Vegetal perfumes are fragrances built around lifelike vegetable and plant notes, as well as the surrounding environment—like a tomato fresh from the vine, where you can smell not only the plump, orange-red veggie (fruit if you’re being technical, but I digress) itself, but also its fragrant stem and the dirt it grew from, or an herbal scent that smells like a handful of freshly harvested basil or mint leaves. “What makes [vegetal scents] unique is their realism and texture,” explains Patty Hidalgo, vice president perfumer at International Flavors & Fragrances (IFF).