Double Attack Mind Games 2022

Any time a brand receives recognition for their product being put into PR on a widescale, it's eventually going to land in front of someone who is going to rip it apart. This is the 7th Mind Games fragrance I've smelled in the last 3 days and so far they have topped out at 6.5/10 with not a single fragrance lasting for more than 6 hours. So needless to say, disaster was imminent and that disaster ended up being Double Attack.

The scent actually opens quite interesting as you instantly pick up on the sweet and warm spicy accords. In my notes I wrote down "this smells like actual burnt sugar, but it's not in a Baccarat way", because it kind-of does. The scent is structured in a way where it builds on the cinnamon note in the heart by putting it on top of the listed sandalwood, making it feel somewhat like the structure of Casamorati's "Casamorati - Bouquet Ideale (Eau de Parfum) | XerJoff". It's a little bit like baking a cinnamon bun by a campfire.

But it all goes wrong as soon as you smell the scent on skin. From up-close this scent is a DISASTER. ABSOLUTE DISASTER. It's so bad that I don't even have a comparison to make as I urgently try to remember any fragrances with this type of base. One of the other users stated this scent smells like "a new roll of plastic wrap with cocoa powder dusted on top", in my original notes I wrote that it has a "synthetic burnt rubber style smell". I continuously kept smelling it 10, 20, 50 times and I just can't get this comparison down. In some parts, it smells like you spritzed window cleaner on a smoking grill while in others it's more like melting plastics and/or burning tires. Mind you, all of this is contrasted against the sweet-gourmandy notes (cinnamon and chocolate), meaning you have a synthetic disasterclass on which Mind Games has layered various sweet notes.

Double Attack now claims the titleholder of worst fragrance I've ever smelled, a title previously held by Parfums de Marly's Hamdani. Relative to what one would expect from a synthetic-oriental gourmand fragrance, the performance here aligns with my experience thus far with Mind Games as not a single one of their fragrances can get strong, much less nuclear levels of sillage. I would place the longevity in the 8 hour ballpark on first wear, but it is unlikely I will revisit this so I leave that up to the crowd to decide.

At the end of the day, Double Attack serves as an insult to the intelligence of those participating in the fragrance community. The influencer attacks us with their mostly worthless opinion and then the scent attacks you with its vileness.

The mind game with this brand is that you are paying primarily for packaging. I am underwhelmed by nearly every fragrance this brand offers. While I do enjoy Double Attack, it's far too polite for $375 USD. Safe and crowd pleasing, but lacking performance and longevity. This scent profile has been done many times in the designer realm and with better endurance. The market value is higher than Amouage and the quality is a far reach. Before the scent fizzled out after a few hours, I picked up primarily on geranium, chocolate, vanilla and vetiver. If you're aiming for a dusty chocolate skin scent, this may be for you.

EDIT: I initially enjoyed Double Attack when I first tested it last year. Since then, I’ve grown to dislike it and have moved on and sold it. The review below reflects my updated opinion.

Upon first spray, I get enveloped by synthetic-smelling chocolate. It seems as if the perfumer was going for cacao but landed in halloween Nestle’s. Gradually, an unpleasant pileup of bourbon, vanilla and faint woody notes come to the fore.

Over the course of a year, I’ve gone from believing this was “exquisitely blended” to finding it extremely unwearable. As embarrassed as I am about my complete 180 on Double Attack, I would be more embarrassed if I left my first positive review posted. You’d be wise to steer clear, as I literally couldn’t even give this bottle away to anyone who smelled it.

Continuing with the sample set from the brand Mind Games. I have already reviewed more than half of them, and I certainly won't withhold the remaining fragrances from this American brand. It's truly a great brand where most of the scents have already convinced me, and some would definitely be candidates for purchase. Now we are talking about Double Attack, a term that also has a meaning in chess, just like all the other names of this brand. It's definitely cool, and the concept is original. The fragrance doesn't have a review yet, which surprises me a bit, as it goes in a very pleasing direction and also somewhat reminds me of "Moonlight | Pana Dora," but here it is much softer and not as loud. Thus, the scent leans towards "Soft-Gourmand," which can be worn almost throughout the entire year. I find this fragrance clearly underrated with a rating of 7.0, though of course, it's a matter of taste. Overall, it's not a scent that will cause much friction or meet many enemies.

The recommended retail price, like all fragrances in the series, is €270 for 100ml, but you can often find it for significantly less. The bottle and packaging are niche, and the chess pieces as a bottle have charm and style.
Double Attack is indeed a very soft fragrance where one might expect something different due to the pure pyramid. However, the gourmand notes from the base are kept extremely soft, which could be advantageous, especially in milder or warmer temperatures. The scent is built on dark chocolate and vanilla, which dominate the fragrance with a gourmand-soft sweetness. The sweetness is not sticky or overpowering, but very soft and pleasant. At the beginning, you get a slightly orange note with fine spices: allspice and a cinnamon-like, not too wintry spice are perceptible. Geranium adds a soft, gentle note that fits in well. Wood in the form of sandalwood also provides soft woody notes that gently overlay the gourmand sweetness. In the base, of course, the mix of chocolate-vanilla and sandalwood dominates. This is a pleasant combination that is thoroughly enjoyable. The fragrance is unisex and suits both genders equally well.
The performance of the fragrance is really good, although one must say: those who want beast mode should rather reach for Moonlight, as it is significantly softer in the sillage. Longevity is quite good, and it should last around 8-10 hours. A soft gourmand that works well in everyday life but is also elegant enough for the evening. There are already plenty of wearing options.

Overall, it's a fragrance I can recommend if you like soft gourmand scents that don't project too extremely. The chocolate note is clearly the star of the creation and provides pleasing vibes.

Double Attack is a bitter cocoa fragrance in which I perceive the orange bitters very prominently.
It has a slight sweetness,but the scent of dark chocolate mixed with allspice and orange bitters predominates.
To me, it does not seem musty at all,I have only received positive feedback so far,of course it remains a matter of taste.
I can really imagine wearing it in autumn now.