What does Peppermint smell like?
Crush a leaf and you feel it before you smell it: a blast of cold air up the nose. That is menthol, the main molecule in the oil. Behind the chill sits a dry, slightly camphor-like herb. It is less sweet than the spearmint of chewing gum and there is nothing gourmand about it. In a perfume the cold fades fast, usually within the first hour. What stays is a green lift that wakes up lavender and woods.
Origin and production
Peppermint (Mentha × piperita) is a natural hybrid of water mint and spearmint. It grows in temperate climates and is farmed on a large scale. The United States, especially the Pacific Northwest, has long been a major producer of the oil. Growers cut the plants just before flowering and let them wilt in the field. The leaves and stems are then steam-distilled. The same oil goes into toothpaste and sweets as well as perfume.
How perfumers use it
Perfumers use it sparingly because it can tip into bathroom territory fast. With lavender and verbena it pulls a fougère towards cool morning air. Creed Green Irish Tweed (1985) opens with it alongside lemon verbena and violet leaf. Guerlain Derby, from the same year, tucks it among artemisia and spices in a leathery chypre. Mugler A*Men Kryptomint (2017) puts it over coffee and chocolate. The ice-and-sugar contrast works better than it sounds.
How to wear it
Peppermint makes most sense in summer and straight after a shower. It evaporates fast, so spray it on a T-shirt rather than skin to keep the chill going for an extra hour.