Right off the bat, I’m starting to lose interest in Mind Games. I’ve had a hot streak of disappointment. The fragrances smell good, but the performance has been pretty poor. This one is no different. The opening is a blend of grapefruit and chestnut. I couldn’t really pick up the labdanum. Within a few minutes it already sits very close to the skin, and that’s when I start getting the crème brûlée, davana, and caramel. If I really dig my nose into the skin, I can pick up a bit of suede as well. The drydown smells like a custardy, sweeter take on Boss Bottled Absolu. Performance is disappointing. It’s basically a skin scent from early on and lasts around 5 to 6 hours on me. Most Mind Games fragrances give me very similar performance and sillage, so this wasn’t a surprise. The scent profile itself is creative and different. Some people compare it to Amore Caffè, but to me it’s not even in the same ballpark. It could have been an excellent gourmand pick if the performance matched the scent. For me it’s an 8.5/10 for the smell and a 4/10 for the performance. I do wonder if it could be a sample issue, even though I ordered from three different decanters. Has anyone else experienced this with Mind Games?

This sample continues to impress me. I’ve had this on for 10hrs and it’s still here. Settled down to a very nice rosy woody Amber with a touch of citrus. After a day of working hard in training and breaking into several cold sweats 😜 this scent does not disappoint!! I will be converting to a full bottle next week when it’s released.