No.11 La Themis

This is a lovely and underrated selection in the MLM lineup. The opening green mint is so refreshing but the follow-up of vanillic tonka is the best part. This feels edible like a butter mint but also garden fresh and I wouldn’t have thought these two takes on mint could be combined well. Because of the tonka it actually pairs well with Commodity Milk since it adds an additional sweetness and the greenness helps make Milk more appropriate in warmer weather.

This perfume is unique and unusual but quite enjoyable in the right mood. It opens with a green freshness from the green leaves & spearmint, sometimes with a hint of clove (this must be from the tonka bean). I can’t smell any camphorous eucalyptus leaf but upon reflection I notice something fuzzy, the texture of a eucalyptus flower. During drydown the wintergreen and spearmint add a refreshing touch to the underlying tonka creaminess. Throughout all this there’s an enveloping softness; cozy and soft almost as if you could touch it. It stays close to the wearer and lasts a few hours on the skin - I need to reapply once later in the day. The mint makes it suitable for both warm days or winter but I find it can transform into something a little sweet or cloying in very hot weather.

I really like this in the summer. The eucalyptus in the opening is so beautiful to me. I also somehow smell something fruity like a hint of banana, which i wouldnt normally like in a perfume but its barely there and works well with the rest of the top notes. I think either the spearmint or wintergreen keeps the opening from reaching its full refreshing potential, however. I'd like it a lot more if those notes were replaced with just peppermint. I've always found spearmint and wintergreen to be cloying and avoid them when choosing gum as well. Just something to consider for those who have strong mint preferences. I love the way this smells at the dry down. Maybe its just pure tonka bean on me at that point. It's delicious and worth passing through the cloying mints for.

Opens like the stems of freshly cut flowers. Develops into a cross between a Mojito and Juicy Fruit chewing gum. I would have loved just a touch of citrus in the top notes (bergamot, lime, or even grapefruit). Nonetheless, it's a beautiful, clean, unisex fragrance for spring.

This is the most garden fresh-smelling mint that I’ve ever encountered, as if you were actually smelling the mint oil left behind on your fingertips after crushing up some leaves. I love this during Christmastime. It’s sweet in a natural way, not at all sugary or syrupy like most mint scents I’ve smelled. Wish there was a spray of this one.