L'Ambre des Merveilles, a sensuality all in softness. It was Thierry Hermès who founded the house of the same name, in 1837. At that time, it was just a shop for horse accessories. Thierry Hermès made and sold harnesses, saddles and numerous items that could be used for horses.
Jean-Claude Ellena was the favored perfumer of the house of Hermès from 2004 to 2016. During these wonderful years, the writer of scents created for the great house fragrances that have become classics, such as Terre d'Hermès or the lovely Parfums Jardins. He also worked on Eau des Merveilles, creating around this marvelous water several flankers, including Ambre des Merveilles, which was released in 2012. Seductive and warm like the animalic stone, this Ambre des Merveilles will take you far, to the land of wonders.
Amber and woman, the precious stones of Jean-Claude Ellena for Hermès
Although it was not Jean-Claude Ellena who created Eau des Merveilles, it is indeed the one known as the impressionist of perfumes who gave the house of Hermès Elixir des Merveilles as well as this lovely L'Ambre des Merveilles.
Indeed, the perfumer was greatly inspired by the creation of Nathalie Feisthauer and Ralf Schwieger, which he judged to be the fragrance of enchantment, an amber wood with a surprising and magical feminine touch. Thus, he did not fully transform the magical formulas of L'Eau des Merveilles to create his Ambre des Merveilles, being too concerned with preserving the original framework of the fragrance. He did, however, create new accords that were warmer and more sensual.
I work like a jazz player who reinterprets timeless standards in his own way. I start from the structure, an architecture of the fragrance with 5-6 notes, then I dress it. The theme here was floral-woody and I warmed it up with anise, licorice, vanilla, labdanum and patchouli. Jean-Claude Ellena for Ambre des Merveilles, Hermès.
L'Ambre des Merveilles thus sets out to elevate this raw animalic substance that escapes from the oceans to adorn the earth. The femininity of this Ambre des Merveilles remains just as assertive as with its perfumed “older sister” Eau des Merveilles, yet it is far more scorching and carnal.
The sensuality and mystery of L'Ambre des Merveilles
For this chapter, I wanted to tell one of the mysteries of amber, between delight and sensuality, when vanilla meets the warmth of labdanum, and the humidity of patchouli. Jean-Claude Ellena for Ambre des Merveilles.
And it is indeed a sweet composition, like a sun-drenched pastry, that one savors with Ambre des Merveilles. A pastry that begins with the clever blend of citrus notes of bitter orange and lemon and a touch of piquant, original pink pepper. At the heart, the spicy warmth of cinnamon envelops the freshness of elemi in a scorching veil. The exotic and sun-kissed depths of this Ambre des Merveilles have the final say in these warm-cold contrasts. Between cedar, patchouli, Peru balsam, ambergris and benzoin, there is no point resisting the warmth. Especially since rum and vanilla create gourmand threads through these torrid sensualities that no one can escape.
The inimitable style of Jean-Claude Ellena hits the mark once again with this scorching Ambre des Merveilles, which traces on skin as much absolute freshness as it does burning, seductive sillage between earth and sea.