CherryOpens with
RoseHeart
AmberDries down to
Christelle LapradeThe nose · 8 fragrances · also made Queening (2023)Portrait →Will you like it? Mark a few fragrances you own or love and we'll tell you.
Mind Games · Sold as unisex
French Defense
The quiet intensity of a chess match, where every move is calculated yet the air remains crisp with anticipation.
Full bottle: Luxury tier, typically $250+. Links open each seller's own page. We may earn a commission; it never changes the order.
French DefenseLuxury · $250+
35%Similar accords, often for lessElisabethan Rose - Vintage · Penhaligon'sPremium tier, $100–250 · shares 4 of its 8 notes8 matches →How it wears
From community votes · bars are each option's shareComposition & Character
Notes Pyramid
TopOpening
BaseFoundation
The story behind the bottle.
Launched in 2023 by Mind Games, French Defense is a unisex fragrance designed to evoke the tension and elegance of strategic play. Christelle Laprade crafted this composition around a vibrant cherry note that opens with a burst of freshness, followed by the soft floralcy of rose and mimosa. The heart incorporates chamomile and violet leaves, adding a subtle green undertone that contrasts beautifully with the sweetness. The base notes of amber, blonde woods, and cedarwood provide warmth and depth, creating an overall impression of sophistication and balance.
French Defense blooms gradually on the skin, so a light initial spritz allows its layers to unfold naturally. The cherry and floral notes are most prominent in the first hour, while the woody base emerges after about two hours. This fragrance reads better close to the skin rather than across a room, making it ideal for intimate settings or professional environments.
Fig. 01 — French Defense, Mind Games
Where to buy.
Wear it for a week first
A decant costs a fraction of a bottle and tells you how it lasts on your skin.
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Christelle Laprade
Trash-glam, French American styleChristelle Laprade is a French perfumer born in 1976 in Sanary-sur-Mer, near the Mediterranean, who has said she knew from childhood she wanted to be a fine perfumer.
Designer Mind Games
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Chosen from what wearers say it smells like, what its fans also love, and its notes
Love it, not the $250+ price?
Matched by accords and notes. Sample first, then decide.
The originalFrench DefenseMind Games · Luxury · $250+Penhaligon's · 1984Elisabethan Rose - VintageShares 4 of its 8 notes$100–250★ 3.82 (438)38%Match
Lattafa Perfumes · 2026New York the City of DreamsShares 4 of its 10 notesunder $40★ 3.94 (149)34%Match
RasasiTagreedShares Rose, Geranium and Amberunder $40★ 4.00 (34)36%Match
RasasiTagreed Al NaghamShares Rose, Geranium and Amberunder $40★ 3.89 (9)
With Donna Karan DKNY Men Summer 2020
Adds musky; shares four accords.
Suggested from accords and notes · not yet tried by wearers
What people
are saying.
A community favourite: loved by 64%, disliked or hated by 5%.