Serpentine

I looked this up after buying the floral discovery set and saw three notes I struggle with immensely: fig, cardamom, and honey. I was like, "Well, there's always one perfume in the mix that I'm gonna be iffy on. It's whatever, I'm excited for the others." After making my way through the discovery set, Sorce has, by some miracle of the gods, concocted the most sultry, delectable mixture of three notes that challenge me. Make that four, because it has fig leaf too (allegedly - I'm not really getting any green from this, especially on skin). Honey is probably the one that challenges me the most. Most honey perfumes don't smell like actual honey to my nose, they're more this sort of saccharine, animalic, diabetic piss smell that is hard to escape. Serpentine is the first honey perfume I've ever smelled that evokes ACTUAL honey. Like, golden, sun-warmed, dripping from the comb honey. The fig is sweet, extra ripe, none of that green 'eau de dentist office' thing that it often gives. The cardamom is there but not necessarily spicy, just warming and pleasant. Beautiful on paper, but absolutely scrumptious on skin. I want to eat my arm. The scent bubble is luxurious, sticky and sweet, but very grown woman sweet. No whimsy, just a sort of sinful deliciousness. The name is spot on.

When I smelled this on a test strip in the Sorce store, I appreciated it for its spiced medley but didn't know if it would be as cloyingly sweet as I tend to find Sorce perfumes. I am a certified cardamom lover (possibly my fav note of all time) so I wasn't sure why I didn't love it right away. Nevertheless, I took a sample home with me. It quickly became an obsession. On skin, the candied honey melts into your natural skin musk and gently forms the base for those beautiful spices to bloom. It's incredible. Genuinely a showstopper. I'm almost glad it doesn't have more traction compared to some of Sorce's other scents because I feel as if it could be a signature scent for me. I can see it being worn yearround, and I'm sure it'll be a sensory delight when the weather gets colder. So in love. Bottle on the way.

I got a sample of this, went to the grocery store with a couple small spritz, and immediately got told I smell amazing. Smells like the bottom of a cup of karak chai in the best way possible. A little green and honeyed, I definitely pick up that cedar note which mellows things out. I wish it was a little smoother and vanilla-forward, but definitely achievable with layering. Reads very unisex to me. I'm surprised not everyone reads cardamom instantly, that first spray is straight cardamom to me. Not a club scent. Probably not an office scent. Type of thing I'd wear to the cafe, the grocery store (as aforementioned), a library or bookstore, a hike... A little sexy, warm, sultry, and homey. Like you just made tea and did some gardening.

This was sweeter than I was expecting, so I spent some time getting over my expectations for my oil sample. I wouldn't decribe this as very woody, to me its mostly soft spices and honeyed fig, though I do get the resin and leaf note underneath. Very well blended and I'd say I reach for it most out of the sorce perfumes I've tried. I love fig smells, never tried one that wasn't a little unique, and this follows that trend pretty well. If I wasn't already aware of the notes I wouldn't immediately tag this as fig. Definitely a fruit, but maybe more of a ripe pear. There's a dessert soup my dad used to make for me and it smells almost exactly like that, just more green.

This is unique and strong. It has a lot of distinct notes that all want to spend time in the spotlight. The fig is sweet and fleshy. The cardamom is spicy. The woodsy base has a hint of pine. I feel like this must have been inspired by the way Nest Indigo smells in the first 5 minutes (that punch of jammy fig and cardamom before Indigo fades into a more bergamot tea scent) This is not a safe blind buy, but I would highly recommend ordering a sample just to experience it.