Molecule 01 grows a shadow: first wear of Escentric Molecules Molecule 01 + Cistus

Let’s stop pretending we’re immune to Iso E Super. The original Molecule 01 seduced half the planet without even trying, and now Geza Schöen is lacing it with cistus. Molecule 01 + Cistus is slated for 2025, and it’s the most intriguing take on “skin scent, but make it complex” I’ve smelled this year.

First spritz gives an earthy green brightness, almost like bruised herb and sun-warmed rock. Then the Molecule 01 core slides in, that velvety, cedar-amber hum that blurs edges and lifts everything. The cistus turns the dial gradually, not with smoke-bomb drama, more with a dry, resinous glide that reads as well-worn leather. No sticky labdanum, no syrup. Think mineral-fresh now, wood-dry later, leather at dusk.

On my skin:

• Hour 1: airiness with a sap-green twist, clean but not shampoo-clean.
• Hour 3: the woods take over, a dry whisper that clings to a scarf and turns slightly salty.
• Hour 6 and beyond: soft-focus leather, intimate but persistent, the kind that gets you asked what you’re wearing when someone leans in.

Sillage sits in a discreet aura, the classic Escentric Molecules bubble. Longevity is quietly excellent, 8 to 10 hours on my wrists and a next-day ghost on knitwear. It layers like a dream, but honestly, it doesn’t need help. The charm is how cistus roughens the Iso E silk without tearing it.

If Molecule 01 has always been too clean for you, this adds just enough grit to make it interesting. If you adore the original’s transparency, don’t worry, the architecture stays intact. Geza Schöen simply draws a shadow under the cheekbone, and the face gets more character.

A note on expectations: this is not a smoky leather jacket crashing a party. It’s the inside of that jacket, warm from skin, with a green memory from outdoors. Wear it to the office, then to the bar, and it never tries too hard.

There’s already chatter about a “luminous darkness” angle, and that phrasing fits. Molecule 01 + Cistus glows, then deepens, then lingers at the edge of your pulse. Subtle, yes. Forgettable, no.