Serpentine by Roberto Cavalli

It works great for me. It’s soft, yes, but smells elegant and light.

A perfume-savvy friend recommended it to me, though it’s no longer available. Honestly, it’s been a total flop. The market doesn’t miss it, but this one is weak; you have to douse yourself in it just to smell anything, which stresses me out. At first, I barely noticed it on my skin. The scent is muted, with a spiced note from another era that doesn’t grab attention at all. Faint florals, sandalwood, and spices with zero projection or trail.

Seen but not felt. I wanted it, got it, and lost it all in one day. My sister gifted it to me and took it right back. While I enjoy Cavallier’s creations, they need warmth to bloom on the skin. Serpentine is too soft for me. It’s not bad, it’s pleasant, but it lacks something. It opens with sweet mango and green mandarin, tropical fruits paired with creamy flowers like tiare and frangipani, plus rich gardenias. Just needs a bit more coconut to be perfect. The base is a buttery amber vanilla anchored by sandalwood. Soft power and moderate longevity. Like all Cavallier, it’s feminine, intoxicating, and sensual. Warm and tender, it hugs you like a soft silk wrap. The bottle, with snakes seeming to emerge from the glass, evokes hypnosis; they aren’t aggressive, just overwhelmingly sweet. To me, they look like silkworms in cocoons waiting for spring. I tested it in winter and barely noticed it—that’s the flaw. Used at the wrong time, but temptation won. I saved some sample for summer nights. Bicycles are for summer, and so is Serpentine.

Here’s my third take. Now that I own the bottle, I can say for sure: it’s pleasant for warm climates, especially at night. It has a sexy ‘something I can’t quite put my finger on’ that guys really dig. The base does its job, blending well with my skin for a warm, floral-amber sweetness. The fixative is good, though in the last few hours (8-12h) it sticks close to the skin. I won’t repeat the notes, but it’s like a pleasant stroll toward a warm, breezy sunset in a quiet place, according to Cavallier’s imagination. It reminds me a bit of Rochas Absolu and YSL Cinema.

I imagined it differently. It’s wearable, but it smells like a straight line from mango to a shy balsam of Peru, going nowhere and offering no emotion, despite having distinctive notes. What’s in between? A hint of mandarin, sandalwood, amber, and tiare, which is what dominates the floral blend. I’m not saying it’s bad; it’s fine and the longevity is good, though the trail is moderate to light. I see it working well for hot days or summer getaways, in arid environments where it feels comfortable and elegant, with a certain sensuality for relaxed evening events. Looking for soft, light perfumes? Give it a try. Edit: Although I said it was flat, I actually liked it. I plan to reconsider it; I suspect I might end up enjoying it.