Mind Games Collectors Set

Description

Twelve Mind Games extraits in 1mL samples, a way to start a collection from this chess-themed house without guessing which bottle to buy first. The house builds every name around chess, and the names tell you very little about the scent: French Defense is cherry and rose, Double Attack is dark chocolate and spice, Sissa is milk and toasted sesame. A Mind Games discovery set this broad lets you work through citrus, fruity florals, gourmands and darker leather and resin styles before you commit. It also makes a good gift for a chess player who enjoys fragrance, or for someone who is hard to buy for and likes to explore.

What's Inside

Twelve 1mL samples, all Extrait de Parfum:

• French Defense: cherry, violet leaf and chamomile, then rose, geranium and mimosa over amber, cedar and blond woods. A fruity floral with a dark-cherry glow.
• Blockade: mango skin, tomato leaf, pink pepper and bergamot, a lavender, mango flower and star anise heart, then suede, oud, amber and patchouli. Green fruit that turns leathery.
• Double Attack: orange bitters, pimento and pink pepper, then agave flower, cinnamon and geranium over dark chocolate, vanilla, vetiver and sandalwood. Chocolate treated as something woody and spiced, not a dessert.
• Grand Master: rose water, blackcurrant and peony, then rose, coffee and violet over myrrh, incense, ebony wood and a panettone note. Rose and coffee wrapped in resin.
• Ruy Lopez: black tea, black pepper and cherry, then dark rum, rose and davana over leather, oak and patchouli. Boozy, fruity and dark.
• The Forward: lemon, mandarin and pomelo, then jasmine sambac, tonka bean and a salt accord over vanilla, sandalwood and cashmeran. Bright and salty up top, creamy underneath.
• Mentor: salted caramel, lemon and dark plum, then coffee, crème de cassis and amber over oud, sandalwood and tonka bean. Rich, sweet and a little boozy.
• En Prise: saffron, ginger and bergamot, then geranium, a sugar accord and blackcurrant over vetiver, oakmoss and cedar. A spiced, earthy vetiver with a sweet middle.
• Opera Mate: roasted chestnut, grapefruit and labdanum, then crème brûlée, davana and vetiver over caramel, sandalwood and suede. Warm, caramelized and smooth.
• J'Adoube: red currant and mandarin, then pomegranate and Damascene rose over leather, patchouli, benzoin and an amber note. Tart red fruit on a leather base.
• Sissa: ambrette, sesame and coumarin, then a milk accord, roasted tonka bean and jasmine sambac over labdanum, vanilla and musk. Milky, toasted and soft.
• Vieri: lemongrass, lemon and pink pepper, then peony, camellia tea and red currant over musk, amberwood and incense. Fresh, floral and lightly tea-like.

How To Use a Discovery Set

Each 1mL sample comes in a 2mL vial filled halfway, so the vial will look half full. That is the correct amount, and it gives you roughly 15 sprays. Every vial is labeled with the fragrance name.

Wear one fragrance a day, on skin rather than a paper strip, and give it the whole day. The first ten minutes are the loudest and least representative part of any fragrance, so judge it at hour three. Once you have a shortlist of two, wear them on opposite wrists and compare. With twelve to get through, it helps to sort them first: try the brighter ones (The Forward, Vieri, En Prise) on warm days and save the gourmands (Double Attack, Opera Mate, Sissa, Mentor) for cooler evenings.

Best For

• Starting a Mind Games collection and finding the two or three bottles worth owning
• A gift for a chess player, or for a fragrance lover who already owns one Mind Games bottle
• Trying a wide spread of styles at once, from salty citrus to chocolate, caramel and leather
• Keeping a rotation of samples for travel or for matching a fragrance to the day

100% Authentic

Every bottle sold by Venba is 100% genuine, and every sample in this set is decanted from a factory-sealed bottle: never diluted, never mixed. We have filled 200,000+ orders and hold a 4.9★ Trustpilot rating. Free U.S. shipping on orders $100+, with hassle-free returns.

FAQ

How much is in each sample?
1mL each, in a 2mL vial filled halfway, which is about 15 sprays.

Is this a good gift?
Yes. The chess names give it a built-in story, and twelve different styles means most people will find something they like. If the person you are buying for only wears very light, clean scents, know that most of the set leans sweet, warm or resinous.

Is Mind Games for men or women?
The house presents its fragrances as unisex. Vieri and French Defense read more floral, while Ruy Lopez and Blockade lean darker and more leathery, but anyone can wear any of them.

Which ones should I try first?
If you like sweet fragrances, start with Opera Mate and Double Attack. If you prefer something brighter, start with The Forward and Vieri.

What if I love one of them?
Order a larger decant or a full bottle of that fragrance separately once you know which one you want.