French Defense
On request
Mind Games Queening
Clean cotton, rum, whipped vanilla
Queening is the Mind Games perfume for reaching a goal and coming out of a hard road stronger. It begins with clean cotton, cypress and apple, passes through orris, rum and saffron, and ends in a soft gourmand base of whipped vanilla, fluffy musk and coconut that the brand calls cocooning. Christelle Laprade is the perfumer.
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The store’s selection is really good and comprehensive. Placing an order was very easy, and shipping was really fast. The fragrances were well packed and they were all...
The composition
How it unfolds in notes
The curve shows the order in which the notes come forward, not their strength.
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Top notes
- Clean Cotton Accord
- Cypress
- Apple
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Heart notes
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Base notes
- Whipped Vanilla Bean
- Fluffy Musk
- Coconut
- Character
- Strong
- Occasion
- Concentration
- Explore by note
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On the skin
How it unfolds
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A clean start
The opening is deliberately tidy. A clean cotton accord gives a laundered, soft-edged freshness, cypress draws a thin, resinous green line through it, and apple adds a crisp, light fruitiness. It feels like fresh linen rather than a fruit bowl, and it sets up a strong contrast with what follows.
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Rum and saffron
Then the warmth comes in. Orris brings a creamy, powdery softness, rum adds the depth of an aged spirit, and saffron contributes a dry, slightly metallic spice. Together they turn the clean opening into something darker and rounder, with a golden, almost liqueur-like glow instead of a sugary one.
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The cocoon
The base is where the gourmand side arrives: whipped vanilla bean, fluffy musk and coconut. It is soft and airy rather than syrupy, more a texture than a flavour, and it wraps the skin closely. As an extrait it lingers quietly, and vanilla and musk remain long after the rum has gone.
Wearing it
When, who and why
Cold days, quiet rooms
Queening fits cool days, cosy evenings and moments when you want a perfume that feels like a soft extra layer. Apply two sprays to the chest or the back of the neck, where body warmth lifts the vanilla and musk. Because the base is rich, it works best in autumn and winter.
Who it suits
Anyone drawn to gourmand perfumes who prefers them airy and clean instead of heavy and sweet. Mind Games calls its whole range unisex, and that holds here; the cotton and apple start keeps the perfume approachable if richer vanillas are new to you.
Why choose Mind Games Queening
It pairs a clean, almost laundered opening with a plush gourmand base, a contrast that keeps the vanilla from turning cloying. The brand frames it as a perfume about arriving, and the composition does read as a calm, earned finish.
At a glance
- House
- Mind Games
- Perfumer
- Christelle Laprade
- Year
- 2023
- Size
- 100 ml
- Family
- Gourmand Amber
- For
- Unisex
Questions
Frequently asked
Is Queening very sweet?
It is a gourmand, but the sweetness is soft and airy: whipped vanilla and coconut, tempered by clean cotton, apple and a dry saffron note in the middle.
What concentration is Queening?
It is an Extrait de Parfum, a rich concentration with more fragrance oil than an eau de parfum, so it wears denser and closer to the skin.
When does a cocooning gourmand make sense?
On cool days, in the evening, at home or at a quiet dinner. The soft musk and vanilla suit close company, not a crowded, hot room.
How big is the bottle?
The bottle holds 100 ml of Extrait de Parfum, which goes a long way when only a couple of sprays are needed each time.
The house
About Mind Games
Mind Games is a chess-themed niche house created by Alex and Mariana Shalbaf. Each perfume is an ‘aromatic movement’ that mirrors a move or idea from the game, and every full-size perfume is an Extrait de Parfum in a 100 ml glass flacon with a metal cap shaped like a chess piece.
- A chess-themed niche house created by Alex and Mariana Shalbaf
- Each perfume is an ‘aromatic movement’ that mirrors a move or idea from chess
- The brand calls its whole range unisex or genderless
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NicheGems is new. These are reviews from FragranceGems customers about their orders at FragranceGems, the shop behind NicheGems. Collected by Judge.me.
4.7 out of 5
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Reviews of FragranceGems, the shop behind NicheGems
The store’s selection is really good and comprehensive. Placing an order was very easy, and shipping was really fast. The fragrances were well packed and they were all excellent. I’m very satisfied. 👍💯👍
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This perfume is really well blended, I just removed a star because I personnaly don't like the top note (citronella)
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The cap of the bottle came with a small part of it broken off and the glass pieces were in the box
A selection of recent reviews in proportion to their star ratings.
From the house of FragranceGems
The niche department of FragranceGems
NicheGems is part of FragranceGems B.V. in Zoetermeer, the Netherlands. Original perfumes from niche houses, handled by the same team that looks after every FragranceGems order.
Reviews of FragranceGems, the shop behind NicheGems
- Original perfumes, new and in original packaging
- Packed with care in the Netherlands
- Customer service by the FragranceGems team