I am especially curious about MOLéCULE 234.38. It is the second zarkoperfume that I test after e'L. In the meantime already several times.
Why am I so excited about this scent? Zarko wears this perfume himself and calls it an "advanced fragrance". Hm. Am I advanced enough for the 2013 EdP MOLéCULE 234.38? After all, it is considered a masterpiece of the Danish perfumer from Hornbaek. Zarko Ahlmann Pavlov is said to have taken a whole 6 years to develop this molecular perfume. In contrast to the classic French fragrance tradition, it does not use essential oils. It is said to form a close, almost magical bond with the skin of the wearer. Body and mental state influence the molecules. In this way they create an individual aura that can change and thus have an effect on the person wearing it. Fascinating! Isn't it? So there is a vivid interaction between human being and scent molecules, which emits different scent effects in each case. Some believe it, others think Zarko is a marketing genius who knows how to address his target group. I am open-minded and want to form my own opinion.
Of course I also read the comments on it. They are different. It appears that 234.38 polarises. Some recognize in it their eternally sought-after dream scent, others speak of "the emperor's new clothes" and smell - nothing at all ...
How will I be?
First I sniff the spray bottle. Eureka! So I'm one of those who can perceive iso-E super! But since this is my third iso after Perles de Lalique and Ellenas Rosa Rossa, I already know that. And not only that. I love iso! That typical "iridescence" that makes the fragrance so exciting.
Directly on the bottle, 234.38 initially smells amazingly "harmless": light, delicate, modern, soft, refreshingly new, somehow sweet, but at the same time unsentimental. At first glance, this ethereal fragrance reminds me of sculptures made of ice, like those I once experienced during a Christmas holiday in Slovenia - fragile, transparent and with a somewhat distanced coolness, but so beautiful that you can hardly take your eyes off them.
Then I spray the scent on - and notice something fresh at the beginning and then unfortunately nothing more. I spend this day in the gym, often thinking of Zarko, sniffing my hand and arm, I am disappointed. Only rarely a breath of nothing touches me during movements, I would almost say - yes, something fresh, dry, quite pleasant, of course almost too unobtrusive.
The next day I give Zarko another chance. And this time suddenly everything is different. I don't know why. I feel the scent more distinct, clear, unsweet and dry. I know this fresh cleanliness ... Then it occurs to me - it is the good old curd soap, but without any citrus notes
234.38 has something light like white sheep clouds in the summer sky, but also down-to-earth in its simple structure. Holidays in the country! Someone is hanging up freshly washed linen and cotton whites in the garden. The sun is laughing, the colours are cheerful: green lawn, squeaky blue sky, white flowers - a manageable, quiet idyll. Everything is well looked after and as if freshly washed. Here it is clear, the fragrance creates a friendly presence that makes you smile.
I'm surprised because I actually associate Iso more with shimmering, flickering, errant and something somehow incomprehensible. But 234.38 changes the world. Suddenly everything looks like drawings in a children's book. And no, I have taken no forbidden substances ... A cool, yet radiant fresh laundry scent envelops me. Everything is simple, uncomplicated, but also objective, abstract, distant. 234.38 unites opposites, which is quite appealing.
As expected, the development is linear, yet not boring. The scent now oscillates between wonderful laundrette and sawmill at the edge of the forest. Because now woody notes come into play, which go surprisingly well with the detergent scent. Crystal clear, dust-dry, ozonic, bright.
One assumes 234.38 shades of patchouli, vetiver, ambergris and cedar. The cedar wood is very perceptible to me. I recognize the soft, balsamic. But where are these notes going to come from if no essential oils are used?
Iso-E-Super is often reminiscent of cedar wood and ambergris. Actually, it is hard to believe that this synthetic scent molecule was already developed in the 70s. I now recognize this scent, which - similar to oud - smells differently in every perfume.
234.38 is unobtrusive, yet strangely intense. Either you like Isos or you don't. I like them and so I get along very well with 234.38.
I love the contrasts that this fragrance unites: simple and sophisticated, synthetic, but not unapproachable.
If you like innovative niche fragrances and are looking for more than mainstream perfume, you should try 234.38. I was thrilled by the unconventional high-end fragrance, which of course has its price.
It is still not clear to me why I hardly noticed the scent the first time I wore it. Isos have their secrets. They remain unpredictable - they are, so to speak, the cats among the scents that we love so much for that very reason ...
For me, 234.38 fits best for the summer in terms of the positive and carefree mood. Emotionally, I can better imagine this fragrance on ladies because it is so light and soft.
The durability is - as crazy as it sounds - different and varies between zero and several hours. But the sillage is low right from the start.
Will molecular fragrances dominate the future of perfume production? I'm not sure. It will remain a branch in fragrance development, among others. I find 234.38 interesting, perhaps precisely because it doesn't follow the urban trend, but tells of idyllic country life and develops its own poetry here.
I think you need to be ready to be in the mood for that scent. In my opinion, it fits well into leisure time, also to work and everyday life. For going out in the evening, parties, events, etc. I would go for more intense scents that are less tangible.
Mmiler
