Scholar’s Mate

I wish this webpage would let me vote for honeydew melon. This smells like an upscale version of my favorite Korean bathhouse, which uses honeydew melon scented shampoo/lotion/etc. I realize that isn't officially part of the scent profile, but gosh it needs to be. Please note, there is nothing cheap-smelling or pungent or cloying about this (like honeydew melon lotion can often be), and it is my #1 favorite scent at the moment. I also smell the cardamom and citrus in this, and it has decent sillage/longevity. I wear it almost daily. It makes me feel confident, sophisticated, and a little bit unique in a slightly (i.e., not in-your-face) cosmopolitan way. My sense is that people react favorably to it, without realizing it is a perfume....they just know they feel happier, and possibly don't even make the connection between the feeling and the fragrance. Ocassionally, I will also apply a little tiny bit of Calamus Leaves to my clothes (which dies on skin contact), to tweak the scent and add a pop of green as an added layer, but it isn't really necessary. It's just a way to mix things up, since I have a tendency not to rotate my perfumes as much since I bought this one.

Probably the hardest fragrance in my collection to describe, but i love it. It is a very peppery, bet fresh fragrance. I mostly get the cardamom, grapefruit and fig. For me, it lasts about 7/8 hours and has solid protection. In someways reminds me of a less fruity and darker version of Gris Charnel EDP. If you like that DNA i think you’ll enjoy Scholar’s mate a lot. It smells to me like a very luxurious bar of soap in a weird way, and i agree with someone else in the comments saying it reminds them of a fancy hotel lobby smell. Not worth over $300 to me but if you find a good deal it’s worth a purchase. Also, it is not a “boring Santal 33” like people are saying, and doesn’t have a pickle scent. 🫡

My Dad used to have a team that build furniture in the 90's . Whenever I visited his shop, I would smell this exact scent. So fragrant and addictive. There is French Affair that comes 2nd to this but it has patchouli base.

Its a very nice fragrance. It also smells extremely like Le Labo Santal 33. Great quality juice and last all day on me.

I love it, yes it does mirror Santal 33 but it has a much different approach. Where Santal has a barnyard/hay opening, Scholar's Mate takes on a lighter almost tea approach. Personally, Santal is the OG go with that. I bought the discovery pack and this is one I will not be buying given that Santal 33 does Santal 33 better. To the people commenting that it doesn't last and doesn't have sillage ARE YOU KIDDING? Maybe your skin composition is just dogshit. Instead of bashing a cologne think about how your skins oils. I drink a ton of water daily along with a few other healthy daily activities and this thing bounces off my skin. I get 8+ hours of longevity along with a two arm length sillage. Will this cologne fill up a room? Probably not, but your group of friends will definitely be able to smell you. This is a pricey cologne but you get what you pay for. Rest easy knowing that the ingredients are of the highest caliber and sourced ethically. This bottle will price many people out of it's market, but like most niche, it's not for people looking for cheap and easy. Scent: 9/10 Longevity: 8.5/10 Sillage: 8/10 Overall this is a solid 8/10 fragrance not the best from the line, but the one I have been reaching for the most recently.

I purchased the Mind Games sample set and gave this one a try. On my skin I get this earthy, lemon, saw dust vibe. As it dries the citrus becomes the dominant note almost that of a lemon pill but a hint of cinnamon seeps in and balances it quite nicely. I think this one can be worn year round. It’s not necessarily my vibe, and I probably wouldn’t purchase it, but I do like it. If you are someone who loves earthy tones with a pop of citrus at least sample it. Not a big projection monster but it does last a good 4-6 hours on 6 sprays.. I would wear this while gardening, fishing, work, church, school, well anytime it’s very versatile. Scent : 7 Versatility : 8 Projection : 5 Sillage : 5 Overall: 6

Mindgames always representing. Scholars mate isn’t the best of the collection but it’s one of my choices from the house. It’s sweet, well behaved, almost gourmand in a way, there’s this creamy powdery touch that could definitely be pulled off by girls however I consider this scent a more sweet masculine fragrance..more like Gris Charnel fig vibe which I really like... Don’t think people would be displeased by this perfume Hard to believe we’re coming upon those useless and negative comments.. It’s a pretty nice scent that could easily be worn on special occasions date nights or even at home on cozy cold days..

woody, clean and smooth. Like a comfortable study or den decorated with evergreen for the winter.

Smells good but kinda meh. It reminds me a lot of what I would smell in a fancy hotel lobby.

I have a 10ml of this. I was very excited to try this fragrance. I am glad I only got a 10ml. The notes sound very promising and I have been looking for something with a more fresh take on sandalwood fragrances. Upon the opening, I thought I might’ve found my new signature scent. I get a strong hit of grapefruit and freshly picked chilli peppers. A fresh, peppery spin on the Santal 33 classic DNA. Unfortunately, the opening notes only last about 5 minutes before drying down to what I can best describe is an ‘inspired by’ Santal 33 scent. A therapeutic sandalwood fragrance at its core, with nothing exciting about it after the first 5-10 minutes of opening. I love sandalwood fragrances, but at this price point (over $600 aud!) I cannot justify a full bottle whatsoever. There are better niche sandalwood and dupes on the market for literally a quarter of the price. A middle of the pack sandalwood fragrance. 5/10

Testing this blind, not looking at the name or notes, it initially opened with a make-up bag element but drifted into more of a dusty and dry/powdery element reminiscent of violet but with a slight rose character. I get little moments of fruit and an element of bitterness, but it seems to sit intimate to the skin, so it's pretty slight. It's relatively dry comparatively. Looking at the notes, that dry powderiness seems to be mostly the orris root, with the bergamot on top, complimented by the grapefruit bitterness. While and elements of cardamon , elemi, and the sandalwood and vetiver adding to the dryness, and fig leaf fruitiness. I don't really get the cinnamon leaf. Overall, I like the dusty-rose-like vibe, but prefer a bigger deeper version of itself.

It’s a nice scent composition but unfortunately it does not last more than 2 hours at best....and I think it’s unacceptable for $345...The scent is really beautiful woody aromatic, it opens with cardamom and citrus, as it dries down, it sweetens and spices up, you feel iris and fig and it slowly transforms into linger of sandalwood with a hint of vetiver....I think this is perfectly unisex, office appropriate. I would consider purchasing full bottle but performance just sucks. I feel nothing after 2 hours, and during those 2 hours you get no projection...

Citric, aromatic mixer; imbalanced, unless they were going for a medicinal vibe. Poorly spiced; the cardamom note is borderline gnarly. Green essential oil and fig extract toward the mid. Almost eucalyptus but something else (nagarmotha?). Soapy freshy. Unique in the same vein as Gardenz. Earthy. An acquired taste.

I have been wearing this fragrance for several days now and I really have nothing Great to report back. To me, it's ok, definitely would not buy again. I almost get like older man, in a church with incense on a dreary day. Do with that information as you wish: Scent:5/10 Performance:5/10 Value:2/10 Overall: 4/10

This is definitely Santal 33. There’s nothing else to really say. The longevity and sillage on this are very moderate. Some of the weakest out of the Mind Games I’ve tested.

Eucalyptus opening with a sandalwood dry down. I like the scent profile, but it doesn't come off very unique, doesn't last long on my skin, and overpriced.

Fresh woody pine, but that's really all I get from it. Top note I got an Oud almost, which diminished. If you like pine and have money, go for it.

It is so well blended that it is hard to tell anything apart. But yeah it is a mix of the notes listed. Better options from Mind Games.

Santal 33 . This has been done and for 300+ dollars it’s a hard pass.

It smells like psyllium husk, the stuff you take for constipation

One of the worst fragrance I’ve ever smelled.

Disappointing and Overpriced Influencer Brand This brand seemingly came out of nowhere, aiming to charge premium prices without delivering a matching experience. The initial spray was promising, but within minutes, it dried down to an uninspired sandalwood note that I've encountered countless times before in more affordable options. It feels like this brand is marketed toward those who chase compliments and enjoy flexing their purchases on social media rather than offering a genuinely unique olfactory experience. While I'm open to sampling more from this brand in hopes of finding a standout, this particular fragrance is a hard pass for me.

Does anyone knows a perfume that straight up smells like the base of this? Fig & Cypriol... never thought that combo will make me crazy... Edit: Nevermind, I bought a set with 5 travel sprays including this one, they are really good. Edit #2: So, I recently got Parisian Musc, and even tho the only note they share in high dose is fig, they are somewhat familiar, I find SM being more on the woodsy side whereas PM is more on the sweet side. On the drydown is where I can honestly say SM is far superior. I am only saying this because -and I think- if you are looking for something similar and more affordable, try layering Parisian Musc with a wood based fragrance of your preference to scratch the itch of owning a $300+ bottle. Also, I have been layering Scholars Mate with I Don’t Know What to increase longevity and oh boy does it lasts for more than 12h. Great combo imho. Nothing more to add, but only to reinforce that I will be saving and getting a full bottle of Scholars Mate whenever I find it with a discount.

The cardamom here is a real star. I *adore* cardamom as a perfume note and as a baking ingredient and even in tea, so of course I love the way Scholar's Mate smells. All of the Mind Games scents I have tried so far - this is the eighth - have been gorgeous and of obvious quality and artistry. No question. Scholar's Mate opens with cardamom. There's a twist of citrus (excellent!!) and then the grassy almost hay-like vetiver. Like Heno de Pravia. Fig seems to be the base note that lasts the longest. It's the last scent I pick up before it's all gone. Four moves: Cardamom. Citrus. Vetiver. Fig. Checkmate. Scholar's Mate is one of the fastest check mates in chess. Unfortunately, one of the fastest fragrances to disappear. I wanted it to last. After ten minutes I am left with Acqua di Parma Fico di Amalfi. Which is beautiful, lasts longer, and is a better value. I do love the bottles and the aesthetic of Mind Games. But as AlinkaSun stated, it's unacceptable for $345.

To clear the air this is more so a twist on santal 33 if anything, rather than a clone because there are too many differences. Up top I get the earthy green cardamom with some mint and eucalyptus coming off a bit resinous and medicinal with a tad of clean leather. Powdery orris root and sandalwood in the middle also peppery from the pimento, a bit dry and fruity from the fig and Vetiver at the base. This one makes my top 3 list because mind games loves to make all their fragrances smell like either overpriced roses, fruity feminine, or some overhyped gourmand.

I'm actually wearing this fragrance today and received 2 complements. This is better than Santal 33 lets be honest here. Santal 33 has a weird pickle smell to me. Scholar's mate is very smooth from opening to dry down and one of the best MG fragrances. The biggest issue with the MG house is the price for their fragrances.

Smells very bright and fresh on paper, but loses its luster on my skin. Projection and longevity are both fairly decent, but not decent enough to depart with $300+. Buy the sample set for the whole collection on the Mind Games website because these are definitely not blind buys.

Just Santal 33 Lite. My wife thought I sprayed S33 on my skin. Lasted about half as long as my Santal 33 but still had the pickle note, just in case you were hoping otherwise. Oh, and it's even more expensive. pass.

90% Santal 33, 10% Hermes Papricka Brasil. Not much else to say. Get the Le Labo because it’s the OG. Get Papricka Brasil as well because it’s very underrated. Don’t get Scholar’s Mate

Sandalwood and burnt cinnamon. That's it. And, like with all MG fragrances, you get maybe two hours of performance. 2.5/10. Absolutely not worth $300+.

the scent profile sounds like it would smell really good, want to test this one...i think neiman marcus has this

*upon first sniff* "That's literally Santal 33... but with somehow EVEN MORE PICKLES"

Name is accurate, perfume is as cheap and lazy as the strategy it's named after.

Woody, aromatic, long lasting, spicy. Well blended, but too masculine leaning.

A longer lasting better projecting artisan pure. Not worth the money at all.

This brand was “hyped” due to their bottle design but tbh they're ok

Green vetiver. Smells almost burnt. Hard pass for me.

Straight up Santal 33. blaaaah.