Obsessed with Summer? We Are, Too—and These Tomato-Scented Candles Bring It Home

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Last week, when I was prying weeds out of my vegetable beds with my Hori Hori knife and wondering where I stowed my kneeling pad, I realized that I am “I’d-rather-be-gardening” years old. It’s possible that I’ve been in denial about this fact for a few years now. The writing was on the wall 14 years ago when I broke my bedrest protocol, just a couple of weeks before my twins were born, to hit Tomatomania, SoCal’s favorite heirloom tomato selling pop-up, and came home with my favorite Early Girl and Sweet 100’s seedlings. This year, while I’m waiting another 60-odd days to harvest the Momotaros and “micro dwarf” cherries I’ve planted, I will sit here at my desk inhaling my favorite new candle: Lycopersicon Esculentum, a.k.a. Tomato, from Carrière Frères that’s been pouring wax in the Cire Trudon factory since the late 19th century (and selling them for considerably less).

John Derian

Carrière Frères

I was first introduced to the oddly fresh and green tomato aroma back in the mid-1990s when I met the founders of Demeter Fragrance while they launched their now infamous scents like Dirt and Tomato. (Click here if you’re curious about why tomato is designated as a fruit, and want a quick history lesson about tariffs and produce imports). While I’m not in a hurry to smell like a tomato personally, I do love the green tang of a candle that smells like the fuzzy leaves of the vine and the ripe fruit at the same time.

Fellow pomodoro nerds will be happy to know that there are a variety of lovely tomato leaf candles, all subtly different, to choose from. Here are a few of our favorites.

Simple & Sustainable

Goodee World

This hand-poured KOBO candle is made responsibly, with eco-friendly soybean wax, high-grade oils, and a cotton wick. One part fresh grass, one part warm tomato, it hits the right fresh notes without being too sweet. The biodegradable packaging is embedded with tomato seeds that (might) grow when planted.

A Bougier Bougie

Antica Farmacista

Balanced with spicy black pepper and basil, this version by Antica Farmacista has summer-in-Sicily vibes, and is also available in a room diffuser and a room spray.

Earthy Riser

Terrain

Linnea is known for their double-wick, ethically made candles, and their social consciousness. This beauty smells like tomatoes in the dirt—in a good way.

This Will Burn for Longer than 15 Minutes

Amara

Worth it for the packaging alone, but the scent of this Warhol-inspired candle is heavy on herbs like mint and basil.