When I dream of my future self, she can be described as three things: Happy, healthy, and smelling like a vegetable. The third may have you questioning my sanity and olfactory system, but I’m not fantasizing about the scent of Brussels sprout or broccoli emanating from my pores—although don’t tempt me with a good time. I’m talking about fragrances that feature fresh vegetable notes, like rhubarb, carrot, cucumber, basil, bell peppers, and green tomato. And since we can’t exactly eat them with confidence right now (we’re looking at you, cyclosporiasis), why not wear them?
Geraldine Nicolai, global head of fine fragrances at Givaudan, tells Allure that garden vegetables may just be the next gourmand. They offer us something fresh while still being “juicy, fun, and natural,” like the vanilla-forward scents consumers love, and the numbers appear to agree: According to data from Spate, vegetable scents are on the rise. Specifically, Szechuan pepper, beet juice, cucumber, beetroot, and green tomato have grown year over year in popularity, which directly aligns with Nicolai’s predictions and, selfishly, my ideal scent palette.
Brands have been responding to the demand by experimenting with the ins and outs of the vegetable garden, both in the home and personal fragrance categories. It started with tomato. Loewe started the craze in 2020 with its tomato candle, and we’ve only dug deeper since then—in 2022, Diptyque’s launched La Droguerie, a candle that combines basil, mint, and tomato leaves to create a vibrant scent, while Replica’s From the Garden gave tomato leaf a lead role when it debuted in 2023. Snif debuted pizza-inspired Slice Society with tomato sauce and basil notes in 2025, the same year Bath & Body Works debuted its Off the Vine collection, an approachable veggie-inspired assortment with added floral notes. More recently, in 2026, Le Monde Gourmand collaborated with Los Angeles-based Italian restaurant Jon & Vinny’s to create Tomato Bébé, a tomato scent so realistic that I tricked myself into believing I was, in fact, wrapped up in a vine upon first spritz.
This embrace of crispy crunchy scents seems to mimic our evolving taste palates as we age, says Kevin Keller, co-founder of Fulton & Roark, a brand that’s incorporated notes of rhubarb, tomato, and green bell pepper in its scents. “You start to get away from the simple white, starchy foods and wanting desserts when you’re a little kid, to discovering the bitters, the greens, the things that are a little bit more complex,” he says. “I think we’re seeing that very same arc as people expand their horizons with fragrance.” This makes sense, since the perfumes I want to wear tend to go hand-in-hand with the things I want to eat. I’ve never had much of a sweet tooth, so I’m often reaching for sharp and savory snacks—even salty, veggie-based cocktails, like the caprese martini from Jac’s On Bond in downtown Manhattan—when given the choice.
The burst of interest in tomatoes has allowed brands to take even more inspiration from the garden. This summer, edible notes that were once in the background have become main characters. Heretic Parfums dropped tart, vegetal Rhubarb Thief, while Jo Malone released a limited-edition collection of three distinct veggie fragrances: Scarlet Beetroot, Velvety Butternut, and Carrot Blossom.
My colleague, Allure’s content director Sophia Panych, describes Jo Malone’s new line as “minimal but with depth, and super unexpected,” and we seem to have a similar reason we reach for them. “I like veggie scents because they evoke another element of summer. Don’t get me wrong, I love beachy, coconut-y scents,” she says. “I bathe in Estée Lauder Bronze Goddess or Tom Ford Soleil Blanc most mornings in the summer because I love feeling like I’m on a beach holiday at all times.” Vegetable notes, on the other hand, offer a more grounded interpretation of summer, she says, reminding her of long hot days spent in her parents’ garden and weekends in the Catskill mountains in New York State. “They’re the olfactive version of grass between your toes, lazy afternoons on the hammock, and bright, fresh salads on a picnic table,” she says.
