Lill

It has been a looong time since I have worn Contradiction, but if I remember correctly Morocco has a similar feel: "The intoxicating perfume of exotic incenses wafting on warm desert breezes. Arabian spices wind through a blend of warm musk, carnation, red sandalwood and cassia." It's worth a try!

Wear it when you want to feel like Saundra Dee! It smells slightly sweet, clean, and wholesome. It doesn't smell strictly feminine to me though; you could also wear it to feel like Rocky Horror. (He always seemed rather innocent and wholesome to me, in spite of the debaucheries surrounding him. At least in the film version.)

Lately I have preferred the heavier oils that bloom in the heat: Snake Oil, Banshee Beat, etc. One thing I love about BPALs is that they tend to stay closer to the skin than alcohol based perfume, so even the heavier ones are rarely overwhelming to me. The only ones I don't like in sweltering heat are the heavy incenses like Midnight Mass and All Soul's-- something about them smell best (to me) swirling around in cool or cold air. Of course, I am not a fan in general of lighter scents (they often smell high pitched to me) so take my preferences with a grain of salt!

I really, really like this. It is VERY reminiscent of Snake Oil; earlier in this thread someone commented that perhaps those that get play-doh from Snake Oil should try this and I think that is a good call. Wet: Really strong, dense, surprisingly perfume-y. I wasn't sure I liked it at this stage. I agree with the reviewers who said it smells "vintage." It is also vaguely reminiscent of Shalimar (maybe older Shalimar, prior to the last few reformulations?). I smell lemons, and amber. I also smell whatever component is also in Snake Oil that sometimes smells musty. I always thought it was the patchouli that did that but it must be something else. Dry: The mustiness only lasted a few seconds. I still smell everything else but the scent immediately starts lightening, softening up, and smoothing out. Now I smell vanilla! I have heard that other people get a caramel-vanilla scent from amber sometimes so maybe that is what is doing it. It's getting more and more delicious. Not foody, but definitely yummy. I put it on my wrists and rubbed it on the inside of my forearms-- to me the throw is not huge, but I get whiffs of it as I move. I will check with my husband when he gets home. One hour: More of the same. No noticeable fading yet; although I did reapply a smudge of it. To me, this is definitely an oil whose dry down is much better than the initial application. I will update if it morphs again, or if it lasts an inordinate amount of time. Good stuff! I am going to try it a few more times, but I wouldn't be surprised if it becomes one of my favorites. Unsniffed bottle purchase FTW!

To my nose, Pele smells almost exactly like Secrete Datura by Maitre Parfumeur et Gantier. I love them both, but Pele might be a bit nicer because it is softer and smoother.

I have made 2 mistakes in my BPAL buying career: I got my first bunch of imps approx. a year ago and, although I remember being interested in Snake Oil and Pele, ended up ordering 6 others, none of which blew my socks off. I finally tried Snake Oil for the first time in December, and I fell in (almost) instantaneous love. I have since gone through a few bottles-- I add it to lotion, oils, and bath gel. I ADORE it. Today, I received a frimp of Pele and as soon as I sniffed it I fell in complete, utter LOVE. Why didn't I follow my instincts and order Pele (and Snake Oil) a year ago?!? ANYWAY, onto the review: In the imp: Delicious! Softly floral, it smells familiar. What does this remind me of? Wet: A very well-behaved floral, soft and warm. Maybe it reminds me a bit of Paul Mitchell's Awapuhi shampoo? Must be the ginger. Dry: About the same as in the bottle and wet. I know what it reminds me of-- Diorissimo! It's not exactly the same, just reminiscent; must be the muguet. Lasting power doesn't seem too bad. It's a soft scent, and although it fades fairly quickly I keep getting phantom whiffs of it a few hours later. Definitely won't mind reapplying this. Summary: This is the first BPAL floral that I absolutely, completely adore. Other florals such as New Orleans, Zephyr, Suspiro, and Euphrosyne just didn't agree with me and made me think that BPAL florals in general just wouldn't work on my skin. I am happy that Pele has proved me wrong!

Wow, Boomslang is kinda great! And I generally don't care for chocolate scents. I just got some of this because of all the love it has been getting on the forum! Wet, it smells a little like chocolate candy to me too-- maybe a tootsie roll? After it dries down I can smell a hint of the snake oil underneath all the cocoa, but the cocoa takes off the medicinal smell of fresh snake oil so it's a softer, smoother snake oil. This reminds me a little bit of the (discontinued) commercial perfume Lea Extreme by Lea St. Barth. I think it's the cocoa/vanilla/musk combo. Also, Boomslang lasts a good long time on me. I put it on in the afternoon and could smell it the next day when I woke up. I did, however, apply it multiple times so maybe the layering helped the lasting power? I don't think this has replaced my love for plain old snake oil, but it is definitely good stuff. Highly recommended!

Thanks for the responses (about the most Snake Oil-like blend)-- I have tried Temple Viper, Boomslang, Cottonmouth, and King Cobra. My favorite is Temple Viper, hands down, but they are all great. So far they all seem more like cousins to Snake Oil than siblings, if you know what I mean. I'll have to give your suggestions a whirl.

Quick question: which of the Snake Pit smells the most like Snake Oil?

After trying a few Snake Oil incarnations (a Chaos Theory, a couple Snake Pits) I have come to the conclusion that I love just plain Snake Oil the best. I haven't tried it aged, but I love it just fine fresh. It's spicy, smokey vanilla loveliness. Sometimes I get an almost pipe tobacco-ish note from it as well. I definitely understand why some people find it medicinal at first, but I kinda like that part too. My husband loves it, which is saying a lot because that man is not a fan of fragrances in general. Lasting power is so-so, but it lingers forever when I put it in my hair, and I am hoping that the lasting power on skin will increase with age. My very favorite oil yet