The ingredients
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.
LOSTINFLOWERS
RED CHAMPACA
SCENT: Sweet, warm, sensual, with an almost woody undertone.Known to be a “joy oil” and natural mood enhancer
ORIGINS/PRODUCTION:
Obtained from the flowers of the Michelia champaca tree, which is a Magnolia grown in Asia. The tree flowers once during the monsoon and then again in the Spring, producing a powerful odor.
GARDENIA ENFLEURAGE
SCENT: Sweet, heady floral fragrance
ORIGIN/PRODUCTION: The enfleurage technique of distillation is barely used anymore as it’s tremendously labor intensive, but make the scent unbelievably rich and intense. It is an intensive process and requires several pounds of gardenia petals per ml of oil.
SCENT: Earthy, damp, animalic, leather-like -- antithesis of floral notes
Key component of classical Chypré and Fougères structures
ORIGIN/PRODUCTION: Tree lichen. Known as “Mousse de Chêne” in French
SCENT: 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.
SCENT: Sweet, heady floral fragrance
ORIGIN/PRODUCTION: The enfleurage technique of distillation is barely used anymore as it’s tremendously labor intensive, but make the scent unbelievably rich and intense. It is an intensive process and requires several pounds of gardenia petals per ml of oil.
FRENCH OAKMOSS
SCENT: Earthy, damp, animalic, leather-like -- antithesis of floral notes
Key component of classical Chypré and Fougères structures
ORIGIN/PRODUCTION: Tree lichen. Known as “Mousse de Chêne” in French
DEADOFNIGHT
SANDALWOOD
SCENT: 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: 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.
SCENT: 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
FALLINTOSTARS
ROSEWOOD
SCENT: Slightly rosy, warm, woody, and floral. A highly diffusive oil, it connects well with both heart and top notes.
ORIGIN/PRODUCTION: Rosewood oil is obtained by chipping Aniba rosaeodora prior to distillation. The rosewood we use in fallintostars is sourced sustainably from a distillery in the Peruvian Amazon.
SCENT: Slightly rosy, warm, woody, and floral. A highly diffusive oil, it connects well with both heart and top notes.
ORIGIN/PRODUCTION: Rosewood oil is obtained by chipping Aniba rosaeodora prior to distillation. The rosewood we use in fallintostars is sourced sustainably from a distillery in the Peruvian Amazon.
JONQUIL
SCENT: Heady, rich floral with musky undertones.
SCENT: Heady, rich floral with musky undertones.
ORIGIN/PRODUCTION: The jonquil in fallintostars is derived from the French daffodil, or "cream narcissus." They are often harvested at the "one bell" stage, when only one flower is open on the spike. Natural jonquil is rarely used in perfumery today.
SCENT: Sensual and warm leathery resin, the smell of Labdanum can be reminiscent of Ambergris. Labdanum improves the longevity of a fragrance when formulated well among other ingredients, helping a perfume linger nicely. ORIGIN/PRODUCTION: Obtained from the Cistus plant. Sometimes known as Rock Rose, which grows in Corsica, the South of France. The raw resin is extracted by boiling the leaves and twigs.