Fancy a little wander through the garden? The harvest is here, and you can fill your basket—well, your perfume vanity, anyway—with its bounty: juicy tomatoes, crisp cucumbers, maybe even an earthy beet or potato straight out of the soil, because the best vegetal perfumes are like an aromatic, evocative trip to the farmers market.
Vegetal perfumes are fragrances built around lifelike vegetable and plant notes, as well as the surrounding environment—like a tomato fresh from the vine, where you can smell not only the plump, orange-red veggie (fruit if you’re being technical, but I digress) itself, but also its fragrant stem and the dirt it grew from, or an herbal scent that smells like a handful of freshly harvested basil or mint leaves.
“What makes [vegetal scents] unique is their realism and texture,” explains Patty Hidalgo, vice president perfumer at International Flavors & Fragrances (IFF). “They bring a sense of vitality and authenticity to fragrance, creating the impression of being in a garden, greenhouse, or natural landscape rather than simply smelling a decorative floral bouquet.” Hidalgo says that while vegetal scents are often considered part of the “green” fragrance family, they’ve evolved to become their own special category. “These vegetal notes are appearing across many fragrance categories, from fresh and aromatic compositions to florals, woods, and even niche artistic creations. Tomatoes are a good example of a vegetal scent that has gained a lot of popularity and is very on trend.”
If it feels like everyone you know is burning tomato candles or using tomato-scented hand soap, it’s because they are. Brands as diverse as Bath & Body Works and Loewe, Flamingo Estate and Le Monde Gourmand have experimented with tomato-scented perfumes, hand washes, and candles, and Kevin Keller, founder of Fulton & Roark, told Allure that the evolution from more traditional fragrances and TK gourmands to vegetal scents makes, well, sense. “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 explained.“I think we’re seeing that very same arc as people expand their horizons with fragrance.”
Hidalgo agrees. “Vegetal notes often feel fresh, modern, and emotionally connected to nature,” she says. “Consumers are increasingly looking for authenticity, wellness, and a stronger connection to nature, especially when the world feels tense and chaotic. Vegetal scents offer a more immersive and realistic interpretation of the natural world and draw people into nature through the olfactive experience.”
The best vegetal perfumes capture the energy of living plants and satisfy your craving for something unique and creative. Ahead, scroll through our top picks for the best of the best, including rhubarb, beet, and green pepper scents, as well as eau de parfums and body mist formulas.
