L'Ombre Des Merveilles

Sometimes when writing fragrance reviews you need to understate things so you don't come across as a addled fanboy with a crush for whom everything is a "masterpiece" whilst you assign God-like status to the perfumer concerned. The problem with that is that when something truly rocks your world it can be hard to express it without coming across over-effuse or even obsequious. All the more so when the fragrance concerned isnt especially highly rated or generally considered to be any of the adjectives you have bubbling up in your brain like an aquifer when you smell it. Christine Nagel is one of my all time favourite noses and I will not apologise for being positively disposed to her work because I've not come across anything she's done that I haven't really enjoyed. Some perfumers just make sense to me and Christine Nagel is one. L'Ombre Des Merveilles by Hermès is classically Nagel in that she takes a theme, a feel and she approaches it in a different direction. She can reimagine things in really creative and unexpected ways. LODM is a classical fresh tea fragrance with an airy top, but reimagined. You'd expect to have a citrus, bergamot in the head and perhaps something woody or some labdanum to ground the base and LODM cleverly has neither of these. It isn't what you would expect by looking at the notes. The black tea is incredibly fresh but the incense in the heart is what makes it that. The base is a little bit of smooth tonka that sits very much in the background to add just faintest hint of something akin to cola, but also miles away from cola. The star of the show here is how the incense pushes the tea sweeter and fresher but also adds a very unexpected ozonic, aqueous feel. It is unlike any other tea fragrance I've smelt, nor it is anywhere near any other incense fragrance I have gotten my nose on. Incense and tonka isn't usually fresh and effervescent like this is. It is so clever, so original. But we arent buying fragrances for the sake of their undoubted artistic value so I have to ask whether this is something I would wear. The answer is a resounding, heartfelt yes. It has the projection and presence to make it an all day wearer and will hold its own at night as well, but goes with anything on pretty much anybody. I love this. It is right up my street. You wouldn't think tea and incense would be an easy dumb reach but this is as easy to wear as anything in my collection. Three Word Summary - Black Tea Masterpiece Layering Suggestion: over the top of Meteore by LV. Absolutely awesome. Outfit Suggestion: shorts, t-shirt and loafers whilst running errands for when you want to be easily the best smelling person in the supermarket. Scent - 10/10 Sillage - 7/10 Drydown - 7/10 Bottle/packaging - 8/10 Performance - 7/10 39/50

What a gorgeous bottle! And a great representation of the scent inside. Aptly named, too. L'Ombre does what Alkemia The Traveler and the Moon does on my skin, where it's soft volume of scent billows off of my skin only to disappear and reappear unexpectedly the entire day. By this I do not mean it has low sillage or throw or makes me nose blind, it just does not register as a perfume and it de- and rematerializes in my conscious perception rather than acting as ever present background music. Like a mirage! But L'Ombre still stays with me for many hours. The scent itself is tranquil and cool, again reminding me of the serene, cool airy character of Traveler and the Moon without actually smelling identical. I get a lot of the same gauzy effervescent amber-woods familiar across the Merveilles line. However, instead of being warm and sparkly, L'Ombre feels more like a cool breeze. The tea is present but lacks the bitterness I usually detect in tea fragrance. It's not sweetened, just very smooth. I can't detect any incense smoke either, just placid resins that echo LAmbre, although again stripped of any warmth. There's something about L'Ombre that smells like fresh outside air without having any obvious conifer or petrichor notes. It really does paint a picture of peaceful stargazing! It has a unisex/niche but easily wearable quality that Hermes sometimes has. It's not the most loved of the Merveilles family by the community, but I think it is a quiet masterpiece. Alkemia TheTraveler and the Moon: Silver leaf tea brewed in an iron kettle, galbanum, sandalwood, petitgrain, tobacco and bamboo leaves, wild currants, raw honey, fresh hay, and a cool splash of rice wine.

At first spray, this actually caught me off guard. Seeing “tea, incense, tonka” in the notes, I expected something much darker, thicker, heavier — maybe even cozy. But that’s not really what this is. It opens fresh and slightly citrusy — bergamot, maybe — and pretty quickly that citrus melts into a black tea accord. Airy, bitter, and tannic. The tea is definitely the star here. As it develops, the incense slowly comes forward, but not in the way you’d expect. It feels stripped of almost everything we normally associate with incense. No warm resins, no dense smoke, no ecclesiastical or church-like atmosphere. Instead, it comes across as thin, bleak smoke drifting through cool air — ephemeral, cold, airy, mineral-like, almost transparent. And speaking of stripped: the tonka is barely recognizable as tonka. It feels like they removed almost everything people usually associate with it — the creamy vanilla sweetness, the almondy warmth — and only kept the dry, herbal, hay-like side, plus a faint abstract warmth in the background. That’s what makes this fragrance interesting to me: it feels shadowy without ever becoming heavy. There’s a subtle dark sweetness underneath, but the whole thing stays smooth, airy, and oddly weightless from start to finish. The vibe honestly matches the bottle perfectly. Smoky, nocturnal, introspective, otherworldly — yet still luminous somehow. Very niche and avant-garde in style. Definitely the dark horse of the Les Merveilles line.

People are so darned picky and have such an easily offended sense of smell by the slightest hint of something "anamalic", artificial or basically ANYTHING which makes a fragrance stand out from the rest! Yeah, OFCOURSE fragrances are subjective as far as different taste go, but to say Hermes L'Ombre Des Marveilles is "Offensive" or "Anamalic" just seems like reaching to me. Idk, this fragrance seems so clean, ultra UN-OFFENSIVE and palatable to me that so many folks complaining about this fragrance being "Offensive" in any way is starting to make me understand why so many of todays fragrances have somewhat similar dna's. Its because folks don't dare to stand out or for heaven's sake, wear a fragrance which may NOT get compliments (Even if the wearer really likes it themselves). I've just read so many reviews on different fragrances which just dont make sense to me which state things like "There's something in there which I don't like" and it can be about THEE MOST BEAUTIFUL un-offensive fragrance", but if it's too different, then "something smells off about it". Anyhow, sorry bout my "rant", but this fragrance is gorgeous, clean and quite unique. Has good perfor.ance wo being an "offensive" beast. I highly recommend it to anyone who wants something unique, clean yet not aquatic, and just plain pleasant. An 8 outta 10 imo, very nice and affordable especially for an Hermes!

So the Black Tea and Tonka bean had me worried that this might smell similar to Lattafa's Liam (Gris Charnel clone).. Nnope!, they smell nothing alike, it's not that I dont like Liam, I do, its just that I try to avoid redundancy in my collection and I already own Liam, just not enough that Id purchase the OG Gris Charnel bc of the price🙄 Anyhow, L'Ombre Des Marveilles is very fresh, sparkly and clean smelling.. it's almost like a blue or an aquatic, but not exactly. Theres an incense note in this and folks say that theres a "smokiness" yet I dont pick up on any smoke whatsoever here. The fragrance is really gorgeous and I almost get like very slight mintyness along with what I suppose is the beautiful, clean type of incense. It feels like a delicate scent, yet has some push and decent longevity (bout 5-6 hours depending on the amount of sprays. Imo, this can be taken from the office to a special occasion and is also versatile concerning the seasons.. Its REALLY a gorgeous, almost calming scent and an 8.5 outta 10 in my book, BEAUTIFUL, unique and unisex leaning a tad masculine. Also, I find that this fragrance has a "very slight" resemblance to Polo Blue (Parfume) which is my absolute favorite "Blue". Thank you to whomever took the time to read my review.. blessings! 😉

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 !!

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

#1165 in my "Tour de Fragrance" I think the fact that for this 2020 creation they created a lopsided version of the 2010 Van Cleef and Arpels bottle for "Midnight in Paris" is maybe a hint this is supposed to appeal to fans of the "Midnight in Paris" scent. This is certainly a bargain (I paid $59) compared to the eBay scalpers charging $250-550 for remaining bottles of Midnight. I really enjoy this scent more than I was expecting. I think it's good for business or pleasure and a scent I'll be ordering backup bottles of. One of the best incense scents I've found. Car pool, elevator and small office safe. Very reasonably priced. Long lasting and good sillage. A successful blind buy for me. I'm definitely going for the other scents in the line.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

Perfumed black tea, so gorgeous and unique. You get a distinctive tea note without feeling like you’re wearing tea leaves, it’s a little more elevated which I guess comes from the incense. The fragrance is not too dense which makes it appropriate for any season or occasion, in my opinion. It really does put me in mind of a starry night sky (though that may be just the suggestive power of the packaging and marketing). For anyone who has read the A Court of Thorns and Roses series by Sarah J. Maas, this is what I imagine Velaris would smell like!

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.

This perfume transports me to midafternoon on a sizzling early autumn day, sitting on a wooden bench, shaded by olive trees, in the ancient Agora in Athens. My feet, in sandals, ache from endlessly exploring the site, but are soothed by the fine dusty dirt in the cool patch beneath the trees. Spicy incense and cooling fig black tea. Possibly the most unisex fragrance I've sniffed. Beautiful, a little odd, and very personal. The scent hovers close to the body, like a layer of smoke debris covering a classical fresco in a temple ruins.