Menthe Fraîche Heeley 2006

... 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.