If you have ever been perfume or aftershave shopping you will probably be able to recall feelings such as nausea, exasperation and confusion. You may even leave the hunt for your signature scent or perfect gift with a moderate to full blown head ache. I know, because I have been there.
The hunt for my own signature scent stopped abruptly in 2015 when a makeup artist friend was assisting me at an event. She smelt DIVINE and I immediately enquired as to what she was wearing. The word ‘Molecule’ stuck in my head and a few days later I made a bee-line for my favourite perfume shopping destination, Liberty, and tested all the Molecule scents – all of which, by the way, are unisex.
Turns out my friend had been wearing Escentric Molecules 1 but I ended up falling in love with Escentric Molecules 2.
Escentric Molecules was founded in 2006 by German perfumer Geza Schoen and relies on a core synthetic fragrance base, or an ‘aroma molecule’ called Iso E Super.
Iso Super E is a synthetic fragrance that has been used in many fragrance classics you will no doubt have heard of, including Dior’s Fahrenheit (1988), Calvin Klein’s Eternity (same year) and Lancôme’s Trésor (1990). In terms of its smell, Iso Super E has been described as ‘dry, woody and cedar-like’ as well as ‘velvety’. It possesses similar qualities to the natural substance ‘ambergris’ which interestingly stems from the digestive system of sperm whales and has been used in perfume making for centuries. Today ambergris is largely replaced by a synthetic copy called ‘ambroxan’.
I would describe the Molecule range as providing superb day scents. They are not heady perfumes or aftershaves one uses to signal an upcoming night out or special occasion. They envelop you in a cashmere blanket, react with the pheormones in your skin and are completely addictive!
But before you run off to try Molecule’s unisex range, it is important you understand ‘the menu’ (otherwise it can be rather confusing. Trust me!):
- The Molecule range currently offers 4x Molecule scents (when you see the word ‘Molecule’ on the label, followed by a number this means the majority of the scent stems from just one molecule, e.g. Iso Super E)
- There are 4x Escentric Molecules scents (when you see the word ‘Escentric’ on the label, this means the ‘molecule’ scent has been combined with other scents to produce a more complex fragrance)
In my experience the Molecule scents do not really smell of anything. Having said that, Molecule 1 – the scent with the highest concentration of Iso Super E – is Molecule’s best seller and the one I can usually smell on other people. In fact, I had my photo taken with a stylist at an event the other evening and she smelt heavenly. When I enquired what perfume she was wearing, guess what she said 😉 (Molecule 1).
I now own Escentric 02 and Molecule 01 and though I cannot really smell either on my skin I often get asked what I am wearing (and who doesn’t love that!).
THE FACTS:
How much is it:
From £36.00 for 30ml or £76.00 for 100ml.
Where can I buy it:
Liberty, Harvey Nichols, Selfridges, Cult Beauty etc.
Who is it for:
Male and female. Special people in your life. Someone who doesn’t want their scent to wear them.
So that is two present ideas down, twenty three to go! See you tomorrow for Day #3 of my Beauty Advent?
xx
A bit more about my Advent Cal:
My advent-themed calendar is designed to give you, lovely reader, some ideas for presents this gifting season. The list is based on my Top 25 Beauty Buys of recent years. Of the 25 products which made the cut, some I have used for the first time this year and others I have been using for several years. The selection criteria for each product was as follows:
1. It is a product I have repurchased or know I will definitely repurchase at some point
2. It is an item I believe will genuinely make an awesome gift for someone this Christmas
This series is not sponsored in any way and you should know that, like many makeup artists, I am one of the fussiest people I know when it comes to selecting and using beauty products. They have to blow me away. Hope you enjoy!