— fragrance —

EauMG’s Mint Perfume Guide

June 19, 2014

mint perfume guide

The weather here has been mild so far and I’m not complaining. We don’t have a/c and I don’t want to sweat it out. I’ve put together a mint perfume guide before the hot weather hits. I need to be prepared.

Mint has a high content of menthol. And menthol is sort of magical. It activates cold-sensitive receptors in the skin and that’s what gives it that cooling sensation.

Now this cooling effect is awesome in the summer but mint is tricky. I don’t want to smell like toothpaste or mouth wash. Nor do I want to smell like a York Peppermint Pattie. Personally, I like the mints that venture into the Persian cuisine territory. I like mint tea perfumes or when mint is paired with other herbs.

Here’s a guide of perfumes featuring mint as a rather predominant note to keep you feeling “cool” this summer.

mint perfumes

Under $100

LUSH Dirty EDP – Dirty is an herbaceous scent with peppermint, spearmint and tarragon all over earthy patchouli. The 1 oz spray retails for about $33 at LUSH. Full review of the body spray here.

Alice & Peter Fancy Choco EDP – This is a gourmand, sweet mint that wears mostly like orange-mint-chocolate. Comes in packaging that you’ll either love or hate. The 1 oz bottle retails for $38 at Beautyhabit.

NEST Body & Soul Moss & Mint EDT – This is a light mint fragrance. It’s a body spray but it’s refreshing on hot, muggy days. 3.4 oz retails for $48 at NEST.Here’s my review of the home products. 

Aether Arts Aether Argent EDP (not pictured) – This is a close-wearing mint and white musk. The .19 oz bottle retails for $49 at Aether Arts. Full review here. 

LUSH The Smell of Weather Turning EDP – Another LUSH made the guide. This is a weird scent that starts out cool and minty and dries down with warmth from hay and oak barrels. It’s moody and that is why it appeals to me. The 1 oz. bottle retails for about $55 at LUSH. Full review here. 

Comme de Garcones Series 5: Sherbet Peppermint EDT – Fresh, sharp mint. Simple. 1 oz bottle retails for $55 at Luckyscent.

Jo Malone White Jasmine & Mint Cologne – I didn’t like this one but it has its fans. It’s a very light minty-floral fragrance. The 1 oz. retails for $60 at Nordstrom. Full review. 

Ebba Miss Marisa Perfume Oil – It’s mint and fruits. The 1/2 oz perfume oil retails for $62 at Beautyhabit.

Guerlain Aqua Allergoria Herba Fresca EDT – This is a fresh, herbal green tea perfume with a sweet mint. The 2.5 oz retails for $65 at Sephora. 

Cartier Roadster EDT – It’s mint, vanilla and vetiver. It’s a great masculine for summer. The 1.6 oz retails for $80 at Nordstrom.

DSH Perfumes Menthe Moderne EDP (not pictured) – It’s a fresh garden mint. The 1 oz retails for $80 at DSH Perfumes. 

mint perfumes

Over $100

Comme de Garçones PLAY Green EDT – I’m starting to think this is my favorite mint. It’s mint and lime accompanied by mastic and vetiver. It really does smell green. I think it’s my favorite on my guide. The 3.4 oz bottle retails for $100 at Beautyhabit. Full review here.

Parfums de Rosine Diablo Rose EDP – OK, so you like the idea of rose but are still nervous that you’ll smell like toothpaste, well, here’s mint paired with rose and citrus. It’s a great rose for summer. The 1.7 oz retails for $110 at Beautyhabit.

Serge Lutens L’eau Froide EDP – This is an icy fragrance that opens with mint and and dries down to incense. The 1.7 oz retails for $110 at Beautyhabit. 

Phaedon Or*ental Mint EDT (AKA Noir Marine) – I like this blend of mint tea and tobacco leaves. If you want a “darker” mint, here you go. A 3.4 oz bottle retails for $125 at Osswald. Full review here. 

HEELEY Menthe Fraiche EDP – This seems to be the mint that everyone thinks of when they think of mint perfume. It smells exactly like mint leaves. Unfortunately, it hangs around for all of 10 minutes on my skin. The 3.4 oz retails for $180 at Luckyscent. Full review here.

Malle Geranium Pour Monsieur EDP – It’s a cool minty geranium over some spice. Timeless. The 1.7 oz retails for $180 at Barneys.

Humiecki & Graef Eau Radieuse EDP – This is a weird minty cologne with tart rhubarb and banana leaf. The 3.4 oz retails for $220 at Babalu Miami. 

The Extras:

Cire Trudon Abd El Kader Candle – This smells just like mint tea. I love it. Retails for $85 at Beautyhabit.

Kneipp Mint & Eucalyptus Shower Gel – This will clear your sinuses and wake you up in the morning. And cool you off (really great for after work-outs).

Dr. Bronner’s Hemp Castille Soap in Peppermint – It’s a refreshing minty all-purpose soap. Retails for about $11 at drugstore.com. 

Also, I feel like Smell Bent Ice Station Zebra is worth mentioning. It’s limited edition and shows up around the winter holidays. It’s mint and evergreens, so crisp. It’s worth buying to hoard until summer.

What are your favorite mint-centric perfumes? Any you would add to this guide?

*Beautyhabit, Nordstrom, Sephora and C.O. Bigelow contain affiliate links. Thanks!


21 thoughts on “EauMG’s Mint Perfume Guide”

  1. Czech & Speake Oxford & Cambridge
    Annick Goutal Eau du Sud
    Jaques Faith Green Water
    Ava Luxe Moroccan Mint Tea
    Creed Selection Verte
    Hermes d’Orange Verte (not major note)
    Aveda Pure Perfomance for Men (maybe discontinued?)
    Booster from Lacoste

    1. I’m not familiar with all of these, but I can’t believe I left out the Ava Luxe one! I love a good mint-tea and that one is nice. Oops.

      Annick Goutal uses mint a lot in the “eaus”. Isn’t in that Mandragore one? And there are a few more. But, I don’t know what Annick Goutal is doing these days other than discontinuing the ones that I like!

      Thanks for the additional suggestions 🙂

  2. just checked out Frink’s review of Dirty by Lush– best review EVER! *laugh* it’s sooooo worth checking out!

  3. The only mint perfume I’ve ever actually smelled is Maitre Parfumeur et Gantier’s Centaure, but I loved it enough to buy a large decant. My not-sophisticated nose reads it as a delightful lavender-mint situation until it dries down to pale woods. I don’t get any tobacco, but it’s been a while since I wore it. I must rectify that.

    Mint is my very earliest scent memory, the smell and taste of the spearmint my mother planted outside the kitchen door for iced tea. Being Texan, I still keep a gallon of fresh tea with a sprig inside the pitcher on hand any time the temps are over 90°. I’m not too curious about trying a lot of other mint perfumes, though. Of the list above, the one I really want to smell is the PLAY Green.

    1. Oh! I have tried that one but it has been years. I forgot about it! I remember it being mint-lavender-blackcurrant. I don’t think I have a sample.

      I love water scented with mint-sprigs. Any time over 90? Isn’t that 80% of the year in TX? 😉

      Mint isn’t a must-have note in my book. But, it is refreshing. I like when it is paired with tea notes (which PLAY Green has). And I think it pairs nicely with herbal notes like tarragon or lavender.

      1. Seems like closer to 90% says the other Texan with lifelong mint sprig tendencies. Mine usually go in limeade but I love it in tea too.
        I don’t think I have many scents with a prominent mint note. I get quite a bit from Mare extrait but I have never seen it listed as a note.

        1. 🙂 Oh, a mint limeade sounds so good.

          I second Mare. It has that green/camphor thing going on, I wouldn’t doubt at all that it had some mint in it. I mean, it could be tarragon and camphor but it really does come across minty.

  4. I love mint in perfumes. Thanks for the list. There are lots on here on need to try. Creature by Kerosene is the perfume that turned me onto mint scents. I think I prefer mints to citrus scents in the summer because I find them refreshing.

    1. Oh, Creature! I need to add that to this. It really lasts too and very refreshing.

      I need to add another refreshing perfume to my line-up. Most of the year is mild here but I have a feeling I’ll want something “cool”. I have Mugler Cologne, 4711 but I wouldn’t mind having something “cool green”.

  5. That old 80s classic Laura Biagiotti Roma has a great note of mint which is kept out of toothpaste territory by lots of warm notes in the base. For me this makes Roma too blankety for summer but turns the fragrance into an odd beast – a mint fragrance suitable for cooler weather. Love it. 🙂

    1. Oh, so I found a review of Roma on Perfume Shrine. It sounds soo good. And it looks like it is rather cheap online. I’m really tempted to buy unsniffed…

      1. Yup, I bought mine after reading that review, a gorgeous little 25 ml bottle. Roma is very easy to wear. Even if you don’t end up liking it so much, it won’t be hard to find someone who does.

  12. Ah, this list is perfect, thanks! I was also looking for mint tea – like peppermint and black tea. It seems like that doesn’t exist? :*(

    1. You’re welcome 🙂

      That Phaedon one is like black tea/mint and dries down to tobacco. If you haven’t, check out CdG Play Green. It has some tea too.

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