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Mind Games French Defense ()
Mind Games

French Defense ()

cherry
amber
sweet
rose
ozonic
herbal
woody
EDP · 2023 · unisex

Mind Games is an indie fragrance house known for bold, unconventional compositions that play with traditional fragrance structures. French Defense marks their approach to creating distinctive scents that challenge mainstream expectations.

French Defense opens with a bright cherry and violet leaf combination, grounded by chamomile for earthiness. The heart develops into a classic rose, geranium, and mimosa blend that gives the fragrance a soft, somewhat powdery character. The base settles into a warm amber, blonde woods, and cedarwood foundation that provides longevity and depth. Overall, this is a sweet, slightly ambered floral with ozonic freshness cutting through, creating a fragrance that feels both nostalgic and contemporary.

This works well for someone wanting a wearable floral that's neither too feminine nor too masculine, making it genuinely unisex. The cherry-rose-amber combination makes it suitable for cooler months, though the ozonic elements keep it from feeling heavy. If you're drawn to fragrances with The Tactician, The Heirloom, or The Aristocrat profiles, French Defense shares similar DNA.

Adds to your fragrance profile · visible to the community

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$395Best · 100ml
$38530d Avg
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Price Comparison5 retailers · updated daily
Size
Updated 182m ago
$395.00Save $24 (6% off retail)
at Mind Games
$330 low$419 retail
near retail, consider waiting
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RetailerStockPrice
Mind GamesMSRPIn Stock$395.00retailBuy
ScentSplitIn Stock$395.00−$24Buy
Neiman Marcus✓ PartnerIn Stock$395.00−$24Buy
Olfactory Factory LLC✓ PartnerTesterIn Stock$399.99−$19Buy
Olfactory Factory LLC✓ PartnerIn Stock$419.00Buy

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Price History · 100ml
Low
$330
Avg
$385
Now
$395.00
13 days tracked · 2026-04-30 – 2026-06-02
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Main Accordsreported by community
cherry
100%
amber
75%
sweet
75%
rose
50%
ozonic
50%
herbal
50%
woody
50%
aromatic
50%
floral
50%
aquatic
50%
Fragrance Notescommunity verified
Top · 0–30 min
Cherry
Cherry
Sweet, slightly almond-like, and bright, cherry in perfumery ranges from fresh and tart to rich and jammy depending on the variety used. It adds an instantly likeable, accessible sweetness that works in both light florals and oriental compositions. A crowd-pleasing note that requires skill to use in a way that feels sophisticated.
Violet Leaves
Violet Leaves
Chamomile
Chamomile
Warm, apple-like, and slightly sweet, chamomile has a soft, herbal comfort that is instantly calming. Roman chamomile is fruitier; German chamomile is more herbal. Both add a gentle, honey-adjacent warmth to compositions. Used in soft florals and woody orientals to add a natural, approachable sweetness.
Heart · 30 min – 3 hrs
Rose
Rose
The queen of floral notes and the most-used ingredient in fine perfumery. Real rose is simultaneously velvety, honeyed, and slightly spicy, nothing like the synthetic candy version. Depending on the variety used, it can anchor a composition or drift through it like a ghost, adding warmth without dominating.
Geranium
Geranium
Green, rosy, and slightly minty, geranium is one of perfumery's most useful ingredients, sitting at the intersection of floral, herbal, and green families. Rose geranium adds a natural, slightly ragged freshness to rose accords that synthetic rose can't match. It grounds floral compositions in something earthy and real.
Mimosa
Mimosa
Powdery, honeyed, and softly floral, mimosa has a warm, golden sweetness that feels like sunshine in a bottle. The yellow puffball flowers of the mimosa tree produce an oil that is simultaneously floral, woody, and slightly animalic. A quintessential note of the French Riviera and romantic Provençal perfumery.
Base · 3–12 hrs
Amber
Amber
A warm, resinous accord rather than a single ingredient, amber is typically built from labdanum, benzoin, and vanilla to create a rich, honeyed, almost solar warmth. It's the quintessential base-note family, adding a comforting richness that makes fragrances feel complete. The difference between a fragrance feeling cold and feeling alive.
Blonde Woods
Blonde Woods
Cedarwood
Cedarwood
Clean, dry, and pencil-shaving familiar, cedar brings structure without heaviness. Depending on the variety (Atlas, Virginia, Texas), it can range from slightly sweet and waxy to sharply aromatic. It's a workhorse base note that gives woody fragrances their spine, and it's universally flattering on skin.
Who Wears ThisScent DNA matches
🏡
The HomesteaderBest match82% match
Rooted, warm, and entirely self-sufficient.

Warm skin musks, sandalwood, soft cedar, clean vetiver. Grounding, intimate, unhurried.

❤️
The Romantic82% match
Your fragrance is a love letter you never stop writing.

Warm roses, vanilla, amber, creamy musks. Soft, evolving, intimate.

🔥
The Sensualist82% match
You fill the room without trying.

Warm, smooth, projecting. Leather, tobacco, dry amber, bold woods.

Based on this fragrance's accord profile · Find your Scent DNA →
Community
Rate this fragrance
Rate this fragrance
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Most Popular with this Scent DNA Type?
🏡
The Homesteader
Rooted, warm, and entirely self-sufficient.
Warm skin musks, sandalwood, soft cedar, clean vetiver. Grounding, intimate, unhurried.
Discover your type →
Scent Profile
cherry100%amber75%sweet75%rose50%ozonic50%
Decants Available
13
listings in stock
1ml$6.99/ml1ml$9.29/ml2ml$5.00/ml3ml$3.83/ml

Mind Games French Defense ()— Prices, Coupons & Buying Guide

Best price today: French Defense () is $795.00. Without a coupon the lowest price is $795.00. Gush tracks 47+ retailers updated every 2 hours.

Are grey market retailers authentic?

Yes. Jomashop, FragranceNet, and MaxAroma sell 100% authentic Mind Games fragrances through unofficial distribution channels. The fragrance is identical to department store stock. Grey market refers to the supply chain, not product quality. The price difference comes entirely from the distribution channel.

Frequently asked questions

Cheapest price for Mind Games French Defense ()? +
$795.00 at ScentSplit. Gush compares 47+ retailers updated every 2 hours.
What does Mind Games French Defense () smell like? +
Mind Games is an indie fragrance house known for bold, unconventional compositions that play with traditional fragrance structures. French Defense marks their approach to creating distinctive scents that challenge mainstream expectations. French Defense opens with a bright cherry and violet leaf combination, grounded by chamomile for earthiness. The heart develops into a classic rose, geranium, and mimosa blend that gives the fragrance a soft, somewhat powdery character. The base settles into a warm amber, blonde woods, and cedarwood foundation that provides longevity and depth. Overall, this is a sweet, slightly ambered floral with ozonic freshness cutting through, creating a fragrance that feels both nostalgic and contemporary. This works well for someone wanting a wearable floral that's neither too feminine nor too masculine, making it genuinely unisex. The cherry-rose-amber combination makes it suitable for cooler months, though the ozonic elements keep it from feeling heavy. If you're drawn to fragrances with The Tactician, The Heirloom, or The Aristocrat profiles, French Defense shares similar DNA.
What are the notes in Mind Games French Defense ()? +
Top: Cherry, Violet Leaves, Chamomile. Heart: Rose, Geranium, Mimosa. Base: Amber, Blonde Woods, Cedarwood.
What is a grey market fragrance retailer? +
Grey market retailers sell authentic fragrances sourced through unofficial distribution -- typically excess inventory from authorized distributors. The product is real and identical to retail. FragranceNet (est. 1997), Jomashop, and MaxAroma are well-established with millions of verified reviews.

Gush earns a commission on purchases at no cost to you · Prices update every 2 hours · Coupon success rates based on affiliate feed data · Grey market = authentic, unofficial supply chain