M. H Journal

When creating our perfumes, we start with nature, framing precious botanicals in complex ways. Finding richness in simplicity. Join us in this series as we take you on a scented journey, exploring and uncovering the notes and accords that our perfumers work with to compose our best-loved fragrances. First up? Tomato Leaf. Tomato Leaf. Perhaps one of the more unexpected perfume notes. Whilst you may not be the most green-fingered, the smell of tomato leaf perfume is a distinctive one, and one that often brings about childhood memories of grandparents growing tomatoes in their greenhouse or potting sheds. It’s the smell left on your fingertips when lightly crushing the tomato leaves in your hands. Fresh. Green. Bittersweet. Sometimes considered a supporting element in fragrance – tomato leaf is one that does not often take centre stage in fragrance. Tomato leaf has a freshness that can work beautifully in spring and summer scents, when a shot of greenness and life is called for - as in the case of La Feuille and Celadon. An unusual addition to our ‘Chypre/Green’ Fragrance Family, La Feuille captures the bright essence of a greenhouse, in a scented essay to the seasonal journey of the leaf and a love of British nature. A medley of sun dappled green leaves, oak, ivy and wonderfully aromatic tomato leaf mingle with juicy blackcurrants and ripe red berries to produce a gloriously uplifting and surprising fragrance. "Let me take you to a beautiful country garden in the heat of summer as we approach the elegant greenhouse we observe the cool, dark green ivy romantically running riot over the exterior, its tendrils trailing towards the soft green grass. Pushing open the door we are assailed by the warmth and the succulence of leaves and berries, the variety of greens under the dappled sunshine and as we wander our way around our fingers brush against the velvety leaves of the tomato plants we are scented with the happily aromatic essence of summer and of childhood memories playing here." Created by our founder, Lyn Harris, La Feuille takes inspiration from childhood memories of the garden and the forest. It continues her method of taking single concept ideas, in this case the leaf, and wrapping them in complex unexpected ways to create a rich olfactory journey. Typically overlooked by perfumers as a lead note, the life cycle of a single leaf is explored through the passage of the British season from ripe spring to the forest floor in Autumn. Lyn’s love of British nature and the bounty that it provides for a perfumer, have influenced her creativity from an early age. One of our more unique and niche fragrances, La Feuille is a sentimental yet dramatic fragrance. It appeals to the individual who’s not afraid to set themselves apart from the crowd. It’s incredibly evocative to memories of the British countryside and for those who love the changing of the seasons and its important part in our natural heritage as a nation. Unlike other green fragrances where the scent is balanced with earthier elements, as demonstrated in Vetiver Insolent, La Feuille is a perfume for those who desire something fresh and green but also brings a strong feminine, nostalgic and emotive edge. Shop La Feuille As for Celadon, it’s a floral, green fragrance belonging to the M.H Stories Collection. Created by perfumer Karine Vinchon-Spehner, it is inspired by a page from the 'Dream of the Red Chamber by Cao Xuequin and features the tomato leaf as one of the top notes of the scent. "When the morn-ushering breeze falls not, thy thousand blossoms grieve. To all thy tears the evening shower addeth another trace." The waxy green grass and clear white purity informed Karine’s sparkling interpretation in Celadon, utilising head notes of tomato leaf and tea to envision the grass and jade stone which feature in the novel. Just as Celadon's citrusy top notes enliven the senses, the tomato leaf fragrance carries a subtle tanginess, adding a lively twist to its verdant character, evolving with woody notes of cedarwood and moss. Shop Celadon