Niche line Escentric Molecules line will launch three variations on 2005's Molecule 01 (Iso E Super): Molecule 01 + Patchouli, Molecule 01 + Iris and Molecule 01 + Mandarin.
Iso E Super is an abstract synthetic molecule characterised as a cedarwood note with a warm, velvety cocooning sensation.
All three fragrances were developed by perfumer and brand founder Geza Schoen, who explains below:
Molecule 01 + Patchouli ~ “Patchouli is a unique natural. Unlike 99% of perfume ingredients we associate it with a particular period, with the sixties and seventies and that bohemian spirit. It has a cool, rather aloof woodiness to it. I love it for its moody beauty. I’ve used two qualities of patchouli here. The biggest chunk is Patchouli Coeur which is a very clean, soft patchouli oil fraction with the camphor-like topnote removed. I have also included a patchouli oil from Indonesia to round it out with a little bit of a topnote. The result is a sophisticated, clean patchouli that pairs fantastically well with Molecule 01.”
Molecule 01 + Iris ~ “It’s not easy to describe iris’ smell as such, but if you smell a fragrance without it, and then with it, you understand immediately what it does. It adds a creamy powderiness. It brings a physical dimension to a fragrance. I have had a long-standing love affair with iris. Every Escentric fragrance has an iris note somewhere in there. To me, iris is luxury. The iris pallida absolue I’ve used here is one of the most expensive ingredients in perfumery. You can find iris extracts for way less than that. But they do not have the great and subtle beauty of this absolue. It’s radical to put this much in a fragrance. The sillage is fantastic. This is a bomb, but a subtle bomb.”
Molecule 01 + Mandarin ~ “Mandarin is all about the instant hit. It’s so alive, the way it radiates off the skin with that citrus zestiness. But there’s more to mandarin, it’s very fruity and aromatic as well. It’s a beautiful ingredient. Its transparency means that it vanishes quickly. I’ve touched it up with a little extra shading to extend it, adding a mandarin ingredient used in flavourings to give it super-juiciness. Then as it begins to fade, Molecule 01 syncs in, bringing a warm, erogenous feeling to play with that zinging freshness. That’s unusual – for a topnote ingredient like Mandarin and a base note like Iso E Super to dance together naked like this, without other notes coming between them. And then the mandarin is almost gone and you are left with the elevated simplicity of Molecule 01. That’s what I love about Molecule 01 + Mandarin – it may be a dance of two but the story changes completely from beginning to middle to end.”
Escentric Molecules Molecule 01 + Patchouli, Molecule 01 + Iris and Molecule 01 + Mandarin will be available in 7.5 or 100 ml Eau de Toilette. A discovery set is also available.
*Escentric 01 was the original "finished" fragrance based on Molecule 01.
(via escentric, hat tip to Kevin!)
I want a Discovery Set. These all sound great and I have had no issues with Iso E Super although I may need to pare down the 8 sprays!
I like iso e super, although do agree it is used in so many fragrances that things start to seem “same-y”. But these do sound fun!
For some bizarre reason I only tried Molecule 1 recently and not only could smell it but even Loved it ?
I like the descriptions given here – they are enticing but also give one a sense of how these might Actually Smell.
I would definitely try all of these.
Same. And try layering them.
I want to try the iris one!
I want to try the mandarine one.
I just price checked ISO E Super at Perfumers Apprentice and it costs $7.50 for the 80 ml size. That is not a typo. One could possibly order small amounts of very high end essential oils. None of this would cost anywhere near $150, even if you did all three. That must be a really expensive bottle?