Quick answers
History
Filippo Sorcinelli's XSè collection means to be a social inquiry: a perfume can also observe human urges. Each fragrance takes a scene and its atmosphere as its subject, without judgment.
Slightly-B!tch sets to scent the smell of "artisanal" nights, of countryside furrowed by car tires and improvised fires on a state road. The house speaks of a smudged low-cost lipstick, of a nose pressed to skimpy clothes with the strong smell of a supermarket detergent, and of the sudden emotions of an excited youthful imagination.
Sorcinelli states it as a harmonic evolution. The subject crosses a leather with tart fruits and a minty freshness: leather, bitter orange, clementine, green almond, mint crispa. The counter-subject flowers and hardens it: hawthorn, ylang ylang, labdanum, artemisia. The tail is a woody base: cedar, pine.
The result is a contrasted leather, neither tame nor precious: mint and bitter orange give it an almost insolent edge, green almond a bitterness, and labdanum an amber-leather warmth. A perfume with character, true to its name.
Fragrance notes
Filippo Sorcinelli is an organist; he does not conceive his perfumes as a pyramid of volatility but as a score. Slightly-B!tch is therefore stated in three movements, subject, counter-subject and tail. The three words name roles in the composition, not durations, so they do not necessarily match the top, heart and base.
The through-line is contrast: leather and labdanum hold the matter, bitter orange and mint crispa give it its edge, and the tail of cedar and pine closes it on a dry woody.
Scent profile
Slightly-B!tch opens on a leather at once sharpened by tart citruses and a mint: bitter orange, clementine, green almond and mint crispa give the entry a fresh, almost insolent edge. This is far from the hushed, bourgeois leather.
The heart flowers and hardens it at once: hawthorn adds a note of almond, ylang a floral flesh, labdanum an amber, leathery warmth, artemisia a bitter aromatic. This is the layer that gives the perfume its stubborn character.
The tail is a dry woody: cedar and pine close the leather on a resinous note. Longevity is that of an extrait, long and close to the skin; the sillage is present without being invasive. A leather with character, to be worn with a certain assurance.
“Sudden emotions, those of an excited youthful imagination.”Filippo Sorcinelli, official text for Slightly-B!tch
Key characteristics
When and where to wear
Slightly-B!tch is a contrasted leather, wearable much of the year thanks to its minty freshness. Its citrus edge airs it out in spring, while leather and labdanum warm the autumn. It is a perfume of assertive daytime as of evening.
How to wear it
Seasonal fit
| Season | Fit | Critical notes |
|---|---|---|
| Spring | ★★★★ | The citrus-and-mint edge breathes. |
| Summer | ★★★☆ | Wearable thanks to its freshness, dose it. |
| Autumn | ★★★★ | Leather and labdanum come alive. |
| Winter | ★★★☆ | The leather base suits it. |
Context fit
| Setting | Fit | Usage recommendation |
|---|---|---|
| Assertive everyday | ★★★★ | Its calling, a leather with character. |
| Night out | ★★★★ | Present and sharp. |
| Evening | ★★★☆ | Leathery and enveloping. |
| Shared office | ★★★☆ | Present sillage, dose it. |
| Moment of character | ★★★★ | True to its name. |
Similar perfumes
The fruity, minty leather has kin in the XSè collection and among the great leathers of niche perfumery.
| Perfume | House · year | Why it is close |
|---|---|---|
| Cruising-Area | Filippo Sorcinelli · 2021 | Its XSè collection neighbor; the underground smoky woody against the leather of country nights, darker and less fruity. |
| Quickie and Coffee | Filippo Sorcinelli · 2024 | Another XSè piece; the animalic amber with a coffee note, kin by its nocturnal character. |
| Tuscan Leather | Tom Ford · 2007 | A reference for contemporary leather, raspberry and saffron, to set against the minty leather of Slightly-B!tch. |
| Bel Ami | Hermès · 1986 | A classic masculine leather with citruses, kin by the leather-and-hesperidic pairing. |
Frequently asked questions
See also
Sources
- Official Filippo Sorcinelli document, Slightly-B!tch sheet (Italian and English editions; tail "pine wood" retained from the Italian edition)
- Fragrantica, Slightly-B!tch entry (2021 launch year)
- Filippo Sorcinelli, official Slightly-B!tch page