Fragrancing the home is on everyone's mind this time of year. As we hunker down indoors for the cooler seasons, we want a space that smells as comforting and cozy as it looks, so a seasonal scent is a must. You can forget pumpkin spice this year though. Fall 2024 is all about making your space smell like a tomato.
We're leaving tomato girl summer in our rearview; it's been decided that this harvest fruit is better suited to the transitional autumn season. If you've ever stepped foot in a greenhouse where tomatoes grow, you'll know exactly what we mean. The earthy smell of the foliage is so distinctive and unique. Sweet yet grassy with notes similar to basil, it's like a warm hug for the senses, which is why it's one of the best home fragrances to fill your space for fall.
All your favorite luxury fragrance brands, from Jo Malone to Malin & Goetz, are hopping on this new scent trend. Loewe first released its Tomato Leaves collection in 2020 and it quickly became a cult favorite, with the line now featuring soaps and diffusers as well as incense and candles. Last month, New York-based brand Malin & Goetz added a room spray to their tomato-inspired range, and searches for "tomato scents" on Google reached an all-time high this year. There really is no better time to make your home smell like a greenhouse.
But why the sudden urge to imbue your space with the verdant scent of tomatoes? Not so long ago, we were all looking for richer scents like tonka, amber, and oud to make homes smell like a hotel. Now, it seems, we're turning to the potting shed for luxury aromas.
Master perfumer, Laura Honey, points out that the harvest season has an important role to play. With early autumn being the prime time to pick your ripe red tomatoes off the vine, it's hardly surprising it's one of the best candle scents for fall. We all want to bring that joyful element of the outdoors into our homes to echo this transitional time of year. But Laura says there’s a little more to it than just the season shift alone.
"Over the last few years, I’ve seen the gourmand home fragrances trend boom, with cinnamon, pumpkin spice, and vanilla in all the best autumn candles on the market," she says. "However, if you’re anything like me, you might start to find these a little sickly and that's why tomato is a great alternative. It’s completely unique for the green, tangy top notes, which infuse your room with a fresh aroma. Most candlemakers will then pair it with some light, woody essential oils to give the fragrance some savory last."
What tomato fragrance should I buy?
For a true-to-life tomato fragrance, you can't go far wrong with Malin & Goetz room spray or candle to make your home smell amazing. Inspired by the founders' passion for gardening, it's a fresh and verdant interpretation opening with a beautiful mélange of freshly picked herbs. With top notes of basil, green ivy, and mint, and base notes of cedarwood and green pepper, this really feels like you're meandering through Spanish markets on a balmy evening.
"Tomato was chosen for this launch as this well-known fruit crosses all cultures and is the star of many loved dishes," says the Malin & Goetz team. "Notes of earthy cedarwood and green pepper give the scent a soft, clean finish, recreating the abundance of aroma that permeates through a flourishing vegetable garden in late summer."
London perfumer Jo Malone also has a Green Tomato Vine scent, and if you're looking to make a room smell cozier but with an overt freshness, it's a perfect choice. "It's inspired by a greenhouse but also it has a fresh sweetness to it," says Daniel Maxwell, scent expert at Jo Malone. "It's perfect for a conservatory or orangery - any room that gets a lot of sun - because it's quite a bright scent."
But Loewe takes the top spot for the most luxurious tomato fragrance out there. The cult scent has had its fair share of virality, and it's been a constant sell-out as a result. Whether you choose a candle in one of their iconic ribbed jars or a chunky soap on a rope to hang by your kitchen sink, you'll certainly want to get your hands on this trending home scent.
Rich, verdant, and so sophisticated, tomato scents have taken the crown for fall fragrancing. (And deservedly so.)
