Snake Charmer

[blood*rose*flowers]

Sensual, sibilant, sexual and hypnotic: Arabian musk and exotic spices slinking through Egyptian amber, enticing vanilla, and a serpentine blend of black plum, labdanum, ambrette, benzoin and black coconut.

A note to readers: Several bottles of Snake Charmer were mislabeled as House of Mirrors, and vice versa. Many of the reviews have been sorted out; there are undoubtedly a few that haven't. Caveat lector. --Shollin

In the bottle: Amber with something slightly spicey and something else I can't name hiding at the back.

On wet: Amber and possibly some patcholli or something else slightly earthy and spicey behind.

Dry Down: This has gone more incensey on me. It has a warm ambery scent scent with a hint of spice behind it. It is very interesting warm scent.

[wickedgoddess]

Snake Charmer is the bastard love child of O and Snake Oil.

 

Wet - golden, delicious amber. It smells beautiful, but it will never last on me.

 

Dry - A rich, full-bodied amber and….is that vanilla I smell? Amber rarely works on me, but this smells absolutely gorgeous. Not even a trace of powder. There's a little bit of musk, or something that is in Snake Oil, in here too. There's a moderate amount of throw, and lasts quite a while. I actually bought this as a gift, but I think I am going to keep it for myself. Sure to become one of the legendary LE's.

 

On the wickedgoddess scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being best, this rates a 4[/b

 

EDIT: This is really Snake Charmer --Shollin

Edited August 10, 2005 by Shollin

[kmasden]

Snake Charmer surprised me. Not entirely in a pleasant way, but that's only because it was absolutely different than what i expected. In my mind I had a combo of forbidden fruit with snake oil and vanilla.

 

Therefore I was not expecting the somewhat sharp and definately perfumy wet stage. Strong, strong, strong, nothing subtle about it. I don't get coconut at all from this and somehow i lose the ambery, musky scents that I am familiar with, however, it may just be that i am still too new to understand the different types of these. I definately get an incensy feel, a perfumy, heady incense. Overall I am afraid this is just too strong and perfumy for me to wear (I'm one of those headache people though).

 

It absolutely lasts and does seem to get stronger as you wear it.

 

This is probably House of Mirrors, but I don't know for sure so I'm leaving it here. --Shollin

[graycat]

Snake Chamer

 

i got to sniff and dabble in wickedgoddess's bottle today.

 

In The Bottle: wow, this is not what i expected at all, yummy. i eyed wicked wondering if she relabeled a well aged snake oil.

 

Wet: oh, snake oil and o with out all the powdery smell.

 

Dry Down: this little guy is strong. keep in mind i was sitting in a tai food restaurant with tons of bpal being passed about and i only tested a small bit with a toothpick and i can really smell it a lot.

 

Dry:

 

Over All: i would have never ordered a bottle of this but now that i have tested it i'm going to have to get a couple now. i tried on a drop of this on around 2ish and i can still smell it at 1 in the morning.

 

rate: 5

 

EDIT: This is really Snake Charmer --Shollin

Edited August 13, 2005 by Shollin

[pekeana]

Snake Charmer is all about the happy. Happy, happy, happy.

 

It's ambery and warm, slightly sweet and mainly just warm and ambery. There's a hint of patchouli beneath it all, and it's Snake Oil without the vanilla top note.

 

I LOVE THIS LIKE WHOA OMG.

 

 

 

(Edited to switch my Snake Charmer and House of Mirror reviews.)

Edited August 10, 2005 by pekeana

[LunaDragonGirl]

At first, I wasn't going to purchase this, but after hearing someone tell me what they thought it smelled like, I couldn't pass it up.

 

Bottle from Black Broom.

 

In Bottle: Warm, with a slight spicy note in the background that could ALMOST be cinnamon. Definitely amber. Intensly comforting scent. A combination of being wrapped in a warm fluffly blanket on a cold day, and the comfort of mom.

 

Wet: Warm amber, vanilla, creamy with a hint of spicy "warping" the creamy warm amber.

 

Drydown: An incensey note is coming through, making its way to the top of the note pile. The topnote is now spicy ambery incense cut through with creamy amber vanilla. It's like a white spice cake, where you can see the dark spices scattered randomly throughout the whiteness of the cake, rather than a layer of white and a layer of spice. There is a slight touch of something resiny too....not the amber...something darker, that is tickling my nose, but I can't for the life of me put a finger on it. Frankincense maybe? Guh. Can't figure it out.

 

LOVELY scent and I'm going to order at least one more bottle before CN goes away.

 

Don't know how on earth I could have even thought about not ordering this one! Silly me. Get this one while you can, people. It's gonna be in high demand when CN leaves this earth.

 

EDIT: This is really Snake Charmer --Shollin

[Imbrium]

I tried House of Mirrors on one hand and Snake Charmer on the other, then had to check and make sure I had correctly identified which one I'd put where - each smells like what I thought the other would smell like!

 

In the bottle: Amber! And a light sweet note, which I suppose would be the "clear crystal and glass".

 

On: Where did the glass note go? This is sweet, sweet amber - I can see why everyone immediately thinks "vanilla" despite it not being a listed note; that's my first impression as well. This is spicy amber, something sweet, and a very incensy background - and at times I can smell a note that's a bit darker and sweeter, almost like a black, incensy cherry.

 

This is so very, very reminiscent of Snake Oil, though I'd say it's a bit less spicy and incensy. It's very warm, and I find it more wearable than Snake Oil, though I don't believe I will wear it until the weather cools down - this strikes me as a very autumnal scent.

 

This is lovely, if not the sort of scent I usually wear. I can see this being the scent that most people would absolutely adore. So go, buy many bottles!

 

EDIT: This is really Snake Charmer --Shollin

[Aredhel]

Rating (on skin): 5/5

Summarised in a word or two: Amber!

 

In the bottle: Sexy, sweet, slightly spicy amber.

 

On skin, wet: Snake Oil, heavy on the amber and light on the... something. I'm not exactly sure what. There was something I picked up here that I couldn't identify at first, but I know realise it's coconut and plum!

 

On skin, dry: Warm, spiced amber and coconut. The plum isn't nearly as strong as it was while wet, but that's really a good thing, as it might ruin the scent if it were any stronger. This is... wonderful. Definitely a cousin of Snake Oil, but not so close to it that I'd be able to part with this and be satisfied with Snake Oil, because obviously, Snake Oil lacks the wonderful coconut and plum notes of Charmer. I love SO, don't get me wrong, but this is gorgeous in a different, plummy, coconutty, amber-heavy way.

 

Conclusion: Absolutely divine, and I shall hoard this. I whole-heartedly agree with kmasden, and everyone else: If you like Snake Oil, and/or like amber, buy this. Buy many bottles of it.

Edited October 20, 2006 by Aredhel

[inbigtrouble]

I had high hopes for this, given the description and the name. But like Slave1 said, I was expecting something more akin to Snake Oil in terms of exotic, spicy, vanilla goodness.

 

In the bottle this smells rather light to me. However, on, it's a very different story. I don't notice a big difference between the smell of it wet on my skin and the dry scent. It is very perfumey! It makes me think of a generic, floral "mature woman's" perfume. I find it very flowery and I don't get any sweetness or vanilla from it.

 

It is just not me, or what I was looking for or expecting. I think this one will be going up for swap.

 

This is probably House of Mirrors, but I don't know for sure so I'm leaving it here. --Shollin

[yellowrose]

WOW!

 

Straight from the bottle, House of Mirrors is all lovely amber.

 

Wet: Amber with a bite. There is a spicy note in the scent that is very similar to Morrocco, but a kinder, gentler spice. It stays in the background, then comes to the fore before blending in and mellowing. Very mysterious and wonderfully heady.

 

Drying: YUM! More spicy amber. Oddly, in the drydown stage it reminds me of a commercial fragrance -- Habanita by Molinard. Great staying power! Kept thinking how amazing it would be in combination with Dragon's Milk. (Experiment to come.)

 

Must have another bottle before the Carnival pulls up stakes.

 

EDIT: This is really Snake Charmer --Shollin

[Lilithlefay]

This just made my top ten in favorite scents. It smells amazing!!! Definately the amber with a little spice, but it is so creamy and wonderful. I am going to have to order several more bottles of this because I love it so!!!!!

 

EDIT: This is really Snake Charmer --Shollin

[Rheliwen]

This is light, ligher than expected. But is it similar to Snake Oil, in my opinion.

 

I get vanilla (assuming this is the tonka and benzoin), a tiny bit of coconut (nothing that will keep coconut haters away) and something deep and slightly herbal. The musk is so beautiful!! I love these eastern musks! It definitely feels like resin lite to me.

 

I hope I'm not the only one that sees Snake Charmer more like what was expected of it. Snake Oil is heavy and dense. Snake Charmer is the light, summery version. I was so afraid of getting this based on the reviews, but it has totally lived up to my expectations and then some. I want another bottle.

Edited August 6, 2005 by Rheliwen

[UltraViolet]

In the bottle

Other than Midway this is the one I was looking forward to most because of the description.

It is enticing just as a snake charmer would have to be, and then it's pinpoint sharp too like the stare between the charmer and the snake. I get an emerald green at times. I hope it stays good.

 

On

What is that? Oh God why didn't I see this had coconut the first ten thousand times I looked at the description? It's almost citrussy but a bit more bitter nothing bad really. It's got a different fruitiness to it now, must be the plum, it's a welcome addition to the coconut madness.

 

30 minutes

The plum is sexy and it really goes nicely with the spices in this blend.

 

Throw:

none

 

Scent category:

fruity/spicy

 

Summary

It's nice in the beginning before the coconut hits me.

I think most folks would love this.

 

Purchase again?

No

 

1-5 rating (5 being best)

3

[Diana]

In the bottle: Sharp something. A tiny bit stingy, but not bad. Kind of ozone-ish? eh???(?)

 

Putting it on, though, it just morphs in to More Different Snake Oil. I can't really detect amber, strangely. And I'm a huge fan of amber and I'd eat it if it weren't so crunchy. Maybe there is something wrong with me? Quite within the realm of possibilty.

 

I'm getting a lot of spiced vanilla action. Red Musk, also, I think. Vanilla incense.

 

To me this is a lot more earthy and swarthy and warm. On my flesh, it's warm. Coconut slowly starts to peek through after about an hour, but it is not a really strong note. I don't get any plum at all.

 

I really like this a lot, and while it's definitely a keeper, I would pass on backup bottles, since to me it is so close to Snake Oil.

 

My cat likes it too. >.<

 

edit: the place where i put a heavier application smells musky. i did wipe some off onto another part of my arm. the lighter application does smell a lot more like amber. funky.

 

EDIT: This is really Snake Charmer --Shollin

EDIT: Fixed to reflect the correct oil

Edited August 10, 2005 by Diana

[bigeyedgirl]

Oh my...

 

This is completely different on me than what everyone else has written...

 

Wet: Is that Snake Oil I smell? A combination of Snake Oil and Golden Priapus?

 

Dry down: Complate Vanilla/Musk Heaven...Honestly it smells more to me like Antique Lace than anything else. I love it and it lasts forever.

 

I give this one a definate 5.

[Sheila]

Yes, Snake Charmer is Snake Oil lite--with added plum. It even looks like Snake Oil--dark orange, and it'll stain your skin if you don't rub it in thoroughly!

 

On wet, I smell patchouli and musk and those unmistakable Snake Oil spices. As it dries, a soft, candied plum scent takes over. (This is not the SEX plum that's in King of Spades, or the mournful plum that's in Bathsheba--this is a gentle, sweet plum. I can't really describe it.)

 

There's a trace of powdery amber, too.

 

Later, the tonka/coconut takes over.

 

This is soft, sweet, and seductive.

Edited August 8, 2005 by Sheila

[oakmoss]

On me (and even in the bottle) this is exactly as the description promised -- rich and warm, spicy-sweet, sensual. I'm not getting anything like citrus or green, and usually those are notes that really do NOT work for me, so I'd be sensitive to them. I love this one and it's exactly as I hoped it would be. Don't be discouraged if you're looking for amber-vanilla-coconut magic -- apparently this snakey blend has many different aspects for many different skins!

[Lorencita]

I just wanted to change my review, cause I got the bottle mix up thingy that happened I love Snake charmer, I actually had bought 2 bottles unsniffeed & now I have 2 bottles that are House of mirrors. This is a sexier Snake oil for me, this is much creamier. I just love everything about it & I will buy some bottles before it slithers away

Edited August 15, 2005 by Lorencita

[Thorne]

On me, this was Snake Oil's twin sister. Fraternal twins, not identical, but still so similar. In the bottle, it was fruitier and sharper, but once on the skin, it had the same blend of spices that makes Snake Oil so sexy. There's a warm, amber-vanilla sweetness underneath it all, too. As it dries on the skin, the incensey smell of Snake Oil rises up out of it, but then it shifts away from the similarities with Snake Oil. The coconut comes out, with a waft of deeper, darker fruits. It sounds so foody, but it's not, it's too well blended to be purely foody.

 

This is Snake Oil on vacation, someplace warm and sultry, where no one knows her, so she's free to do whatever she wants. And she wants to enjoy herself.

 

(I put this on a few hours before bed last night to test it. I kept waking up, smelling this fantastically delicious woman in my bed...and it was me. )

Edited August 6, 2005 by Thorne

[Ina Garten Davita]

First Impression: Siberian musk and deep plum.

 

Second Impression: In the bottle the Arabian musk comes right out which at first reminds me of Siberian musk single note. Egyptian amber, all soft and golden and a touch powdery mingles with dark and juicy plum, softened by the vanilla and the benzoin. As it dries longer, the coconut peeks out. The long drydown reveals lovely spices.

 

Final Analysis: There is no doubt in my mind that my bottle, with Macha's gorgeous Snake Charmer label on it, is nothing but Snake Charmer. It's rich and sexy, a wonderful blend. I also want to add that it's not as much like Snake Oil as has been stated. Testing them side by side reveal a much younger, more sexully agressive relation rather than a twin.

[Brianne]

In the bottle:

Slightly citrusy/spicey

 

On me:

This is very much like Snake Oil. Pretty much exactly alike. The only difference is that there is something slightly clean and crisp behind it - kind of citrusy, kind of linen like. This is definitely lighter than Snake Oil though, kind of like Snake Oil's little sister. It still has that warm, slightly sweet, and slinky quality though.

 

Final note:

I love this, but it is too much like Snake Oil in my opinion and I feel a little disappointed about that. I LOVE Snake Oil, but I'd just as soon wear actual Snake Oil lol. I will definitely use this bottle as my back up though. It's a great scent, I was just expecting it to be a little different!

 

 

ETA: 2|13|06 - okay so I wore Snake Charmer for the first time since testing it today and I am significantly more impressed than I was the first time. For some reason, the first time I tried it, I never got that plum note. Now the plum note is there in full force and it adds a really nice angle on this. It's like a light Snake Oil + a clean fruity kick of plum. Just lovely! I will definitely wear this more now!

Edited February 14, 2006 by Brianne

[tinyvulture]

This scent lives up to its name because it is very charming and hypnotic – I can’t stop sniffing my wrist. For me, it’s a mixture of soft floral (maybe carnations? it reminds me vaguely of Alice), warm amber, and coconut, with a hint of vanilla and a slight woodsy smell (from the benzoin?) It’s very pretty and feminine, but not innocent. The spices make it exotic and sexy. When I wear it, I feel all slinky and flirtatious. I love it. I am so glad I got it before it goes away. If it’s similar to Snake Oil, I absolutely must try Snake Oil.

[riddel]

Snake Charmer

 

Yep, this is Snake Oil with an added bunch o' coconuts and less of Snake Oil's heavy, syrupy vanilla notes. I can't smell the plum at all, which is surprising, as plum is usually one of the first notes my nose picks out. While I liked Snake Oil quite a bit at one time, it's not really the kind of scent I reach for now, so off this goes.

Edited August 8, 2005 by riddel

[stardreamer]

My first Carnivale Noir review!

 

Apparently there was a batch-labeling problem between this blend and House of Mirrors, such that some people got a bottle labeled as one which actually contained the other. One sniff was enough to convince me that I did NOT get a mislabeled bottle. This could be the bastard child of Snake Oil and O -- what I smell is a mix of honey, amber, and a light incense-y note which is probably the musk. The other components don't present themselves specifically, but I think they combine to make it a bit lighter and sweeter than Snake Oil; and while it's still a very sexy fragrance, it's not quite as much "sex on a stick" as O. The scent goes surprisingly well with the flavor of the "Asian Spice" gingerale I was drinking earlier!

 

Staying power appears to be excellent; while I've only had it on for about 6 hours, it's still very noticeable. It doesn't change much over time either, except that perhaps the amber becomes a bit more prominent. I'm definitely glad I ordered it; this one's going into the regular rotation.

[L-z_Empress]

I ordered two bottles of this one thinking that I would love the scent and I do. And believe it or not, I actually like this one better than Snake Oil. The two oils do have their similarities (mainly the spiciness, throw, and the long lasting scent), but Snake Charmer is lighter, sexier, and slightly fruity (mostly plum with maybe a tinge of coconut). I wore this one yesterday and people were actually following me around asking what I was wearing and where could they buy some If that is not an acknowledgement of the beauty of this one then I don't know what is

 

ETA: I had to go back and order more because I CANNOT be without this scent.