This set of scents has turned me into an SA stan. I’ve commented it on some threads here recently but it bears repeating: Caitlin is extremely talented at mixing gourmand scents that feel very grown up and sophisticated and she has changed my mind entirely on the genre. This set of reviews consists of two order from April and July.

Match Made In Heaven

Matcha, vanilla soft serve, cherry blossom, almond, waffle cone, powdered sugar, creamy sandalwood, coconut co2 The coconut co2 is not a listed note but it is included as an allergy note. I would have included it as a scent note because toasted coconut, or rather… if the waffle cone was made with coconut flour, is what I get immediately. It’s such a sweet and creamy vanilla; this facet is precariously restrained by the faintly dry grassiness of the matcha. It’s a really delicate balance which is rich and decadent, mouthwatering if you love soft serve scents, delightful if you’re here for the vibes. It’s cute, extremely cute… I wore this one as an EDP a lot until I realized that it’s just not for me and I ended up reselling it on here. There wasn’t really anything about it that turned me off, I just don’t think I felt very much like myself in this particular perfume.

A Party or Something

Yellow cake, white chocolate, pistachio buttercream, South African tagetes, fuzzy Cashmeran, and Iso E Super This one is an absolute masterpiece. It’s very sweet but I don’t think it’s toothache in the way Match Made In Heaven could be sometimes. The floral is so delicate and in some wears tends to be overshadowed by the cake notes. More perfumes with that marigold, though, please! After sampling, I had to get a 6mL roller which has been wonderful to wear regularly— and it certainly projects! I’ve received a lot of compliments while wearing this.

She’s A Witch

Perfume oil sample Warm pizzelle cookies studded with anise seeds and dusted with powdered sugar, heliotrope, sheer woods, musk Upon application, this is just like opening a packet of anise cookies— with that said, the butteriness quickly melts away and lets the anise really shine. Reapplication really brings out the powdered sugar and musk for me. It’s very interesting, because while the opening is a cookie gourmand, it doesn’t really develop as such. The ingredients are there, but it has more of a kitchen fairy vibe than a cookie tray. I think this would wear spectacularly in the cold of winter. It’s comfy without feeling too warm— nostalgia for happy moments, perhaps. I am going to full-size this and gift it to one of my grad school professors who complimented it (she’s a big licorice anything fan).

The Lovers

Bergamot, iris, jasmine sambac, bamboo, vetiver, green banana, mysore sandalwood, animalic amber It’s a heavy opening. Vintage? YES. Androgynous? Absolutely… Maybe? Maybe it’s more like… there are elements in this that recall Mad Men scenes in which you can just imagine heady men’s cologne wafting through and against powdery femininity, sans the cig smoke. My mom really disliked it so I will assume this one will be quite divisive. I adore this perfume sometimes, at other times it’s a bit overwhelming— the banana is so weird and fascinating, but really gorgeous and green and yet carries that familiar astringency (amplified by that bergamot) that makes you wince. I wouldn’t say it’s sexy, like I wouldn’t wear this on a date. Rather, it has more like a morning-after libidinal musk that’s just a little dirty as it blooms on the skin. This one projects and wears like iron but I do recommend sampling over blind-buying. Again…. It is strong! I am considering full-sizing this.

Moon Magic

Lavender sugar, vanilla steamed milk, chai spices, tonka bean, Cashmeran, Ambroxan, crystals charged by the moonlight (our crystal accord) Surprisingly sharp— with the steamed milk and vanilla I expected this to be much creamier/lactonic and warm but it’s quite herbaceous. Where I expected a sleepy scent, it feels cold. It has a bite in the spices and the crystal accord. This is one of those scents that I’m personally not too moved by but I get A LOT of compliments for when I’ve worn it. I’d like to sample this in an EDP to see how those notes change.

Dark Skies

Desert sage, agave, tuberose, saguaro, sandalwood, vanilla I sit here wondering how I have come to love such a syrupy perfume. Dark Skies is nearly cloying— and, ya know, while I’m not sure it’s photorealistic, it is reminiscent of that drippy, sticky, overripe sweetness of desert flowers at night. The tuberose can be overpoweringly indolic on some days, but it does temper itself on the skin after a bit. There’s also a sudden cooling effect, which, atmospherically, feels like a breeze. I got this one as a 6mL roller and it was a blind buy hit. This is another one I am wondering about trying as an EDP to see how it changes.

A Witch’s Valentine

Marshmallow, Moroccan rose absolute, raspberry puree, white chocolate, the softest suede This is an absolutely gorgeous rose-raspberry-white chocolate triad that just makes you want to dance around to Tori Amos. It’s intoxicating, vivid, and quite delicious. It’s like a decadent raspberry mousse— it’s that dessert scene in Coppola’s Marie Antoinette, Converse and all. The rose is what lingers the longest, hanging onto that supple sueded note— powdery goodness! I am thinking of full-sizing this.

The Things Unsaid

Spring rain, pink pepper, saucer magnolia, peony, raspberry, cotton, cedar If you enjoyed aquatic florals of The Ancient Waters of Venus and The Fairy Queen’s Revenge, you will really like The Things Unsaid. In a previous review of The Ancient Waters of Venus, I noted I wasn’t too fond of the aquatic note as it veered into mildew territory but in this it’s quite restrained and refreshing. It’s humid and tropical. One imagines a bowl of iced water with bright flower petals floating about. It’s a clean and approachable floral, and seems to be, perhaps, the most traditional of any in the A Love Story collection. Sorce is a very interesting house to me because it’s made me really appreciate gourmands over fresh florals— I am not the same person I was a year ago thanks to these perfumes.

Strings of Light In the Forest

• Vanilla milkshake, vetiver, lavender, beeswax absolute, golden orbs of amber, ambroxan* That ambroxan is front and center, so earthy and musky, and very much magnified by the sharp green lavender— totally a surprise, as I was expecting a creamy sweet vanilla milkshake with maybe a malted facet. While this had a very strong beginning, my skin ate it up quickly and only a soft, skin-but-better waxy creaminess remained after a few minutes. This part is quite long-lasting but wears very close. It’s pleasant, but I think in this case, the oil format wasn’t the best choice. I would like to try this as an EDP because there’s not much else I can say.

Serpentine

Ripe figs, fig leaf, cardamom, caramelized honey, vanilla, Peru balsam, cedar, iso e super This one was quite a risk because I do not like caramelized notes very much. It’s certainly there but I’m quite enthralled by everything else in this and it is not as overpowering as I feared it could be. The cardamom is so bright, spicy, and creates a very earthy atmosphere that just feels right against the aromatic woods. The fig is very soft, perhaps more green than ripe and jammy. I’ve been applying this one on very hot days and it wears really beautifully against warm skin musk.