MERIT’s New Wave perfume: has minimalism turned up the volume?

MERIT’s second perfume, New Wave L’Extrait de Parfum, launched on 22 October 2026. The new fragrance is available online at Sephora UK for £79 for 30ml, giving fans of the brand a fresh alternative to Retrospect.

For a beauty brand associated with a pared-back routine, the direction is intriguing. MERIT describes New Wave as Retrospect’s more extroverted counterpart: richer, more sensual and more assertive. Where its first perfume was intended to feel like a second skin, this one is designed to have a little more presence.

Behind the composition are master perfumer Dominique Ropion and perfumer Meabh McCurtin. According to MERIT’s launch announcement, they drew on classical amber perfumery, preserving its depth while looking for a brighter, more contemporary expression. The brief was to create a distinct fragrance, rather than build a collection of variations around Retrospect.

The initial inspiration came from a visit to the Musée Picasso in Paris. MERIT says the team was interested in the way Cubism and Surrealism understood established rules before breaking them. Translated into perfume, the ambition was a composition that would develop in an unexpected way rather than reveal everything at once.

What is actually in the bottle?

MERIT lists pink pepper and angelica seed at the opening, followed by orange flower, ylang-ylang and a honey floral accord. Beneath that sits a more involved base, with incense, woods and musks alongside benzoin, labdanum, vanilla and tonka. The brand’s description suggests a balance of brightness and warmth, with plenty happening beyond the floral heart.

New Wave is an extrait de parfum. MERIT states that it contains nearly 30% fragrance oil and describes a wave-like development into a rich, resinous base, with lasting wear. How that translates on your own skin is worth discovering in person; a list of notes can only take you so far.

The bottle gives the launch another point of interest: curved, asymmetric glass, golden liquid and a polished silver cap. It looks sculptural without needing an elaborate label. At £79, the bottle holds 30ml, a detail worth keeping in mind when comparing prices across your fragrance shortlist.

For anyone who likes MERIT’s understated approach but wants a different mood from their perfume, New Wave is a launch to investigate. Would you keep your signature scent close to the skin, or turn up the volume?