ESCENTRIC MOLECULES
MOLECULE 01
Eau De Toilette
Unisex
Sizes
Starting
$170
Description
Molecule 01 is a revolutionary fragrance that shattered perfumery conventions when it launched in 2006, featuring an unprecedented 65% concentration of Iso E Super—a synthetic aroma-molecule that creates a velvety, woody warmth unique to each wearer. This minimalist composition interacts with individual skin chemistry to produce subtle variations, appearing and disappearing throughout the day like a ghost presence that others notice more than the wearer. Rather than following traditional fragrance pyramids, it operates as a single-note experience that feels like an enhanced skin scent, proving that radical simplicity can be as captivating as complex blends. Created by Geza Schoen for unisex wear.
Scent Profile
Woody
Musky
Warm
Velvety
Subtle
Notes
Top Notes
Iso E SuperMiddle Notes
Iso E SuperBase Notes
Iso E SuperAbout ESCENTRIC MOLECULES
Escentric Molecules is a well-established privately owned niche fragrance brand with a cult following for almost 20 years. The brand founded by Geza Schoen (Perfume Nose) and Paul White (Creative Director) consists of a relatively small team based in London and Berlin with an entrepreneurial, passionate and creative culture.
Perfumer
Geza Schoen
Perfumer Geza Schoen has a reputation as a rebel in the fragrance world.
In 2001, disillusioned with the industry’s increasing commercialisation, he resigned his job at fragrance manufacturers, H & R in Paris and moved to London. Here he met designers, Brian Kirkby and Zowie Broach of Boudicca, working with them over several years to create their fiercely individual scent, Wode.
It was in London, in 2006, that he launched Escentric Molecules: Often described as the ‘anti-fragrance fragrance brand’ Escentric Molecules confounded expectations to become an exponential success.
In 2009 he initiated The Beautiful Mind Series, working with outstanding women in different creative fields to construct fragrances dedicated to the power of the female mind. In 2017 he launched Project Renegades with friends and fellow-perfumers, Mark Buxton and Bertrand Duchaufour. Throughout his career Schoen has collaborated on conceptual projects such as Paper Passion, a fragrance with Steidl, Wallpaper* and Karl Lagerfeld; and worked with artists such as Wolfgang Georgsdorf, for whom he made 64 odours for Smeller, an olfactory organ that spectators can play like a piano to make aromascapes. In 2005 he returned to his native Germany where he lives and works in Berlin.
Reviews
4.3
Very Good11 reviews
Ministry of Scent
4.2/5 • 9 reviews
Twisted Lily
4.5/5 • 2 reviews
Community Insights
Reviewers describe Molecule 01 as a polarizing yet addictive fragrance that creates an intimate, skin-like aura rather than a traditional perfume experience. The scent's ability to vanish and reappear throughout the day fascinates wearers, with many reporting that strangers ask what they're wearing even when they can barely detect it themselves. The minimalist approach has cultivated an intensely loyal following who appreciate its subtle sophistication and chameleon-like adaptability.
Pros
Performance excellence: Projects softly but persistently, with the scent appearing and disappearing throughout the day in a phenomenon unique to Iso E Super, creating an intimate 6-8 hour wear that others notice more than the wearer
Versatile appeal: Functions beautifully as both a standalone signature scent and a fragrance booster, working exceptionally well in professional settings, close encounters, and as a layering base to extend the longevity of other perfumes by 1-2 hours
Quality composition: The 65% concentration of Iso E Super creates a velvety, cocooning effect that adapts to individual skin chemistry, producing subtle woody-musky variations that feel like a natural extension of the wearer rather than an applied fragrance
Cons
Anosmia factor: Some individuals are genetically unable to detect Iso E Super at all, making this fragrance completely imperceptible to a portion of the population and requiring sampling before purchase
Minimalist limitation: Those seeking bold, projecting fragrances or traditional complexity may find the subtle, close-to-skin presence too understated for their preferences, particularly in situations where they want to make a strong olfactory statement
Comparisons
Similar to wearing your own enhanced skin scent: Unlike traditional perfumes, it creates an aura that feels inherently personal rather than externally applied
Reminds reviewers of the base notes in designer fragrances: The woody-musky quality appears in many mainstream perfumes but never at this concentration, making it feel simultaneously familiar and entirely new
Vibe & Emotions
Magnetic intrigue: The elusive quality creates curiosity when strangers stop to ask about the scent, making social encounters more memorable and intimate
Confident minimalism: Wearing something so conceptually pure evokes a sense of sophisticated restraint and self-assurance in those who choose substance over showiness
Cocooning comfort: The velvety warmth creates a personal bubble of woody softness that feels protective and centering during stressful moments or long workdays
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