Sharing the 12 materials that went into my natural perfume Tomato Leaf | Making Sense Ep. 03

It took me seven years and around seventy experiments to make a perfume inspired by the tomato plant. Along the way, I encountered quite a few creative hurdles, questioned whether I should make it at all, and learned a great deal about following an idea even when you don't know where it's going to take you. And there's no gatekeeping in this episode! I'm sharing all twelve natural materials that went into the final perfume, what they smell like, why I chose them, and the rather peculiar process of putting them together. 🌿 But to explain how I got here, we have to go back to a time when I didn't even know I was going to become a perfumer. I was fascinated by the invisible language of plants. How they release tiny scent molecules into the air to attract, repel, warn and respond to the world around them. I wanted to find a way to experience this language through our own sense of smell. That curiosity eventually became Lingua Planta. But somehow, the tomato plant had to wait. In this first episode of Making Sense, I'm taking you along on the winding journey of creating Tomato Leaf, a 100% natural perfume inspired by the whole tomato plant. We'll explore the peculiar scent of its leaves and stems, why making a naturalistic perfume is much harder than simply making something that smells nice, and how I eventually found my way through the many experiments that didn't quite work. I'll also share something that held me back for quite a while: the fear that someone else had already made my idea. It took me some time to realise that just because something already exists in the world, it doesn't mean there's no room for your own interpretation. And then there's the wonderful world of perfume materials. Some smell like freshly cut grass, others like the dusty yellow residue left on your fingers after touching a tomato plant. And some of the most interesting ingredients don't smell particularly nice on their own. But somehow, together, they can become something quite beautiful. The story eventually grew beyond the perfume itself. Together with some wonderful people, we created a little research archive inspired by old Italian tomato packaging, and brought everyone together around one very long table for a tomato feast. My perfumer friend Juliette (Som Tales of Perfume) introduced me to a particularly beautiful cassis material with a surprising little cat-pee note (yes, really). Our graphic designer Sam (Velenne Reith) helped bring the visual world of Tomato Leaf to life, from drawings and old tomato packaging to putting an actual tomato under a scanner. Tessa (De Tuinderstafel) helped us turn the idea of a tomato feast into a beautiful dinner, and Marije Popping helped with just about anything and everything along the way. Moving images of the feast by Danny Griffioen, still photographs by Pleun de Bijl, and moving campaign footage by Lois Smit. I hope this episode inspires you to follow whatever makes you curious, even if you don't quite know where it will take you. To experiment, to overcome the occasional creative hurdle, and to trust that there might be room in the world for your ideas after all. Welcome to Making Sense, an exploration of natural perfumery, the alchemy of creativity, and the natural world — where curiosity leads the way. I'm so happy you're here! Discover Tomato Leaf and our natural perfumes: linguaplanta . com CHAPTERS 00:00 — Welcome to Making Sense 00:36 — The beginning of a curiosity 03:37 — Becoming a perfumer 07:06 — Following an idea 09:20 — The challenge of creating Tomato Leaf 15:22 — The twelve natural materials (no gatekeeping!) 28:32 — The Tomato Feast #NaturalPerfumery #MakingSense #LinguaPlanta