Note Pyramid
Serpentine
Most gift sets are bought for the packaging, but the Roberto Cavalli Serpentine Eau de Parfum Gift Set is worth choosing for the fragrance inside it, which is one of the louder things the house has put its name to.
The scent opens tart. Pink pepper crackles, bergamot gives bitter citrus and blackcurrant a green sharpness, and none of it suggests where the fragrance is heading. The middle turns rich, built on sambac jasmine at its headiest, rose for depth, lavender for a cool herbal thread and saffron for a dry, almost leathery warmth that keeps the flowers in order. Then it settles into vanilla, tonka bean and patchouli, the vanilla smooth, the tonka bean faintly bitter under its sweetness, the patchouli earthy enough to stop the whole thing becoming a dessert. As a present it has the advantage of being obvious. It is a recognisable fashion name, it is an eau de parfum rather than a lighter concentration, and it is sweet and floral in a way that most people who like modern perfume will get along with. It is a better gift for someone who enjoys being noticed than for someone who wears fragrance quietly. Presented ready to give, it saves wrapping, and it suits Christmas, a birthday or a thank you where a single bottle might look thin.
The perfumers credited are Gino Percontino, Patricia Choux and Ralf Schwieger. The Roberto Cavalli house goes back to 1970, when a Florentine with a cloth printing business behind him showed clothes in Paris for the first time, and it grew famous for animal pattern and for denim it printed and treated. He stepped back from the firm in 2015, Just Cavalli joined it as a second line, and its scents are licensed.
Please note: images are a guide only. Packaging and bottle design may occasionally differ from those shown due to manufacturer updates or promotions.
The Scent Vault
Join thousands earning on every order
Earn points as you shop, redeem for money off, and unlock member perks.
Find out more
The Scent Vault Gift Cards
Give the gift of choice
One card, every scent. Let them pick the fragrance that is truly them. Send it instantly by email, or schedule it for a future date with a message of your own.
Shop gift cards
