About Us
Our Mission:
As an artisan-owned business, our mission is to create ethically made perfume as a form of accessible, wearable art and self-expression. Our perfume is passionate, whimsical, and always "crave-able".
Come Visit Us:
Come see our working perfume studio in action! Our studio, located at 2123 E 7th Street, Charlotte NC is open for retail Wednesday-Saturday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. There is free parking in the back of the building, and street parking on Ridgeway Ave. We carry our own scents as well as other artisan-owned brands, including Imaginary Authors, Pineward, Osmofolia, Libertine/Paraphrase, and Mizu.
- Note: All of our signs aren't quite ready yet! If you see a wooden sign that reads "Guitar Studio", you are in the right place! We are their downstairs (main floor) neighbors.
How We Work:
Our perfumes are hand-blended in small batches in Charlotte, NC, then bottled and shipped by our dedicated team. Because we work in small batches, we are able to directly control the quality of our scents, often made with ingredients that would be difficult to source on a larger production scale.
Handling our own production means more fun, for us and for you: a wide variety of sizes and scents that push boundaries beyond what would be considered safely "marketable" at a larger scale, crafted and packaged in an environment that deeply values our team and fosters their creativity and development.
Because we are a small team working in small batches, perfume making is not a fast or perfect process. We hope that you find value in trading speed and convenience for quality and care at an accessible price, with a transparent timeline and responsive customer service.
Above all else, we value our connection with you. We love that our customers are our people, and we want to make sure you are satisfied with your order. We prioritize responding quickly to customer e-mails, helping you however we can, and learning from errors that can be corrected by improving our systems and training as our company grows.
How We Got Started:
All of our scents are formulated by founder and self-taught perfumer, Caitlin Hayes. A lifelong perfume enthusiast, writer, and reader, Caitlin approaches scent creation much as she does writing poetry: every facet of a material adds nuance, and the deconstruction of olfactive notes, to be reconstructed and restructured in new and meaningful ways, can touch the heart and soul of a person in ways that defy reason or explanation.
A lover of most things olfactive, but especially vanillas, fruits, and gourmands, she couldn't find the bright, bold, unapologetic scents she was craving, made with the kind of quality, variety, heart, and detail that seemed to be reserved for more "serious" scent profiles. After discovering indie perfumes in 2020 and still not quite finding what she was seeking, she began to create her own, and fell in love with the entire creative process as a form of artistic expression.
Two years later, in May 2022, Sorcellerie Apothecary opened its (virtual) doors for the first time, and in July 2023, we hired our first employee and opened our first studio space.
Our Name:
In May 2022, we opened as Sorcellerie Apothecary; our name reflected our desire to create whimsical, fantasy-inspired perfumes that felt like magic (or sorcerery).
In January 2024, we began transitioning from Sorcellerie Apothecary to a shortened form of our name, Sorce, which has become our official name as of June 2024. We found that Sorce maintained the same root meaning (the Latin "sors", meaning "fate") and was much easier to share verbally with others. As our company relies more heavily on word of mouth (our growth has been completely organic) than many large companies that invest heavily in text-based and print advertisements, it felt natural to make the shift.
As an American brand owner, Caitlin also wanted to celebrate the idea that perfumery is a global art form, and our French name felt like it clashed with those ideals, as French perfumery has dominated the cultural landscape of traditional luxury brands for some time. Caitlin also liked that the name reflects the idea of a place where you can "source" unusual, handmade fragrances, as we expand to offering other small, artisan brands in our studio.
The name Sorce maintains the spirit of what she started in 2022, updated for the vision we have for our future. We're still here, just a little easier to share and say, and we are still making magic in our studio to share with you.
Meet the Team:
Caitlin (the Perfumer/Head Witch):
Caitlin is the founder and perfumer of Sorce/Sorcellerie Apothecary. After a lifelong passion for perfumery and a career in teaching middle school English, she chose to follow her dreams and taught herself perfumery. After sampling many fragrances over the years, she felt a pull to fill the gap of fragrances that were whimsical and fun yet intentionally crafted. She advocates for creative self expression and the importance of following wherever your dreams lead you. In her free time, she's the mother of 2 cats and a dog named Millie and vampire wife to Mr. Sorce (our in-house expert on all things music and the city of Charlotte!)
Jules/Julia:
Julia has been instrumental to Sorce's growth since she started as Sorce's first staff member in July 2023, and now manages the studio and business operations. She has worked in every aspect of the business, from learning perfumery to creative direction, managing inventory, customer service, and marketing. She's enjoyed learning perfumery and meeting people who are passionate about using perfumery as an instrument for being able to express themselves authentically. In her free time, Jules enjoys music and collecting various (and often unrelated) skills and hobbies.
Marley:
Marley is our operational manager and joined Sorce in August 2024. She has been instrumental in our day-to-day operations and making sure your orders get to you on time! Marley is creative, bubbly and great with crafts, DIY and baking. In her free time, Marley enjoys sapphic artists, Wicked, and all things whimsical and comfy. She is the dedicated mother of cats Cinnamon and Opal, who have both been featured on our Instagram and Tiktok!
Madison:
Madison was the 2nd addition to our team and our in-house artist/customer service representative and has been at Sorce since August 2023. With her keen eye for detail and artistic ability, she has produced all of the artwork seen on our bottles as well as helping develop many of your favorite fragrances! In her free time, Madison is passionate about fitness and animal rights, and is mother to a cat named Salem and a dog (and possible familiar) named Nimh.
Keira:
Keira joined Sorce in October 2024 and assists in day-to-day operations as well as our retail space and marketing. With her great sense of humor and bubbly personality, Keira is a ray of sunshine in our studio as well as an integral part of our team. Keira is passionate about fashion, her cat Mochi, all things cute, romantic and/or pink and loves to read in her free time.
Michayla:
Michayla/Mochi joined Sorce in October 2024 and has been a wonderful addition to our team! She assists with bottling, packing orders, marketing and the retail space. Passionate about music and media (including Wicked and Taylor Swift!), Michayla spends her free time with friends and loved ones and watching and reading her favorite series. She is a Harry Potter fan, and a reliable source on all things Marauders.
Mia:
Mia is our in-house photographer, packing witch and retail associate and joined Sorce in late 2024. She is passionate about supporting other creatives, creating a voice for underrepresented communities in the creative space, and is currently working on building her photography portfolio and building her career as a photographer. In her free time, Mia enjoys anything in the creative sphere, and spending time with her friends.
Scarlett:
Scarlett joined Sorce in October 2024, and has assisted with day to day operations as well as our retail space. Future nurse anesthetist, Scarlett is passionate about music, her Frenchie and Vampire Diaries/Twilight. She loves all things witchy, and is a future Salem resident!
Ashlyn:
Ashlyn started working at Sorce in 2025, and works as both a Beauty Advisor at Sephora and social media influencer! With goals to go into the beauty business herself, Ashlyn assists with day to day operations, the retail space and marketing. In her free time, Ashlyn loves all things aesthetic and carries her passion for perfume and beauty into her personal life.
Millie:
Millie has been with Sorce since the beginning and is the mastermind behind all operations and manager of employee morale. She is compensated for her noble efforts with occasional chicken strips and doggie donuts. Her passions include comfy dog beds and her monkey toy!