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Iso E Super

post #1 of 42
7/2/09 at 8:10pm
Thread Starter 
Compiled from the Note Identification Project Thread:

Iso E super: dry woody with pleasant ambery subnotes.

Iso-E Super Not as obnoxious as I remembered it from perfumes of previous decades. Big, bright, open, airy, with some of the freshness of aromatic cedar, but sweet and floral, like white flowers and roses. This is Calvin Klein Eternity.

Iso E Super: oh wow it smells exactly like one of the Escentric Molecules fragrances - either Molecule 01 or Escentric 01. I think it might have been the latter but I never remember! Very sweet, watery, slightly fruity woods - although unlike cedarwood and sandalwood.

Iso-E-Super, 2% dilution in carrier oil: this famous molecule packs a punch! Strong and long lasting, but it smells a little...well, like a generic men's fragrance base. Woody, full and rich but...meh. But at least, now I'm curious to smell Escentric Molecules Molecule 01, which is based solely on this aromachemical.
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post #2 of 42
7/8/09 at 2:44pm
Dry, bright, clear, watery, soft, rounded and sweet. It doesn't smell of much.
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post #3 of 42
12/13/09 at 1:08pm
From The Perfumer's Apprentice pre-diluted solution: I get a tiny bit of watery woodiness, and that's it. I wonder if I'm anosmic to it? Which would be ironic, given that I can smell all the musks in the kit.
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post #4 of 42
12/13/09 at 1:25pm
Thread Starter 
Iso E Super is rather difficult to smell directly--my understanding is that the molecule is quite large, and therefore is not easily perceptible. When used in blends it has a "woodifying" effect rather than being a strong individual contributor to the scent.

Iso E Super is in so many fragrances, it has come a bit boring to me. Almost all the Serge Lutens fragrances have it, as well as many woody designer scents (Bulgari Black, Terre d'Hermes, etc.). To my nose, there is a slight ammonia edge to the note, and if it is used in high percentage, I get a terrible headache.
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post #5 of 42
12/13/09 at 8:47pm
I keep hearing/reading that the Ormonde Jayne line uses Iso E Super in all or most of their line. It's been a few months since I tried my whole sampler, but I do remember a very distinct note that is present in pretty much everything I tried. As noted, it was/is a "woody", amber-y note, but I also seem to remember an odd characteristic well into the drydown - was it the Iso E Super or something else? Must retry.

I was interested to learn more about "Iso E Super". With Google's help, I found this interesting PerfumeShrine article on it:

http://perfumeshrine.blogspot.com/20...ults-geza.html

Noting that the full IUPAC name for it appears to be:

7-acetyl-1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8-octahydro-1,1,6,7-tetramethyl naphthalene
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post #6 of 42
12/14/09 at 6:26am
Thread Starter 
RainDropSparkle--yes, it persists well into the drydown. In fact, you might not even be able to smell it until hours into the development.
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post #7 of 42
2/6/10 at 12:33pm
Faint, pleasantly woody on paper strip; turns overwhelmingly powerful and rancid on skin. Definitely something to avoid for me!
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post #8 of 42
9/20/11 at 2:24am
It's effect is quite abstract. It adds diffuse volume. I've got a bottle of it (I occasionally make my own perfumes) and it's quite difficult to describe the effect: sort of ambient, peppery amber giving the impression of volume and power without really having a strong, identifiable smell. That's what I mean about abstraction.

In large amounts I find it a bit sickly - it can give a similar sensation to indigestion as if you've just eaten something rich and oily.
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post #9 of 42
9/20/11 at 5:39am
Iso E Super is usually described as smelling like old wood, with an ambery note and imparting a velvety quality to the finished perfume. Velvety is a good way to describe it I think. It adds roundness, fullness and bulk to a fragrance. In a way the inverse of the sparkling effect you get from the use of some of the aldehydes.

Some people don't smell it at all or hardly at all, for others it is quite strong. In pure form it is a bit overwhelming. The IFRA limitation is 21.4% in the finished product but I can't imagine ever using that much: I normally work with it at 10% in ethanol at which level it is quite pleasant. I don't think I've ever used more than about 4% in a finished perfume.
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post #10 of 42
9/6/12 at 10:42pm
I love this stuff. In molecule 01 it is masterful! To my nose, it smells like...imagine opening your washing machine mid cycle after running a load of t-shirts using that old-school powdered detergent that smells like...well, old school powdered detergent! You get the smell of the water, the soap, the air. This smell could not be disliked by anyone. It's unobtrusive, non-offensive and totally a magic ingredient. People who say it doesn't smell or they cannot smell it, do not understand the ingredient on a molecular level.
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post #11 of 42
9/7/12 at 1:35am
Iso E is very difficult to smell as it is one of those chemicals (the ionones are another set) which seem to paralyse your sense of smell. First sniff is OK, then nothing for awhile. I find it very strong, very diffusive and very long lasting. It is warm and woody, ambery and bright. Dip a smelling strip in neat Iso E, leave the room for half an hour;on your return you will be overwhelmed with the smell. Unless, of course you are anosmic.
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post #12 of 42
9/7/12 at 1:49am
I used to find this extremely scratchy and irritating, although my sensitivity to it has faded (thankfully!), and now find it as David and others describe. Do note, however, that some people are sensitive to it and it smells like the olfactory equivalent of sandpaper to those who are - extremely strong and irritating. I used to be able to put a fraction of a drop of this stuff (imagine taking just the tip of one of those applicator sticks from a sample vial - just the tip! - and touching it to your skin) below my belly button, and smell it strongly for hours and hours, despite being under two shirts and literally just a fraction of a ml of juice.
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post #13 of 42
11/14/12 at 5:29pm
I have determined it is the ISO E Super component that caused me to dislike two very popular frags: Terre de Hermes and Encre Noire. Both of these fragrances had a common, very dominant note that I did not find pleasant at all... and I've figured out that what these 2 frags have in common is alot of ISO E Super.
At least with the TdH I did get a tiny bit of the bitter orange note. But with the Encre Noire, I get *none* of the smoky/woodsy/dark/earthy/brooding feel that many speak of. I just get pure ISO E Super.
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post #14 of 42
11/14/12 at 5:35pm
You're probably right, but it could also be vetiver, they are both pretty vetiver heavy. If you want to know exactly what iso e super smells like sample Molecule 01.
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post #15 of 42
11/14/12 at 5:36pm
Sorry you did not enjoy those two masterpieces....
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post #16 of 42
11/14/12 at 5:40pm
I'm not to keen on it and dislike it in Rose 31.
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post #17 of 42
11/14/12 at 6:08pm
It's not a "masterpiece" if it makes you ill ! LOL.
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post #18 of 42
11/14/12 at 6:14pm
Really dislike both of them. I think it is something else combining with the Iso E though for me. I can wear Mol 01 with no problem because i can smell it at all. Its the peppery chemical vetiver in EN and the sharp, awful mineral note in TdH that ruin them.
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post #19 of 42
11/14/12 at 6:15pm
That's unfortunate. I for one love TDH edt, though I've never smelled ISO E-super on its own.
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post #20 of 42
11/14/12 at 6:28pm
I suspect it's the vetiver in both that's turning you off (or perhaps vetiver combined with lots of Iso E Super). Iso E Super on its own, though, is a very, very subtle smell. It's more of a "feel" than anything else. It adds texture and diffusion to a composition rather than contributing a note, overall.
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post #21 of 42
11/14/12 at 6:36pm
I agree with what some have said about iso e super here, meaning that it comes across as more of a fume than a note, sort of like working at a gas company.
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post #22 of 42
11/14/12 at 6:46pm
Don't feel bad, I too, cannot stand/tolerate Iso E super. It rubs me the wrong way. That is why I do not own edt or en.
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post #23 of 42
11/14/12 at 7:15pm
I own and love TdH, Encre Noir, and Molecule 01. I guess you can put me in the fan column!
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post #24 of 42
11/14/12 at 7:23pm
It might NOT be the Iso E Super. I'm one of those who can REALLY smell Iso E Super. I had no idea what the stuff smelled like until I ordered a sample of Molecule 01 which is just Iso E Super diluted. I ADORE THE SMELL OF MOLECULE 01, but I can't stand Terre D'Hemres or Encre Noir. To me, Iso E Super smells like woods (especially cedar) with a hint of lemon/grapefruit citrus that cuts through.

What I smell in Terre D'Hermes and Encre Noir that I hate is something darkly orange and pungent. Clearly, it's just something that my nose is particularly sensitive to since so many rave about TdH.
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post #25 of 42
11/14/12 at 9:29pm
I think Encre Noire is great...wore it today. Not a huge fan of Molecule 01 though.
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post #26 of 42
11/14/12 at 10:09pm
That does it, I'm making a home brew Molecule 01. I don't even think I'll like that all that much, but I really want to know what ISO E smells like by itself without paying out the nose for Escentric. I can easily recognize the common vein that various ISO E scents have (and I like many of them), but I don't know what the stuff alone smells like, and that bothers me! Time I found out! And I'd love to be able to ID it in scents where it isn't so obvious.
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post #27 of 42
11/14/12 at 11:38pm
Nothing I dislike about the two mentioned by the OP.
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post #28 of 42
11/15/12 at 12:05am
I agree with the person who said it might not be the ISO E Super you don't like. I am one of the lucky/unlucky few who isn't sensitive to it. I can barely detect anything in Molecule 01, and what I can think I detect may not even be there since I am wanting/straining to sense it, and yet a few others can smell it very clearly (i'd say a 50/50 split in my immediate group). I like Terre d'Hermes and love Encre Noire, and get a similar vibe in both (think Encre Noire is a "more dry" version of TDH), but whatever ISO E Super is in there, I can't smell it. Its possible thats the culprit but without a sample of Molecule 01 its hard to say.
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post #29 of 42
11/15/12 at 1:14am
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jack Hunter View Post

I'm not to keen on it and dislike it in Rose 31.

Yikes, Rose 31 has it too? Ouch!

As it happens, I tried Molecule 01 again only last week in a store. Still couldn't get anything from it. I did find that when it combines with just about any other fragrance, it sort of makes the other fragrance come alive. Is it a propellant of some sort?
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post #30 of 42
11/15/12 at 1:47am
At the last Perfume Lovers London meetup, Geza Schoen remarked that it is present in around 70% of modern fragrances.
Take that figure how you will.
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post #31 of 42
11/15/12 at 5:24am
I never really cared for Encre Noire, but I do think Terre D' Hermes is pretty good. I'd say that Molecule 01 is a great smell, and I was once told by a coworker that it was the best scent I've ever worn. So, I'd say that you can't automatically like or dislike a fragrance just because of the Iso E Super note, unless you really know what Iso E Super smells like, and then you can say whether or not you really dislike it. Hermessence Poivre Samarcande is another Iso E Super frag. I don't really care for it, since the spices smell a bit too exotic to me. Fahrenheit is great, but enhances Iso E Super with notes of petrol, violet, and honeysuckle. So, yeah, either get some cheap Iso E Super from a place like perfumer's apprentice or maybe a sample of Molecule 01 and continue to enhance your fragrance journey.
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post #32 of 42
11/15/12 at 5:41am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jack Hunter View Post

I'm not to keen on it and dislike it in Rose 31.

exactly same thing here!
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post #33 of 42
11/15/12 at 7:50am
I doubt it's the Iso E. Iso E super smells slightly oily, a touch sweet, and a touch woody--in other words, it's inoffensive. To me, TDH might smell rough or unpleasant to some due to a huge cedar--not necessarily Iso E--and vetiver chord. This is where you start smelling those interesting mineral notes.
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post #34 of 42
11/28/12 at 9:47am
I'm honestly trying to wrap my head around how anyone could "dislike" the scent it puts off...seems more to me as a scapegoat ingredient people peg as the reason to dislike a fragrance. A pleasant, almost undetectable soft wood scent can hardly be offensive.
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post #35 of 42
11/28/12 at 1:08pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr. TL View Post

I'm honestly trying to wrap my head around how anyone could "dislike" the scent it puts off...seems more to me as a scapegoat ingredient people peg as the reason to dislike a fragrance. A pleasant, almost undetectable soft wood scent can hardly be offensive.

My thoughts exactly. I don't think enough people actually know what Iso E smells like.
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post #36 of 42
1/10/13 at 11:41am
I have a bottle of ISO E. At low concentrations in etoh on it's own - 10 to 15% - it smells good to me, but higher concentrations on my skin produce a harsh, varnish like smell.

I once sprayed some in a pair of old and none too fragrant leather work gloves and left them over a weekend in a vehicle. I opened the door on the following Monday and was greeted with a gorgeous, sweet and subtle wood/leather odour.

I do like it on its own, but think that it's best at subtly enhancing other fragrances.

-
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post #37 of 42
1/15/13 at 7:59am
My opinion on Iso E Super is that it's sort of in the same category as Hedione in that I consider it very nondescript. Some people might think that isn't doing either material justice because they of course have their own unique character, but the character Iso E Super does have is just so nondescript woody to me. Another way I would describe it is poor man's ambroxan (synthetic ambergris material).

I personally like working with Iso E because it works as a great starting material that other woody notes can be added to. Kind of like a canvas.
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post #38 of 42
1/17/13 at 3:21am
I guess Im lucky that I havent found anything as of yet that Im anosmic to. I find iso e very strong straight. Sharp and extra extra cedary. I could not imagine using up to the IFRA maximum. Ive diluted it down to 10% and it is still strong to me although not off putting. Recogniseable for sure. Just walk past any Ambercrombie store and its cranking out of there.
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post #39 of 42
3/14/13 at 3:25pm
the name sounds as some opaque chemical,sharp with some superpowers, yet when i smelled it it was oily and i thought i am smelling some perfume

its woody little sweet(almond sweet sort of), very mild, not like one would expect from a synthetic stuff...that woody aroma reminds me of some room smells from the past....(could have come from masculine designers perfumes in that room, in the late 80s to 90s)

when it dries down it starts getting louder synthetic
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post #40 of 42
5/20/13 at 7:52pm

I like the Molecule line...I have Molecule 01 and I'm wanting to get Escentric 02....Geza commented on the fact that there are SOOOO many fragrances that complicate things with SOOOO many notes and a "mosh-posh" of mixed oils and notes that sometimes can confuse the wearer and one person might smell this and another might smell something else that you don't.  He wanted to create something very SIMPLE and yes with one molecule...Sometimes simple is just better.  

 

The naysayers in here are typical fragrance snobs that prefer to smell themselves all day and really don't give a damn if anyone compliments them or not....I get that and probably this fragrance isn't for them.  Im just frankly tired of the thick, syrupy "Stay with you for years" fragrances that smell like "old men" after they have been on your skin all day...My wife loves this fragrance and because its "simple" and not 52 notes in a bottle...You can safely wear this fragrance as a daily wear fragrance without the risk of offending anybody...Its safe and smells great !

 

And finally, I've mentioned this before but I'm married with 3 small kids.  I'm not a biochemist and don't have time to create a fragrance out in my garage by buying my own ISO super as everybody so quickly suggests not to mention mixing it appropriately...Im no perfumist and many on these threats are not either and I'm sorry but I dont have time to mix this stuff up to save some money...I'd rather pay for the "marketing ploy" as you guys say and get the quality stuff...It works and does what it's suppose to and thats all that matters to me....I have over 30 bottles of niche fragrances that cost 2 to 3 times more than Molecules 01 but yet I get the most compliments from this one....It's worth every penny...

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post #41 of 42
5/20/13 at 8:51pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by FSU92grad View Post

I like the Molecule line...I have Molecule 01 and I'm wanting to get Escentric 02....Geza commented on the fact that there are SOOOO many fragrances that complicate things with SOOOO many notes and a "mosh-posh" of mixed oils and notes that sometimes can confuse the wearer and one person might smell this and another might smell something else that you don't.  He wanted to create something very SIMPLE and yes with one molecule...Sometimes simple is just better.  

The naysayers in here are typical fragrance snobs that prefer to smell themselves all day and really don't give a damn if anyone compliments them or not....I get that and probably this fragrance isn't for them.  Im just frankly tired of the thick, syrupy "Stay with you for years" fragrances that smell like "old men" after they have been on your skin all day...My wife loves this fragrance and because its "simple" and not 52 notes in a bottle...You can safely wear this fragrance as a daily wear fragrance without the risk of offending anybody...Its safe and smells great !

And finally, I've mentioned this before but I'm married with 3 small kids.  I'm not a biochemist and don't have time to create a fragrance out in my garage by buying my own ISO super as everybody so quickly suggests not to mention mixing it appropriately...Im no perfumist and many on these threats are not either and I'm sorry but I dont have time to mix this stuff up to save some money...I'd rather pay for the "marketing ploy" as you guys say and get the quality stuff...It works and does what it's suppose to and thats all that matters to me....I have over 30 bottles of niche fragrances that cost 2 to 3 times more than Molecules 01 but yet I get the most compliments from this one....It's worth every penny...

If you're happy with the fragrance, and believe it to be worth the money you spent on it, that's great. However, to call everyone who doesn't agree with your opinion a "typical fragrance snob" is unfair and just plain rude. Did you know that most people's gripe with this fragrance is that they can't even smell it? Would you pay that much money for a cologne that you couldn't smell?? Combine that with the fact that it can be replicated (quite easily) for a small fraction of the price it retails for, and you have a recipe for some pretty scathing reviews.

Perhaps you're willing to pay the extra $100+ to have somebody else blend it for you, most others are not.
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post #42 of 42
5/21/13 at 9:37am
Quote:
Originally Posted by FSU92grad View Post

 

The naysayers in here are typical fragrance snobs that prefer to smell themselves all day and really don't give a damn if anyone compliments them or not....I get that and probably this fragrance isn't for them.  Im just frankly tired of the thick, syrupy "Stay with you for years" fragrances that smell like "old men" after they have been on your skin all day...My wife loves this fragrance and because its "simple" and not 52 notes in a bottle...You can safely wear this fragrance as a daily wear fragrance without the risk of offending anybody...Its safe and smells great !

 

Given that you just signed up here and have already tried to start up fights in several threads, you might relax the name-calling a little. Especially when it's directed at people who have gone out of their way to help you on other sites.

 

Also, a little bummed to have been lumped into your categorization after the many conversations we've had, but oh well. 

 

For the record, I like Iso E Super very much. It was a force to be reckoned with during much of the 1980s and early '90s, and it does wonders for a blend.


Edited by deadidol - 5/21/13 at 10:03am
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