J’s image of Escentric Molecules Molecule 01 + Cistus
Escentric Molecules latest release from the Molecule 01 + series, Molecule 01 M + Cistus shines a light on a lesser-known material and does so in a stunning way. It’s a material that is extracted from the rock rose flower, you’ll probably recognise labdanum also extracted from the same source which is the darker and more resinous ingredient used in ambers and incense perfumes. Labdanum feels rougher and raw where as cistus is more airy yet they shares similar facets, think of cistus as labdanum’s elegant sister. Editor- in-Chief Michelyn in conversation with perfumer Geza Schöen got the low down on the technical differences here along with his creative choice for M + Cistus.
Paul White (Creative Director) and Perfumer Geza Schöen courtesy of Escentric Molecules.
Here is an excerpt from Geza Schöen’s email message to our Editor-in Chief, Michelyn Camen when she learned about Molecule 01 M + Cistus and his answers to her questions regarding extraction and the difference between labdanum and cistus.
“The quality we used in Molecule 01 + Cistus is an absolute. The difference between cistus and labdanum lies in the solvents and/or heating processes used to obtain the extract. The cistus absolute
we used at 4% in the scent is a very clean, less green, and concentrated version of the cistus plant. Naturally, the aromatic leathery facet inspired me to chisel it into an M+ here. The amalgamation of Iso E Super with cistus worked very well, and so Molecule 01 M + Cistus was born. We also didn’t really have anything leathery in our collection, so we felt cistus was the perfect fit to complete the M+ series.”-Geza Schöen
.
Rock rose from which cistus and labdanum are extracted from via wiki.
For me, Cistus is the yin to labdanum’s darker yang. It has a lighter and more ethereal feel like the rock rose petals opening up with a complex transparent delicate feel as if made from fine layers of silk. It also has a darkness to it with honeyed leather and amber tones giving a terpenic zing. The analogy of carving it into the Iso E Super fits perfectly of how I view the Escentric Molecule series as minimal sculptures that reveal nature and ourselves in their beautiful use of minimalism and reflection.
Molecule 01 M + Cistus opens with an earthy green freshness and zing, reminding me a little of M + Ginger but with the brightness of the ginger dialed way down and yet it keeps that energetic freshness. Its cistus’s pungent bite that emerges with a soft honeyed aroma that slowly builds in the heart of M + Cistus. This opening phase is where M + Cistus is at its most floral, yet the way it’s been sculpted with the Iso e super makes it feel like it’s been carved in a soft shimmering cloud of woods and musks. Think of a balsamic stained glass whose edges soften into a fine velvet powder. Cistus’s smoky incense facets merge with the Iso E Super giving an ethereal feel that I find very calming. There’s a subtle earthy warmth from the cistus that when its merged with Iso E Super feels like it’s wrapping itself around you, doing what Molecule 01 does but with beautiful dark and light tones giving a suave quiet allure to M + Cistus.
Escentric Molecules Molecule 01 M + Cistus courtesy of Escentric Molecules.
Wearing Molecule 01 M + Cistus feels very clean aromatic, bright and hovers in the air, like an musky incense cloud. Yet within the heart lies a dark honeyed facet that gives cistus a subliminal purr or light kiss of animalics, it’s a gentle allure of softness that I can’t get enough of, like ambergris dirtiness in the best way. It also reminds me of sheep’s wool, that oily aroma they have on their wool but my memory of this encounter with the sheep is more specific. I’m remembering ones from Norway with the scent of the fjord sea air and wild aromatics of nature woven into this scent. The animalic purr in M + Cistus offers a rich, honeyed balsamic depth, serving as a clever contrast that allows the brightness of the cistus to radiate, while deeper purrs emerge through the gentle woody musks of the Iso E Super molecule making it quietly seductive.
Rothko’s Seagram Murals By Jean-Pierre Dalbéra – La ténébreuse “Rothko Room de la Tate” (Fondation Vuitton, Paris), CC BY 2.0 via wiki
All these subtle aspects of the cistus absolue tease out the darker side of Molecule 01 M + Cistus as they come together in the dry down. Things get woodier and drier tuning into an earthy leather. Again, it feels like it wraps around you, forming to your body the way a leather jacket would, M + Cistus stands out in the M+ line, maybe a tougher cousin to the silky (and one of my favourites M + Iris. Molecule 01 M + Cistus feels like aged leather, carved and sculpted rich yet supple with a velvety lining. It seems to radiate a darker glow, creating an alluring presence as you wear it. has expertly refined all the rough edges with his chisel, resulting in a beautifully minimal haze. Wearing M + Cistus reminds me of my favourite series of Rothko paintings, the Seagram Murals. They’re much darker in tone than his usual paintings but what makes me think of this series is how the shades of purple, burgundy, black and deep blue bleed into each other and glow. M + Cistus also has the same meditative feel I get in their presence and has jumped to the top of my favourites from this series and is much more complex than you might imagine.
Notes: Iso E Super, cistus absolute
Discloser: A bottle Escentric Molecules Molecule 01 M + Cistus was sent to J for review, his nose, thoughts are his own.
J Wearescentient – Senior Editor, artist and olfactive writer.
Escentric Molecules Molecule 01 M + Cistus courtesy of Escentric Molecules.
Thanks to amazing team at Escentric Molecules, we have a 100ml bottle of Escentric Molecules M+Cistus for one registered reader in the USA only. Please be sure to register! To be eligible for the draw, please tell us where you live, what appeals to you about J’s review and your favourite Escentric Molecule fragrance. Draw closes 9/20/25
Available worldwide October 1, 2025
Molecule 01 is a ÇaFleureBon Modern Masterpiece. More here.
Please read one of Michelyn’s many interviews with Geza Schöen here
J’s review of M+ Black Tea here, Karl’s review of M+ Ginger and M+ Iris. Please watch Video Contributor Steven Gavriolatos’s Black Tea and Guaiac Wood and Ginger
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