Think and Play the Strategic Game of Perfumes.

To engage with MIND GAMES, it is not necessary to be knowledgeable of the game of chess. The fragrances have an ultimate and immediate appeal thanks to their sublime balance and intelligence. Drawing from the intellectual elegance of chess and delivering a refined experience is what each fragrance embodies and accomplishes with the strategy of an expertly played game. MIND GAMES ignites the senses and enlightens the knowledge of ingredients; it prompts us to think smartly and to explore the world of artistic perfumery. To play is easy, the hypnotic game quickly transforms the player into a fragrance lover of the strategic luxury brand.

No Element of Chance. A Game of Excellence.

A couple is the mastermind behind the brand. Alex and Mariana Shalbaf are the two expert ‘players’ in the ‘perfume game’ and inventors of MIND GAMES. Alex has twenty years of discerning perfume experience and Mariana is the creative and artistic director with extensive design experience. While continuing the licensing of fragrance brands in the US, they decided seven years ago to embark on the new challenge of developing their own brand. They wanted to be free of calculated risks, of the client ‘proof of concept’ and crafted MIND GAMES with a new creative vision:

‘MIND GAMES is a perfume collection with a chess inspiration and an intense concentration. Every scent is an aromatic movement in a grandmaster tournament of expert perfumers to be shared with fragrance connoisseurs.’ Alex Shalbaf, Founder of MIND GAMES.

With no market benchmarking, theirs was a daring strategy given the complexity of the game and the novelty of the concept. They had to skilfully master every detail of the composition like the chess inspired stories of the fragrances, sculpt relentlessly the artistic creativity such as the design of each perfume bottle, work extensively with expert perfumers with many brainstorming sessions, to ultimately aim for the creation of a unique perfume identity for the MIND GAMES collection.

Initial Positions with the Artisan Collection.

When the brand was ready to be launched, Alex and Mariana hoped that the customers would not only understand MIND GAMES but also be intrigued and seduced by it. At the start in 2022, the ‘Artisan Collection’ featured ten fragrances, five white and five black, the key chess pieces such as the King, Queen, Knight, Rook etc... The strategic chess game follows specific scent moves, white first, black second, so the Artisan Collection is designed pairing fragrances together. As an example, Blockade and J’adoube are meant to be layered as a perfect pair complementing each other. In the chess game, Blockade is when a pawn squarely blocks the way to one piece of the opponent; whereas J’adoube literally means ‘I adjust’ when one player informs the opposite side of his ‘adjusting’ like an amicable warning. In one instance, the player shows a firm stance and in the other, a free ‘ouverture’. The two fragrances therefore illustrate similar positions; the strong Blockade is the 2023 finalist of the Fragrance Foundation Awards and J’adoube is a woody floral fruity scent with mouthwatering bright red pomegranate, absolutely lovely. Alex explains that the delectable fruit is original in the Western world as it is seldom available in the fruits selection but is a typical ingredient in the East, a usual food staple. To him, this is like a chess move, unpredictable for one player but so simple for the other opponent. Santa Maria Novella and its ‘Melograno’ come to my mind as their pomegranate fragrance, representing the fruit of abundance has become an iconic scent of their collection. No wonder Alex has picked J’adoube from the overall Artisan Collection, pomegranate as a perfume ingredient is not per se original but the fragrance composition has created a community of J’adoube fragrance lovers.

Like a grandmaster chess game, the fragrances of MIND GAMES are defined by complexity, essentially intellectual yet understandable, beautifully original yet totally wearable.

A Collection of Magnetic Pairs and Hypnotic Squares.

For a niche brand starting with ten perfumes clearly sets the ambition. Convinced of the potential, Neiman Marcus decided to launch exclusively in all its doors in the US. MIND GAMES developed its North American sales robustly also at Bloomingdales, independent perfumeries, and its online shop. The brand is now moving to a different chapter and is undergoing a major international expansion with the opening of prestigious retail doors following the selection of high-end specialty stores and independent retail perfumeries. At this point in time, Europe is the main focus with the recent openings of KDV and Oppenheimer in Germany, la Crème de la Crème in the Baltics, Selfridges in the UK, and soon new markets such as Spain and Portugal. The Middle East will kick off in March 2025 with Harvey Nichols and Bloomingdales.

After the success of the first collection, the brand created the ‘Soulmate Collection’ inspired by the Pawn pieces, with the idea of two opposing forces that challenge and yet complete each other like pawn pieces on a chessboard. As an example, the scent ‘Vieri’ represents the ‘nobleman’ that manages to captivate the heart of ‘Lionora’; Vieri has a citrus effervescent start that evolves into a resilient woody base and Lionora is made of seductive grace, an embrace of sweet fruits and lush flowers. Hence, the fragrances ignite a romance, uniting two bodies, when two scents complement each other harmoniously and can be layered together beautifully.

With the second collection, MIND GAMES doubled the stakes with ten additional scents. With a number above the usual sixteen chess pieces, MIND GAMES is enriching the chess game with additional scent-pieces and ample ingredients-movements. The King, queen, rooks, bishops, knights, and pawns can make splendid move promotions, game anticipations and perfume exceptions, in black and white expressions…

Authentic Luxury With A Specific Personality.

In the fall of 2024, the brand unveiled its third collection called ‘Perfumer Extraordinaire’ thereby taking the game to a higher level with two extraits de parfum, in black and white, Mentor and Prodigy. The collection reaches a further height of beauty and complexity in scent creation. Crafted to evoke beauty, the extraits de parfum elevate the art of perfumery with an exquisite blend of rare ingredients and a rich depth in scent. The scents of ‘Perfumer Extraordinaire’ are opulent compositions made of ultimate ingredients. The bottles have been elegantly designed with lacquered wood and the perfume boxes come with two vials of the raw ingredients featured in the fragrances. Mentor comes with samples of boya oud and amber, while Prodigy with rose absolute and patchouli. Perfumer Extraordinaire is an authentic experience of a luxury offering, a unique piece of the behind-the-scenes composing of ingredients. MIND GAMES therefore gives the understanding of the balance of ingredients behind the complex fragrances:

"With Perfumer Extraordinaire, we wanted to pull back the curtain on the creative process and allow people to experience the raw materials in their purest form" Marianna Shalbaf, Founder and Creative Director of MIND GAMES.

For its world of complexity, MIND GAMES aims for the highest level of sustainability of ingredients and creativity of perfumers. Alex and Mariana have decided to play the game of creation with expert perfumers from Symrise only. They are adamant to display a detailed profile for each fragrance composed of an overall description, the perfume specific notes, and the sustainability imprint. All the ingredients used by MIND GAMES are 100% traceable and part of a farmer sustainable programme, be it income diversification or training plan. The brand also succeeds in raising further the interest of the passionate fragrance reader with an inspiring personal quote of the perfumer behind each scent:

"While creating Prodigy I was inspired by the twists and turns of a chess game, and I wanted to boost the coziness of the scent. I hope you get to smell the beautiful nuances when you get to experience it on your skin for the first time." Nathalie Benareau, Symrise Perfumer.

Prodigy is a subtle gourmand scent, a blend of rose absolute with patchouli, creamy caffe latte, bergamot, sandalwood, cinnamon, and vanilla. According to Mariana "The perfumer Natalie Benareau thinks like a painter, finding ingredients that complement each other to form a vivid, layered scent.”

Mentor is a rich gourmand combining boya oud with amber, salted caramel, coffee, tonka, and dark plum. The first oud fragrance of the collection is composed by perfumer “Carlos Viñals, he draws inspiration from his past, and mixes it with new experiences from his travels, almost like he’s creating a bridge between past and present” says Mariana.

Candle Elegance. A Light and Shadow Experience.

Last but not least, before Xmas, MIND GAMES added brilliance to the chess game with luminous home fragrances. The interior collection features six candles, striking puzzle pieces in black & white, and daring board movements in G8 - Black King, Cardamom & Oud; A4 - Black Queen, Cassis & Amber; B4 - Black Knight, Grapefruit & Vetiver; B1 - White King, Cherry & Sandalwood; H5 - White Queen, Tobacco & Tonka Bean; G5 - White Knight, Jasmine & Milk.

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Play Again the Thrilling Game of Perfume Checkmating.

When it is game over, play once more. There are so many ways to play the game, but one thing is certain, checkmating has never been so exhilarating. MIND GAMES is a never-ending game, a playful and delightful experience of finding one’s luxury perfume signature and playing again…

‘Every playful move you make. I’ll be scenting you.’