MIND GAMES
Prodigy

2024

bergamot
cinnamon
rose milk

longoza flower
caffe latte
patchouli

sandalwood
vanilla
blond woods

‘Prodigy, a rich and decadent fragrance, is a masterful blend of unexpected twists and subtle nuances, a true testament to innovation. It’s a rich, decadent fragrance that blends the comforting familiarity of a warm café au lait with unexpected twists. The foundation is a harmonious blend of Sandalwood Madagascar, Vanilla, and soft blonde woods, while the twist comes from Longoza Blossom, a fresh rosy spice that adds intrigue. Rose absolute, cinnamon bark, and bergamots are added to complete the blend, their notes weaving through the smooth latte effect to create a unique blend of sweet, bitter, and spicy notes. The result is a modern scent that balances familiarity and innovation, satisfying our cravings for the comforting and our desire for the unexpected.’ – Mind Games

Mentor & Prodigy were released side-by-side in a special, expensive decanter set, before the general release, so I figured I would review them side-by-side as well. Prodigy ended up being my favorite of the two, but both have something to offer. I had/have some reservations about the brand in general, but both of these releases are quite complex scents and the few reviews I’ve read for them downplay their intensity in my experience. Ironically, I wish they were less intense, especially this Prodigy.

Prodigy gets compared to Xerjoff Newcleus, which is very understandable at one point during the wear. I made this connection during my sampling, so when I read it in other reviews after, there clearly seems to be an overlap. With rose, vanilla and a milky texture, that’s not a big surprise. But Prodigy turns into a stronger and longer lasting fragrance overall. There’s coffee, spices and patchouli, that overtake the brighter, softer notes completely, for a deceivingly sweet, but harsh majority of the time that I had with this fragrance.

What I get in both Prodigy and Mentor is this feeling of beeswax, honey and sugar; which can have quite a grating, screeching texture; a little bit heady. It smells very nice at one point and especially in the mix with the brighter, fresher rose in the opening hour, I’m fond of Prodigy. I like that opening the best, whereas the mid of the wear feels increasingly rougher than I was anticipating.

I feel like an old-man complaining about this, I feel that both of these fragrances have an unnecessarily long sugary, screechy drydown that wears me down after a while. It takes away from the rather interesting scent profiles and complexity. Most reviews I see paint a picture of Prodigy as a light, feminine, unassuming fragrance; which I would’ve preferred. I find that over time on my skin, this is a more rugged, nearly beast mode sweet fragrance that overshoots its target. In the first hour, I was very clearly more a fan of Prodigy over Mentor, but after a while, they grew closer to each other in intensity and harshness. I do still end up preferring Prodigy and frankly, I like it more than I expected.