Our beauty team never agrees on perfumes, but Merit’s new fragrance has united us all

This might not come as a surprise, but the woman&home beauty team is united in their love for Merit Beauty – as is the case with almost every beauty editor in the industry.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again: the best perfumes for women mean something different to everyone. See, that's the great thing about fragrance; it's all subject to personal preferences – some may prefer the best gourmand perfumes, whilst others will prioritise long-lasting perfumes.

This is certainly the case when it comes to our very own beauty team. While we can appreciate the many scents of the world, it's rare to find one that we'd all be willing to spritz onto our pulse points. Alas, that's where Merit Beauty's second-ever fragrance comes into the mix, doing what we thought was impossible and fusing our opposite perfume tastes.

We'll admit that Merit Beauty's debut fragrance, Retrospect, very much divided our beauty team. However, we're happy to report that the brand's second blend, New Wave, has had a big impact on us – and in a more positive way.

Retrospect's musky, autumnal sister scent is unsurprisingly a favourite of our Beauty Writer, Sennen Prickett, whose spritz of choice is usually a musky-floral perfume. On the other hand, fellow Beauty Writer, Naomi Jamieson, typically prefers her florals very woody or powdery (think Diptyque’s Orpheon, for instance). So, you can imagine our surprise when our bottles of New Wave arrived, and after a quick spritz and sniff, we both turned to each other and exclaimed: “I like that!”

Giving flowers to the aesthetics of the bottle, Sennen says: "Firstly, I have to give credit to the gorgeous molded design of this bottle – Merit has truly outdone themselves. It's a piece of minimalist artwork that makes a worthy addition to any dressing table. Thankfully, it doesn't stop there, as the perfume inside is equally as impressive."

As for the blend itself, Sennen says: "New Wave is right up my street. This honeyed aroma is warm and musky with notes of amber, pink pepper, vetiver, and cedarwood – all of which I typically look for when I'm seeking a signature scent."

"I also love how versatile this perfume feels; it's sensual, powerful, and somewhat spicy, yet cosy enough for the autumn-winter months. Which is most likely the reason why both Naomi and I, two people with very different perfume tastes, share a love for this fragrance," Sennen reveals.

While we can appreciate each other's favoured scents, Naomi notes: “Something to know about my fellow Beauty Writer Sennen and I is that we align and agree on almost everything. The phrase ‘two peas in a pod’ has been applied to us on more than one occasion; we’ve even been known to accidentally turn up to the office essentially wearing the same outfit. That said, there is one key area where we don’t always see eye to eye: fragrance."

As for Naomi's thoughts on the blend, she notes: "The smell is deliciously warm and rich, with those luxurious honey notes marrying with smoky woods and silky-smooth hints of vanilla. The spices and delicate white florals really sparkle on the skin as it begins to settle - it’s so multi-faceted that it’s really no wonder it appeals to both of us."

Not to mention the timing of the launch is so perfect, Naomi adds: "It’s exactly the sort of scent you want to surround yourself with in the autumn/ winter. Its only drawback is that now we’re going to have to arrange who’s going to wear it and when, lest we turn up to things wearing the same perfume…though double the amount of this fragrance in the air definitely wouldn’t be the worst thing.”