About Mint
Mint, #98ff98, is green lightened until it feels cold — the visual equivalent of menthol. It borrows freshness from the herb and cleanliness from toothpaste aisles, making it the rare pastel that reads crisp instead of soft.
History
Mint’s modern life began with 1950s American kitchens and Cadillacs, resurfaced in 2010s pastel-wave branding, and became finance’s favorite “fresh money” accent — the app literally named Mint painted personal budgeting in it. “In mint condition” comes from coinage: fresh from the mint, never circulated.
Psychology
Mint signals freshness, hygiene and new beginnings with less sweetness than pink pastels. It cools interfaces the way the flavor cools the mouth — brands use it to say clean, light, modern.
In design
Mint is a surface and accent tint: on charcoal it glows softly; on white it needs dark ink (mint text fails everywhere). Pair with white and gray for clinical freshness, coral for retro-diner energy, chocolate for after-dinner elegance.
In culture
Mint condition, mint juleps, mint-green scrubs: freshness institutionalized. It is the unofficial color of “new” — coins, cars and sneakers all use it to mean untouched.