
The genius of the first Escentric Molecules perfume, Vol 01 from 2006, was the word-of —mouth/wildfire supposition that even though most people couldn’t actually smell this synthetic molecule on themselves – ISO E SUPER -elusive, translucent- it smelled quite amazing and irresistible to everybody else, mutating with your own personal skin chemistry to create an authentic aroma all your own. Compliments all around from strangers following you down the street. A dream from Patrick Suskind.
Like many, I go from not being able to smell anything at all with this base note to an uneasy relationship with its synthetic insistence – which can be sexy, in an athletic, animalic, mint gum chewing fresh ironed sort of way : clean, yet dirty, fleetingly intriguing, even if I am unlikely to be sufficiently seduced by such perfumes for my own use.
Cloaking the emperor’s new clothes is a clever idea though : the original molecules ‘masked’ with an ingredient from nature, and all three of these new releases are commercially viable hits : the iris a mid octave mellow and bright affair with the general tenor of a Prada Infusion or a Hermessence Vetiver Tonka, nice and approachable although in my case I JUST WANT THE AERATED IRIS AND NOT THE MOLECULE UNDERNEATH (——that said, for the full alchemical after-effect with this brand, it should go without saying that you probably need to smell the scent on another entity…….)
I am a mandarin lover, and the beginning of the ether musked fusion in Molecule 01 + Mandarin is classic ‘mandarin flavour’ in the mode of Diptyque’s Oyedo or my preferred Il Profumo’s Mandarine – all the architecture of an essentialized mandarin without any of the pulp. For me, I am hypersensitive to the lurk that is coming beneath ( which to many smells like an erotic cedar , but to me is more like an artificial castoreum note that tinges the rind with something unholy). This may be part of the perfume’s appeal though – all these are all just very superficial observations —they appeared in the postbox this morning – and I would like to try this one on again – tomorrow’s forecast is sun.
Surprisingly- given my general non keenness on the current treatment of the note -the husky patchouli was the perfume in the trio of small bottles I liked the best – tawny and aromatic with some memories of Lutens Borneo. D sprayed some on his sweater for a day off at home and I can imagine a good linger :possibly ceding into severity, later, I don’t know – I will find out when I get home tonight. The natural darkness of fermented patchouli leaves, though, melding more instinctively with the already woody ‘molecule’ it is girded to is to me a more naturally ‘altered state’ :: fused. Lessuncomfortable : less like dressing the invisible.
a PS / 11 hour later edit:::
d, meeting me in the kitchen just now had a real ‘wow you smell lovely ‘ general vibe : fresh, effortless-
I sniffed the two boxes of the mandarin and the iris and they smelled practically EXQUISITE.
I am confused.