Merit Launches New Wave, a Warm Spicy Perfume for Fall and Winter
The beauty brand's second fragrance follows a two-year gap and blends pink pepper, orange flower, vanilla and a tobacco accord into a scent built for cooler weather
By AXY Celebrity Desk ·
Key points
- Merit has launched New Wave, its second perfume, a warm spicy floral designed for fall and winter wear, two years after its debut scent.
- The fragrance opens with pink pepper and angelica seed, moves into orange flower, ylang-ylang and a honey floral accord, and settles into a warm base with tobacco accord, vanilla bean and tonka bean.
- New Wave was created with master perfumer Dominique Ropion and perfumer Meabh McCurtin and was inspired by a visit to the Musée Picasso in Paris.
- It is sold in a full-size 1oz bottle and a travel spray, and monogramming on the brand's website costs an additional $8.
- The launch report places the fragrance under $100.
Merit has launched New Wave, its second perfume, a warm and spicy floral made for fall and winter. The launch comes two years after the chic beauty brand's debut scent, and New Wave is sold in a full-size 1oz bottle and a travel spray. The launch report says the fragrance costs under $100, and buyers can add a monogram on the brand's website for an extra $8.
For shoppers who usually reach for light, fresh fragrances, New Wave is aimed at a different mood. It sits closer to the skin, feels cozier and takes longer to show its full character. That slow reveal is the main selling point, and it is why the launch report describes the scent as something to wear as the weather turns.
Two Years Between Perfumes
The gap between Merit's first scent and its second is a useful way to understand this launch. A debut fragrance can be a lucky hit, or it can show that a brand knows what its customers want. The launch report says the debut was successful, and that the brand has built its reputation on a minimalistic and chic approach to beauty. A second perfume is the first real test of whether that approach carries over from one bottle to the next.
Timing matters too. The launch report opens by pointing to chilly weather, which is when many people start to want heavier, warmer scents. Fragrance houses often time winter launches for the months when shoppers are buying gifts and looking for something new for their own routines. New Wave arrives in that window, positioned as a companion for coats, knitwear and shorter, darker days.
For readers who have not bought a designer or niche perfume before, it helps to know that a fragrance is a long process. Creating one usually takes months of drafts and trials before a final formula is chosen. The launch report does not describe that process in detail, so it is best to judge New Wave by what it smells like on skin, not by the story told around it.
How New Wave's Layers Unfold
Perfumers describe a scent in three stages. The top notes are the first things you smell, often bright or sharp, and they usually fade within the first few minutes. The heart notes come next and carry the character of the fragrance. The base notes arrive last. They stay on skin and fabric the longest, and they shape how the scent smells hours later.
New Wave opens with pink pepper and angelica seed. Pink pepper is not a true pepper. It comes from the berries of a different plant, and it gives a lively, slightly sweet spice. The launch report describes it as a "second-skin smell everyone loves," which captures the way it seems to blend with the wearer's own scent. Angelica seed adds a green, herbal edge that keeps the opening from feeling too soft.
The heart is described as a light floral and solar accord. It combines orange flower, ylang-ylang and a honey floral accord. Orange flower, which comes from the blossom of the bitter orange tree, is bright with a slightly bitter edge. Ylang-ylang is a rich, creamy flower with a sweet finish. The honey floral accord adds a warm sweetness that helps the heart feel full before the base takes over.
The base is where New Wave turns cozy. The launch report lists patchouli heart, ambroxan, musk, vetiver, a tobacco accord, cedarwood heart, oakwood, vanilla bean and tonka bean, and it adds "and more" to the list. Patchouli has an earthy, slightly minty depth. Ambroxan is a man-made material perfumers use to create a warm, amber-like glow that clings to skin and fabric. Vetiver brings a dry, smoky root note. Tonka bean adds a sweet, almost almond-like richness, and vanilla bean rounds off the warmth.
The tobacco accord is the note most likely to divide shoppers. An accord is a blend of ingredients designed to read as a single smell, in this case dried tobacco leaf. It can be rich and sweet, or dry and smoky, depending on what sits around it. In New Wave, it is paired with florals and vanilla, which is meant to soften it. The launch report says the scent is meant to change over time, so the tobacco may feel different in the first hour than it does later in the day.
Who Made New Wave and the Paris Inspiration
New Wave was created in collaboration with master perfumer Dominique Ropion and perfumer Meabh McCurtin. A master perfumer is a title used for the most senior figures in the craft, usually people with long careers creating fragrances for many brands. Pairing a senior name with a perfumer at another stage of her career is a common way to combine experience with a fresh point of view, though the launch report does not describe how the two worked together.
The inspiration is more unusual for a perfume. The launch report says New Wave was inspired by a visit to the Musée Picasso in Paris and by the spirit of surrealist art. The Musée Picasso is a museum in Paris devoted to the work of the painter Pablo Picasso. Surrealism was an art movement that began in Paris in the 1920s, and it aimed to bring dreams and the unconscious into painting, writing and other forms.
The report describes the scent as designed to be "bright and complicated," where the more you wear and smell it, the more layers you discover. That is a creative aim rather than a measurable promise. What it means in practice is that a buyer might notice the pink pepper on the first day, the tobacco on another, and the vanilla and tonka bean after several hours, depending on the day and the person.
What Testers Said After Wearing It
The launch report includes several testimonials. One reviewer said they usually gravitate toward fresher, lighter fragrances, and that they were "pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it." They said the pink pepper stood out at first, adding a subtle spiciness they did not expect to like as much as they did. As the scent settled, it became warmer and cozier without feeling heavy. That reviewer described it as different from what they would normally reach for, which they saw as the reason it is a good addition to a collection.
Another reviewer wrote that "New Wave smells powdery, feminine, yet delicate and classy!" The same person's comments are short and positive, and they focus on the overall impression of the fragrance rather than its notes.
A third reviewer described a mix of soft florals, a pinch of sweetness and a good deal of warmth, along with some musk. That reviewer said they are not the biggest fan of smoky scents, but the tobacco accord came through immediately. They added that New Wave could suit someone who is just starting to explore warmer or smokier perfumes, and called it well balanced for something so warm.
A fourth reviewer praised the way the fragrance strikes a balance between "soft, elegant florals and a rich, bold scent that truly makes a statement." They said it lasts through the day without becoming overpowering. For many buyers, that matters more than the opening notes, since a scent that lasts without filling a room is easier to wear at work or in shared spaces.
These comments are encouraging, but they come from a small group, and they were chosen to appear in the launch material. The most reliable test is still to put a sample on your own skin and wait. Many fragrances change in the first hour, and a paper strip can tell you very little about how the base notes will behave on your body.
Sizes, Price and the $8 Monogram
The launch report says New Wave is under $100, which places it below many luxury perfumes. The full bottle suits everyday wear. The travel spray is easier to carry in a bag or keep at the office, and it lets a buyer test how the scent holds up over several days or weeks before committing to a larger size.
The brand also offers monogramming on its website for an additional $8. The add-on is modest compared with the bottle, but it changes the purchase from a standard product into a personal gift. For holiday shopping, a monogrammed bottle is an easy way to make a single item feel chosen for one person.
Buyers who are comparing options should look at the size they plan to use most. A full bottle makes sense for someone who already knows they like a fragrance. A travel spray makes sense for someone who wants to wear a scent through a full season first. The price difference between the two sizes is not stated in the launch report, so shoppers should check the brand's own listing before deciding.
Whether New Wave Can Become a Winter Staple
The launch report says it is "safe to say" that New Wave will become an autumnal and winter staple. That is the report's view, not a measure of how the scent will sell or how often it will be worn. Still, the description points to a clear goal: a fragrance that moves from a launch-week purchase to a daily habit.
The next test is repeat wear. A fragrance can feel special for a few weeks and then get pushed aside for something newer. If New Wave keeps showing up in routines through the coldest months, it will show that the mix of freshness and warmth works in everyday life, not only in the first spray. For a brand that built its appeal on a minimalistic and chic style, that kind of steady use is the real measure of success.
A second signal would be whether the brand's next launches follow the same path, with a clear story, a defined season and a size range that lets customers try before they buy. New Wave is the second perfume after a debut that the report describes as successful, so it gives the brand a chance to show that its first hit was not a one-time result.
For now, New Wave is a clear entry in the cooler-weather fragrance season. It is warm and layered, it has a stated inspiration in Paris and surrealist art, it is priced under $100 according to the launch report, and it comes in a travel size for buyers who want to try it first.
Questions and answers
What is Merit's New Wave perfume?
New Wave is Merit's second perfume, a warm spicy floral made for fall and winter. It blends pink pepper, orange flower, ylang-ylang, vanilla, musk, vetiver and a tobacco accord.
How much does Merit New Wave cost?
The launch report places New Wave under $100. It comes in a full-size 1oz bottle and a travel spray, and monogramming on the brand's website costs an additional $8.
Who created Merit New Wave?
New Wave was created in collaboration with master perfumer Dominique Ropion and perfumer Meabh McCurtin. The launch report says it was inspired by a visit to the Musée Picasso in Paris and the spirit of surrealist art.
What does New Wave smell like?
The launch report describes a bright pink pepper opening that gives way to florals and a warm base of vanilla, musk and tobacco accord. Reviewers quoted in the report said it softens into a cozy scent that lasts through the day.
Topics: Merit, New Wave perfume, Dominique Ropion, Meabh McCurtin, fragrance launch, winter perfume, Musée Picasso, beauty news
Sources: E! News
https://axynewsglobal.com/article/merit-launches-new-wave-a-warm-spicy-perfume-for-fall-and-winter