Merit has released New Wave L'Extrait de Parfum, its second fragrance after 2025 WWW 100 Beauty Award winner Retrospect, built around pink pepper, ylang-ylang, labdanum, musk and a tobacco accord, according to a Who What Wear review. Perfumers Dominique Ropion and Meabh McCurtin said they aimed to contrast the brand's softer debut scent with something woodier and smokier, adding cedarwood, benzoin and vanilla bean to the base.
McCurtin told the outlet the fragrance is an extrait de parfum, meaning it's roughly 30% fragrance oil, which she said makes it more concentrated and longer-lasting than a typical eau de parfum. The reviewer said the scent lasted up to 10 hours on skin and hair and clung to clothing fibers until the next wash, intensifying into a smokier, spicier profile as weather cooled.