Menthe Maroc

I love the smell of fresh mint, and every time I used it in cooking for the last couple years, I wished I could have that scent in a bottle. I've tried a number of fragrances featuring mint to see which one captures it the best, and while many (particularly niche offerings) do represent fresh mint realistically, I found that most of these did not last or project especially well, despite gorgeous openings. Such heartbreak for such a beautiful scent experience. Alternatively, if others did perform well in these capacities, they usually more resembled toothpaste mint, rather than natural mint. Menthe Maroc strikes that seemingly difficult balance between smelling like real mint, but performing as a fragrance you can actually smell throughout the day! While this humble little scent does incorporate a fair amount of orange (not really tart, but sweet, like the smell of fresh orange juice), this note carries the mint nicely without detracting from it or drying down to a generic green or a mouthwash. Menthe Maroc is fairly linear, but it maintains its fresh, sweet and green resinous sparkle throughout. It's still not the longest lasting perfume I've ever experienced, but I do get a good 6-7 hours out of it, with some wafts still coming from clothing after that point. I am pleased! And my mint craving is satisfied!

What a pleasant surprise from this sweet, green, floral, fresh, spiced gem! When I first applied this scent, I was afraid three things would happen after the boozy opening and manifest in the dry-down: 1.) Veer off into some bland, "basic" clean/gourmand/chypre-floral reminiscent of BBW 2.) Veer off into "cleaning products," scented hairspray or shampoo territory 3.) Just veer off into ditch of well, nothing Instead, after the alcohol disappeared, I was left smelling incredibly clean, with a fresh, spicy, green mixture calling to mind a walk through a rain soaked herbal garden. The herbal notes are brought out by the mint which is prominent in this potion and stays put, not in a loud, menthol sense but as a base on which to scaffold and present the greener, fresher, floral blend. Because that's what you get with this scent: a blend of scents (sweetness calling to mind sugar, herbal spice from the aromatic peppermint, white flowers lending the clean, pure floral presence, green from their fresh-cut stems) and nothing over-rides anything else. This is a linear, well blended scent that stays the same throughout the day. As for projection, it stays pretty close to the skin even after an application to wrists, forearms and cleavage, which I personally don't mind, so this would be perfect for work. It also doesn't seem to affect anyone's sinuses, including mine, so again, it would be great for work and anyone with any sensitivities to smell. Both my husband and son are sensitive to scents and not only tolerate this cologne but also love how it smells on me. Longevity is good: even though it plays close to the skin, I can still smell it on my skin in the evening and my hubby can to! It reminds me of Bulgari The Vert but sweeter, more playful and well-rounded. And the price, at $18 for a 1oz bottle, is great! Scent:8/10 Projection: 8/10 Longevity: 8/10

I may be in the minority but I absolutely love mint fragrances. And to be honest, I'm not picky whether they're toothpaste-mint or garden-mint, as long as it's mint-mint-mint. This cheapie beauty is a straight-ahead garden mint at first. Though the other notes listed are orange peel and sugar (and I dislike "sugar" being listed as a note, because please stick your nose deep into a bag of white sugar and tell me what you smell), there are other elements here, unmistakably. Tea is one - a gentle white tea undercurrent. Also a perky but mild floral that I'm still sussing out. Something soothing in the realm of chamomile or echinacea. Maybe a touch of bergamot? That sounds medicinal, but it's not - the drydown is quite smooth. Calming, even. My only complaint about this fragrance is that the minty top note dissipates quickly and the clean tea-citrusy-floral is what you're left with after about ten minutes. Not surprising at all, but I love the mint note so much, especially during the summer, that I want to keep re-spraying myself. Fortunately at $18 US, it's affordable.

Blind buy from Marshalls- $6 for one ounce. Reminds me of mint tea sucked through a sugar cube. Refreshing. This is a skin scent with no projection. Not much longevity for me.

If you can't find an affordable alternative to this (since it's harder to find), Outremer's "Peche" is a minty, citrus, herbal-fruity blend that is comparable/refreshing.