A Gourmand Masterpiece- Kingside, Mind Games

Using a sample set right now, in phase III of testing before considering buying a bottle.

For me i like to collect things in phases. Phase I on a tester strip, which you bring home and see how it develops the next day, phase II which involves tearing it on your skin, and phase III, which is getting a sample of the fragrance that you’re able to bring home and test out for real.

It’s a bit redundant, but as someone who never knows what he likes until he’s tested it long enough, it works for me pretty well lol. I don’t know if something is actually worth buying until extensive testing.

Anyways, have you ever found a fragrance that you loved on a tester, loved on a strip, and loved on your skin, a 3 in one combo if you may ask?? because my brothers, i certainly have with this fragrance.

I remember first trying it in store along with the other mind games fragrances. I wasn’t particularly impressed or blown away by a lot of their stuff. It wasn’t bad but didn’t 🤩wow🤩 me, you know what i mean?

And then they told me about a new release from this brand, and thought i’d give it a try.

And the moment i smelled this… i got wowed! like

🤩wow🤩

…kinda wowed.

I thought it has to be too good to be true, but nonetheless, i decided to give this one a full test run with my 3 phase test run.

And it has NOT FREAKING DISAPPOINTED ME AT ALL.

I’m not a typical gourmand lover, but this is definitely one that i see myself using and wearing.

It opens with a beautiful, lasting creamy pistachio, with slight spicy undertones of cardamom.

Middle notes are nutty and dominant with hazelnut and a slightly boozy rum accord, which connects beautifully to the opening. Drydown is a base of resin, almond milk, and tonka bean.

It reminds me a lot of a pistachio gelato if you put some spice and almond slivers on top. Or a pistachio cookie especially in the drydown. Definitely a favorite take on the pistachio note.

Performance, absolutely insane. I get around 10 hours with strong projection. It lives up to its label as an extrait. A perfect cool spring scent or fall winter date night fragrance.

Compliments are common on this too. This thing turns heads. I usually cringe when people say something like that, but i’m being genuinely serious and mean it. It’s sweet and not challenging in any way, but still highly unique. I haven’t found anything that smells like it. I genuinely hope this doesn’t blow up on the dupe market and get Baccarat Rouge’d, where it becomes a common scent profile :(

It’s absolutely signature scent worthy. And a new contender for a fall signature for me.

Happy spring you guys!

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