closest description for L'Ombre is that it is the smoky twist of the original, I could swear I smell a drop of Oud here.
Very nice, definetly unisex, but personally I love L'Ambre more.

L’Elixir des Merveilles is one of my favourite perfumes of all times for the colder seasons, especially the period around Christmas. And since all the entries in the Merveilles line share that same delicious, warm, sweet, spicy amber-orange base, this newest Ombre as well, it’s no surprise that I like this one very much as well.
It’s an airier, lighter variation on the theme, more woody. Very similar to its siblings at heart, but with bitter tea and subtle smoke sharing the spotlight with the spicy orange, instead of the sweet powdery aspect and the christmassy resins and pine that I like so much in Elixir. It’s a well-made, interesting scent, but useless to me: I personally prefer Elixir’s happier, sweeter, brighter, more straightforward interpretation by a mile.

On my skin the smoky, green and fresh accords seem to dominate and although duration is very good I don't think it's a good fit for me. It could be a good signature perfume for someone looking for heavy, smoky and fresh scents.

Soft, sensual, and strangely hard to pin down. It has a muted color palette compared to the rest of the Merveilles line, yet there's a dancing, shimmering effect going on within the midnight blue-ness of it all. I hesitate to call this 'chiaroscuro', as per the marketing materials - L'Ombre is hardly as dramatic as all that - but there are some interesting contrasts to enjoy. Flashes of green fruit give lift to a low hum of cool black tea and murky amber. I get glimmers of something sweet-herbal, like anise or basil, amid wisps of incense. And is that something pink-white and floral in the abyss, or do I imagine it? L'Ombre des Merveilles wears like the most diaphanous cashmere scarf you can imagine, with odd strands of colorful fibers peeking through a sea of gauzy taupe. Like others in the series, it seems best suited for casual wear and tasteful restraint, yet it stops short of being olfactory wallpaper. There's something oddly compelling and contemplative, even soothing, about it. (Maybe it's the tea.) I might need a travel-sized bottle, to spontaneously paint my day with L'Ombre's blue zen.

This is truly a beautiful fragrance. Yes it has associations with “clean” and “laundry”, but It would be too dismissive to leave it there. Its longevity is great and it’s perfectly gender-neutral. And the overall effect is a super expensive spa treatment. I can’t smell incense but I smell this amazing dance between tonka and tea. Very different to the synthetic ambroxan bombs out there.

If I was irreverent, I would say I encountered an amber and smoky tea, with a Fanta Orange addition. But Hermes is magic in its conception, it captures the light and always gives me a sens of mental freedom and purity. In this way, l’Ombre is a touch of serene shadow on a clean fruitiness, a reassuring and soothing scent because of its quiet construction. I will happily wear it for Christmas this year.

The problem I seem to have with Christine Nagel's creations for Hermés is that they smell to me as if an exemplary student was trying very hard to prove their craft. Over and over. L'Ombre, as were some previous works by Nagel, is impressively well put-together and clever. Unfortunately, it lacks the flippancy, spontaneity, risk-taking and fun that might elevate it to sth even grander. To me, it's like trying to think out of the box, but being too afraid and self-conscious to simply get out of it. I know that this is a master perfumeur at work here. There's no need to prove that to me by yet another meticulous creation that's like a neon sign screaming "See what I did there?! I've re-worked the old thing using some surprising ingredients" Yeah, I get it. A+. Meh.

I'm harsh, I know. I guess I'm just disappointed that somebody with so much talent, working for one of the biggest brands, plays it so safe. I honestly anticipate sth crazier and less, hm, mathematical than l'Ombre. C'mon, Christine, let it go! ;)

I owned the original and went through it very quickly because it turns into skin scent immediately and no one can smell it either. I was given a sample of this by Nordstrom's SA and it smells like the original a LOT. IT has the same sort of spicy orangy that is unisex base but I guess Hermes added a couple of extra things like incense? although its so subtle that I can barely detect it, its just a hint. It also smells cleaner than original, I get "your skin but better" vibe. Despite tonka being listed in the notes and being one of my favorite notes, I can't smell even a hint of it. Lasting power was much improved with this one-I sprayed it in the evening and I could still faintly smell it on my arm in the morning. If you liked the original, I would highly recommend this. For me, I fell in love with original but this was more of a one night stand than a long term relationship so I wouldn't repurchase again.
I can see this suitable for those who don't care for strong fragrance or can't wear fragrance to work perhaps.

Incredibly soft and beautiful, on my skin it conjures a smell strangely close to being powdery, the incense note is the mellowest one I've ever smelled, it feels like as if it was coming from a distance even though I walk around my nose on my wrist! There's an invisible calming curtain between you and the scent, I mean this in the most affectionate way. It is the muffled sound of violins coming from another apartment on a foggy autumn evening.

I don't get any black tea but I get occasional touches of licorice even though it's not listed here, maybe my senses are broken?

It changes drastically based on your chemistry (smells quite like a magically orientalistic tea on my aunt, and tonka beans are the only note my mother's wrist evokes), so I'd be careful, try a couple of times before making the purchase.

-Weird floral fragrance that leans smelling slightly like herbal.
-It's unisex for sure.
-But also smells like you just stepped out of a herb store.
-A scent for the unconventional individual. (-)

All I smell is fig and a hint of incense . The tea is overpowered by the other notes and it’s really almost unidentifiable. Reminds me of womanity by mugler . Cloying .

I went to try this perfume with high expectations because I am usually fascinated by Hermès perfumes.
Big mistake this time.
This fragrance is, for an eau de parfum, very light, almost bordering on an eau de cologne.
It has a simple aroma, it is not mouthwatering at all.
You can appreciate the note of black tea and incense, along with a tonka bean base that sweetens it slightly, but still it is not sweet, it is a green perfume.
I think it would be ideal for spring, but only for the mornings and you would also have to over-apply it because its longevity is short and being generous I would say that three hours maximum, its sillage is not very wide, I would say that after 15 minutes of skin your application.
Not for me, sorry Hermès :(

fog, yellow lights, chimneys, red leafs, season change. and l'ombre des merveilles.
simply marvelous! 10/10
soundtrack: david sylvian - answered prayers

This is probably my most complimented fragrance, out of all my designer stuff, all my niche stuff, all my cheapies and expensive bottles. I think that owes to the fact that this, at least to the average nose, is a pretty unusual fragrance. You can distinctly pick out all three notes, however they also combine to form an accord that is not unlike a cola smell. One of those Coke flavored gummies is the first place my mind tends to go when smelling this one. Smells fantastic though, I really enjoy it. Projection and longevity are also very good.

user - Violinplayah ...omg..the ketchup comment is just lit ! :)

This is the most masculine of the collection. For me, it’s just ok. The same salty woody amber of Elixir but with a minty tone- maybe the tea? I was hoping for a patchouli at the seaside but the combination makes it smell like Elixir + ketchup 😬 liking it less and less actually. Glad I got it for a deal. Don’t blind buy for the patchouli and tonka, you’ll be disappointed.

If someone put a gun to my head and told me to succinctly describe this fragrance, I would say, "It smells like Coca-Cola."

A scent with presence and persistence. Fizzy. Deep-smelling but has a fresh airiness. But the coca-cola smell was unexpected given the advertised notes. As the scent dries down, my nose did start to pick up the individual notes a little bit better but it's clear there's a lot more going on than what's advertised.

A well-executed signature scent...as long as you don't mind smelling like a soft drink.

YT channel - The Scentrovert

For me this was a complete overload for the senses but somehow in a good way. There is something undeniably fresh and summery about it but it's also sexy, smoky, a little bit dirty. It gives me a cocktail bar at night by the seaside type of vibe. Definitely unisex. I love it.

Lots of smokey incense and a licorice root / black tea blend. All on top of a light vanillary amber base. Perfect combination of dark and dry sweetness. That sounds like a bunch of buzz words and, frankly, it is but this fragrance is just hard to explain via a list of notes. There's this bizarre undertone that I can't quite describe, but it feels mildly rubbery. I even enjoy that, though. Its calming and extremely well balanced. I really quite enjoy this and am just surprised that I appreciated it so much when I purchased it and forgot about it for almost half a year.

At the first spritz, I thought, “1985 Polo!” Maybe it’s the tea?? Then I got the incense and, oh my, I was hooked! Silage is moderate. I love love the tonka bean in the dry down. I love the Merveilles line as a whole. This is a lovely addition

I finally got to try this today. It is so close to my beloved, late and lamented Chypre Rouge by Serge Lutens, and I may get it just for that reason. It just lacks that quirky beeswax note that CR had.. I love the original Eau des Merveilles, and the Bleu, which is my favourite of the line so far. I bought L'Ambre and the Elixir, but don't reach for those so much. They are overly ambery most days.

This is very different from the other flankers of this line. I had to try this one several times because it was very confusing to my nose.
opening smells like a fresh tissue paper (which smells like fresh herbal tea with musk) then it develops to a smokey cinnamon note which I do not like, similar to Pepsi beverage, or sweet tea.
The dry down after 1 hour is just sweet tonka.
Great sillage and projection 10/10!!!

I love this perfume! There are only 3 notes and you can smell all of them! The most prominent is the black tea, followed by incense, with hints of vanilla from the tonka beans. And imo, it is perfect to wear at any time, and any season!

The sillage is moderate, and it leaves a pleasant trail as you walk. I get up to 6 hours of scent, so the longevity is pretty decent too. It’s unisex, but I found that when I wear it, it smells more feminine while it smells slightly more masculine when my partner wears it.

9.5/10. It is fresh yet warm and spicy. It would be perfect if the longevity was a bit longer.

I bought it blind as I am a big fan of the MERVEILLES line. I LOVE THIS !!!
This to me is the best release I have smelled for some time. It’s the perfect blend of all the MERVEILLES together ! It’s a master piece and LOVE at first sniff !
I would call this scent “ SAVOURY “ it’s gourmand but airy, salty and sweet ! Light and dark ! Midnight by the sea with a fruit cocktail 🍹 in your hand and the salty cool ocean breeze hitting your hair. This is balsamic , fresh , chewy and sweet soapy heaven !!
It almost has a cool minty note , like a spearmint gum !
Like a walk in the damp woods close to a seashore .
It’s not very perfumy just like the other MERVEILLES it’s a natural smell that just smells good rather than perfume. This one is sexy and fresh !
It has a fruity aspect to it. It’s most related to the Elixer but it has a good mix of all of them in here. It’s stunning. Almost like it has a eucalyptus note !? Balsam fir ?
Saline , ambergris , tonka and fireworks come to mind. I have so many words to describe this yet it’s better than all that. Also it reminds me very strongly of “Nuit Etoilee “ by Annick Goutal !! Similar notes. Very much same vibe !!

OMG! This is perfection! I think I’ve just found the perfect summer incense! 😍✨

L’Ombre des Merveilles from Hermes smells like the most exquisite black tea and temple incense mixed with a clean, crisp and so refeshing touch of sea breeze and blood orange (the last two notes aren’t listed, but I clearly smell them). 🤩✨

I need a bottle of this. I can’t imagine going through summer without this smoldering and refreshing beauty. I’m in love! 🥰✨

I like this, but I'm going to return it. Hear me out- This smells like black lipton tea, with something really fresh (I would say lemon, but lemon isn't listed?). It's something you could wear all year round any time of the day. I get everything this offers plus MORE from my Elixer des merveilles and eau des merveilles bottles from hermes, so I'd reach for those 100 times over this.

This is such a weird one, but I think I like it. It's a light fragrance overall - not quite a skin scent, but not heavy or overpowering. To me, the most prominent note is the incense. It doesn't smell smoky - there is no burnt ash smell - it's more churchy/dusty/powdery. The black tea note is secondary, it adds a fresh and slightly green quality that leans cool/cold. Lastly, the tonka anchors it down with an amber-y sweetness. I'm learning that I don't always like tonka - its often aggressively "perfumey" to my nose, but here it's not so bold. I can definitely see the relation to EDM - these three notes combined somehow give it that slight ambergris vibe that the original has. The original to me is like walking a northern-climate beach in the sun, with it's salt-pepper-orange sparkliness, but this one is passing an old church in the same seaside town after the sun has set. It's a bit strange and not for everyone - don't blind buy it. Definitely unisex, however. I think you could get away with it any time of year, but it's probably best suited for spring and fall.

I loved madly the opening, I almost felt the urge of buying it immediately. Glad I followed my rule to let it sit on skin for a few hours before making a decision, though, because on me the lovely, bright and sparkling and sweet tonka which I could detect from the very beginning, at some point turned into an oud-like kind of fragrance which i personally don't like because to me it smells like sweat.

Absolutely mind blowing masterpiece!
I feel vibes of Van Cliff - Midnight in Paris
Like everlasting fragrance that always was and will be modern and up to date.
Exactly what I was missing in my collection,
Something without commitment, versatile, that you can wear anywhere and anytime.
Thank U Hermes ! 😍

When first sampling this one, I was just about ready for bed. I don’t know if that environment colored my perception of L’Ombre, but it feels very fitting. This is a fragrance with a particularly dreamy quality. The black tea gives a neutral yet peaceful impression. However, the more I breathe in, the more I am reminded of triple sec and feel transported back to a time when every woman in a bar has a Cosmopolitan in hand.

Despite this reminder of what may be the girliest of cocktails, I still find L’Ombre perfectly unisex. After experimenting with it several times, I’m confidently able to pick up a bit of the incense in the beginning. The deep dry down brings on a semi-aquatic, sweet amber-ish smell that compliments the “Cosmo” phase. In fact, the whole experience goes extremely well together. The spiritualism of the tea, the mind altering affect of a few fruity cocktails, even the lopsided bottle in it’s cool shade of blue...it all makes for a meditative experience able to alleviate the stress off a long day. And that’s how I would use L’Ombre, as a personal ritual to elevate my mind away from the physical world.

Longevity and projection both strike me as quite modest, which reinforces my belief L’Ombre is best suited as a bedtime fragrance. If it’s sending you to bed, it need not last hours and hours.

Wow. I'm surprised by the diversity of opinions and perceptions about this fragrance that people are sharing. I love this perfume, but I'm puzzled by the notes. Somehow my nose is getting suede (?!), and bergamot as top notes and then a slightly sweetened and smoky chai tea with incense. I have an official sample. And no, I haven't got covid.

It's so fresh, youthful and light. If the classic aquatic men's cologne was lighter and slightly sweet. Very beautiful for the summer.

This is very much a unisex fragrance. Strange Hermes/Fragrantica did not list this as such. Hermes fragrances usually catering more to both sexes when concocting their fragrances like Voyage, Un Jardin, Hermessence and others unless obviously marketing for a specific sex individually, this version has more masculine appealing notes than Marveilles Elixir. It is less gourmand and has black tea and tonka bean added giving it a more subtle smokey tea-like vibe. I love it and everyone finds it not feminine and a compliment getter. I also find the Bleue Marveilles another unisex fragrance perhaps more masculine than feminine with its more aquatic/marine/fresh/summer scent without the gourmand of the elixir version or the delicate floral fresh touch of the original Eau de Marveilles that obviously exudes feminine. Constellation version being more pine and woodsy. For the men out there: Go for L'ombre (if you like oriental), Bleue (If you like more aquatic) or Constellation (if you like more pine and woodsy) or even Elixir if you like more gourmand, all can be worn by men. Should have marketed the four as unisex for more exposure. In a weird way I'm a bit glad they did not and kept in the womans retail section because it remains a hidden gem for me and any man who finds out and notices the notes.

I really like the smell. It is like a fresh version of EdM and I don't agree with the reviews which say it is on the masculine side. However, it has very poor longevity, it doesn't stay on me for longer than an hour.

Not for me. It’s too smoky and masculine. I get almost purely incense, just a little bit of tea and no tonka. Not a bad scent - but the clear/blue, bobbly bottle and marketing towards women is a bit misleading. On a man I might like it.

Tried it today,and i must say i really love it,as a man.Perfectly unisex.Only 3 notes,but they bended it so well.It’s very pleasant,not a single note distresses my olfactory senses.I really really like it.

I’m not a fan of the original Merveilles because it makes me smells like I’m hiking in wet dirt and have Slight BO. This on the other hand, on me smells fresh, also mineral-y, a little citrusy and green. It smells like the cliffs I smelled when I visited the coast of Italy. That alones will justify a purchase. It did, however lean slightly more masculine to me but hubby said it smelled good on me. I don’t mind sharing it with him but I feel like it would smell better on me in humid weather for some reason. Definitely on the list for a future purchase but I prefer not to pay full price (for anything 😅).

i was going for elixir...i got this by accident ... but it is gr8 gift for my hubby!
It has the merveilles dna after all!
i love it <3

yesterday i found some vibes in l'ombre.... that reminded me to drakkar noir. Am i wrong? i love eau des merveilles and elixir des merveilles, nothing else. Sorry, not for me.

Totally something a man could wear. I don’t care how it’s marketed. Good stuff! Women love it on me. Especially on HOT SUMMER NIGHTS!

Dear Fragrantica team, I work for Hermes parfums and I would like to tell you that ODM is NOT a unisex fragrance! At least according to the brand. So please, change it to "for women" in order to give the right information to your consumers.

I get synthetic green tea and mint note in here first, then ambergris. Reminds me of YSL L’Homme intense mixed with blue seduction Antonio Banderas. Expected something totally different. Also it smells like a man’s cologne. Wouldn’t wear it myself.

Nothing special about this one, it's just sort of plain smelling, getting some tea, and some weird smell. Definitely not worth a bottle, others may love it though.

Definitely unisex. I’m a guy once I seen the notes I had to get it since they are my fav. What a nice tea scent. Would recommend to both guys and girls.

My first experience with an Hermes, and my god this is good stuff.

It gave me the goosebumps.

This gives you the same feeling as the first time you fell in love. And you are walking with her on the beach.

Longevity: 5-6 hrs
Projecting 1,5 hrs

This to me smells like a cross between the original Eau Des Merveilles and Miss Dior Cherie 2005. Instant love

Love at first sniff. I also have the L'Ambre and Bleue but this is my favourite (although I have yet to try the original and Elixir). This smells effervescent. I imagine berries popping when I smell the opening. It's fresh, slightly spicy and somewhat mineralic with a fruity sweetness. It has very good projection and the scent has some heft to it, making it a good candidate for a year-round signature scent. This is a scent I can't imagine anyone disliking - which is why I was floored when I read the other reviews on here! To my nose, it's very safe yet distinctive. I don't really get any smoke/incense, or even much of a tea accord. Longevity and projection are above average (compared to Bleue which is VERY light). Perhaps skin chemistry has something to do with the vast spectrum of reactions on here. I'm just glad it works beautifully on my skin!

I'm shocked to see the notes, I was expecting a lot more spices. Or maybe a lot more than just 3 notes. It reminds me a bit of Lolita lempicka (which I love!), which is why I thought there would be more spices, cinnamon, star anise, etc. I don't get the overwhelming smokiness that some people describe, I think the black tea and incense are really well fused together.

Ombre des merveilles also has a sweetness that is quite powdery. I find powderiness hard to do well, I think a lot of people, especially those who aren't into perfumes, think it smells "dated". Ombre never goes too far; the powderyness ties in the sweet and the spicy very well.

I think this perfume, with its sweet&spicy, smells cozy. It reminds me of a cup of masala chai (with a cheeky spoon of sugar!). It's the beginning of fall, but I think this perfume will shine the most when it's scarf weather.

Sillage and longevity are both good. Last 5-6 hours, has a presence that isn't faint nor overwhelming. Doesn't give me a headache.

I'm a huge Hermes fan and I love incense and tea as a fragrance note, but I don't like this at all. I find this musky and I swear I smell coffee in this. I reminds me of a cup of room temperature stale instant coffee. Very odd and quite bitter, I just don't care for this. Kudos for originality but over all I give this a thumbs down

Have you ever visited a Mediterranean city when it is really hot summer, the sun is scorching? Your feet are tired from walking around, your heart is full of the sight of wonderful old buildings that you have seen? Sea salt still in your hair? You take a fresh ice cold lemon tea to take away and refresh yourself. You enter a majestic cathedral - you breathe in the cooler air and rest in the shade, leaning against the stone. There is Arabic incense there: not so much the smoke in the air, but a handful of the smooth grains, they mix with the scent of your warm skin.
You pause, there is peace in you. Then you are ready to step outside in the sun again.
This is L'Ombre des Merveilles to me.

A summer fragrance or suitable for warm autumn and spring days. Unisex? Maybe. For me it's feminine, the scent of - I don't know: a traveler? A pilgrim? Urban chic and original elemental power meet here in the most beautiful way.
The older, prettier and more educated sister of Bleue des Merveilles.

It's like brewing black tea over a campfire. It is very smokey, and the black tea is bitter.

The tonka bean is hiding in the background.

Good alternative to By The Fireplace by Maison Margiela, except less smokey, but also less sweet.

I think the simple, light blue bottle is very incongruous with its content.

Longevity and sillage is brutal.

As Christian Nagel second fragrance in this line it’s another simple one without any special or new point! An aromatic start with black tea which will disappear soon. then I get Merveilles famous woody DNA beside some more sweet resinous smell in base! Definitely it’s not my cup of tea!

Smells really good. I would rather smell it on a man tho. It’s fresh, aquatic, mineral, smooth incense, soft and spicy. The woodiness reminds me of a forest after the rain and the tonka bean adds a little sweetness and warm.

I tested it yesterday... has the imprint of Mugler and obviously Hermes fragances . . . sounds or smells some syroup and then dry itself or calm down, becoming into similar to "Un Lagune..." May be Hermes at nowadays is worried about making several fragances at the same time that it has lost its A.D.N.

This perfume has very poor longevity on me, and unfortunately I don't smell any tea, incense or tonka, just a salty scent. It's very masculine on me, I prefer other perfumes from the Merveilles line.

Nice variation of the original, but no one of the listed notes. Like the matrix this is mostly a pepper-orange-musk fragrance. With anise notes light amber and little fruits and tons of Iso E Super. No ombre/dark side here. A clean fragrance little sweet for summer. Remember me also Poivre Samarcande by Hermes.

I can smell Merveilles DNA in this and I think it is more sweeter than others as well that is not good for me. I found opening a bit messy but like it overall.

Amazing, ice cold glacier of tea and tranquility. Love it!

The EdM dna is present.This flanker is soft. At first spray I smell the DNA. Then a faintly sweet vague berry note emerges wrapped in a smooth subtly fresh tea note. The smokiness here is less than the Elixer. This has a salty airy smell too. It’s smooth. As it develops a warm tonka peeks out. Perfect perfume for a gloomy day or night. This is much more complex than a mans shower gel. I think the whole line is unisex and this one is no exception.

It's definitely a recognizable member of Merveilles family, combining original Eau des Merveilles notes and Bleue.
Opening is quite cologny, sharp and masculine, in an hour it gets sweet, soft with warm tonka base.
I still prefer original version and find it most interesting. That one is nice but not something I would reach for...

Bottle is possibly the cuttest thing ever seen by me, during this surreal life in lockdown; its infusion, my regenerating lymph. It smells like dry stone walls, ivy. Superb herb tea.
Nothing will ever be the same again, after this pain here.
I reset my life, my priorities. Olfactory, sensory, any simplest perception led me into the light. Not a shadow, L'Ombre des Merveilles is my lighthouse, my way out, my urban tea.
Stay strong, stay positive!

Not entirely bad, but not great either. This seems like a confused attempt to combined a potentially terrific tea fragrance with the Merveilles-line woody-salty signature accord. Problem is the line's signature accord is actually a husky mix of powerful aromachemicals shouting "blue shower gel" louder than the Tunguska meteor and the subtlety of tea has no chance in getting words between. Nagel composed another fragrance with the same exact theme, Une Nuit Magnetique by The Different Company, and I think her brilliant creativity around this celestial starry sky idea is already perfectly executed in that composition. Just get the sublime Nuit Magnetique instead or stick with the original Merveilles.

To me this is a very light, soft version of the original Eau des Merveilles, but with an almost unremarkable twist. I was not quite impressed, I expected a more sophisticated flanker, compared to the other masterpieces of the Merveilles range.

However, I have to admit I tested it on a rush in airport, so I would give it a second try, maybe I also rushed on judging it.

But at this point I would not spend my money on this flanker, especially since this is quite pricey. Though, I would go for EdM or Elixir without doubts.

Instagram: @My_Insta_Fragrances

Feels like a soft men cologne. As much as i love Elixir des Merveilles, this one is not for me....

This one is very strange, it is polarizing, making you to reconsider every hour whether you like it or no. My verdict is MAYBE. If I get across in a swap, or if I get across at a really good deal, I would grab a bottle (the design is stunning :) ). But I would not run to the store to buy this.

I have a difficult time Christine Nagel's work. I made 7 attempts to Twilly before I fell in love. Her work is definitely edgy, and in my humble opinion, she is not good for Hermes perfume image.

The longevity sucks, like 3 hours then it's gone. To re-apply and 2+ minutes afterwards - it is gone...

On me, l'Ombre opens with a cassis leaf and berry note after which it morphs in a gorgeous deep, warm amber, supplemented with a salty licorish note. I didn't look at the notes when making these observations, so I was quite surprised when I checked the list!
I do get some smokyness, but not really the notes listed.
The warm, slightly salty scent goes perfectly with the EdM DNA. This fragrance would be beautiful on summer evenings when the air is cooling a bit.
There's something melancholic about this perfumes, quite fitting for a summer evening.
The longevity however, is not good at all. And that does not make me very eager to add it to my collection...

This new Hermes creation is the best release of 2020 so far. L'ombre des Merveilles surprises with a mixture of cool black tea (a little tart) combined with spicy incense and not too sweet tonka bean. This perfume evokes the atmosphere you find walking through the shady archade of an ancient monument in a southern country (Rome or Athens) on hot sunny afternoon. A slight gentle breeze of mediterranean herbs captures your senses. That's exactly L'ombre des Merveilles. Instant love!

Edit: The bottle design in magic petrol blue and the packaging are gorgeous too. Well done, Hermes!

I am dissapointed. I expected something unusual - from the advertisement, the sound of the notes and from receptions on YouTube.
It appears to have the EdM DNA, but also a men's shower gel like aura. The tea comes through like in a bad cologne, not anything like authentic black tea.
The original EdM stays the most unique for me, it is outstanding. This one here I classify under 'nice try'..

@Endymion: "l'ombré" means "shadow" (or "the shadow"), so "L'Ombre Des Merveilles" is "The Shadow Of Wonders". Nothing feminine or masculine about that name, seems pretty generic, unisex, to me. What's wrong with "l'ombré"??

Very nice comforting subtle linear tea scent. (is it only me who can sense some citrus peel in it?)
I really like it!
Totally unisex. I don't understand why it has been marketed as a female perfume, and don't quite get the name either, why "l'ombré"?
Labeled as eau de parfum but it's more like an eau de toilette to be honest.

This smells fantastic. It's something for sultry summer nights or rainy springs, but the longevity is horrible on me. I just purchased this over the weekend and am afraid it won't last through the summer with as much as I need to spray. Still, I will enjoy it while I can smell it.

too much black tea for my taste is really annoying.
incense and tonka bean do not make it a good dark scent.
very balsamic.
good performances.

6/10

An accord of Tonka Bean and Black Tea with a hint of sweet Smoke.

Starts off with a blast of sweet fruit, but after 5-10 minutes, it develops into a linear Tonka Bean and Black Tea accord with smoke. I would call the smoke LESS incense-like, as the Tonka-Black tea accord is the real star and balances whatever harshness we get from smokey fragrances. This isn’t your CdG Incense series. Dry-down is a delicious Black tea accord - the exact scent you would get from smelling the last remaining drops from your tea cup and the essence of your black tea perfuming it.

This one brings out the Hermes philosophy of Zen-like minimalism, yet creates a unique accord with more personality than say Elizabeth Arden’s Green Tea or Blvgari’s Eau Vert. An all weather and all day fragrance. Lasts moderately better than other Hermes fragrances.

Smokey, herbal, masculine and dark. Very long lasting and not a crowd pleaser. Not my cup of tea, but it is interesting and unique.
Final note: 8/10