Karo Karoundé Absolute is a dreamland distillation from the golden era of natural French parfumery. Masked in mystery and myth, the heavenly headiness of these white tropical flowers emanates an earthy pastel-peach aroma dipped in honeyed-jasmine with the indolent depth of a fecund forest. This rare absolute is a must-have for medium and base notes in super sweet arrangements and for recreating parfumes and colognes of redolent days gone by. 

The floral, slightly apricot, fruity fragrance is carefully distilled from the white flowers of Leptactina senegambica, a small tropical shrub related to gorgeous gardenia. The fragrant flowers are known for their luscious lore in heady perfumes, and the flowers are used to perfume linen, baths, and scent hair oil.

“Its odor is intensely floral, deep herbaceous and sweet… the undertone is slightly fruity, very tenacious, and it fades out in a delightful floral-woody, faintly green herbaceous note. There is certain similarity to orange flower absolute, jonquil, and jasmine… The absolute of Karo Karounde gives very interesting effects in hyacinth, gardenia, stephanotis and tuberose bases and it can be used in a multitude of other heavy-floral or spicy floral perfumes… The annual production of Karo Karounde is limited… a high portion of this quantity is swallowed up by a few French perfume houses who use this powerful material in some of their “grand parfums”.” ~Steffen Arctander, Perfume and Flavor Materials of Natural Origin

“Karo Karounde: an intense middle note with a complicated floral quality that is almost chocolate. Rich, deep, and sexy it speaks of the earth and flowers at the same time. Would create a balance with heady white flowers and lighter florals like magnolia and geranium.” ~Mandy Aftel, Fragrant

“…he was waiting for a certain caravan to come in from the Hadramout with a cache of sweet myrrh, or that he would come home after a merchant arrived from the west with mastic crystals and dried Karo Karounde flowers.” ~Nomi Eve, Henna House