For the past 20 years, Escentric Molecules has become a cult brand made for the “artists, freaks and outsiders” of the world. Flipping the switch on what is expected from traditional fragrance brands, Escentric Molecules continues to look beyond trends to create unconventional scents that enhance the energy of whoever is wearing them, both metaphorically and chemically. 

On Thursday 23, we joined forces with Escentric Molecules to host the latest iteration of our Dazed Beauty Sessions. Hosted by our Beauty Director, Alex Peters, the panel welcomed DJ and creative director Zooey Gleaves, beauty and wellness journalist Twiggy Jalloh, and Global Brand and Marketing Director of Escentric Molecules Millie Devine. 

Across the evening, the panellists discussed everything from fragrance as self-expression to the role scent and skin chemistry play in dating, beauty and culture as a whole. Hosted once again inside the Cinema at Selfridges, the session had a guided scent experience which broke down Molecule 01, Escentric 01 and Molecule 01 + Champaca. The night was a packed house and started and ended with drinks at the bar surrounded by the full range of Escentric Molecules fragrances. 

If you were not one of the lucky ones in the room, worry not. Below is a breakdown of the night’s highlights.

IT STARTED WITH A SCREENING 

Before the panel officially started, there was a screening of Escentric Molecules’ latest campaign. Entitled C0DE WITHIN, the film directed by Services Généraux and styled by Billy Lobos features three talents from three different parts of the creative industries. The campaign brings together Emirati-Egyptian musician Mayah Alkhateri of Kiss Facility, London-based performance artist Alfie Sibthorpe of Rat Section, and Los Angeles-based model Soap Collins. 

EARLIEST MEMORIES OF SCENT 

The panellists began the conversation by unpacking their earliest memories of scent. For Jalloh, who grew up in her parents' beauty supply store, it was the smell of the wholesale factory in East London. Meanwhile, Gleaves recalled the “That’s So Raven moment” he gets when being hit with a scent that transports him back in time. The discussion touched on the emotional power of fragrances and how integral they become to who you are at a certain time. Jalloh also shared her first experience discovering Molecule 01 through her beauty journalism work and how the scent became a longtime favourite of hers. 

ENGAGE NOT JUST LISTEN

Usually, guests at panel talks are limited to being simply mute audience members until the very end, when the floor is opened for brief questions. But on Thursday night, guests were invited to play a more active role in the event. Guests used reaction cards with "agree" on one side and "disagree" on the other to answer questions and contribute to the conversation. During the scent experience, when the audience was asked about their initial reactions to M+ Champaca, a sea of "agree" cards filled the room as everyone unanimously agreed on how special the velvet-like cedarwood and floral notes were.

For a fragrance brand known for enhancing different aspects of different people, it was only right that that philosophy of doing things differently was extended to how the night unfolded too. Removing the separation between panellists and guests meant the room was an open forum where all thoughts were welcome. When the panellists were asked for tips to make fragrance last longer, one guest who studied fragrance chemistry gave everyone a crash course on how fragrance reacts with body heat and why Jalloh’s tip to spray under your knees as well as the typical fragrance pulse points works. 

FIRST THINGS FIRST… M01 

Throughout the conversation, guests were also taken through three different scents from the cult brand. Starting with the classic "anti-fragrance" Molecule 01, which one person described as “your skin but better”, guests applied the fragrances on themselves before comparing how differently the same scent smelt on others around them. Geza Schoen, co-founder of Escentric Molecules, describes the scent as a personal one "for the individuals who might be a bit bored with fragrance and prefer to radiate an aura." 

Following M01, guests tried Escentric 01, the scent dedicated to the Iso E Super molecule, which opens with lime peel and pink pepper, leading into a green jasmine bud and orris, anchored by balsamic notes and clean musk in the base. The experience finished with the comforting, floral Molecule 01 + Champaca, one of the brand's latest scents – which you can read more about here. 

EVERYONE LEFT WITH A GIFT BAG 

In addition to the reaction cards and popcorn, each guest received an exclusive Escentric Molecules x Dazed tote bag, made especially for the event. Inside was a copy of the Summer 2026 issue of Dazed, an Escentric Molecules poster, stickers and, of course, some exclusive 10ml travel-size Escentric Molecules fragrances. To explore more than the three scents from the panel, guests also received a discovery kit including the M+ range.

DRINKS TO END THE NIGHT

After the panel, guests were invited to mingle, enjoy a curated selection of drinks, including different summer spritz and cocktails.

GUESTS GOT UP CLOSE WITH ALL THE SCENTS

The space also had the full range of Escentric Molecules' fragrances out for all to try. "The Escentric Molecules scents are all lowkey but really sexy. I got into Cologne One and the M+ Ginger scent; they turned me out!" Gleaves explains, speaking on the event. "I loved discussing how we pick who we want to be and how we want to feel with the fragrances we choose. Sometimes it's a dumb surfer jock from Venice Beach, sometimes it's a late 80s account executive with a Mercedes in the shop, and scent helps us inhabit those mental states! It's the cherry on the Sunday of who you choose to be that day!"

Head to the gallery above to check out images from the night. Discover more about Escentric Molecules here.