Tiaré absolute

Creamy white flower, young coconut, a green edge, reminiscent of jasmine and ylang but lighter. The absolute is sweet and round; monoï adds a coconut-oil note.

Tiaré absolute has no dedicated standard in the IFRA 51 index. Constituents such as linalool and methyl salicylate, when present, fall under the corresponding standards and labelling rules.

Monoï de Tahiti is coconut oil macerated with flowers, not an absolute; it is used directly on skin and hair as an oil product. Store the absolute dark, sealed and cool.

Tiaré (Gardenia taitensis) is a shrub native to Pacific islands and the emblem of French Polynesia. The white flowers have six to eight pinwheel petals and open from bud within a day.

The oldest way to keep tiaré scent is monoï: buds are steeped in refined coconut oil for days, then filtered. Monoï de Tahiti received an appellation d'origine in France in 1992, with requirements on coconut and flowers from French Polynesia.

Tiaré absolute is solvent-extracted from fresh flowers in very small volumes. Since flowers must be processed right after picking and supply is limited to the islands, many products named tiaré are synthetic accords.

An absolute is made in two steps. The raw material is extracted with a non-polar solvent such as hexane to give a waxy concrete. The concrete is then washed with ethanol, chilled to precipitate waxes, filtered and freed of alcohol. What remains is the absolute.

In perfumery tiaré serves tropical white florals, often with coconut, vanilla, frangipani and jasmine sambac. It brings creaminess and a light green note, unlike the weight of tuberose.

Gardenia taitensis differs from Gardenia jasminoides, the gardenia common in Vietnam and China. G. jasminoides has almost no commercial absolute; gardenia in perfume is usually a reconstruction.