an oud for the masses: off script by strangelove nyc

+ EVENTS OBV

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The Brief—

in today’s letter: events for the next few weeks, plus a review of strangelove’s newest love: off script nyc ✨

Hello friends! Happy Thursday. I’ve had an eventful couple weeks and I’m so excited to share some of the fun stuff I’ve been getting nosey about.

Over the next couple of months, I’ll be experimenting with some new formats for Perfumeverse: updated sections, new discoveries, and another letter each week in the works. I hope you’re as excited as I am! I’m also on TikTok as @newyorknose, so please come say hi! 👋🏽

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THE SCENT EDIT—
an oud fit for the girly pops, you say?

When I was invited to the off script launch by strangelove, I read the email wrong. Until I walked into the event, I was under the impression that “off script” was a new fragrance from strangelove. Blame mommy brain.

Imagine my surprise when I saw no gold-topped amber bottles or perfume necklaces, but round vessels in green, pink, red, and purple, with contrasting tops. What in the girly pop is happening here…

Well, it seems strangelove also had a baby this year. off script is the second perfume house launched by Elizabeth Gaynes, founder of strangelove. If someone is going to try to bring real oud to a wider audience, it makes sense that it’s her.

For those who don’t know, an oud note doesn’t necessarily mean a fragrance contains natural oud. Synthetic interpretations are common, and the real deal can make a serious dent in your wallet.

On my visits to the Middle East, oud seemed to follow me everywhere—in the malls, the mosques, the souks, and dare I say even the bathrooms smelled so pleasant. I never complained. Natural oud is an experience in itself: it can be extremely stinky and off-putting, or quite ethereal and spiritual. I’m no enemy of synthetic oud. Quite the opposite. I appreciate the consistency, the affordability, and the possibilities it offers without relying on a scarce natural material. And technology has come so far that you can still capture the essence of something quite beautiful without the price tag.

But if someone wants to make a valiant effort to introduce the next generation to natural oud, why shouldn’t we let them? Would I love to see a brand like this come from those whose cultures celebrate oud through and through? Yes. But I also want to review off script on its own merits. And what it offers is an excellent proposition.

Gaynes traces her fascination with oud to plantations in Borneo. While strangelove uses Indian oud, off script uses Cambodian Oud Al Safii, which she describes as softer, rounder, and naturally sweeter.

The concept is simple and fun. The three scents unveil themselves in “chapters,” each introducing a different level of oud. I bought this discovery kit when I got home from the event.

Wallflower
Start small with Wallflower: a fresh, clean-laundry scent with oud. This is by far the most interesting and fun of the three to me. I never thought of cotton and oud together much TBH. The opening delivers a hit of woody oud right away. As it develops and dries down, you’re left with a powdery, airy musk. Light, fun, don’t take life too seriously—just seriously enough to wear real oud.

There’s no room for a Glossier You here. Of course, there’s an element of “your skin but better,” but this girl could never be accused of playing it too safe.

Heavenspot
Heavenspot is a fruity floral that opens quite indolic to my nose. It reminds me of the garment districts of Mumbai, where men welcome you into their stores, incense burns outside, and jasmine hangs at a nearby flower shop. Again, the oud opens strong, then dries down to a radiant, creamy finish of florals and warm sandalwood.

She’s classy. She’s in her element. She’s laughing with her friends or on a carefree date. She has pretty hands and enjoys being in the sun. This girl knows life is beautiful and finite, and she encapsulates that.

Doubletake
Doubletake will probably win the hearts of oud lovers and newcomers alike. It’s the strongest of the three— dubbed the “seductive nightfall,” the grand finale. This is the portal, the gateway to oud. Everything else has been a teaser.

This is SO familiar to me. It brings back the scent of bakhoor drifting through homes, clothes doused in fragrance on Eid mornings; you’re hit with it right away when you go to greet someone. It’s polarizing —you might think it’s a bit much for 8:00 in the morning. It’s woven through so much of the Arab, Desi, African, and Muslim life I’ve known that I can’t separate the smell from the memories.

I’m curious what an uninitiated nose would make of it. Sometimes I wish I could smell it for the first time all over again. I can’t even remember when that was. My associations with culture and religion run so deep that they inevitably shape this review. I’m smelling it through a lifetime.

Maybe it’s the dates, or the mint and dark fruits in combination. It’s resinous, lush, leathery, with a sweetness that, once discovered, you can never forget.

This one is rightfully named. It’s for the girl who doesn’t need to call herself the main character in the group —everyone already knows she is because she has the most depth. She’s intentional about her appearance and her conversations, with big feelings that hide behind cat-eye liner. She’s a fan of the bold and brooding. She loves the smell of real leather in shops and enjoys wearing jewel tones and velvet.

I think these three debuts are brilliantly done, each offering a different style to explore. They all are oud-heavy in the opening but dry down less intensely so you get to enjoy the other notes. The colors, visuals, and copy are well executed, too. I especially like how quiet the rollout has been. It reminds you that the juice is the budget.

This is a great way to determine whether you oud is up your alley or not. The bottles run $290 for 50 ml, but the most compelling product has to be the discovery kit. When it posted it on my story, I had several people comment on how great it looks and how quickly they purchased it. The vials are beautiful, and the presentation is unique. At $50 for three 2 ml fragrances containing natural oud, it’s a no-brainer for me. The discovery-set page also promises a $50 voucher toward a full-size purchase.

The DNA of strangelove is present, ready for the next generation of oud lovers. If strangelove is the older sister, off script is the younger, irreverent, and very interesting one. She’s inherited everything from those who came before her, with fewer rules and no curfew. I wouldn’t be surprised if they come out with oud perfume charms. I think they could do it well.

If you’ve never explored natural oud or want some fun vials to carry around and share with younger noses, I’d add the discovery kit to your cart.

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Scent & Culture—

• My latest obsession has been people converting their dollhouses into homes for their perfume bottles. I haven’t seen many but omg they’re absolutely delightful.

• I will be getting my grubby little hands on Scent Score for Backrooms, created by Joya for the A24 movie. The Discovery Set ($65) includes five 2ml sprays, blotters, and a timed guide to follow as you watch. Have any of you tried it, or watched the movie? Ruin things for me please. Scent review soon come.

• Speaking off…who is going to start the olfactory film club? October would be a great month to debut watching Frankenstein, Perfume: The Story of a Murderer, or Hereditary with some scent.

• D.S. & Durga is having a Gothic Holiday, and naturally, I’m here for it. I always enjoy what they get up to around spooky season. The collection includes limited-edition candles, a Gothic Gourmands perfume set, and dressed-up editions of Debaser and I Don’t Know What, with packaging inspired by esoteric symbols, celestial imagery, and winter rituals. British animator Jonathon Humphreys brings the illustrations to life. I’m especially eyeing Gothic Gourmands to keep my Murder Mystery Set company. Pistachio and Black Magenta are so delish for this season.

  And a little insider tip: an old Studio Juice is coming back from the vault. I won’t name names, lest I be accused of witchcraft!

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Out & About— social discovery

• AURA – An Exhibition of Extraordinary Italian Scents
  Oct 22 · One World Observatory

• Emma Vernon x Scents of Wood Perfume Launch Party
  Oct 23 · 5-7pm · Scent Bar BK · 663 Driggs Ave.

• TSU LANGE YOR Scent Café Pop-Up
  Oct 22–31 · Cafe 10am-2pm, Wine Bar 4pm-late · Tashca, 151 Elizabeth St.

• Natural Perfume Blending | Brooklyn Botanic Garden
  Oct 24 · 12:30-4pm · 1000 Washington Ave.

• The Dry Down Club x L’Epoque Parfums Fragrance Preview
  Oct 27 · 4:30-6:30pm · Register to see address

• ST. ROSE at Violet Grey: Perfume, Astrology, & Jewelry
  Oct 28 · 12-5pm · Violet Grey’s Madison Store, 43 East 78th St.
  RSVP for a reading or piercing.

• Celebration of L’Heure Bleue with Delphine Jelk
  Oct 29 · 1:30-2:30pm · Guerlain Wellness Spa 301 Park Ave.

• KAYALI’s Sweetest Celebration
  Oct 29 · 12-5pm · Lavan Chelsea, 541 W 25th St.

• Discothèque BODY HEAT Launch
  Oct 29 · 5-7pm · Scent Bar BK · 663 Driggs Ave.

• The Smell of Banana Flowers
  Oct 29 Opening reception · 6-8pm · Bronx River Art Center

• Salt & Stone Training Center Pop-Up
  Oct 29–Nov 1 · 10am-7pm · 262 Mott St.

• Spooky Scents Class with Daisy Bow
  Oct 30 · 7:30-9pm · 38 WEST 32ND ST SUITE 1506

• What Does A Ghost Smell Like? Lecture with Pierre Benard Segu
  Nov 1 · 11am-12pm · 38 WEST 32ND ST SUITE 1506

NOVEMBER & beyond—

• ScentXplore 2026
  Nov 5-7 · Center415 · 415, 5th Avenue

• Winternights with Michael Nordstrand and Scent Trunk’s Yosh Han
  Nov 5 · 4-6pm

• Cultures of Perfume: Scents That Shaped History with Saskia Wilson-Brown and Rachel Syme
  Nov 6 · doors at 5:30pm · 6:30pm event · Rizzoli Bookstore, 1133 Broadway

• Michael Nordstrand Talk at Crybaby Bar
  Nov 7 · 1:45pm · Crybaby Bar, 153 Bowery

• Manhattan Vintage | Upper East Side
  Nov 14–15 · 11am-5pm · Ukrainian Institute of America, 2 E 79th St.

• Matthieu Befve of Givaudan in Conversation with FIT President Jason Schupbach
  Dec 2 · 6:30-8pm · FIT, 227 W 27th St.

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On My Radar

Revisit our Spooky Perfume Tour in Williamsburg using D.S. & Durga’s Murder Mystery Set, cult favorite Nemat’s newest layering kits, + these edible perfume bottles!

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Until next time, stay nosey.
Nadia

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Thank you for reading, sharing, sniffing, and staying nosey. :)<3

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