ingredients: deadofnight, meltmyheart, silencethesea
OUD
Oud is at the heart of all of strangelove’s perfumes. A rare aromatic wood resin, oud is harvested from agarwood of the aquilaria tree, a fast-growing evergreen tree found primarily in Southeast Asia. Agarwood is among the most expensive timbers in the world. In the Middle East and Asia, oud has been used for millennia in exquisite perfumes and incenses, traditionally given as precious gifts to loved ones. Oud has no parallel in the western world.
Authentic oud is increasingly expensive and difficult to source, as only an estimated two percent of agarwood trees produce this coveted resin. As the popularity of oud has risen, so too has the use of synthetic substitutions in commercial perfumery. Today, authentic oud can be found in only the most luxurious of fragrances. From strangelove’s inception, we have honored the tradition of pure oud in our perfumes. As such, we only ever use genuine oud from sustainable suppliers, and every batch we procure undergoes rigorous quality control by our perfumer, Christophe Laudamiel.
The nuanced woody scent of oud blends well with a variety of fragrance families, including florals, chyprés, orientals and fougères. Each of our fragrances contains two types of pure oud, adding richness and dimension to our perfumes, which are among the finest in the world.
DEADOFNIGHT
SANDALWOODSCENT: Creamy, spicy, woody, warm, smooth and sweet smell; slightly powdery; legendary for its lingering quality. Sandalwood smells very exotic, comforting, and meditative.ORIGIN/PRODUCTION: Sandalwood used in perfumery is the dark heartwood. Has been used longer than almost any other ingredient in perfumery.
TUBEROSESCENT: Rich, sensual, narcotic floral. In perfumery, it's a very versatile scent and works with a lot of notes. ORIGIN/PRODUCTION: Has the unusual quality of producing oil up to 3 days after it has been picked. One of the last materials still treated by Enfleurage. One of the most expensive materials in perfumery. JASMINE
SCENT: Rich, fruity, warm, narcotic, sensual and animalic floral
ORIGIN/PRODUCTION: Takes five million blossoms (hand picked) to produce a kilo of Jasmine Absolute. When first introduced in the mid-sixteenth century, it was known as “the flower”
SCENT: Rich, warm, soft, pronounced note that is deep and not particularly sweet, with a dusty feel and a bitter edge. Inhaling the aroma can reduce stress, anxiety and cravings. Sensual enhancement in perfume; heady deliciousness.
ORIGIN/PRODUCTION: Obtained from the fruit and seeds of a small tree, Calycanthus occidentalis, which grows across Central America.
SCENT: Rich, fruity, warm, narcotic, sensual and animalic floral
ORIGIN/PRODUCTION: Takes five million blossoms (hand picked) to produce a kilo of Jasmine Absolute. When first introduced in the mid-sixteenth century, it was known as “the flower”
MELTMYHEART
ORRIS BUTTER
SCENT: Subtle, delicate and complex, with a sweet-floral, woody-earthy-rooty aroma that is fresh, vaguely medicinal and delicately floral even trace amounts have a noticeable effect on a perfume where it has an exalting effect, meaning that it "lifts" and enhances the entire fragrance accord, makes it richer, and adds a “vibration,” a presence that is not overwhelming.
ORIGIN/PRODUCTION: Extraordinarily expensive—it takes one ton of iris root to produce one kilo of iris butter through a process that is very time consuming and technically demanding. Orris butter is steam distilled from the roots (not the flowers) of Iris pallida, but only after the roots have been aged for three years.
DARK CHOCOLATESCENT: Subtle, delicate and complex, with a sweet-floral, woody-earthy-rooty aroma that is fresh, vaguely medicinal and delicately floral even trace amounts have a noticeable effect on a perfume where it has an exalting effect, meaning that it "lifts" and enhances the entire fragrance accord, makes it richer, and adds a “vibration,” a presence that is not overwhelming.
ORIGIN/PRODUCTION: Extraordinarily expensive—it takes one ton of iris root to produce one kilo of iris butter through a process that is very time consuming and technically demanding. Orris butter is steam distilled from the roots (not the flowers) of Iris pallida, but only after the roots have been aged for three years.
SCENT: Rich, warm, soft, pronounced note that is deep and not particularly sweet, with a dusty feel and a bitter edge. Inhaling the aroma can reduce stress, anxiety and cravings. Sensual enhancement in perfume; heady deliciousness.
ORIGIN/PRODUCTION: Obtained from the fruit and seeds of a small tree, Calycanthus occidentalis, which grows across Central America.
YLANG YLANG
SCENT: Heady, sweet, creamy, balsamic, sensual, floral. Used in aromatherapy frequently for stress relief
ORIGIN/PRODUCTION: Comes from the Cananga odorata tree in Asia and South Pacific Islands. Distillation of Ylang Ylang is unique in the industry, done only by highly skilled individuals. The process of distillation of ylang ylang is done in situ; it produces four differing qualities of oil which must be drawn off at varying intervals.
SILENCETHESEA
AMBERGRIS
SCENT: Ambergris is an alleged aphrodisiac; it is used as a fixative to help scents last much longer and its perfume can be best described as marine, animal and sweet.
ORIGIN/PRODUCTION: Ambergris is a secretion from sperm whales who secrete a waxy paste to protect themselves from digestive irritation; it obtains its odor when in contact with salt and sun. The longer it floats on the water’s surface, the softer its scent. It is the most costly of all raw materials, worth around 10 times the price of gold.
SCENT: Ambergris is an alleged aphrodisiac; it is used as a fixative to help scents last much longer and its perfume can be best described as marine, animal and sweet.
ORIGIN/PRODUCTION: Ambergris is a secretion from sperm whales who secrete a waxy paste to protect themselves from digestive irritation; it obtains its odor when in contact with salt and sun. The longer it floats on the water’s surface, the softer its scent. It is the most costly of all raw materials, worth around 10 times the price of gold.
NARCISSUS ABSOLUTE
SCENT: Scent resembles dark green leaves with a touch of hyacinth and jasmine
ORIGIN/PRODUCTION: Narcissus comes from the amaryllis family (along with Daffodils)
SCENT: Scent resembles dark green leaves with a touch of hyacinth and jasmine
ORIGIN/PRODUCTION: Narcissus comes from the amaryllis family (along with Daffodils)
FRANKINCENSE
SCENT: Has a fresh, almost citrus-like aspect which counterparts a pronounced warm, woody, dominant theme
ORIGIN/PRODUCTION: Frankincense absolute is obtained from Boswellia trees, native to the Arabian peninsula & northeastern Africa