Menthe Fraîche Heeley 2006

Nice watery green spearmint with a hint of green tea in the background. Yes, there are some woods at the base and some florals far on the background, but green spearmint is the major note!!! This is spearmint done to perfection, I must have tried 10-12 different mint-themed fragrances and I can attest this is by far the best. The tricky part is to have a pronounced mint note but not to make it smell like oral hygiene product. Menthe Fraiche accomplishes just that: the mint is so real that it almost feels like you just bathed in Moroccan Mint iced tea :) Surprisingly good performance too (5-6 hours of active projection) with longevity going into 8-10 hours (skin scent at the end). By no means it is a beast in projection. This is not a very intense but rather light, uplifting and very inoffensive but noticeable, likable scent! Very refreshing and great hot weather alternative to citrus based freshies. If you like what I am describing, this fragrance is a safe blind buy! It is worth every penny and no other scent is even close if you look at the list what it is compared to, none of them is remotely near Menthe-Fraiche!!!.

PS As with many new direction fragrances, this one is unisex and borders a little with home fragrance. Be aware to be comfortable with all the above but this is a great great frag!!!

This is just an absolutely fantastic mint scent and by far the most natural I have smelled to date. It smells exactly like a high quality mint tea I enjoy drinking (and smelling). The scent is relatively simple and does not develop much. It is called fresh mint, and that is what it delivers (along with a mate-like tea). Mint fragrances seekers can stop right here and seek this one out as it will most likely wind up as their reference mint scent.

Unfortunately, the price of Menthe Fraiche is pretty steep in relative terms for a simplistic mint, and the scent is very short-lived. Those negatives make purchasing a full bottle a more difficult decision, but from a sheer quality perspective this is a tremendous release from Heeley and shows they know what they are doing. This reference mint gets a super-strong 4.5 out of 5 star rating but those looking for a similar quality mint for 1/3 the price should seek out a *vintage* bottle of Green Water (before they spoiled it with the reformulation).

... Is what I'm thinking about when I sniff this refreshing and uplifting fragrance. I get no functional aspect from it although I brush my teeth with mint toothpaste, which is great. It is quite similar to Aqua Allegoria Herba Fresca in terms of family of fragrance, but there are a few differences to the trained nose. Heeley's version is more thorough on the mint note. It's fresh and green, quite herbal in its composition and photorealistic. The bergamot is more subtle in Heeley interpretation: it's a lot less in your face and has more of a supporting role. There's a lot less sweetness coming from this perfume although the green tea in the middle provides a bit of that sweetness that avoids it from going too sharp or medical. The white cedar in the drydown provides woodiness, but is not a strong in-your-face woodiness. It's more gentle and goes really well with the reste of the perfume.

I do have to say though that for the price point, the performance is absolutely atrocious. The sillage is non-existant (it's a skin-scent after 5 minutes of applying and even then...) and it fades away quite fast. Once again, the volatile notes are probably the culprit here, but for this price, Guerlain's interpretation is way better in terms of price / worth. I already have a full bottle of Guerlain's version which is why Heeley won't be making it in my collection. I do have to add though, that I might have bought Menthe Fraîche if I had discovered it before Guerlain.

This sprays on as bathroom cleaner to my nose. I wish the natural mint, green tea, and other notes combined differently, but that's the overpowering scent for me at first. As it settles, the tea and mint become more apparent. Ultimately, I had high hopes for this one, based on the notes, but the end result isn't appealing for me.

The other strike for this scent is its incredibly short lifespan and minimal projection. Lasts a couple hours, so it doesn't really provide the duration I'd want from a scent to keep me smelling fresh.

This fragrance skillfully incorporates the scent of mint, known for its high volatility and difficulty in blending, creating a sophisticated and modern aroma without relying on simple aromatherapy.

The top notes blend the green, sweet scent of spearmint with the refreshing coolness of peppermint, along with green tea and bergamot, to create an invigorating fragrance. It's not the toothpaste-like mint scent, but rather a vibrant freshness reminiscent of freshly picked mint leaves from a garden.

These scent combinations soften the strong mint aroma, preserving its individuality while enhancing its longevity and sillage, allowing you to enjoy a pleasant minty scent for a long time.

It's a scent reminiscent of a mint shampoo used in summer. Not only does it provide a refreshing and invigorating feeling, its long-lasting nature ensures that the minty scent lingers pleasantly even after time has passed.

The combination of green tea, mint, and bergamot is surprisingly calming. Wearing this fragrance after a shower will fill you with a sense of freshness and vitality, making you forget fatigue and igniting a desire for proactive action!

This perfume seems to embody the perfectly refined aesthetic and the madness lurking beneath it, as embodied by Bateman, the protagonist of the movie "American Psycho." The exquisite balance of mint gives an impression of intelligence and sharpness, and that sharpness and perfect harmony create an atmosphere that feels as if you are standing on the brink of madness.