Scholar's Mate

Scholar's Mate by Mind Games is a masculine-leaning extrait de parfum from 2022 in the luxury price tier. It opens with cardamom, bergamot, cinnamon and grapefruit, moves into iris, elemi and pimento and dries down to mysore sandalwood, fig, vetiver and cypriol. Expect around 9 hours of wear, and it projects at a moderate level.

Notes, explained

Opening

Cardamom Cool, aromatic spice with a eucalyptus lift. Smells expensive.
Bergamot Sharp citrus with a faint bitter edge. The opening of about half of all men's fragrances.
Cinnamon Sweet heat. Reads festive, sometimes to a fault.
Grapefruit Bitter, slightly sweaty citrus. More grown-up than lemon.

Heart

Iris Cool, powdery, slightly carroty and expensive. The luxury note.
Elemi Peppery resin with a lemon-pine lift. Bright and dry.
Pimento Allspice — clove, cinnamon and nutmeg at once. Hot and rounded.

Dry-down

Mysore Sandalwood The legendary Indian sandalwood. Richer and butterier than any substitute.
Fig Green, milky and jammy at once. One of the most interesting fruits in perfume.
Vetiver Dry, earthy, smoky grass root. Smells like soil and citrus peel.
Cypriol Also called nagarmotha. Smoky, leathery, earthy — a vetiver relative.

Smells like this

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