French Defense

French Defense, inspired by Mind Games French Defense (c. 2023)

Mind Games describes the opening as dark, liquor-saturated cherries, and that is exactly where it starts. Violet leaf, green and slightly cucumber-like, and chamomile, with its dried-apple herbal tone, keep the fruit from becoming syrupy. A floral heart follows: rose absolute, Madagascar geranium with its minty, rosy sharpness, and powdery mimosa. Amber, cedarwood and blonde woods close it on a smooth, golden note.

About the original

French Defense belongs to the Soulmate Collection of the niche house Mind Games and shares its name with a well-known chess opening. The brand credits Christelle Laprade as perfumer. Fragrance references date it to 2023, although the September 2023 launch article for the collection does not list it. Dillard's sums it up as black cherry and smooth liqueur over velvety woods and ambers.

Our version

Ours is an independent eau de parfum made to evoke the same character. It is not Mind Games stock, not an official relaunch and not the original formula.

Who it suits

Its cherry is dark and boozy, so it sits nearer a cherry liqueur than a fruit sweet. The floral middle gives it more texture than a straight gourmand. Wearers who dislike fruity notes in general will not be won over by the woods at the end.

Related scents

• Tom Ford Lost Cherry
• Tom Ford Cherry Smoke
• Kayali Lovefest Burning Cherry

Notes of the original fragrance, as published by the brand.

Top notes: Cherry, Violet Leaves, Chamomile

Heart notes: Madagascar Geranium, Rose Absolute, Mimosa

Base notes: Amber, Cedarwood, Blonde Woods

Cherry dominates the first minutes, heavy and alcoholic, with violet leaf and chamomile adding a green, herbal counterpoint.

The heart turns floral, rose absolute and geranium side by side, with mimosa lending a powdery softness.

Amber, cedarwood and blonde woods form the base, golden and dry enough to calm the fruit.

Is French Defense a sweet cherry scent?

Sweet, but in a liqueur way. The cherry is described as liquor-soaked, and violet leaf, chamomile and woods keep it from tasting like candy.

Does French Defense smell floral?

Yes, after the cherry. Rose absolute, Madagascar geranium and mimosa form the heart before amber and woods take over.

Inside the EU, delivery is free on orders of €49 or more. Below that it is a flat €4.99. Outside the EU, delivery is a flat €4.99 on every order. We send every order in 1 to 2 working days. It arrives in 3 to 7 days across the EU and in 7 to 14 days outside the EU. You have 14 days to return an unopened bottle.

Mind Games and French Defense are trademarks of their respective owners, and all rights remain with them. Parfumour is not affiliated with, endorsed by, sponsored by, or connected to Mind Games in any way, and no business relationship of any kind is implied. Our product is an original interpretation created to evoke a similar scent profile, and the trademark names are used purely for honest, descriptive comparison, so that you can quickly identify the style and fragrance family you are looking for. We make no claim to sell the original product, and we do not use the same ingredients or formula. Any similarity lies in the overall impression of the scent as interpreted by our own perfumers, not in the source materials.