[unpaid/sample/affiliate/ad] Beyond a doubt, my favourite Escentric Molecules fragrance is Mandarin – it’s the ultimate in high impact juicy and zesty fragrance and when friends come over, it’s one of their favourite spritzes (if I’ve been reviewing I leave them for anyone and everyone to try if they want to). Black Tea doesn’t rock my world in quite the same way.
A quick recap on the Escentric Molecules USP – the art of binding fragrance molecules with pheromone-like compounds to make a scent that creates more of an emotion than a smell. The molecule in Escentric Molecules 1 is chemical composition, Iso E Super, which without an accompanying ‘lifter’ will smell either of woods or nothing at all, although you will, apparently, smell particularly lovely to others although may not notice it on yourself. I think the brand has realised that unless there is something in it for the wearer, it’s a belief system that’s too expensive to take a chance on, hence the actual ‘smells’.
Bearing in mind that Iso E Super, the synthetic molecule, has a woody tone that’s warm and skin-like – many find it very sensual. When you add in the bitter note of black tea, they sit very nicely together – they’re immediate friends, if you like. It’s more subtle than you might imagine – the initial hit of that familiar tea note dissipates to leave more of a gentle waft that has light floral accent.
The one aspect of tea notes that I do enjoy is how quickly it can tug at the olfactory memory – everyone has made a cup of tea at some point and whether it’s a decadent cup at Claridges or opening the tea tin in your own kitchen for the first brew of the day, it has the ability to be entirely familiar and yet, out of context, a little bit surprising. I don’t get a lot of impact from Molecule 01 + Black Tea – actually it occurred to me that it’s a fragrance I could sleep in – just comforting and soft so if you want a statement fragrance, this isn’t it. If, however, you are an Iso E Super responder and are picking up the sensual aspects, anything could happen! It’s £95 at Space (which is odd because it’s £100 on the EM website) HERE.
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2 comments
Ah the black tea one! Thanks for flagging this and reminding me Jane. I like Molecule 1, /Iso E Super and I absolutely love tea notes in fragrance so this is a must try for me.
I think that Escentric Molecules have been quite clever with their brand but honestly, their blurb about blending with your own pheromones and smelling different on everyone is a load of old tosh. It really is. It smells like Iso E Super like it’s meant to! If someone in a department store, restaraunt, even on the street is wearing it, it’s very distinctive, because it smells the same.
Yes, I can’t say I’ve smelled it on enough other people to really know what the difference might be. It is weird that you can’t really smell it on yourself though which is I guess why they brought in other elements.