Molecule 01 Escentric Molecules 2006

I’ll be honest: I hardly dare to write a suitable comment on Molecule 01 (M01). The reason is simply that I find it difficult to have a truly fitting opinion about this little fragrance. A few months ago, I found it at a good price at TK Maxx and decided to buy it. Mind you, it wasn’t a blind purchase; I still remembered what the perfume triggered in me during my first testing: namely nothing but many big question marks in my head. However, since I had in the back of my mind that this scent is very suitable for layering to give weak perfumes a performance boost, I treated myself to Molecule 01 after all.

In one of my favorite perfumeries, I once had a conversation with a knowledgeable, friendly saleswoman about "molecule scents." The term was still quite new to me at the time, and I didn’t quite understand it. In any case, the saleswoman told me that one should (ideally) never wear molecule scents on the skin, but only on clothing. Unfortunately, I can’t remember the exact reason for this statement, but I found it interesting. After all, one usually wears perfume on the skin, especially when using it for layering like M01, as it can fully unfold through the warmth of the skin... Oh, and sometimes it’s even said that Molecule 01 can’t even be classified as "perfume," but only as "scent" (not in the sense of a synonym).

So much for the introduction. Now I have used M01 several days in a row again - either on its own or as a base layer for weakly projecting perfumes. For example, I bought a cheap perfume from a local brand ("Mythos") in Greece that smells like cardamom. It has a pleasantly fresh scent character, but hardly any longevity. And indeed, I believe that Molecule 01 has given this cardamom scent a boost in longevity and sillage. I then tried the same with Bvlgari Man Extreme. Here it’s astonishing that Bvlgari Man Extreme seems to be completely swallowed by M01. After a short time, nothing of the actual Bvlgari is perceptible at all. What remains is the subdued character of M01.

But how does the character feel on my skin? This is the crux of the matter with Molecule 01! Everyone here in the fragrance community has a completely different experience and feels different associations with this scent. My subjective perception is artificial light wood on the skin, unfortunately paired with a hint of sweat. This makes me ponder whether I really want to wear something like that and subject my environment to it. However, the fact is that the environment can perceive this scent quite differently. Additionally, like most others, I have also experienced that I often only perceive M01 in individual bursts. Most of the time, I can’t smell anything on my skin at all. It’s a strange feeling when you can’t smell your own perfume, but the people around you can. Nevertheless, I do notice, due to these bursts, that the scent has a very decent longevity. It lasts about 8-9 hours. However, I didn’t really notice a difference between applying M01 on my skin compared to applying it on my clothing. But on clothing, it doesn’t smell bad at all; in fact, it even smells pleasantly clean.

All of this from the previous paragraphs leads me to still find it difficult to express an opinion. What emotions can one have when you can hardly smell the scent yourself? Isn’t that what makes perfumes appealing, that you find them nice on yourself? But with Molecule 01, one apparently has to trust blindly that the scent is well received by others and doesn’t bother anyone. When I give a review here on Parfumo and write a comment, I am always aware of two things: 1) The perception and assessment of perfumes is always subjective, and different perfumes can evoke different emotions in everyone. 2) One should still try to maintain a certain objectivity to make a review more tangible and fair for a reader. The nice thing is that our tastes are so different. Some people find Dior Sauvage awesome, while others do not. Some find Creed Aventus amazing, while others do not. The reasons may vary widely. However, from an objective standpoint, the majority has perceived the same scent character in these perfumes - people know that Sauvage is a synthetic perfume with a lot of Ambroxan, and they know that Aventus is known for its pineapple, combined with bergamot and smoky birch.

But Molecule 01? Here, everyone has truly had a different experience. So what should one advise an outsider? Certainly not a blind purchase. And certainly not that the product is a must-have. One can only encourage everyone to test Molecule 01 as soon as they have the chance, preferably even multiple times. Personally, I am still at a loss with this scent.

And the moral of the story? I still don’t have a real opinion.