What kind of person tastes mint and can only think of toothpaste?
There's not even just one kind of mint flavour in foods. There's a huge difference between peppermint and spearmint, and there's mint-like flavours like methyl salicylate too. Dismissing mint candy as "tasting like toothpaste" is a sign of an underdeveloped palate.
She's right about the cooling sensation too, but I have to disagree slightly on the implementation. She likes it on hot days, but the cooling is best on bitterly cold days, when you eat something minty just before you walk out the door and get the nice, sharp bite as you inhale.