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When mint entered history with Imperial Water
The many varieties of mint have been known since Antiquity for their medicinal, taste and aromatic properties. Faced with the multiplicity of species of mint, it is very difficult to know with certainty the origin of this small, very fragrant aromatic plant We would link the name of mint, which appeared in the language in 1275, to the legend of the nymph named Mint . Chased by the wife of the god Hades jealous of her attachment to her husband, the young Mint was transformed into a plant by Hades in order to save his life! Thus the different mints would have developed multiple properties put forward quite simply by the origin of their name.
Among the 18 varieties of mint recognized by botany, the two main varieties used today would be spearmint and, one of its hybrids, peppermint. In perfumery, mint will make a very remarkable appearance in the middle of the 19th century thanks to Pierre-François Pascal Guerlain. Keen on Eau de Cologne and their citrus scents, Guerlain created for Empress Eugenie a fresh and rustic eau that will delicately scent her while relieving her terrible migraines thanks to the virtues of mint notes.
This Imperial Water, a huge success for Guerlain, will never cease to be emulated. This prompted the famous house to create a more modern version of Eau Impériale in 1974 to celebrate this magnificent success.
Mint like the touch of freshness essential to men's fragrances!
With the dazzling success of Imperial Water initially created for women, one would have thought that mint-based fragrances or aromatic notes would have been dedicated to them for a long time. Fault ! If the Eaux de Cologne were a classic of perfumery at the beginning of the 20th century, they ended up boring these ladies to whom one now offered more opulent perfumes.
Thus the aromatic notes have for several decades been almost exclusively reserved for men who cultivate them with elegance in woody and fern scents. Mint (as well as basil or rosemary) on the other hand made it possible to downgrade the eternal lavender in the chic men's sport perfumes of the 70s. In 1978, Ralph Lauren launched Polo with green and minty notes which would perpetuate the blend of ferns. and aromatic while creating new, more invigorating and innovative accords. A long series of fragrant successes will follow this innovation
Today, mint-based fragrances stand out above all for their refreshing properties in the top notes. Among the current male bestsellers with mint notes, let us note Calvin Klein's Ck Be, a woody and aromatic floral, or even 1 Million by Paco Rabanne, a woody-spicy with aromatic head notes.
Admittedly, since the withdrawal of Eaux de Cologne for these ladies, fragrances based on fresh mint or peppermint are rather rare. However, the precious perfumes with notes of mint do it in a very original way. Thus, the woody and very natural Nuit Etoilée by Annick Goutal innovates by transporting us on a forest walk with multiple scents. Following the same pure and green paths, Aqua Allegoria Herba Fresca by Guerlain is a delicate blend of aromatic and hesperidic scents. Finally, even more surprisingly, the notes of mint have been combined with floral notes to create Givenchy's Eau de Givenchy with fresh and discreet charms… Does mint therefore encourage daring?
