Castling Mind Games 2022

Castling reminds me a great deal of Phlur Father Figure with its creamy green fig, watery florals, and fuzzy musk. This one adds a dash of salt that nicely accentuates the fig, which I rather enjoy. While Castling is a lovely, clean and cozy scent, Father Figure is essentially the same and half to a third of the USD price.

P.S. the more I smell it, the more it is also giving Strangers Chokedee. Definitely coconut adjacent.

Continuing in the range of the American brand Mind Games. I received some samples from this brand, and now follows a detailed review of the wonderful scent Castling. A brand that I really like and that totally matches my taste. As I have already noted in other reviews: The prices are a bit steep for these fragrances at €270 for 100ml, and for that, the scents do not convince me enough or impress me sufficiently. If there is ever a substantial discount on the brand, I might buy one or two. The concept with the chess pieces as bottles is definitely cool. Castling is more of a white scent with fig, woody, and especially floral notes. To name a few similar fragrances that go in this direction: White on White, Santal Blanc, or Parisian Musc Eau de Parfum. Even though it is not completely new in style: The scent has character and its own traits. I quite like this release with the clean notes. However, for a price well over €200, there are many alternatives that are also significantly cheaper. Nevertheless, a few nice words about this scent that is quite well made.

The concept of the American brand, as I said, appeals to me quite a bit with this chess piece as a bottle, and the packaging does justice to the price. The scent? Somewhat. I find it a bit overpriced for what you get, but it is a great scent that works wonderfully in everyday life.
The fragrance is thoroughly white and rightly comes in a lighter color than some others from this brand. The star in the first half of the scent is clearly the fig leaf, which unfolds beautifully in the first minutes, along with clean & white notes. In the first hours, this creation is also quite summery with salty-fresh notes, which is a great complement to the fig leaf. This citrusy freshness is also subtly in the background, but the scent never becomes too citrusy. Instead, it is creamy with the commonly white appearance featuring musk, sandalwood, a bit of sweet vanilla, and these bright woody notes. The scent becomes slightly more feminine through the floral heart with freesia, lotus, and iris. The floral notes are not cloying or heavy, but rather summery-fresh and light. Men who enjoy floral notes with a clean base can certainly wear this unisex scent, but it is not a typically common unisex fragrance. The base is really soft with sandalwood and musk. Overall, it is an uncomplicated scent with this white vibe. The fragrance is wearable throughout the year, especially in everyday life and leisure.
The performance is quite good for this relatively fresh DNA, lasting about 8 hours with good projection in the first hours. Satisfactory and pleasant.

In conclusion, I can say: There are many cheaper alternatives, but it is already a great scent that is well made and possesses quality. For fans of clean notes.

Castling smells to me like a fresh, slightly salty coconut even though there is no coconut in the fragrance notes. The effect is created by fig leaf and Fleur de Sel, which together conjure up this creamy, maritime vacation note. Bergamot brings freshness, while gentle woods provide support.

With around eight hours of longevity on the skin and significantly longer on clothing, Castling is the perfect companion for hot summer days at the beach. Light, unique, and absolutely suitable for vacation.