Blockade
Eau de Parfum
MIND GAMES
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MIND GAMES
Chess-inspired niche extrait fragrances built around contrast, structure, and projection.
About MIND GAMES
MIND GAMES is a U.S. fragrance brand launched in 2022 by Alex Shalbaf and Mariana Shalbaf. The brand positions itself around chess imagery, using that theme to structure its scent names, visuals, and collection concepts rather than relying on a conventional designer-house heritage.
The brand's first launch was the Artisan Collection in 2022, with ten fragrances built around chess pieces and contrasting black-and-white pairings. It later expanded with the Soulmate Collection, which the brand describes as inspired by pawn pieces and opposing forces that complement each other. Fragrantica lists the brand as having 20 perfumes in its database, with the earliest edition from 2022 and the newest from 2023.
MIND GAMES works with multiple perfumers, including Annick Menardo, Christelle Laprade, David Apel, Emilie Bevierre-Coppermann, Alexandra Carlin, Nathalie Benareau, and Carlos Viñals. Its lineup is built in extrait-style concentration and tends to lean into sweet woody, amber, musky, floral, and gourmand territory, with packaging and naming that emphasize strategy, duality, and high-contrast composition.
At a Glance
The Brand
Founded
2022
Founder
Alex Shalbaf and Mariana Shalbaf
Country
United States
Category
Niche
Scent Personality
Worth It?
Scent DNA
Amber
woody
musky
floral
gourmand
- MIND GAMES scents are built around a high-contrast, polished style that often mixes sweet materials with woods, musk, and amber
- The brand uses strong thematic storytelling and extrait concentration to make its fragrances feel dense and attention-grabbing rather than airy or minimalist
Typical Performance
Longevity
Long
Projection
Strong
Positioning
A niche, luxury house known for amber compositions.
How It Compares
- → More playful and thematic than Parfums de Marly
- → Sweeter and denser than Roja Parfums
- → More niche-concept driven than Amouage
Who It's For
Best For
- Evening wear
- Fall and winter
- Statement fragrances
- Fans of sweet woody niche scents
- Gift buyers who want a themed luxury presentation
Strengths & Weaknesses
Strengths
- Distinct chess-based branding
- High impact, long-lasting style
- Rich, crowd-pleasing sweet-woody profiles
- Strong bottle and presentation design
Weaknesses
- Can feel overbuilt or dense
- Limited versatility for hot weather
- Price is high relative to originality for some buyers
- The concept matters more than raw scent innovation
Brand Evolution
The brand launched in 2022 with a tight conceptual identity, then expanded from the initial Artisan Collection into the Soulmate Collection. Early communication focused heavily on chess-inspired structure and contrasting pairs, and that remains the core of the brand's identity. Its catalog has grown quickly, but the aesthetic and scent direction have stayed consistently rich and statement-oriented.
Quick Verdict
MIND GAMES is a concept-first luxury niche brand that sells presentation and performance as much as scent. If you want subtlety or deep originality, look elsewhere - if you want bold extrait-style releases with a clear identity, it delivers.
