Frangipani in Perfume: The Flower Behind Forbidden Bloom
Frangipani, also known as Plumeria, is one of the most luminous white floral notes in perfumery. Creamy, fruity, solar and almost hypnotic, it became one of the central flowers behind Forbidden Bloom by Mabelle O’Rama, our opulent white floral extrait de parfum inspired by frangipani, gardenia and the garden of Astarte.
What is frangipani?
Five lush petals swirled together, a bright yellow centre luring pollinators closer, and the sunniest nectar a night-blooming flower could possess. Frangipani, or in technical terms, Plumeria, is a flower renowned for its heady aroma. Native to the Americas, it is now grown in warm climates around the world.
In many cultures, it is believed that the five petals represent the five elements of the universe: earth, water, fire, air, and aether. When thinking about how dynamic the actual scent of frangipani is, this belief makes sense.
What does frangipani smell like?
Frangipani smells creamy, fruity, floral and sunlit. It has the opulence of a white flower, but with a juicy brightness that can feel almost peach-like or tropical. Emitting through its glowing centre is a whirlpool of vibrant stone fruit, smooth sandalwood ribbons and delicate spices, all blended into a creamy, hypnotic core.
It is not a shy or watery floral. It is heady and sensual, with warmth, texture and presence.
My first encounter with frangipani
I experienced the scent of this flower for the first time in the early days of my training, because of a good friend of mine.
She was back in her home country, Colombia, and sent me this message:
“I found this flower at the farm that smells amazing, peachy, super fresh. I could not believe the smell!…”
Naturally, I was very intrigued. A few messages later, and after a few attempts to make me a tincture and send me cut outs of the flower, I eventually ordered the raw material to try for myself.
Once it arrived, I was enthralled. It smelled heady and sexy, fruity and opulent. It felt like the flower a goddess would have in her garden. And so the story began forming in my head for a new perfume...
How frangipani inspired Forbidden Bloom by Mabelle O’Rama
I envisioned the Phoenician goddess Astarte, who was known for her beauty and romantic nature. What would her garden look like? Starting with frangipani, the composition became a game of complement and contrast. I picked up on its fruity facets with the peach, then added an overdose of pear, and mandarin orange for a refreshing zest.
Every good story needs some kind of tension, so I brought in another heady white flower: gardenia, a flower I grew up smelling in my home country, Lebanon, part of what was once Phoenicia. Instead of overpowering one another, the qualities these two flowers shared were amplified into one intoxicating bloom. It felt almost too good to be true: two flowers that should have competed, somehow blooming together.
The base brought contrast and depth: coffee absolute for darkness, Virginian cedarwood for earthiness, and ambroxan for a salty, warming drydown. And so Forbidden Bloom was born: a fruity white floral extrait de parfum built around frangipani, gardenia, peach, pear, coffee, cedarwood, ambergris and musk.
The result is a bloom that feels opulent, sunlit and a little dangerous.
Discover Forbidden Bloom
That garden, and the flower that started it, became Forbidden Bloom, first launched in 2023, our opulent white floral extrait de parfum inspired by frangipani, gardenia and the mythical garden of Astarte. Since its launch it has been a two-time finalist at The Fragrance Foundation Awards, featured in Forbes, and described by InStyle magazine as "one of the most delicious, tropical, lush and long-lasting scents."
Discover Forbidden Bloom
About the author: Mabelle is the founder and nose behind Mabelle O'Rama, a London-based independent perfume house, and was named Çafleurebon's Perfume Person of the Year 2024, with multiple Fragrance Foundation Awards finalist nods and an IAO Honourable Mention to her name.