Mentor

Mentor highlights multiple notes that vie for the limelight, but end up blending together to create a very deep, thick scent. This immediately means it won't be for everybody, not that anything really is. It's dense, powerful, and it lasts. Absolutely cold weather locked, you don't want to wear this in the heat. I personally love the way this is blended, though I have seen some people describe it as a "soup", which I can understand when trying to consider the perspective of one who'd dislike this fragrance. The ingredients are quality, but the blend itself may challenge eager noses to try and differentiate all the notes. That is to say, some notes may lack a clear distinction compared to the others. Undeniably noticeable is the caramel and plum you get upon application, with the supporting amber rapidly coming in. As it develops, the boya oud and coffee become more prominent, but merge together with the other notes and create a cloud of thick and rich heaviness. The type that will almost certainly be cloying if you dare to overspray. I own a bottle, and as of writing, it's my only full bottle from Mind Games. Though there a couple of others I do like, this is my favourite from the house, having smelled a good chunk of its catalogue. I have yet to smell a genuinely "bad" Mind Games fragrance, but I was mostly whelmed by the rest of its offerings - finding they range from "okay" to "good, but I wouldn't buy it" - save for Mentor, which is a genuine love, and possibly French Defense and Kingside.

A gourmand for those who don't like gourmands. Never considered myself a gourmand lover, but Lord have mercy this is amazing, signature scent worthy for me. Opens up super fruity and oud-y. You smell the plum, caramel and italian lemon, but they blend together extremely well with the oud to give a mature *but not grandma/grandpa* smell, but instead sophisticated and well put together. What's super interesting about the oud, is that you can SMELL IT, and it doesn't go away, but it's blended with the top and bottom notes so well that it's helps support everything instead of it being overwhelming or gross. Eventually on the dry down, the oud keeps blending even better, giving the smell of a delicious aged wooden coffee table that's been varnished recently, to a beautiful dark red resinous color(I know I'm talking color, but it's the only way to describe it). You get the smell the of strong caramel coffee sitting on that table, but it's very light whiffs, and of course you still smell the fruitiness of the plum while the amber and tonka keep everything sweet, but not in an overwhelming way. So well balanced, so luxurious, never thought I'd call a fragrance on a man(me) delicious, but it's delicious.

I am very picky with fragrances, I was not impressed with any new releases the past year, But this was the one i kept going back to when testing out fragrances in stores..I really liked it, But the price was just too steep for me to purchase it until now..I was able to find a good deal on it. I think this fragrance would be really popular if it wasn't for the price. It's a beautiful slightly sweet salted caramely plum & citrus fragrance wrapped in this darkness..I agree with @boguslaw the opening is so freaking good, But not a big fan of the rose/oud dry-down, It takes a perfect opening & drags it down in the dry-down. If this fragrance stayed the opening for the entire fragrance..It would be AMAZING and I would gladly pay an arm and a leg for it! Overall, It is still a stellar masculine fragrance. You know how some influencers try and glaze a basic fragrance and say that it is for the cool "dark and mysterious" type of Man Women love?? Forget all those..THIS is that fragrance.

Ok this is my 2nd hand test for these... So far out this might be my favorite of the 4 newest Mind Games. At first I thought it may have been Prodigy but the dry down didn't work for me. And as much as I wanted to love Counterplay, it is kind of sickeningly one-note, sweet melon to me. And Opera Mate has a beautiful nuttiness that I haven't smelled in perfumery before - but I also think I'd get sick of smelling that so much. So far, this one is reading as Unisex to me, but goes more in the masculine direction as it dries down. It's nice but I don't need a full bottle. The scent to me is about 7.5/10. The quality smells nice enough, but I think $400 is a reach (for any of these). Sometimes Mind Games fragrances need to grow on me though. I'll keep testing them.

This is an intriguing scent.. When I first tested this I did not like it. Now I love it. Certified head turner, compliment getter and cold weather monster. Off the rip its a bit strong and spicy but this fragrance evolves and takes you on a journey with it. The projection and longevity are beastly and its super dark and masculine. Definitely not a safe blind buy, a bit more mature, and a better cold weather night time wear (the colder night the better it seems to smell). Its strong so a little goes a long way. I am not sure what other people are saying, it is a sophisticated, complex scent that evolves throughout the day. Almost every time I've worn it i've received compliments and had people stop and ask me what I was wearing.