There are many accolades that are thrown around the world of perfumery but, when it comes to choosing the person who has singlehandedly championed the cause of synthetics, there’s only one Geza Schoen. His earth shattering release of Molecule 01 back in 2006 created ripples that are still being felt in both commercial and niche perfumery today. The public became fascinated with the futuristic Iso E Super ingredient and there was a stampede to try the first “scent of yourself” fragrance. More Escentric Molecules perfumes followed but the love of the original never disappeared. So, fifteen years later, Molecule 01 has had an exciting facelift.
The idea of releasing a single molecule fragrance was unimaginable before Geza Schoen did it. There had been single ingredient fragrances before, like lavender and violet, but these essential oils contained multiple naturally occurring compounds. The revolutionary aspect of Geza’s release was that it really was just a single molecule in alcohol. Described as having “a smooth, woody, amber note, with a ‘velvet-like’ sensation”, Iso E Super had always been intended to boost other ingredients rather than take the spotlight. However, when Geza made it the star of the show, his Molecule 01 became the must-have scent of the decade.
Celebrating the fifteenth birthday of this ground-breaking fragrance was always going to be tricky and, as Geza Schoen only releases fragrances when he has something new to share, was not guaranteed. The Escentric Molecules series had already continued the tradition, and so it was going to have to be something pretty special. When it was announced that there would be an incredible three new edits to celebrate the scent’s milestone, it’s fair to say that the internet went into meltdown. In a similar way to the original fragrance, the new trio promised to focus on a single ingredient from each level of the olfactory pyramid.
Mandarin, iris and patchouli are three of the most beautiful ingredients in perfumery, but they’re not always given the chance to shine. Geza has blended each with the original Iso E Super to create a triptych experience that is, in my opinion, one of the finest fragrance celebrations ever. Molecule 01 + Mandarin delivers a mouth-wateringly brilliant explosion of citrus but, thanks to some wizardry, the juiciness holds onto the skin as the woodiness of the original appears. It is like running your fingers across the fruit’s skin at the same time as taking a bite, with a development reminiscent of the scent of juice-covered fingers.
Molecule 01 + Patchouli accentuates the woody quality of the original by adding a wonderful dose of both the fully rounded patchouli along with clearwood, which amplifies its smoother heart. This means that you still get the earthy excitement, with that peppered edge, but more of a welcome sigh than a shout. The star of the trio though is undoubtedly Molecule 01 + Iris, which Geza made for his wife. This unashamed celebration of smooth, powdery, violet-laden decadence also features a lipstick creaminess that is addictive. Once again, the woodiness of the original adds to the iris’ elegance, and creates a fantastically unisex scent.
All three fragrances are available from the Escentric Molecules website at escentric.com priced at £95 for 100ml and £25 for 7.5ml. [Samples provided by Escentric Molecules]
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