Ingredient Guide
Mints used in perfume include Japanese mint, peppermint, spearmint, and pennyroyal, but they are not favored because their distinctive scent immediately brings oral-care products to mind.
Nevertheless, many celebrated perfumes use mint successfully, including Le Male (1995, Jean Paul Gaultier, Francis Kurkdjian), CK One (1994, Calvin Klein, Alberto Morillas & Harry Frémont), and Roadster (2008, Cartier, Mathilde Laurent).
What Does It Smell Like in Perfume?
Mint in perfume is not a single scent: its character varies considerably with the plant species. Natural peppermint oil, obtained by distilling and rectifying the leaves of Mentha piperita, has a sharp cooling character centered on menthol. Natural spearmint oil from Mentha spicata is rich in carvone and has a sweeter, rounder mint scent. Both lend freshness to the opening like a cool breeze, but peppermint is sharp while spearmint feels softer. Natural oils contain multiple components and are distinct materials from isolated menthol or reconstructed accords.
Choosing a fragrance with mint
Mint fragrances can emphasize green leaves or the contrast between coolness and sweetness. What follows the fresh opening is part of the choice.
- Garden-like greenness: Grass, rose and citrus may appeal if you enjoy the freshness of crushed leaves.
- Coolness and sweetness: Vanilla creates a contrast between mint’s coolness and a warmer sweetness.
- How prominent is the mint? A fragrance built around mint differs from one that uses it mainly to freshen the opening.
Two fragrances featuring mint
You or Someone Like You Eau de Parfum (Etat Libre d’Orange)
Mint, lemon, rose and freshly cut grass describe this fragrance. Flowers among green leaves and grass give it a fresh, garden-like character.
Le Male Eau de Toilette (Jean Paul Gaultier)
Mint, lavender and vanilla evoke shaving soap. Mint’s coolness gives way to the soft sweetness of lavender and vanilla, a different finish from the green grass of You or Someone Like You.
Find your next fragrance
In Fragrance Finder, choose “Favorite fragrances & notes” on the home screen, then look for notes you enjoy under “Favorite notes”. Select from the available suggestions and press “Next”.
