Oud & Menthe

Mathilde Laurent does her mint thing again here (as she has before with great results in Guerlain's Aqua Allegoria Herba Fresca and with somewhat less great results in Cartier Roadster) & it is very natural, non-dental smelling mint. Unsurprisingly, given the name of the fragrance, the mint is blended with a clean, slightly medicinal oud. There is a warmth in the drydown here that may be the influence of an amber accord backstoping the oud. That is really all there is to Oud & Menthe. This scent is simple and elegant. Longevity is considerable and projection is never more than moderate. The presentation is luxurious in the manner of all of the Cartier oud fragrances. It is a very nice attempt to create a warm weather oud and for me, it works well. I wear this scent in all seasons and at night or during the day. Because of the aforementioned warmth in the late stages of this fragrance and the somewhat heavy nature of the oud, I do not reach for this scent on very hot weather days. Of course, the big issue with this fragrance is the high price. There are very few good warm weather oud scents and I love this fragrance on summer evenings. So for me, the price, high though it is, was alright considering the quality and uniqueness of Oud & Menthe. But I can understand arguments to the contrary, particularly given the simple, linear nature of the scent and the fact that, as near as I can tell, the oud here is synthetic. If you get a chance, give Oud & Menthe a try. It is a good quality enjoyable fragrance, especially for lovers of mint scents. Whether you decide to pay the price for it is, of course, up to you.

I believe I found my favourite fresh oud-based scent. I get the realistic mint smell...that aged wood smell from the "oud" (whether it's real or synthetic) and then I get a slight sweetness lurking in the background that gets a little bit more pronounced in the late drydown. Simple but very well-executed scent for what it wants to be. Everything comes together so naturally to the nose. The only downside for me is the excessive cost...otherwise, this would already be in my collection.

Simple but striking perfume with a lovely sweet astringent like finish for those who like things a bit minty. The main player is a beautiful natural mint note which is surrounded by Hindi Oud and an ambery woods accord. The unisex scent has moderate sillage and good longevity. It has a cool regal presence around you and definitely needs to be tried if possible before purchase. And yes it is overpriced for what it offers. Enjoy!

Perfection! As everyone else has said, you wouldn't expect oud and mint to work, but it just works! I blind bought it and couldn't be happier. From memory, Oud & Menthe is quite similar to Oud Radieux. Fresh, bright, aromatic, bordering on sporty! Simply the best! 5/5

I have been tested several Cartier haute parfumerie scents over the past few days - the《 Les Épures 》collection and some of these Oud & x perfumes. In general, I find them to be simple compositions made with high-quality ingredients, but with disappointing performance. Oud & Menthe is in keeping with this. Centred around an unusual accord (that I fully expected to be unpleasant), it is a surprisingly good, if simple, scent that fades disappointingly quickly. O&M opens with fresh mint from initial spray, herbal and realistic like freshly plucked mint leaves, crushed between fingers. Bright and increasingly camphorous, it is the dominant note of this scent. Mint is often a difficult note for me in perfumes, but this is one of the most successful renderings of mint in a perfume as I've come across. As it develops, oud emerges in the base, soft and woody, marrying surprisingly well with the mint. It is muted and musky, amber-like and just slightly animalic. The bright mint fades fast, becoming a soft, aromatic green herbal note alongside the musky oud. It becomes increasingly musky as it fades, aromatic until final fade. Sillage and longevity are moderate. A simple but creative composition featuring an excellent natural mint note and a muted, musky oud - O&M is centred on an accord that works despite itself. I just wish the performance was better. An unusual springtime scent, unisex and comforting, there is plenty to admire here. 3.5/5.