The_Witching_Hour

King Cobra is a very smooth wear! Its not dark but it has a HUGE, cavernous feel to it. Probably one of the hardest of the Pits to describe so far! I don't smell a distinction between the frankincense or copal but orris is the front runner in this blend. The drydown is one of the most gorgeous incense blends I've worn so far in my BPAL history. Its not heavy but more like a puff of intoxicating smoke that lingers under your nose just long enough to keep you chasing it after it.

I, too have to remark on the 'clean' floral aspect of this blend. Linden blossom is the strongest note I smell lending this the sparkly, effervescent zing that stays the longest until just the slightest touch of what I know as the Snake Oil base. So far, Cottonmouth has the least trace amount of detectable Snake Oil base of all the Pits to it but it lends a creaminess to the drydown. I'm surprised at how this one lasts and lasts.

Oh, wow! As soon as I open the bottle and still wet on the skin I immediately get a blast of tasty Marzipan. This is no dry almond but a sweeter, cake batter feel that I can actually wear (Eat Me and Drink Me were nice in the bottle but I had a hard time pulling these off). As this one dries, the myrrh peeks it head out just a bit but mixes so well with the Snake Oil base that its hard to pin it down unless you know its a note listed. Accolades to Beth for her ingenuity in adding perfect notes to a scent that's already a hit (The original Snake Oil) and somehow enhancing it. 2 out of 2 from the Snake Pit and I'm still going!

This does indeed have a reminiscent quality of Holiday Moon. I had to look up the note 'ho wood' thinking maybe it was the note lending this blend a lemon tinge. The site I went to had the odor description of ho wood as: sweet linalool woody floral, blends well with musks, patchouli, vanilla.......to name a few. This is the note that gives bamboo a platform to sit on and not disappear within 10 minutes. As Habu dried down, the richness of the original Snake Oil came out to embrace the wet, aquatic feel with its spiciness and robustness. This is a well bodied, well thought out blend that I'm happy to own!

Like this:

In the bottle: herbal incense, resins, tonka, tobacco. On my skin: smouldering incense mixed with spices and also a 'grit' that for as long as I've had this bottle I can't put into words! Don't get me wrong, its not a 'dirty' grit but a note that has backbone and lends an earthy quality to the blend. Drydown: this is beautiful and remains one of my absolute favorites. This is the scent of a woman that has everything----clout, pride, confidence, beauty and the abilty to be 'soft' when the time is right. Her lasting notes would be golden amber, ginger, sandalwood, tobacco, oppoponax, patchouli and vanilla.

In the bottle: spicy ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon. On my skin: very spicy ginger, but also warm, just-baked buttery gingerbread. Such a warm feeling from this blend! Drydown: this lasts ALL DAY LONG. Shub doesn't change over the course of the day, just the intensity. A scent not to be slathered or taken lightly! A 'must have' if you're a foody blend person.

In the bottle: pepper (or something with a sharp edge), patchouli and maybe a hint of some citrus. On my skin: WHOA....spicy! Pepper is still the most apparent note as this hits my skin with a support group of cardamom and smoky woods (cedar?). Drydown: cedar really starts leading the group but it has a smoky edge, not like your keepsake cedar chest type cedar. Vetiver/citrus on one hand and then smoky cedar on the other. This blend is so symbolic of light vs. dark, sinister vs. good, merry vs. morose, etc and a tough scent to pull off but a Gemini, like myself or any of the dual signs will get more entertainment out of smelling this scent flip-flop all day long! Great fun or a beautiful disaster.

In the vial: straight up wine. On my skin: wine-y grape. Similar to non-alcoholic wine. Maybe a little musk lurking underneath? Drydown: this gets a dusty feeling to it as it starts to settle down. Musk and civet combining are the only things I can attribute to that. Not quite what I expected but I'm surprised it didn't give me the 'ewwww', either (by the notes)!

In the bottle: slushy, pines with a whisper of sweetness. On my skin: slush green and some bakery sweets I can't put my finger on. Drydown: another morphing scent! The Icelandic moss and florals break out in the end and mix with the bakery spices making such a round scent! I may even try this one in the oil burner tonight. How UPLIFTING!!

In the bottle: aged incense, opium and spiced rum. On my skin: absolutely wonderful. Had I not of experienced the single notes most recently (by Arcana) I wouldn't be able to say, "I smell black amber." That's what the beauty is in this blend. It shines and sparkles like no other amber can! Its sweet but not cloying and has an underlying dry feel to it not unlike cedar. Drydown: stays true to the initial application. Nothing like any other BPAL blend I've tried and is a stand alone peice of art.

In the bottle: tea with vanilla and something smoky. On my skin: vanilla and herbal tea. The smoky feel remains but I can't put my finger on it. Drydown: this turned a tad cologne-esque on me but I suspect that this would be gorgeous on my man. The sweetness of the vanilla is still there in the background, but the smokiness tends to overwhelm it.

In the bottle: smokey, sharp and woodsy. I'm not getting the lemon at all. On my skin: SHOCKER! Lemon whips out of nowhere (I sure didn't smell it in the bottle!), even though its somewhat creamy. I suspect the coconut lends that feeling to it. Drydown: a mix of florals has emerged to balance the stronger notes. This has an exotic feel to it and is hard to pin one note down as it dries. Definitely unisex.

In the vial: juicy honeydew, just dripping with fresh-cut juice. On my skin: still fresh honeydew but the white tea is now present. Very sweet, almost too much so but I can tell this one is starting to change. Drydown: I can barely smell the honeydew now and can't detect any white tea. What's left of this beauty is an 'almost there' vanilla and I'm going to guess lychee by the notes, as I'm unfamiliar with it. I never detected the carnation as some other reviewers did but wish that I had!

With all the Snake Oil comments as a comparision, I sniffed these 2 side by side and tried to figure out what I would layer with Snake Oil to get this effect. Maybe something sugared or a softer vanilla? Snake Oil has a more 'stout' presence and somewhat of a sharp opening as opposed to Snake Charmer. My personal Snake charmer review: In the bottle: amber, vanilla, a hint of plum....this is dark, and sexy - but this vanilla adds a little bit of sweetness to it... On my skin: vanilla is being smothered by delicious spices and coconut is peeping out and making itself known. A hint of smoke, but not pungent is is the background, too. this scent evolves every second as it starts to dry down. Something kind of smokey actually comes out just a LITTLE - but the sweeter notes keep it in check... Dry on skin: this stays close to the skin, remains complex and extremely sensual. Not too sweet, not too smokey but a perfect balance!!

In the bottle: ocean spray and salty ocean. On my skin: sun-drenched woods, expensive spice racks and aged whiskey. Drydown: a beauty! This can be descibed the best as 24 hours on a remote island------sunrise as cold and crisp as they get in the mornings with the seaspray hitting you in the face. But as the day wears on, the sun heats up sending golden warmth and spicey surprises your way. Captain Jack Sparrow. Yup! Sexy as HELL!

In the bottle: delicatel floral with a little bit of sweetness. Glacial white with a touch of blue deeper into the iceburg. On the skin: this oil has very little throw for as massive as it seems in the bottle. It is fleeting but beautiful while it remains. Minty, soft violets trying to creep out of the snow-ridden earth. Drydown: hard to describe something that doesn't exist for very long. I loved it but my skin drank this one up!

In the bottle: rich, dark and deep. On my skin: a perfect mix of amber and myrrh, which smells of heavy incense mingled with a sweet confection. Drydown: resin and a touch of something sweet. This has incredible throw and lasts for 8-12 hours on me. Delightful, sexy and oozes playful trouble!

A foreboding, tenebrific death rattle; the scent of a dying breath as it wafts into the marshland: Spanish moss, cedar, black pepper, oakmoss, juniper, bamboo reeds and cardamom. In the bottle: pepper, moss and I suspect the cardamom gives this the rounded feeling I get when I sniff it. It softens the pepper somehow. Very atmospheric--like stepping into a humid evening. It smells, to me, less like a perfume and more like a place. On my skin: the green notes are so mellow in this! I feel as if I've stepped down the back steps of a cabin in Louisiana and floated into a foggy bog. This scent is truly one that 'sends you'. Drydown: I agree with the other posters that say this one is a female version of Irish Spring. I LIKEY!!!

In the bottle: sugary, a little incense and a soft floral that reminds me of the wysteria vines we had in our backyard growing up. On my skin: this is 'night blooming jasmine'? Maybe there IS a jasmine that doesn't turn rank on me! The sweetness is starting to taper off and the incense kicks up more at this point. Drydown: after about an hour this went mainly soapy but with more interest than most 'soapy' drydowns, if that makes sense? Will keep this one for when I want that shower-fresh scent.

In the bottle: masculine and earthy, smells oddly of volcanic rocks. On my skin: a wet floral note emerges. There's a mix of green and musk rounding this out. Drydown: WHOA! This morphed 180 degrees! I would have given this to my man just by sniffing the bottle but he would have never forgiven me for having him smell like a tropical jungle! Whatever floral note arose out of this one to mix with the greenery and musk......is another flower I can obviously wear. What a wonderful surprise this blend is!!

In the bottle: real green! So close to fresh-cut St. Augustine grass. On my skin: smells 'clean' with a slighty sweet undertone. The grassy smell has morphed and has a dusty feel to it similar to 'hay'. Drydown: this gets softer and dries down with a hint of sweetness, but not cloyingly so. The hay note that came out in the center stage disappeared and the fresh cut green grass came back. Very fresh and feminine!

In the bottle: Floral right out of the gate but something is quite unique about this one. I usually don't go hog-wild over florals but this one really strikes me. On my skin: I'm still shocked that the florals in this haven't turned me off! Maybe its the subtle woods that I'm getting starting to peek out in this stage? Dry: it must be the violet that makes this scent so unique and a beauty of a floral. This scent has taught me that of all the florals I've always thought sabatoged scent experiences for me......violet is a huge reason to take a chance! Can't wait for the Spring to bring this one out again.

In the vial: a salty aquatic mixed with a sweet ozone. On my skin: this is so 'salty' I almost get a seaweed feel from it. It borders on fresh/sporty to salty and somehow dark. There is a note in here that lurks underneath that gives it an edge that I can't pinpoint. Drydown: the murky and deep feeling faded off after an hour and I'm left with an ocean spray, slightly salty scent. This sticks close to the skin but has amazing lasting power. A must have if you like ocean-fresh scents.

In the bottle: red musk and amber are the only notes I pick up from the bottle. On my skin: both the red musk and amber back off and a sweet, juicy-mango sage appears and sticks around for about an hour adding such an uplifting feel to this scent. I'm surprised to even smell mangos when I never even smelled them from the bottle! Drydown: this calms down after an hour to a smoky sage with hints of fruit here and there. I never did smell the lavendar, which surprises me as its always such a strong note to my nose. I agree with another poster that the fruity stage 'makes it glow'.