Melati (Indonesian Jasmine) | Première Peau

Sweet, narcotic, heavily indolic. Denser and more tropical than grandiflorum, with more animalic depth. The indole gives it a faintly fecal-musky undertone that becomes heady at the right concentration. Less green than Grasse jasmine, more creamy-white, with a specific tropical warmth. Night-intensified — sambac is most fragrant after dark.

Melati is the Indonesian (and Malay) word for jasmine, specifically Jasminum sambac — the Arabian jasmine widely cultivated across Southeast Asia. In perfumery, 'melati' typically refers to the Indonesian/Southeast Asian character of sambac jasmine rather than the Egyptian or Indian versions.

Jasminum sambac has a heavier, more narcotic, more indolic character than Jasminum grandiflorum (the Grasse jasmine). It is sweeter, more tropical, and more animalic — the indole content is higher, and the overall impression is richer and denser. The flowers are used throughout Southeast Asia for garlands, temple offerings, and tea scenting (jasmine tea is traditionally made with J. sambac).

Jasmine sambac absolute is produced in India, Egypt, and China. The Indonesian production is smaller but considered distinctive, with local terroir and processing methods contributing to a unique olfactory profile.