Like many people, I first took notice of British fragrance house Illuminum when Katherine Middleton chose to wear Illuminum’s White Gardenia Petals on the occasion of her wedding to Prince William. At that time, Illuminum’s fragrances weren’t even available in the United States; over the past year, however, the brand has been making gradual inroads into the American niche fragrance market. Illuminum offers a daunting range of personal fragrances and home fragrances; Tomato Leaf, from the “Haute Perfume” line, is one that has made an impression on me.
Illuminum says that “a vegetal freshness is central to this green and pleasing scent,” which includes top notes of carrot seed, osmanthus and tomato leaf; heart notes of dew drops, seaweed and water lily; and a base note of musk. (Freesia is also mentioned in a description of the fragrance.) However, after wearing it three or four times, I’d file Tomato Leaf under “misleading names” and “not at all what I expected.” It begins with a really unusual blend of mint, ripe peaches and moist green leaves, like a summer salad assembled from ingredients freshly picked in a garden or purchased that morning at a farmers market…
