As you may have heard, 2023 is the summer of “Tomato Girls”. She lounges lazily around Italy (or coastal Spain, or the local farmers market), picking up fresh produce to turn into a sumptuous feast, sipping Sprite while wearing tons of flowy prairie dresses. Her hair is pulled up in a messy, romantic updo or tied back with a silk scarf. She loves tomato scented candles.
“Wait, what ?” I hear you say.
That’s right: help you live out your tomato girl fantasies with new candles, diffusers and beauty products, all inspired by the summer vine fruit. According to Núria Cruelles, perfumer at Loewe, “Agricultural fragrances from the garden can tune expectations and enhance sensory possibilities.” In , the brand debuts a collection of tomato leaves, a line of candles and room sprays inspired by wandering markets, Spain’s natural abundance and play in gardens. “The aroma warms the room, with aromas of cassis berries, verdant greens, and blossom-edged fruits.”
Brands like Flamingo Estate, Malin + Goetz, and Jo Malone are also celebrating tomato girl summer. While Flamingo Estate’s Roman Heirloom Tomato scent is currently only available in candle form, doubling sales from last year means soaps, body washes, room sprays and more are launching this month.
“From the very beginning, we’ve been looking for ways to bring the garden indoors,” says Flamingo Estate founder Richard Christiansen of the fragrance. “On the surface, it’s green and earthy, but when it burns, it becomes more complex, with spicy and fresh layers—underpinned by notes of tomato vine, basil, and black pepper—that draw you into the decadent vibe of a summer dinner in a Sicilian garden.”
Tomatoes, of course, are delicious and intrinsically linked to summer. But another appeal of the humble tomato, according to Christiansen, is the nostalgia it can evoke: If you could grow it in your garden as a kid, the smell of its filament-covered leaves and stems will stay in memory. As an adult, a plate of freshly picked and sliced tomatoes, with its accompanying aroma, heralds an easy richness; a meal served in carefree holiday mode. “A tomato can be many things—earthy, sensual, decadent, romantic,” says Christiansen. “We are drawn to fragrances that connect us to fond memories, but the best fragrances go beyond that, creating a unique sensory experience.”
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