Floral

Monoï

Note Profile

Prepared 28 perfumes

Also Known As

Monoi Oil

About

Monoï exudes a creamy, exotic blend of lush white florals and smooth coconut, conjuring images of tropical beaches. It is sweet, slightly fruity, and sun-kissed, with the delicate floralcy of Tiare flowers mingling with rich, warm coconut oil. The result is a sensuous, vacation-like aroma that feels both soothing and indulgent.

Scent Profile

Monoï is a tropical, oily scent: the heady white florality of Tiare (Tahitian gardenia) macerated in coconut oil, with the unsweetened fat of the oil itself as much of the smell as the flower. It opens sun-warmed and creamy, then settles into a persistent fatty-floral base. This is not the clean synthetic coconut but an oil-rich one, slightly fatty, with a faint indolic warmth underneath.

ScentWheel

Breadthfocused

EnvelopeHeart · ~8h lasting

Family Fruity, Waxy & Fatty, Floral

Read off the wheel, not a label applied to the note.

What this is made of

Monoï names no single substance

Reconstructed

Monoi is tiare flowers macerated in coconut oil - a preparation rather than a single extract. The search's monoisostearate hit is an unrelated emulsifier that shares a stem.

How the layers join

Origin

Monoï is traditionally produced in French Polynesia by macerating freshly picked Tiare flowers in refined coconut oil. The process involves steeping the blossoms for several days to infuse the oil with their fragrance, resulting in a naturally perfumed oil used in both cosmetics and perfumery. Authentic Monoï is protected by an appellation of origin, ensuring specific sourcing and production methods.

Usage in Perfumery

Perfumers use Monoï primarily in heart and base notes to impart a creamy, exotic floral character and a sense of tropical warmth. It blends well with other white florals, coconut, vanilla, and solar notes, as well as soft woods and musks. Monoï is often featured in beach-inspired, summer, and gourmand compositions to evoke a sunlit, relaxed atmosphere.