The whimsical scent, called Eau des Merveilles (French for Water of Wonders) has been described as surprising, refreshing and magical. Take Eau des Merveilles' juice, for instance, which was inspired by ambergris — a rare substance regurgitated by whales and composed mainly of cuttlefish beaks. Ambergris is prized for being sweet and pleasantly scented, and it has been used as a fixative for rare fragrances for ages. “For me, ambergris is a magical material,” said Givaudan's perfumer Ralf Schwieger, who created the scent with Nathalie Feisthauer. He explained that it reminds him of the biblical tale of Jonah and the whale, where the prophet was swallowed alive. “Ambergris has so many facets — ambery, woody, dark, a salty-sweet concoction with [notes of] ink and tobacco. My idea was to re-create it in my way,” he said. Eau des Merveilles' juice has notes that include elemi, bitter orange, Italian lemon, Indonesian pepper and pink pepper. There's also what the house calls an “ambergris accord,” plus woody notes, including oak, cedar, vetiver, balsam of Peru and tears of Siam. Unlike most fragrances, which traditionally only reveal woody and ambery notes at their base, Eau des Merveilles' are noticeable throughout. And it has almost no floral notes — a rarity in a women's scent. Serge Mansau designed Eau des Merveilles' orange-tinted bottle to invite play, like a toy. It is rounded, save for three flat planes — two on its bottom and one on its back, so the flacon can be set down slanting right or left, or laid flat and used as a magnifying glass. The bottle's backside is flecked with silver stars and dots, which could be reminiscent of sand thrown by the sandman before sleep. Eau des Merveilles' outer box, created at Hermès, is like a theater showcasing the scent. It also is meant to resemble a secret drawer.
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