Moisturizing Treasure of the Tropics

Have you ever smelled a canvas? Not the paint, but the air and atmosphere shown within?

You have if you’ve ever seen a painting by Paul Gauguin. Known for his lush Polynesian landscapes and dark-haired beauties, he captured his tropical home in vibrant daubs of paint and perfume, his every breath likely suffused with the hypnotic aroma of the Tiare flower.

Related to the glistening gardenia, Tiare is the floral emblem of French Polynesia, celebrated as the flower of love and renowned for its nutrient-rich essence. A creamy white, pinwheel-shaped flower, it releases a scent that’s heady, at turns sweet and exotic. A Tiare flower worn behind one’s ear is said to signal the wearer’s romantic availability.

From Tiare (pronounced tee-a-ray) comes Monoi Tiare Tahiti butter, a key moisturizing component in Temple Tree Jasmine, our newest Thymes collection.

Monoi butter is a soft, velvety cream made from the oils of sweet almonds and coconut combined with Tiare essence. A proprietary formula of Tahiti, Monoi butter offers rich moisturizing benefits for skin and hair. You can almost imagine the native women, as captured by Gauguin, stroking Monoi butter to gloss their tresses and smooth their caramel complexions.

You can imagine Gauguin’s native women using Monoi butter to gloss their tresses and smooth their caramel complexions.

Monoi butter is made through a process called enfleurage, a painstaking extraction method. It works like this: Before the blossoms open, they are picked by hand, then rushed to a perfumery plant. There, they are steeped in oil for no less than 15 days. The time-consuming process slowly releases the flower’s unique properties for use in perfumery.

In Temple Tree Jasmine, velvety Monoi butter blends with soothing Madonna lily extract to indulge the skin with nourishing moisture. Floral wisps layer the air with heady Temple Tree blossoms and jasmine sambac, entwined with honeysuckle, ylang ylang and damask rose and steeped in silky coconut milk. Available in formulas for bath and body care and home fragrance, the exotic bouquet benefits both body and mind.

Experience Temple Tree Jasmine at your local specialty retailer or here, at thymes.com. And invite this tropical treasure into your life.