Le Serpent Qui Danse

[The_Merf]

A sinister, darkly seductive scent inspired by poetry of Charles Baudelaire. Violet entwined with vanilla and gardenia.

In the imp: Not much is jumping out to me here. I had to examine it very closely to pick out the vanilla note. I think the violet's duskiness is muddling the entire thing together.

Wet: More distinction emerges among the notes, and the florals are quite obviously different from the vanilla. The vanilla in this is veyr foody.

Drydown and wear: The vanilla remains very foody--I can't recall a BPAL where the vanilla was this strong and warm. It starts to go a little stale, and the gardenia gives the combination an unpleasant sharpness. Sadly, this is not for me.

[lady_pandora]

Le Serpent was given to me by a friend as a gift. I like violet (especially when I'm in a light, flirty, girly mood) and vanilla is usually a good bet with my skin, so while I'd never thought of combining the two, I figured Le Serpent would agree quite nicely with my skin.

 

I wasn't disappointed. I can't really pick out the gardenia--I think it's blending in with the creaminess of the vanilla--but this is a lovely blend. The vanilla adds a rich roundness to the violet, making it softer and more mellow than other violet scents, like Marie.

 

The only trouble is that it has little throw and little staying power on me.

Edited November 22, 2006 by lady_pandora

[slave1]

LE SERPENT QUI DANSE

 

In Bottle: Pure sweet innocent flowers

 

On Skin: This is the most cute, sweet little innocent scent. The violets are dominant followed by the super sweet vanilla. The gardenia is milky white which gives the blend a creamy undertone. This smells like a violet icecream. It is so nice! I normally am not a fan of violets but mixed with the vanilla and gardenia I have been won over. It is slightly *sickly* sweet, which for me is not a problem since I love sweet scents… but if you get overwhelmed by seetness, this may not be for you. Medium throw and avergae wearlength.

[supremegoddessofall]

Strong vanilla in florals. Very violet-y, but not overwhlemingly so. However, this is a very strong scent. Also a bit powdery, and maybe too much for me.

[ACVail24]

Le Serpent Qui Danse:

 

In the bottle:

mmmm...I really smell the vanilla! I cannot really discern between the gardenia & violets though - but I think I might be in love anyway!

 

On the skin/wet:

Divine!! The vanilla subsides a little, but just enough to let the gardenia & violets make themselves known and all three are playing merrily on my wrists. It's moderately strong - I can smell my wrists from roughly 7 inches away, so I would assume that someone standing nearby can get just a faint whisper of it.

 

Dry:

This is delicious!! I'm not sure it would fall under my classification of 'sinister' but it's definitely a dark, luxurious feminine scent. The aroma changes very, very little from when it was wet too; so it currently still smells of all three components listed in the Lab's description, but perhaps just a little bit warmer. Great staying power too!! I most certainly love this perfume!

 

If you are a fan of vanilla scents and/or light florals - Le Serpent Qui Danse is definitely worth a try!

Edited December 20, 2006 by Akurarei

[eleventhousand]

I am an absolute slut for gardenia.

LOVE it love it love it.

I can not wear the Lab's gardenia.

It smells strongly of fake butter and coconut on me.

 

 

This was harsh and chaotic and mellowed down into buttered popcorn Jelly Belly, coconut suntan lotion, and baby shampoo.

 

A sad tale, this.

[Archaic Smile]

Wet: it's a very strong, sharp scent. Dry: it's beautiful soft gardienia and sugared violets - so pretty. Unfortunately, after 30 minutes it almost completely disappears on my skin.

 

I'm stashing my imp for a few weeks in the hope that it's staying power strengthens with a little bit of aging.

Edited February 19, 2007 by Archaic Smile

[little_galaxie]

If this scent could be summed up in one word, it would be "addicting." Or, "freakin' gorgeous," but now that wouldn't be one word, would it.

 

The vanilla in this is *really* foody, but I like 'em like that, Strangely enough, though, it doesn't feel like a foody scent, because the violets in this are perfectly tender and fresh, as if they've been picked at their peak, dipped in vanilla, sprinkled with sugar and made into little violet candies.

 

I love it. I never thought I would, but that's BPAL!

[Iceblink]

I just sampled my imp of this again to compare it with Faith. Le Serpent is beautiful in its own right--the vanilla stands out, and the violet is that pretty, mossy BPAL violet that makes you think of standing in a shady patch in the woods with violets growing all around you. I like this one, although it doesn't last very long on me. I think The Raven and Faith are slightly ahead when it comes to the violet blends.

[Browneyes]

Frimp

 

Mainly voilets (which I love) with a touch of tropical-smelling (to me at least) gardenia. I don't detect the vanilla although it may be adding extra sweetness to this lovely floral. Not dark or sinister at all to me. Rather a pretty imp that I will wear when the sun begins to shine Not my favourite violet scent (Saturnalia is so far...), so I won't get a bottle, but will definatly keep and use the implet.

 

ETA: lol I should have waited 20 minutes more. The rich and almost sticky dark vanilla does come out more in the dry-down!

Edited March 3, 2007 by Browneyes

[mspixieears]

This has been named as recommended if you like Philosophy's Amazing Grace which I do adore but I confess I do not quite recognise the similarity myself. There may be the clean, lemon verbena antiseptic-like note which resembles the freshness in Amazing Grace. It has a sweet floral which doesn't strike me as gardenia but more like sweet pea - that must be the violet too. It reminds me of a commercial fragrance I can't quite put my finger on but one I've experienced. I tried this a couple of times but something about it doesn't quite sit right for me. It's a tad too perfumey. Well worth holding onto the imp though!

[euterpe414]

Eeps! This is not a scent for me. I can pick out the violet and gardenia but the vanilla is rather quiet. When it dries on my skin I am getting something akin to laundry detergent. No way, not for me. I had to wash it off. This one's going to a new home, stat!

[ralenth]

In the bottle: Sweet, heady floral. Not really picking up the vanilla. My immediate thought is: "Mmm. Lush."

 

Wet: Whoa, violets. Like candied violets amped waaaaaaaaay up. Delicious, but not sure I want to smell like this all day long.

 

Dry: Vanilla came out to play, though was a bit jarring up against the violet. Gardenia peeps out a little, but it can stay in the background.

 

Verdict: As my first experience with violet, I think it went over well. I wanted it to be a bit muskier but I do like it. Uncertain as to whether I will invest in a larger amount.

Edited May 2, 2007 by ralenth

[fountaingrl]

I should preface this by saying I have the weirdest chemistry in the world. I had literally never looked twice at this one because of the notes, and so didn't remember offhand what was in it (just that it was likely 'not me'). So it came in a swap last week, and I set the imp aside. I sniffed it and went "hmmm".

 

Wet in the vial it was richer than I expected. I like rich. I know you aren't supposed to count out an oil based on the 'in the vial' scent, they change so much, but if something makes my sinuses go nuts or turns my stomach then there is no point in keeping it. Le Serpent passed this first test.

 

Wet on skin it was really amazing. This scent went on spicy and sweet, and I immediately started wondering what was in in. My guesses included caramel, cinnamon, vanilla, some sort of floral, maybe white musk?

 

(I suck at guessing notes too it seems)

 

On drydown I got wood! But not the sort of stinky wood I usually get with a blend that has woody tones, like Cathedral. This didn't go heavy pencil shavings, there was a wood tone but it was beautifully balanced with florals and spicy sweetness. I could wait, had to know what wood actually 'works' on me, only to find out that there is NO WOOD, and also NO RESIN in this blend. It is vanilla (got that guess at least) and gardenia and violet. Evidently in this combination they love each other and they love me! What a nice surprise, I would have written this off as way too floral for me if I had known the notes before I tried it. I have to learn to try things on with BPAL even if I think it will be terrible, this just proves that to me once again....

[Elemcee]

Le Serpent Qui Danse starts off as being purely a floral, with emphasis on Gardenia. Eventually, though, it's more of a spicy vanilla.

 

It's a pretty, girly, warm and cheerful scent, but it's still womanly; it's not a sugary little girl scent. It's a fifties style dress with a fitted bodice and full skirt, rather than a frilly pinafore.

[wikkidraven]

oh, this is gorgeous! violet without smelling bath salt-y, sweetened by vanilla and a hint of gardenia. i'm loving this very much

[prettybird]

A freebie from the lab, and something I never would have tried, not really caring for flowery scents.

 

The thing that strikes me most about it is how well blended it is. I can't tell the notes apart, because I just get one lovely blend of floral scents. It has almost a candylike smell, which I think is from the vanilla.

 

A lovely scent, though I find it a bit... unremarkable. I'll use my imp with glee, but I don't think I'll be buying more.

[tinyvulture]

i just reviewed I Died For Beauty and it made me realize how much i love violet. and now this! the ultimate violet scent for me, as i also adore vanilla. a lovely, creamy, sweet floral. i’ve hardly ever bought 5mls of floral scents, but i need more of this.

[Zeljana]

This is fantastic! I don't really like florals but vanilla really rounds this blend up and gives it warmth. Very creamy and special. I wish this one had more throw.

[CrazyPretzel]

On at first, the violet is pretty darn overpowering. I used to really like the smell of violet but then one day my boyfriend announced that my LUSH Ultraviolet shampoo smelled 'like paint' and ever since then I always smell paint whenever I smell violets. >.< Thanks, boyfriend.

 

After it dries, there's a whiff of gardenia in there as well, but not quite enough to overcome the violets -- and now after 20 minutes it's sweetening slightly; maybe the vanilla's finally coming out?

 

Whether I keep this or not will depend on how strong the vanilla gets.

[Delirium1009]

In bottle/imp: Sweet violet with a slight bitter floral note.

 

Immediately on skin: The violet is very strong, but the gardenia is there as well calming down the sweetness a bit. It’s very perky.

 

After a few minutes: Violet is still the main note I get from this, but it’s a creamy violet. The vanilla and gardenia are not as evident as the violet, but they are keeping it from getting overly sweet.

 

Later on: This fades to a soft, mild violet. While this is a pretty scent and I LOVE violets, it’s just not different enough for me.

[idoru]

Oh lord, SO SWEET.

 

I have a vanilla from L'Occitane (Eau des vanilliers) that is, I believe, based in gardenia. It was one of the first vanilla perfumes I ever LIKED, and it was because it wasn't foodie. So! Vanilla, gardenia, violet? Sounded lovely.

 

For someone else, I'm sure it is.

 

In the bottle, it was OH so sweet, but still a bit green. In drying, the gardenia came out a bit more, but everything sharpened.. and if possible, sweetened even more. I had to wash it off. And, really, I should know better than to play with violets, but I got this one a good while ago, so I DIDN'T know better then.

 

If there were something to darken the scent, it might have worked [on me], but as it is, off to the swaps.

[iriedanym]

Received as a frimp from the Lab. On first sniff, I was perplexed. It smelled like Palmolive dishwashing liquid to me. I cleared my nose and tried again. Nope, still smelling like dishwashing liquid. I looked up the notes, and found out why. Violet has a tendency to remind me of soap (as it did with Numb). I'm sure this is a lovely scent, but it's just not me.

[MaidenGenevive]

Le Serpent Qui Danse

 

A round floral, with depth and substance. As it wears, it somewhat reminds me of a candy, or a cloying wine. The vanilla has an unusual interaction with the florals, leaving it a scent that's a bit hard to describe.

 

[3 - Like] What a unique mixture of notes.

[Lyrical]

in the bottle: I rather like this one. It reminds me of white elephant perfumes at the church bazaars of my childhood - that must be the violet. But it's not too sweet, and it does smell seductive.

 

wet on my skin: mmmmm - violet and something else. Very sweet at first, and not too strong - in fact compared to the others I tried, this is barely there at all. The sweetness is dying away, leaving ... something cool and floral with a slightly sharp edge. It's not quite warm enough for my taste, although it isn't unpleasant. Where's the vanilla? I was looking forward to the vanilla!!!

 

later: the vanilla is just starting to peek through now, but it's not very strong. This scent is hard to describe. It's quite rich and complicated, and smells best on my wrist. It's OK, but I'm not all that keen on it.

 

5 hours on: it's much softer and sweeter now. On my wrist it's mostly vanilla, but in my cleavage it alternates between violet and vanilla, and from time to time I get a fleeting whiff of something citrusy!

 

It's quite different in my hair! Floral vanilla goodness! Mmmmmmm!

But it went soapy in the end. I don't seem to get on too well with these florals.