Eau Claire des Merveilles Hermès for women

It's crazy that I haven't reviewed this yet, considering how many years it has held a place on my Fragrantica profile "favorites" shelf. I have now owned bottles of the original Eau de Merveilles, the Elixir version and this Claire version (it was a sample of Eau Claire that started my love affair with the Merveilles series). I would bathe in this stuff if I could afford it! It's a balance of woods, florals, amber, vanilla... none of these individual accords dominate, they truly all work together to create a lovely, musky, warm, sweet woodsy "your skin but next level" fragrance. Have you ever seen someone and you can just tell they are both educated and wealthy because of their simplicity of dress and their elegant manner? That is the type of person this conjurs up for me. A next level version of myself. This is an aspirational scent for me.

I am not sure how i feel about this, i’m supposed to like it based on the notes. But then again, i just found this tucked away at the back of my cabinet because i was looking for something. It was totally forgotten! I knew the reason it was there was because i didn’t like it then. Well, i guess i still don’t like it now.

I can totally smell woodsy, amber, vanilla and floral. But there’s a note that kills it for me. That note smells something that reminds me of a very mature lady. I definitely agree with the commenter below that this is a bit matronly. Smelling this kinda reminds me of what my mom/aunts use to wear in the 80s or 90s. I can see how others can appreciate this, but this is just totally not my style.

i don't know what i feel about it not what i was expecting veryyyyy light no depth wheres the woody part ?? i don't know why some brand say to orangeish perfumes ambery these are totally different concepts , i like the dry down that stayed for hour
noo projection maybe 10cm from the skin
though the bottles is masterpiece
after 1.5 hour i can't smell it 😒
i think im gonna try mixing it with gucci guilty.

After Eau des Merveilles, the more intense Parfum des Merveilles, and the more gourmand Elixir des Merveilles, Eau Claire des Merveilles is a bit more than a regular flanker.

It is a composition of powdery and airy notes enhanced with floral and woodsy accords.
As it has been re-mastered by Jean-Claude Ellena, it must be good!

Let me say for a start that I love the Original Eau des Merveilles and I often wear it in summer. But I also have to say that I love even more Eau Claire.
It is perfect. While EdM can be a tad cloying, especially if you overspritz (the woods are overruled by citruses and an almost candied orange) in Eau Claire everything feels like a breeze: the notes you are familiar with are still there but are fresher, lighter and a tad more ambery powdery.
Of course Eau Claire is less tenacious than EDM.
A perfect fragrance for the summer!

This is so delicious I want to take a bath in it. The amber combined with the woody/floral notes create a unique scent that's better than fragrances with dozens of notes. Sillage and lasting power are modest, this fragrance is unisex. My sample is tiny, eventually I'll have to get a bottle of this magnificent stuff.

...in loving memory of this masterpiece! Still the epitome of what best represents Hermès as a prestigious brand, which does understated elegance like no other, hands down!

Best of the Merveilles collection, and my favorite of the Hermes perfumes. Its feminine, spicy. Woody, deep and sexy. Slight sweetness comes through, but not too much. A little mature, and it feels slightly matronly. It will take over a room as well. Interesting perfume, great performance, and different. You will be unique wearing this. Though it's slightly dated in composition, and feels very 1980's, it's still beautiful in its own right.

This is by far my favorite Merveilles. I’m very sad it’s discontinued. I loved the startling beauty of the original, which this most closely resembles IMO, couldn’t handle Elixir, found Bleue too blue, and L’Ambre a close second but too dry/masculine for everyday wear (would make a great compliment to this as a his/hers thing if one is into that).

This is perfect for me. Polished, feminine, persistent soft/moderate silage, unique. No note has reared its head and started to annoy me, which is a rare statement. I was worried it would be soapy or shampoo-y, I associate soapy with wax and plastic, but there is none of that. There is nothing I don’t like. Going to go all the way and declare this my favorite Ellena creation. Edging close to signature territory.

There is just something in this Perfume that makes me so happy....One of my favourites.My little bottle happy drops!

Eau des Merveilles is my signature scent. Toss a little l'ambre into the mix on cooler months. I'm not huge on Elixer because it's too strong for me, so I picked up a large sample of Claire before bottles became impossible to find.

I'm not particularly sad it has been discontinued. It is true that it is not as interesting as the rest of the series. It's much more powdery smelling and there was something about that scent that gave me a fecal vibe. I couldn't figure out what it was because it doesn't actually smell like that. Then it hit me: the top notes smell a bit like scented (clean) diapers. I mean, these would be some exceptionally high end and *lovely* diapers, but that's what I get.

Once that fades, it is soft and powdery woods. Pleasant enough, but nothing that I would purchase. It is summer right now, so maybe I'll feel differently about it in the winter. I can imagine this being a nice break from the overly warm winter scents while still feeling appropriate.

I wished Eau Claire could be more alive as the other Merveilles series :(
As I am a big fan of the original Eau de Merveilles and L'ambre, I kind of disappointed having Eau Claire is not as complex as the other two.
I was about to give it to my husband who strangely nailed the scent beautifully, how envy I was! Until one day, I tried it again after having a "steamy date night", Eau Claire finally revealed her true self.
I realized it's not kind of a seductive perfume, not a crowd pleaser perfume, it's dedicated to a free soul who can live out their own self and embrace it.
It's well blended with my skin chemistry when I'm on my wildest mood and want to be my self as a free untamed woman.

The saltiness of the watery wood, a light warmness from amber, sweet amount of vanilla and flowery notes brings the imagination where I dance under the moonlite night, by the quite beach, barefoot and naked. Beautiful and free.

For the longevity of Eau Claire itself, it is weak, but as it's an occasional perfume, I can use abusively whenever I like.

Sillage is okaiy if there's a wind around you, if not, you have to smell it close to the skin. A date night by the beach, this may worked! ;)

To me this has that duality where it seems to be extremely powerful in it's tenderness...like I'm reminded of the scent when you smell Iceberg roses within a small space...pure, soft, sheer with extreme class and refinement. It whispers intimately , forming that ethereal cloud around me...I crave for it when I'm without it...this really represent that "less is more'....refined, elegant, luminous, sparkling, yet sensual while hiding behind it's demure softness, truly magical! I've been asked many times: what is that divine scent you're wearing?"....this does wonders on my male skin, pity my girl friend wasn't that blessed by this, it disappear within seconds from her skin....It chooses you...not the other way around!

My signature scent has always been the original eau des merveilles, 10 years counting and I'm still loving it so naturally, I thought of trying eau claire.

It is much more tamed than the original edm, this is vanilla, warm but nothing special. I bought it right after it came out, thinking it'll be something that will grow on me but no.

My current bottle is from 2010, it's 2016 and I still have half left - I just keep in the office to spray whenever I feel like something is lacking.

Have also tried layering over the original edm, it covered the original edm scent with it's vanilla powdery scent. Nothing spectacular, will not repurchase but will finish the bottle.

This has a crazy level of bubbly aldehydes. I get the same vibe at the regular eau and elixir. Its simply cleaner and more sweet and lighter.

I want to love the fragrances from Hermes but it just isn't happening. This particular Merveilles is very light and smells rather like 7up to me. It isn't offensive but neither is it impressive, on my skin.

Although Ellena is one of the few performers to use less than 200 aromatic compounds in their creations, yet I can see in Eau Claire des Merveilles an aromatic nuances extension higher than that of the Maison in its database, relating to this fragrance. I am a lover and follower of Ellena and all his creations, that's no secret, then rain in the wet here is almost an infallible certainty! This fragrance is an outdoor flowers ornament which runs a slightly warm breeze, associated with a new floor recently received appropriate care to welcome guests for a morning dance, where young ladies and dressed gentlemen sporadically without losing the elegance and as the posture dance about it until your wood aroma herbaceous exhale prominent and pejoso way. The ball closure hangs a scent amalgamated between Vanilla silky along with Amber, probably coming from the perfume of the ladies who were the majority in the environment, something sublime and fine feel. I am appalled to realize a fragrance so simple provocation as absolute feeling of class and uniqueness almost priceless, it is well Ellena's profile even positive, because where he spends his scythes are recorded so that no one dares to falter that that there in fact and by right has not left you. Fixed pretty well and volatilize in that you move. "Here we also opted for simplicity" [Jean-Claude Ellena] ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Word of the day: glory... (day 47)

This one is very fresh and light wearing, although I still get tons of sparkly amber. The vanilla I don't pick up on as much, but it feels like it's rounding out the fragrance, making it smooth and soft along with the wood note. It has a greenness to it as well.

I think Amber does a better job at the amber/vanilla dry down, if you're looking for something a little warmer. This one is a little too light and too sparkling for me, almost bubbling. Also, the longevity isn't great, about 2 hours.

For me,Hermes Elixir des Merveilles became my signature scent,but Eau Claire is something different-on my skin lasts around 20 mins the longest,while Elixir is there to stay,i even smell the next day. I have no idea if it's just me or it is the same with everybody but I gave it to Mom,(she gets all the perfumes i don't wear) and even tho she loves it,on her lasts a bit more,like 2 hours but thats it,never longer.I quited buying this one,i stick with Eau Des Merveilles and Elixir.

My sister gave me her miniature. deliciously sweet but not in an edible way. this is amber for the summer and i have no idea how they pulled it off, but its beautiful

good lasting power (6+ hours) but close to the skin.

From the merveilles series, this is the one that has the best versatility and the most wearable from all of them, at least in my skin (i'm a 27 brazilian hetero male)and in my city (humid and hot for 10+ months/year). IMHO this suits better a man than women... Has some woody/amber vibe/vanilla that makes me feel so confortable and self confident. Love wearing it and love it's versatility though it has amber and vanilla on it. I use it when I go to the church on sunday mornings, and sometimes use it to go to the office too. One of my most beloved frags, EVER! Thanks Hermes, thanks JCE!

EDIT.: by the way, it lasts 8+ hours on my skin, projecting and with a good sillage for the initial 4 hours.

No need to say about the bottle, stunningly amazing!!!


9/10

I've danced around this one a lot at the Hermès counter. This poor little flanker, neglected,shadowed by its other stronger relatives...but something about it compels me to keep trying it. So here it is, the shy little sister is now a team player for my Merveilles collection. Sometimes there are days that call for its delicate quality. Then there are days that it goes amazingly over L'Ambre.It's all golden!!!

I love and adore it! I think the reviews from Swamp Lily and Sandra Smells Scents-uous are spot on - they have described Eau Claire in their reviews just before me...

However, I just cannot be silent, and leave it at that, I have this unexplainable urge to express my own admiration towards Eau Claire. Hope you'll understand and forgive my poor mumbling.

I adore it! Eau Claire is so soft and feminine. I want to bury my nose into my skin when I'm wearing it, it's sensual but completely office appropriate at the same time. Strange, but true. I feel oh so wonderful when wearing it. Elegant, but not cold. Happy, but not bubbly. Well put together and confident in a friendly way.

Eau Claire is amber + woody + floral + vanilla. It's mostly sweet and dry, there are not too many or not too complex notes to notice indeed. But what is remarkable and what makes it so alluring for me, is the quality, the dosage and characteristics of notes - the amber is warm and inviting, the woods are delicate and soft, the flowers are shy and pretty, and the vanilla is just a hint of it. I think I love it most out of the Eau Merveilles range. :)

I’m not a synasthete but this starts off as gold to me. It sparkles warmly and then breaks down into an unexpected two part scent. I find it a little strange and I don’t know whether it’s actually uncommon in fragrance or whether my exposure isn’t broad enough but it seems like two distinct accords quickly alternating at being the more apparent. An ambery woody scent plays with a creamy floral. It is like two instruments, a piano and violin complementing each other but playing different aspects of the same piece. Later it dries down to a pleasant lightly spiced vanilla. I haven’t tried the other Eau Des Merveilles fragrances but I find my encounter with this one intriguing.

A delicate beauty. I love this perfume. Like its older, bolder sister, Elixir des Merveilles, Eau Claire will always be in my collection.

This fragrance dries down to a lovely, warm, woodsy vanilla. The scent is sooo calming and also very enticing. Enticing in that when I wear this perfume, I catch myself wanting to smell my own skin and when I do, it soothes me. The sillage is not very large, but that is okay with me because it makes it seem like my own skin smells naturally warm and vanilla like--not like I'm wearing a perfume. And, I enjoy how throughout the day, the longevity is great, I will unexpectedly catch a pleasant whiff of this beauty.

This perfume is spectacular.

I do not enjoy strong citrus notes which is why I did not enjoy the original eau des merveilles, even though I do appreciate its uniqueness. I absolutely love L’ambre des merveilles because of the amazing amber balsamic quality. I did not purchase the full bottle because it is summer all year round where I live and L’ambre gets really cloying in the humid weather. I came across the eau Claire des merveilles and knew the second I smelled it that it was the answer. I understand how many people here say it is not as special as the original, elixir or L’Ambre, but eau Claire is perfect for places with the high temperatures. You get the luminosity from the orginal, the toned down amber from L’ambre and the balsamic elements from the Elixir. It reflects beautifully on all other counterparts and I love it!

Polite Amber-Vanilla. I Like it.

I get so much oakmoss in this? Aldehydes and white musk, too. And it's so faint.

Okay, this is a beautiful, elegant, sophisticated fragrance. I do enjoy its airy vanilla woods.

But it's so light it's almost nonexistent. A skin scent from top to bottom. It's hard to believe it's an EDP. After spraying generously on well-moisturized skin I can barely find it within a half hour and it's only downhill after that.

Such a shame. I'm no fan of heavy sillage, but I should at least be able to enjoy whiffs of my own perfume throughout the day even if other people can't.

As happens so often I didn't warm to it at first. It warmed on me. If you are reading this you probably know of the original Eau des Merveilles, which I venture to suggest, was a commercial success. Think Sweet almond biscuits laid out on a plaid beach blanket, calamine lotion, marram grass and slightly pithy orange segments. The nod to the parent perfume is there but there's a touch of 24 Fauborg in Eau Claire and it's Abercrombie and Fitch meets Fifth Avenue. You do have to be lavish with application to be rewarded with the floral beauty of Claire, which is a bit naughty considering the price tag, but the cleavage fumes are worth it. Claire will never cheapen your perfumed persona but there is a touch of something bitter in the dry down, willowbark-ish, it's just a touch and it doesn't worry me. Something of a witches perfume?

Do you ever have days when, having bought a full bottle of something that you wished and waited for, that instead, inexplicably, you turn to one with quiet charm? Mama said 'be careful what you wish for'

Super funky dry-down on my skin, I'm so devastated. Really thought I'd love this one above all the others but some of the woodsy notes turn into something severely pungent on me after just 5-10 minutes. Had to wash it off. I guess I'll stick with the Elixir for colder days, no summer Merveilles for me. :(

Lightly woody, luminous, elegant and dry. I like it at first but when I dries down on my skin it doesn’t work. I’m disappointed, I suppose it depends on me. I’m a big fan of J.C. Ellena, but this fragrance (and all the Marveilles) is suffocating even if many Ellena’s works are often very ethereal.

I love this fragrance! I already own Eau des Merveilles and I love that one too. This one is a softer and lighter version. It starts out fruity/citrus and the dry down is vanilla/spicy. Just perfect for hot summer days. It lasts a very long time on me. I think it should be unisex.

One of my favorite scents... I admit it's a little bit tart, but it's really really pleasant in its way. Perfect for summer.

I need to take the time to really test the whole range but this one was immediately love at first sniff. Probably due to the fact it is the most "feminine" version of the whole range and for the moment, I just need that kind of scents. The Eau Merveilleux contained too much "anise" kind of smell to me, which I disliked but I am tempted to try the Ambre. I love this Eau Claire version, it is fresh, woody/warm sophisticated skin scent. I see a lot of mixed feelings reviews about this, I guess people who loved from the beginning the original Eau will find this flanker just superficial but for people like me who just start to discover, it might be appreciated in a different manner. I really adore it, it blends amazingly well with my skin, provides an incredible silage : nothing can compare with this beauty. It is not a cologne, it is not the typical "fresh citrus" eau, no it is just "merveilleux" on his own manner and I will really enjoy it during the whole spring time !

beginning of spring I always test eau claire again, hoping for a lighter eau des merveilles with bright rose de mai or/and tangy bergamot or at least more orange added. that-in my world- would be a logical conclusion considering the name "eau claire".

and every time I am disappointed, because it IS actually a lighter version, but only that. not entirely bad, but for me- in the original version- the woody fir, spicy pepper and fruity orange with that impression of an animalistic ambre gris fills the bill- and I have no need for the same thing deprived of the aspects I like without being replaced by other interesting ones!
ok, ok, I was rude. actually it's quite nice, just the addition of more vanilla comes so unexpected in a version eau "claire".

Lighter version of L'Ambre des Merveilles. Almost nothing different beside the sillage. This one is softer and good for hot climate. L'Ambre is deeper and richer.
I like it. giving nice warm feeling,not too sweet,not overpowering.

I love this.

Why isn't orange/citrus listed here? The first hour has clearly some orange or something, and it's quite fresh woody amber scent. After some hours the scent dries down to woody vanilla. I didn't expect the vanilla be this strong but on me it is for some reason.

Out of all the Merveilles family, this one is my favorite. Many random compliments and smiles when I wear this in addition to the fact it is one of those 'special' scents that is uplifting. This emanates the warm glow of optimistic grace and feminine charm. It has it's own unique place in the Hermes house, its' light airy woodsy floral notes predominating with a very light amber-vanilla blended elegantly into the background. Blissful, elegant, lovely.

To me this is a much lighter version of Hermes Ambre and much easier to wear (for me anyway) - I really, really like this, its very pretty and perfect for Summer.

I don't recognize any citrus in this. Also, even though I really love it, I wouldn't call it sophisticated - smells too much like baby powder. I'm surprised that only one other reviewer smells aniseed. It's light, but definitely there at the open with the pepper. All of which makes it odd that I like this perfume. Every element I can identify is one I usually hate: aniseed, vanilla+amber, powder. Yet, in Eau Claire, they all work really well. I wanted a winter perfume bc nearly all that I already have seem to play up the notes I don't care for when it's cold (e.g. Nuda is too salty & leathery when it's cold). But Eau Claire is just right for cold days, smells good on scarves and, if you manage to warm up at all, the musk develops beautifully. I'm sure it would be fine in warm weather, but I plan to keep it for cold.

Update: How about that! Today for the first time I could detect a little citrus. Very faint and gone almost immediately, but quite lovely.

Another solid flanker in the Hermès Eau des Merveilles series, this one, Eau Claire des Merveilles, is cleaner and clearer and less woody than the original. Whenever I apply this fragrance to my skin I find myself in a similar situation to the one when I apply a Lolita Lempicka midnight flanker, wondering how it differs from the original.

In a side-by-side test, the difference becomes obvious. For one thing, where's the orange? In the note pyramid at another site, aldehydes are listed (could it be a translation of "airy notes"???). To me, this composition is more about clean musk than aldehydes, but let's not split atoms!!! An aldehyde is just a molecule with a carbon-oxygen double bond and a single bond to a hydrogen atom off the same carbon atom. The rest it up for grabs and open to infinite variations in molecular structure--and, therefore, scent. So, no, this does not smell at all like Chanel no 5 aldehydes, or anything along those lines. To me, it smells like a clean musky base.

Definitely a well-named flanker! It's clearer and cleaner and less cluttered than its namesake--which is already fairly spare! I like this creation but understand why some have expressed disappointment, as it is not a big statement maker. More like a subtle skin scent.

I'm a man and i really love this fragrance on woman. I imagine a woman who wears this fragrance is mature, sexy,calm and confident, makes me want to hugh her forever.. Good longevity and projection, a must have.btw this smells similar to L'Ambre which is on my wishlist now.

As anything, you have to let it sit on your skin. I call tell you this: after letting it sit, I fell in love with it. It's very beautiful, light, romantic, citrusy...it has the essence of what I would like to smell like. A winner indeed.

Exactly what I love; warm, gentle, even fresh, with classy dry down. I could wear it for days, everything is so finely mixed, nothing stands out, everything is just as it should. I think this is a great scent for every day in the cold autumn days. Of course, love shelf!

Oh no. I have finally found this perfect my-skin-but-better fragrance, I have been searching for ... but then it seems to give me a headache.
But the fragrance is beautiful. It starts sparkling, a bit citrusy, but soft and with a bit of sweetness. Close to the skin.
The middle notes are sweeter (the vanilla).
What I love most is the drydown. Here the listed notes (woods, amber, vanilla and small amounts of flowers) come together and create this scent, that really suite my natural skin scent. I would describe the drydown as a bit warm (woody/ambery), but not at all heavy, a little sweet, but in a fresh, not fruity way, and finally a little spicy. It is comforting and sensual, not in-your-face-sexy.
I envy those who can wear it, and I will test it again in the future!

Edit: I have seen aldehydes listed as notes for this fragrance else where - and they often give me headaches. I also think that they are responsible for the 'sparkling' opening.

It smells of freshly cut wood with a hint of vanilla powder in the air. I like.

When over-applied on a hot day, Eau Claire reveals her lineage as a JCE scent. The musk becomes more distinctly animalic and a clearly discernible cumin note peaks out from the powder cloud. Who knew this scent was kind of sexy? This is definitely love.

Not a full review, but I had to pipe in after reading so many comments about how light Eau Claire des Merveilles is. To me it is huge, on par with eau des Merveilles, which I also think has great sillage and lasting power. Test before you buy, for sure. This fragrance seems to have polarizing results in it's wearers

I've tried to like this but it has a urinous smell on the skin

I love it, clean and sexy. Classy, feminine, a notch above the rest. I use and have used Fauberg for years and that is also an amazing soft sexy clean fragrance by Hermes. JPG in the same league and longer lasting.

Yes, I barely get anything at all out of this as well. There's a suggestion of faint, milky white florals and soft incense, but frankly it's so sheer I can almost not smell it at all. I think I like it, but I'm not sure when I have to sniff so hard to detect it I get a headache. This is particularly frustrating because I dislike strong fragrances anyway, so you'd think a sheer light scent like this would be right up my alley. Pretty, I think. Nice, I think. Let me go bathe in it and I'll get back to you with an update maybe...

A great perfume for those who want more of a skin scent or just a little veil of fragrance around them.

On my skin Claire is barely visible. She's there but she's a wall flower. She's a quiet powdery, vanilla musk. Dont really smell much amber here. Not much woods either. I'd say its a dry vanilla musk to keep it simple.

It's obvious that Claire is a member of the Hermes des Merveilles family. I can smell the remnants of my Eau des Merveilles here but its been dialed down dramatically.

Its a very pleasant scent. But not for me as I need more density in my scents.

I got this one by a mistake. I actually asked for someone who was going abroad to bring me the Elixir des Merveilles or the Eau des Merveilles, because I was after the orange and warm notes of resin and amber. So, leaving this disappointment behind, I shall review this fragrance for what it really is meant to be.
As some reviewers have already said, the top notes were a little bit "strange", with a mix of orange, salt and lots of aldehydes. The scent is very, very powdery, but I'm not able to discern which specific flower gives this powdery note. Right after spraying, for about 1 hour, this perfume has a very "medicinal" character on my skin. It smells like aspirin; maybe it's the mixture of the salt with the flowers and the vanilla. Fortunately, after this time this impression goes away, and what I get up to the end is sandalwood and amber, with the never-ending note of powder.
It doesn't have much sillage; it's actually a very close to the skin scent. The longevity, although, is pretty good: it lasts more than 6 hours on me, which is phantastic for such a soft perfume. As it is not a very perceptible scent, one may use it through all seasons of the year. Because of the salt and the lightness of the fragrance I end up using it mainly in the summer.
It's certainly not a bad perfume, but it's also not my cup of tea.

1. I really like the fragrance in the bottle - it reminds me of school, the pencil shavings gypsykitten mentioned, but in my perception, the shavings also have some shavings of lead; on the whole, the scents makes me thing of nerd glasses, crisp white blouses, smell of chalk on blackboard, licked pencil tips and rubber soles. I swear I immediately feel more brainy (this somehow has nothing to do with the fact that it took me several minutes and a scarred bottle stopper to take out my 7,5 ml bottle out of its pretty box - if you tried this, you know what I'm talking about).

2. On the skin - lovely... for a moment. Reminds me of something bitter... a Cerruti? A Coty? No - Burberry Touch Women. The scent of wood morphs on my skin into a scent I associate with a medicine cabinet, one that lasts for good 7 hours (I love the sillage-to-longevity ratio - it stays close to you, but lasts long)..

The point is - this scent IS nice, but I'm not in love with this particular woodsy note on my skin; it becomes somehow medicine-y. Definitely wearable, but I'm quite satisfied with a mini and cannot envisage buying a full bottle.

great scent but it is fading away quickly.. way quickly..

This is what I wanted , I tried it at Sephora and it was long lasting and warm...Instead, I bought Elixir des Merveilles which is much stronger.

I tried this out for the first time yesterday. On my skin, it smells very similar to the original Eau des Merveilles, but with a bit less orange and a lot more pencil shavings. It didn't come off as sweet to me. I am in love with it.

I really like this one. Its gentle and stays around all day. I bought this because I love vanilla fragrances and wanted to try something from Hermes. This isn't as sweetly vanilla as I'd like, but it works nicely layered with some plain vanilla. Initially I did this because I wanted it to be sweeter, but now I love it just as it is. Its got a nice evolving woodyness to it. This is something I've been wearing everyday and still find very interesting. I love that the drydown is rich and creamy. I agree with other reviewers that this is a good one for hot days.

I originally reviewed this scent based on a few wearings of a sample I got back in 2010. Now that I've indulged myself in a full bottle my opinion of it has evolved.
The more I wear it the more I get 'dulce de leche' or a salted caramel ice cream. It's a bit--just a bit creamy and a bit salty and when I wear it I can't help but think of those dairy delights.
I'm not getting much in the way of vanilla (I would have appreciated more) but a healthy dose of amber. In fact if they had named this scent 'L'Ambre des Merveilles,' rather than 'Eau Claire' that would have been fitting in my opinion. I have yet to smell the actual newest flanker L'Ambre des Merveilles and can't really imagine how much more ambery it could be than Eau Claire.
The initial spray of Eau Claire is kind of effervescent and fresh and a bit salty and maybe even beachy. The first few minutes is when it most resembles the original Eau des Merveilles, as others have noted. After that there really isn't much evolution or pyramid development going on here. It wears pretty consistently--sweet, a bit of salt and amber for as long as it lasts. Lasting power on me is pretty good - 6 or more hours.
Overall I'd say it is pleasant and fairly easy to wear--significantly sweeter then I remember from my sample and I've also noticed just a touch of pepper I don't remember from before, which I like. An interesting scent for sure and a few unexpected tricks up its sleeve.

Super light. For people who are too timid to wear a fragrance that announces itself. Close to the skin. I agree with parfumofil... vanilla musky water. I much prefer the Elixer! I like em louder. Very nice for even a very young girl. Test before you buy!!! Seems like a lot of money for so little actual fragrance.

I have just come home from the Hermes shop where I first (cautiously) sprayed this on a paper - smelled really nice, a very balanced warm and slightly spicy scent, therefore I decided to give it a go on my skin - big mistake, alhough it had a very nice opening, the dry down was quite sickly sweet smell and I am now trying my best to wash it off my wrist...

What a happy perfume! I don't know how else to describe it! There is a playfulness on the way its notes become apparent, warm and cozy, not too strong, but long lasting.
Very pleasant for every day use especially during the cold months.

quite salty to me, remind me of fussy peach candy:)
but very warm, beachy or some golden color of sunset.
although it is light, it last very very long~ I'm not sure if others can sniff it, I really sense it even after 10hr~
A down side of its salty aspect, it may make me smells "sweaty" in hot summer especially in humid day~
Overall, very unique❤

After falling in love with both Eau des Merveilles and Elixir des Merveilles I almost blind bought this online when I found it for a great price. BUT, I restrained myself and went to the store to test it first. First spray: nothing. So literally drenched my wrist in it: still nothing. 30 mins later I was able to detect a faint woodiness and nothing else. It seems I am completely anosmic to this perfume. My husband on the other hand thinks it smells lovely on me and informed me that its a "musky vanilla". I'll have to take his word for it, but needless to say I didn't purchase this.

UPDATE 10/20/12: I tried this again while on vacation in a very warm climate and I found that I could actually smell this! To my nose it is a musky, powdery, milky scent with a hint of salt. I don't get citrus or ozone. It actually resembles the drydown of Eau des Merveilles once the citrus and ozonic notes are gone.

UPDATE 12/09/12: I've noticed after wearing this quite a bit that this is the most animalic of the line. Musky in the way that a newborn's head is.

I had been wanting to try this for ages as it wounded like I'd love it. However, I found it incredibly light. Very pretty, subtle, skin scent- but barely detectable!

I fall in love with this fragrance, it's smells like sea and sun, a little bit salty but very lovely salty. It smells deeply not very light but good for hot summer days at the same time.

ENGLISH REVIEW

This fragrance is subtle, and very discreet, it does not offend anyone, it might be appropiate for office wear. I like it, to be honest I'm not crazy about it, mainly because my skin seems to gobble it in some strange way other woody based fragrances don't.

I don't get anything citric from it, but more of a sheer amber that holds the woodsy notes together above everything else. I don't mean this in a bad way, I'm just trying to be descriptive about the woodsy notes, but to me they smell like a sharpened pencil, which results in a soft and even kind of creamy woodiness. This creamy facet is furtherly enhanced by an ultra sheer and whispery vanilla. I get no florals at all.

I've tried scent layering with a vanilla body lotion underneath to make Eau Claire des Merveilles last longer on my skin, but my skin was not able to hold the scent for more than half an hour.

I find the smell pleasant and I like it, but if I'm not head over heels about it is because of its poor longevity. Sillage is not good either, I honestly expected more from Hermes in this regard.

To be fair, I must say this Hermes is way better than its famous predecessor Eau des Merveilles, which I find too masculine for my taste.





SPANISH REVIEW



Esta fragancia es sutil y muy discreta, su aroma no ofende a nadie y es apropiada para usarla en la oficina. Me gusta, pero siendo sincera no me vuelve loca, principalmente porque mi piel se la “traga” de una forma muy extraña que con otros perfumes maderosos no me pasa.

No detecto notas citricas, pero si un ambar translucido que sostiene las notas maderosas por encima de todas las demas. No digo esto con el afan de ofender a nadie, solo pretendo ser descriptiva acerca de las notas maderosas, que para mi huelen como a un lapiz al que se le ha sacado la punta, lo que resulta en un aroma suave y cremoso-maderoso. Esta faceta cremosa se realza aun mas con la presencia de la vainilla ultra translucida y que susurra sobre la piel. No detecto notas florales.

He intentado perfumarme en capas aplicando una crema de vainilla para el cuerpo para lograr que Eau Claire des Merveilles me dure mas, pero en la piel no me dura el aroma mas de media hora.

Me parece que el aroma es placentero y me gusta, pero no me encanta por su poca longevidad. Su sillage tampoco es muy bueno, y sinceramente esperaba mas de Hermes en este aspecto.

Siendo justa, debo decir que esta fragancia de Hermes es mucho mejor que su famosa predecesora Eau des Merveilles, la cual me parece muy masculina para mi gusto.

I love this !!! The first is a little bit masculine. 10 min after changes in sultil close to skin feminine and nice fragrance.
It is my second favorite Hermes fragrance after Un jardin sur le nil.
I'm loving ...is great for the day that you don't want feel very perfumey...
You need reaply during the day, but is ok. Love it !!!!

If you like soft, woodsy and powdery fragrances, Eau Claire des Merveilles will most likely appeal to your tastes. It is perhaps one of the more subdued offerings from Hermes, but it's also one of my personal favourites.

It opens with a slightly tangy orange accord and a touch of soap, not unlike the original Eau des Merveilles. This initial introduction isn't so captivating, so I felt a little disappointed at first. Thankfully, as Eau Claire des Merveilles develops, it only gets better.

The heart is quite vanillary and warm with a touch of floral powderiness. It's not entirely unique, but it is different and very pleasing to my nose. I'll take a wild stab in the dark and say that I think the floral blend is made up of pink roses and lily of the valley.

The sillage is more like a whisper, it's barely noticeable yet somehow captivating in the way that it transforms itself into a skin scent. It's almost not a perfume, like something I would expect to smell from a lotion or a cosmetic item.

The drydown consists of white, dusty woods, creamy vanilla and a naughty hint of rich, syrupy amber. Despite Eau Claire des Merveilles being suggested for Spring and Summer, its ambery nature encourages me to recommend it for slightly chilly Autumn days as well. The longevity is relatively good also.

gentle and fresh cut wood with silent oranges and a hint of amber. Very nice and light non offensive scent. Bright and elegant well balanced fragrance for a good mood. Longevity is good.

My mom has this. Fresh and longlasting, even for an edt. I get a whiff of amber, and a lot of citrus. I must say it is rare for "fresh" fragrances to have longevity. Very good, considering Hermes is not really known for their fragrances.

So,So good scent! I feel nice soft amber,orange and wood. For me this is very good like niche pefumes :)

Does anyone else smell citrusy lemon? I get a really heavy lemon scent from this.

Really beautiful top and base but the heart is in this rather linear fragrance, so sweet and cloying ,nothing clear about it at all !
Its different but to endulcing for me !
If they would make a clear of the clear merveilers..... I would love it !
Very different from the original I would say...
If you liked this but find it too jam jam sweet, you might like Stella sheer 2010, that has the same fruity sweetnes at som stage of the note scale.

I did not care for the original Eau des Merveilles But this version is just Breathtaking ... simple yet sophisticated.

I smell ...
Gentle floral notes ... light, bright and fresh.
Creamy vanilla ... sweet & scrumptious.
Attractive woodiness and amber ... adding depth and sensuality.

Besides having an elegant opening, Eau Claire turns into one of the most luxurious non-intentionally sexy skin scent when dries down.

It may not be as deep or complex like the original Eau des Merveilles but Eau Claire is sweeter, brighter, more youthful and modern. On my skin, the balminess and spiciness--the notes I loathe in the original--cannot be detected.

This magical scent stays close although lasts for several hours. All creatures born with noses ought to like Eau Claire des Merveilles .. Another Skin Scent I love!!!!!


❀◕ ‿ ◕❀

I have to give more time when I tried this perfume. For me the opening of this perfume is so flat. Nothing special. But I can recognize that this must be belonged to Ellena.
I really like the mid and end. Yes, you can vanilla with musky shade. Not sweet. I don't like sweet vanilla perfume. But it is also not too feminine because of its woodsy note. I just love it.

Another Hermes that fails abysmally to impress me. It's watery, bland, and lacks any sort of dimension. I can smell a touch of vanilla, some citrus, and some kind of weird floral melange, but the whole thing in its entirety reminds me of a puddle of mud.

This wears on me like a Guerlain. A very dusky powdery vanilla with very soft sandalwood that is milky smooth. It actually does make me think of moonlight, that pure white shining through a soft haze. Gentle sillage, this is a scent for intimate moments.

I'm a man, but I'm falling in love with this perfume... I don't know why, may be because of the well balance of vanilla and floral.

I was very pleasantly surprised with this one. I don't have much exposure to this house, so I don't know how this stacks up, but on its own it is a very solid entry as a soft, woody floral.

What I like best is the lack of chemical slap; this wears like a high quality, well composed fragrance. I don't detect vanilla as much as wood and amber, and what florals there are sit hazily on top. I liken this to a fuzzy, warm sweater worn to a candle light dinner. It's a gentle whisper that could only be detected if the person stepped into an intimate embrace. Lovely.

This scent is beautiful. You definitely have to try it on your skin to appreciate it because the opening is deceiving.
At first I thought it was going to be a vanilla musk scent. It goes on as a sweet-ish floral, then I smelled quite a bit of vanilla. But once I wore it for about an hour, the woods blossomed and the sweetness mellowed out and it's so nice. It's definitely not soapy.
For me, 24 Faubourg is not wearable but this is a nice replacement - there is a similarity to my nose. It's refined, yet possesses a soft and feminine quality that I couldn't find in 24 Faubourg. Not knocking 24 Faubourg, it just wasn't for me- but this one is!
Edit: Lasted all day!

Divine said it all so well! :)

I just wanted to mention that it may remind some people of expensive soap but this fragrance is in no way soapy.

Feminine but not sweet. The vanilla is dry and beautiful. Eau des Merveilles seems to be more popular but personally, it does not move me as much.

It shows its true beauty on warm days.

Luminous, yes, it is.

I like this more than the original, but still not enough that it would be for me. I agree with those who say it's soapy. I found it very citrusy and soapy also.

It's very clean..almost smells like a soap,perfect to use after bath for fresh feeling all day long
It's so expensive,but I wish I can buy a bottle one day:)

I tried this one the other day because the seller thought I could like it and the first spray smelled just like naftalin! Maybe it was a bad sample cause I can't believe that anyone could like smelling like a closed wardrobe. I'll have to try it again elsewere, but the first impression was SOOO disappointing!

This smells very crisp and light. It smells sorta like a gourmet sugar cookie, with bits of anise running thru it. Natural, herby, peppery slightly buttery. Yes, very nice. I have a minature bottle that I decanted into a 5ml spray bottle.

I don't think this would be classified as a spring summer scent. It fits the bill more on a cool crisp day. I'm very impressed with this scent, because it's very refined understated smell, and is very long-lasting on me.

This is actually my favorite from the Merveilles series.

I love its airy, floral woodiness and its very slight sexy soapiness. It's much more feminine, delicate and romantic than the other Merveilles and evidently so, much easier to wear year round. It's a woody floral water, light and sparkling but respectably lasting for an EDT (6-8 hours on me) despite its transparency and sheerness.

I can imagine a lovely young woman with honey golden hair, wearing this on a warm, sunny spring day. She's natural, feminine and a bit absent, lost in romantic contemplation, as she's walking past a florist shop on the way to her first date.

Eau Claire des Merveilles is very light, diaphanous and subtle, but nonetheless it bears the unique, remarkable character of the Hermes house. It's got loads of personality, but it will not flaunt it. It's quiet and dreamy, optimistic and intangible.

I suggest you also spray this in your hair when wearing it. It lasts much longer, leaves a gorgeous trail and it surrounds you in a fabulous scented cloud for a few hours.

Doubtfulness - that what i felt before 1st try. I read some bad opinion about this scent. I'm also fan of regular Eau des Merveilles so i was afraid of appear the bastard child in "Merveilles family". Fortunately i can say the same sentence as i said about Elixis: "Hey! Ellena managed to do this one as good as "Eau" ".
This one has shadow of flowers and milky vanilla - but they are not overwhelming the magical heart of oryginal. "Claire" is more femine and sensual then regular Eau - due to mentioned smooth vanilla.

Elixir and Claire are different scent with own tale and character. But they also have same beautiful core of their mother - Eau des Merveilles.

p.s. I totally agree with juliane and kastehelmi. They say all what i feel (although i'm not a woman ;] )

This fragrance is light and spicy. Not to my liking at all. I do layer it with body lotion and the fragrance has a longer lasting period. This can be pleasant on a cool day I feel.

this smells like my skin, just better! ;)
for me it's a lighter, more feminine eau des merveilles minus the orange notes. it resembles the warm, slightly sweet, slightly peppery skin scent of a woman. it also stays very close to the skin, a bit more sillage would be good.
but imo this is still a modern, delicate and beautiful perfume for women who wants a light, in a clean way sexy scent!

Kirancilla, I couldn't agree more with you! I smelled nothing when I smelled Eau Claire, even the note list is pretty poor, I'm wondering whether there is really something in this fragrance or not. It's a very clean and delicate perfum but really it's difficult for me to get any note. It's not sweet to my nose, I would say it's aquatic, but only because you only smell water. A total disappointment since Elisir and Eau des Merveilles are gorgeous long lasting perfumes!

This disappointed me so much. As I liked Eau des Merveilles and love the Elixir (recommend it to anyone - really strong and long-lasting), I was very excited to try Eau Claire. I sprayed some of it on a strip, sniffed, and smelled exactly - NOTHING. Really nothing. No comparison to Elixir. This is meant to be an EDP, right? Well, I expect more than that from a perfume. I know Eau des Merveilles is rather light too, but Eau Claire is ridiculous. If I want water, I buy Evian.

Very well balanced and creamy - lovely!

Wow, what a lovely scent! It's really elegant and would suit a very well-dressed and refined woman (aka not me!). I'm all cords and clogs, but this scent is so pretty, I may have to step up my game so I can wear it!
To me it has nothing in common with its older sisters, Eau des Merveilles and Elixirs des Merveilles. In fact, if I hadn't known who'd made it, I'da never made the connection.
What I find rather interesting about this scent is that there is nothing risky or envelope-pushing about it as with its predecessors. It stays well within the parameters of feminine, sophisticated, elegant and wearable--very classic really, perhaps due to the aldehydes.
To me Ellena is an impressionist and an intellectual perfumer who generally makes one think in response to his creations. With Claire, however, I didn't think. I just breathed it in and enjoyed its subtle, lovely aura. There's nothing to figure out--no line drawn in the sand to step over--just pure ease and enjoyment.
The first spray hints at the first in the series--Eau des Merveilles with a slight saltiness, but that fades and from that point the scent wears in a rather linear way. The dominant note to me is amber, which is quite prominent here. A great scent for fall IMO.
There is nothing new or cutting-edge going on here so if you're looking for a provocative twist on the earlier Merveilles, you might be disappointed, but for those who love pretty ambery scents, Claire is a must-try.

I just realised that this perfume has something in common with all the perfumes I used to love and that are discontinued/changed at present: the drydown, the base. Powdery, creamy, warm and woody... very feminine, mature, elegant. Love it !
This perfume evokes me a gold and marsala coloured cashmere collar and a late autumn day.

Ahhh, I've finally tested it!! I would love to smell this one on a woman. I bet I'd go crazy . That's right, Mr. Hermes himself has finally met a Hermes fragrance that he will not wear. But it's not because I dislike it. It's just that I find it too feminine for me. However, this will be a requirement for whoever I take seriously enough to date.

While I could write a love letter instead of a review to Eau des Merveilles, with Eau Claire des Merveilles it's not a love affair... just a little crush!

The scent on the papper strip and on my skin are totaly different... On the papper strip it clearly reminds me of the opening of Jesus del Pozo Halloween (only the top notes, and without the banana note!).

On the skin: The top notes of Halloween are still there but with an orange dominant note wich reminds the original Eau des Merveilles. But this fade away very fast.
Then a burst of sugared flowers with vanilla and tons of aldehydes! This is an aldehydic fragrance and I wouldn't expected to be, at all!
As for the base, it dries down to a powdery feeling with musk.

If I like it? I do!
It's clean, it's soapy but somewhat modern and edgy, and most of all, it's clearly feminine! And it's powerfull, I actually find it heavier than Eau des Merveilles.
The staying power is good (6 hours at least) and the sillage is moderate.

If you find Eau des Merveilles a little bit masculine for your taste, give this a try!

If you are like me, a fan of the original Eau des Merveilles (wich is onr of my favourite scent's ever, by the way), you'll miss the woody notes, the ambery feeling and... the magic!

It's a skin scent! The first blast gives off woody notes, and as the fragrance warms quickly on skin, the amber, vanilla, and an ethereal floral note emerge. It stays close to the skin, but feels light, which makes it an excellent warm, woody fragrance for hot weather. I had really begun to miss my winter scents, but this fragrance is a way for me to get my dose of woody notes without feeling suffocated by them in the heat.

Thumbs up, Hermes!

I had an opportinuty to try it twice during the past few days. And twice, I'm sorry to say, I ended up being very disappointed. I love (love love) the original, and I really appreciate the Elixir.

Eau Claire seems like a launch according to this trend to make *lighter* summer versions of various fragrances. Which I can't understand in this case, since neither Eau des merveilles, nor Elixir are so heavy as to need to be dilluted for summer.

While Eau des Merveilles is kind of 'round', delicate, Eau Claire is sharp and smells as if lots of soapy water was added to the original. All the pretty notes we know turn somewhat egdy. And it lacks character.

Some people compare it to bathroom cleaners, but I'd say that while it definitely does not smell like a fragrance from the bottom of a bottom shelf, it definitely can not stand comparisons to its older sisters from the line.

I tried it in a shop, sorry, but the bigining smells awfuly, a dry down is a little bit better. I didn't like it at all.