Chances are, you’re familiar with the buzz around 2023 being dubbed the season of the “tomato girl Summer.” She casually roams through Italy (or the coasts of Spain, or her local farmer’s market), gathering fresh produce for lavish feasts and sipping spritzes, all while adorning herself in an array of flowing prairie dresses. Her hair is elegantly arranged in a slightly tousled, romantic updo, sometimes secured with a silky scarf. And she’s particularly fond of tomato-scented candles.
“Wait, what?” you might exclaim.
Indeed, a new wave of candles, diffusers, and beauty items has emerged to help you embrace the tomato girl persona, all featuring fragrances inspired by the essence of the sunny vine fruit. “Extracting fragrances from the garden transforms expectations and amplifies sensory opportunities,” explains Núria Cruelles, a perfumer at Loewe. Back in 2020, the brand unveiled its Tomato Leaves assortment, a collection of candles and room sprays that drew inspiration from bustling markets, Spain’s abundant natural treasures, and moments spent in the garden. “The aroma fills the space, unveiling hints of cassis berries, verdant greens, and fruits on the brink of blooming.”
Other brands like Flamingo Estate, Malin + Goetz, and Jo Malone are also joining in on the celebration of the tomato girl summer. While Flamingo Estate’s Roma Heirloom Tomato fragrance is currently only available as a candle, a doubling in sales over the past year signals the imminent launch of bar soaps, body washes, room sprays, and more this month.
“Right from the start, we were on a quest to infuse the garden’s essence indoors,” affirms Richard Christiansen, the founder of Flamingo Estate, discussing the fragrance. “At first impression, it’s lush and earthy, yet as it burns, it evolves into a complexity of layers that are zesty and invigorating – anchored by the essence of tomato vines, basil, and black pepper – transporting you to the luxury of a summer soirée in a Sicilian garden.”
Certainly, tomatoes are delicious and inherently linked to the warmer months. However, according to Christiansen, the tomato’s allure also lies in the nostalgia it conjures: if you grew up near a garden patch, the scent of its leaf-covered branches and stems lingers in your memories. As adults, a plate of freshly picked and sliced tomatoes, along with their accompanying aroma, signifies a kind of carefree abundance; the type of meal one enjoys in the relaxed embrace of vacation mode. “The tomato embodies many facets – earthly and sensual, opulent, and amorous,” Christiansen remarks. “We’re drawn to scents that connect us to cherished memories, yet the most exceptional ones go beyond that, crafting a distinctive sensory journey.”
The Tomato candle by Malin + Goetz was conceived as a novel approach to bringing the outdoors into our living spaces: a straightforward way of experiencing the pleasures of nature within our homes. “This fruit embodies and centers every household,” states Ciello Tuazon, senior director of global production innovation at Malin + Goetz. “It also mirrors the expanding role of food in culture and how, now more than ever, we crave solace.”
Thanks to the influence of social media, you might envision a tomato girl summer as a lavish Mediterranean escapade – yet it appears that the alluring fragrance of the tomato is deeply intertwined with our own surroundings. A scent-driven staycation, perhaps?
