Double Attack

I’m sitting here so elated and equally angry with myself. I love the mind games aesthetic but for the longest time i couldn’t find a scent from them that i liked and honestly i was grateful because their brand is simply too expensive. I love gourmand fragrances but overly chocolate scents like Chocolate Greedy are NOT for me so when this sample came free of purchase I was thinking oh great another Mind Games miss because it said Bitter Chocolate and saffron which i love me some saffron but i was convinced the dominant chocolate would ruin it for me.. Let me also preface this by saying the only masc leaning fragrance i love is Althair.. Make mo mistake Double Attack leans ever so slightly more masculine but it’s so intoxicating it blew my mind. The first smell once i sprayed the sample was saffron and some dark chocolate then some orange began peaking in and by the dry down this was the most decadent dark chocolate spiced desert or some fancy hot chocolate abroad in another country that uses spices to make it. Like its deep dark and just spiced enough that it’s a yummy treat you get intoxicated by. I knew immediately that not only did I want it but i want my man to come to bed smelling like this every night! This scent is rich and sexy and it’s criminal how quickly i fell in love from the sample and ordered a full bottle.. Thank god for SAG rewards because it saved me like 170 off the retail 375 USD price tag. So thankfully i found my perfect Mind Games scent while i had so many points saved but I do not know how this scent isn’t spoken about more.. I hear about Queening nonstop which i’ve never smelled but I have smelled the one with the sesame note and a few others that honestly smelled kinda bad in my opinion and a few that just smell weird to my nose get so much hype but this scent that smells like the best spiced gourmand.. Best chocolate scent to ever hit the market.. just isn’t spoken about much. If you like cozy weather gourmands that are both sexy and feel like a warm hug then this one will blow your mind.

I first saw this line of fragrances at Indiehouse modern fragrance bar while I was visiting ATL (if you are in ATL check out that store...it’s amazing) and seeing all of the bottles lined up together made for such a pretty display. Additionally, I think that the timing of the development and opening of Mind Games as a house is perfect, as chess has risen in popularity after The Queen’s Gambit series aired, people got into chess and joined chess.com during lockdown, and the increase in the number of International Masters and Grand Masters who are streaming nowadays. And, the game is just so aesthetically pleasing (oh...did I mention that I like the mind games bottles?). I digress. As a whole, the fragrances from this house are really high quality. Double Attack happens to be my favorite of them all. I adore consuming chocolate but chocolate in perfumes can be tricky, as it can sometimes come across like a tootsie roll or can be overly sweet; and, some so-called chocolate fragrances smell more like vanilla, which is disappointing. Double Attack stands out in the crowd of chocolate fragrances. It is truly a dark chocolate fragrance, with aspects of cacao nibs. It is equally a warm, spicy fragrance, perfect for the colder months. In my opinion, it is 100% wearable: while it is evident that chocolate is present, you won’t walk around smelling like a literal dessert. Don’t get me wrong, smelling like a dessert isn’t bad, but it is limiting. Sometimes I’m not in the mood for full-on gourmands or I do not think that full-on gourmands are suitable for certain occasions. On the other hand, fragrances with some gourmand aspects (gourmand adjacent perfumes) are more versatile. I’d wear Double Attack at leisure, to work (I wouldn’t overspray then), out with friends, or to a special event. It’s addictive. I cannot stop sniffing my wrist when I’m wearing it. Unfortunately, I finished off my sample, but I plan on buying a bottle in the future.

I've been wearing this fragrance to work lately. It opens with an orange top note, a smooth deep chocolate base, and a touch of something warmer lingering in the background. While the orange reads as bright in contrast with the chocolate, it is significantly more subdued than the typical orange citrus scent. It sort of reminds me of those Terry's dark chocolate oranges that fill store shelves around Christmas, except deeper and richer, more developed and complex. After 1-2 hours, this bright, bittersweet opening fades to a dry and spicy cocoa reminiscent of a Mexican hot chocolate. The pepper notes emerge, and so does the cinnamon. A few more hours pass (maybe 4-6) and by the end of the work day the dry spiciness has given way to a barely-sweet creaminess. At this point, it doesn't smell particularly edible. The chocolate is present but I wouldn't compare it to any type of food. If I didn't know any better, I might guess at this point that the fragrance's base was tonka bean and sandalwood. There's something almost earthy in the background, but it might just be my natural musk peeking through. When I hop in the shower after my workout in the evenings, my sharp and sour sweat cuts cleanly through the fragrance, which has all but dissolved into a warm memory. I've worn it every day since getting my free samples at the mall. There's something so addictive about this fragrance and the way it evolves over time. I can't stop smelling myself whenever I wear it, and even worse, I can't stop wearing it. My sample has maybe 1-2 more sprays left and I'm slightly panicking about what to do. I'd buy it in a heartbeat, if it wasn't $400. For now, I'll try to return to Dillard's and convince the sales associate to give me another sample, which I'll try to only use sparingly.

I received a sizable decant of Mind Games "Double Attack" with a recent Neiman Marcus perfume purchase. I knew nothing about this house, or this fragrance prior to trying it out on skin. So, to my nose, this fragrance is a "WOW" as it opens and performs in a true niche way. Because "Double Attack" is touted as a chocolate-orange fragrance, I was expecting an initial overload of thick, sticky, gourmand chocolate and sweet orange. But the fragrance surprises. There is evidence of bitter orange and many spices in the opening. I love the saffron addition. The fragrance morphs with pleasant, slightly floral, mid notes before drying down with a dusty, chocolaty, vanilla, wood base. I LIKE this fragrance 'cause the chocolate is NOT the thick, edible, sticky, cloying, gourmand chocolate you get in many chocolate-based fragrances. The chocolate notes in Double Attack beautifully blend with the other base notes lending to the fragrance's dry, arid, cocoa powder development. The agave adds something slightly green, light and airy to this fragrance. It's really nice. For the price tag, longevity isn't great. But so it goes with many of the specialty, niche fragrances that are pumped out in today's market. Beautiful and as many "niche" fragrances go, this is NOT a mass appealing perfume. But Double Attack is a safe blind buy for anyone who loves a non-gourmand, mixed-note, chocolate type fragrance.

From the very first seconds the fragrance greets you with a juicy, slightly tart orange as if zest is being freshly squeezed into the air. The citrus feels natural, with a hint of bitterness from the peel. Soon after a touch of dry cinnamon emerges, adding warm spiciness and giving the composition a defined character. The pepper is very soft, not sharp, but subtly highlights the chocolate note, making it more intriguing and “grown-up.” Agave though elusive, brings a light, barely-there green sweetness, like a delicate veil that softens the spices and links the top and base together. The base is especially cozy- a soft airy trail of chocolate and woody notes, with a gentle sweetness and comforting warmth that wraps around you. This is the kind of gourmand scent you want to smell on women 30+. It’s beautiful, refined and elegant- even sensual.