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A company has created scentless fragrances that smell different on each wearer

The fragrances have been scientifically created to smell unique on each person

Rachel Hosie
Friday 03 February 2017 13:01 GMT
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(Escentric Molecules)

On the face of it, scentless cologne might seem pointless. If it’s not going to spritz you with enticing-smelling scent, what’s the point?

And yet one perfume company is selling just that - Escentric Molecules fragrances are practically scentless, but apparently mingle with the wearer’s natural pheromones to create a unique smell.

After all, no one wants to smell the same as everyone else, do they?

It's a scientific new approach to perfumes - there is just one aroma molecule in each fragrance, and the other (odourless) ingredients in the formula are selected to enhance this aroma-molecule and amplify its key qualities.

The concept was created in 2006 by perfumer Geza Schoen, who has been heralded as a rising star in the fragrance industry. The range is now stocked in Selfridges, Liberty London and on Net-a-Porter,

It’s a unique departure from traditional perfumes and colognes that are generally made up of top-, middle- and base-notes, and tend to smell the same on everyone.

Because of something called olfactory adaptation, you never know quite how strongly your fragrance smells either - after a few minutes of exposure to a smell, it becomes 80 per cent less powerful.

Escentric Molecules are shaking things up though, and celebrities including Rihanna, Beyoncé, Jay-Z and Kate Moss are rumoured to be fans. It likely won't be long before other perfumers are experimenting with the technology too.

The colognes are unisex and smell different on every wearer, but much like the majority of designer perfumes, 100ml of eau de toilette will set you back nearly £70.

New York-based GQ writer Adam Hurly recently tried the fragrances and revealed that he was pleasantly surprised by them, despite being sceptical beforehand: “I liked it. I liked it a lot,” he wrote.

Hurly tested two of the Escentric Molecules fragrances: the confusingly-named ‘Escentric 01’ and ‘Molecule 01.’ Of the two, he preferred the former.

“Once applied, it reminded me of how my loved ones (and other people I get close enough to smell) have a unique, identifying scent to them - some original musk that permeates their apartment and clothes and car,” he explains.

But there’s no way of knowing how you’ll smell until you spritz yourself with the perfume.

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