Australian Copperhead (2006)

[Tess]

Snake Oil with acai berry, amber, cardamom, neroli, and smoked vanilla.

I hope the berries aren't too strong in this. The other notes sound wonderful (neroli!), but if the berries are as strong as people are saying they are...

In the vial - The berries are quite noticable, but they're not overly sweet and they mixed in lovely ways with the neroli.

Wet - More berries, less neroli.

Drying - ...I don't like this. The berry is very strong, tart and a bit soapy. There's also what I believe someone described as cut grass smell. I'm not getting any amber or vanilla, but the spices from the Snake Oil are out and... not working with the berry very well. I can almost get a pine scent from here, too.

Dry (45 minutes) - Now, this stage I don't mind. The Snake Oil has really come out and it's got just the barest hint of a powdery berry and neroli to it. Sadly, it's very faint. Poo.

Overall - Boy, am I striking out with the Snake Pit.

[purplemoonshoes]

I bought this solely because I want bottles of places I've been, and I need a bottle for Australia. The notes aren't something I'd pick normally. However, I really like it. The berries are strong in the bottle, but on my skin the snake oil is strong, tempered by the neroli with a hit of berry. It lasts a while with a good throw. I don't get any vanilla. Good for a day when you want to smell different, because no other company would make this. Not that that's a bad thing.

[zankoku_zen]

In the imp: Spicier version of Snake Oil

 

On Skin: Vanilla and the cardamom are very prominent.

 

On Drydown: A more vanilla and spicier version of Snake Oil.

 

Verdict: This isn't a huge twist on Snake Oil for me. I'm not a huge fan of Snake Oil to begin with, so I'm not crazy about it.

[veganvic]

This was a very pleasant suprise, I can't even remember where I got my decant from & only tested it today because the scent from the imp really grabbed me, hadn't tried it earlier because the name put me off...

 

It's very very nice, both in my scent locket & on my skin although it seems to have very little throw on my skin, was going to say it fades fast but that wouldn't be fair since I put it on a few hours ago & it's still around after cleaning & washing other mundaine household things, just not as strong as I'd like.

 

The vanilla really shines through in this when it dries, & I likes it!

[naeelah]

By the description, I was hoping this might be the next answer to Snake Charmer. As a fresh bottle, that doesn't seem to be the case, but I suspect this will age beautifully.

 

Wet this is a very bright, fresh, green berry scent. I can get a touch of the cardamom and smoke from the vanilla, but not much of the vanilla itself. There are slight hints of the neroli and amber in the background.

 

Like everyone else says, not getting the snake oil, which is quite a surprise. Really, it's just not there. I guess that's something that will change in aging. As it is, it's quite nice, and on my skin it's actually one of the lightest of the snakes. Lovely for summer.

 

The life seems slightly shorter than some of the other snakes, which probably goes along with the lighter throw. (Although I should note, I only put on a wee bit from the rim of the bottle.)

 

ETA: 5/22/08: It has taken almost a year, but this scent is finally awesome. Yes, it has finally turned into Snake Charmer mark 2.0. Side by side, they definitely aren't identical, but for me they have a very similar character. Copperhead is like a brighter, happier SC -- it never goes to the dark, dry, smoky stage, it just stays at the lush, creamy, fruity stage.

 

After about 3-4 months, it hadn't gotten much richer, but now 9 months later, the vanilla and snake oil are much stronger now. The berries are richer and less ripe. Basically, all of the green-ness is gone. The amber still gives it a rich, clear, resiny quality, but as a whole, I think this is much better rounded out now. It felt very flat to my nose before.

 

The throw and wear life have also improved. I didn't want a bottle of this before, but now, I think one will be essential! It's a great summertime Snake Oil blend. I should note that I only have a decant, so as a whole 5ml, I think this will be very slow to change.

 

Edited May 22, 2008 by naeelah

[phantasmmysteria]

Does anyone else remember the shampoo Gee, Your Hair Smells Terrific? That was its name, and that's what it did -- make your hair smell terrific. Australian Copperhead smells like that shampoo!

 

Out of the bottle, it's very fruity -- mostly berry, but there's a hint of neroli in it. I love this phase, though it doesn't last terribly long. The acai berry leaves the party fairly quickly, and then the neroli follows (but not before flirting with the vanilla and giving her his number). During the drydown, all I get is patchouli (while I dislike patchouli, at least it's not oppressive), but later still the vanilla reappears and stays put.

 

This is really nice! It's definitely a bright and cheery scent, but without a lot of throw -- sort of like when you have a funny thought but decide to keep it to yourself.

 

I'm hoping that aging won't make the Snake Oil-iness come forward, but rather cause this blend to not morph so much so quickly. I think I should keep a bottle around to find out, in any case!

 

 

ETA: I have now tried every Snake that remotely appealed to me, and this is the only one which has really worked. I have found that, while the berry does fade rather quickly, the vanilla in this blend stays around for a really long time. I have applied this scent in the afternoon, and the next morning (after two showers), my wrists have stilled smelled of vanilla. Now that's some staying power!

Edited August 28, 2007 by PhantasmMysteria

[theseagrows]

at first i get a slightly sharp berry note, like unripe berries with a tinge of sourness, which overwhelms everything. it smells like some sort of air freshener i remember my grandmother having. once dry, however it smells much better, more like spicy amber with a hint of sweetness from the berries. i will definitely keep my imp, but probably won't need a bottle of this, as fruity scents aren't really my style. though for a fruity scent, i really like this one.

[bulletslc]

My favorite of the Pit!

 

Wet it smells like green apples over Snake Oil vanilla goodness.

 

Dry.....still very fruity but the smoked vanilla comes out more...and thankfully the cardamom stays faint!

 

Oh, I love this one! Very strong and very long lasting. This is a foody-fruity/amber/vanilla blend that smells like nothing

else and lasts and lasts....

[alicia_stardust]

I get an amazing kick of berry right off the bat, and that stays long and strong throughout the wear length. Behind the berry I get a touch of neroli and a touch of vanilla with the Snake Oil.

 

Now that I've refreshed my memory on what the notes are in this, I do think that the cardamom adds some extra punch to the acai berry, but otherwise I was unable to pick it out from the rest.

 

I really love this one. I think it's in my top 4 of the Snake Pit scents.

[heysunshine]

I am so very disappointed with the reaction this had with my skin. Australian Copperhead was the Snake pit I was most looking forward to trying -- what a perfect combination it should be! In the vial it is a delicious berry scent. However when I put it on dish soap and snake oil!

 

Tried in another imp and got a much better reaction to it. I like to layer this scent with commercial scent (L de Lolita Lempicka) and other BPAL. Yummy.

Edited April 3, 2008 by heysunshine

[CrazyPretzel]

In the imp: strong, fruity berries.

 

Wet on me: Quite a tart scent like green apple. No amber or cardamom so far, sadly, though they'll probably be there when the fruitiness burns off. Some very very sweet vanilla as well -- the sweetness might be amped by the neroli.

 

After a few minutes: Hm! Still fruity but I'm getting a soapy-clean note, like fruit-scented shampoo. *Nice* fruit-scented shampoo, mind you, none of the ol' cheap drugstore crapola. Oh gods, what am I on about; I probably just had shampoo that smelled like this once and that's why my brain's supplying me with the idea.

 

(The boy just came over and sniffed me and said 'WOOOOW...that is AWESOME.' )

 

Drydown: Ohh, yum, the vanilla's more noticeable now, along with a slight spiciness that'll be the cardamom. Amber is not really discernible, nor is neroli as a separate note. This is very well-blended.

 

This is a sweet, slightly tart, uplifting blend. Playful. I'll probably be getting a lot of wear out of this.

[workedtodeath]

In the bottle : strong berry smell.

wet : spicy berries and just a hint of snake oil. The smell of it fills the entire room.

Dry : the berry smell dies down a lot and i can smell the amber, vanilla, and snake oil.

 

This has to be the best one I have ever tried. I need to find more.

Edited August 25, 2007 by workedtodeath

[squirrelmonkey]

Oh, this is nice! Very fresh scent, both wet and dry -- berry and something fresh and green, like crushed dandelion stems. I don't smell snake oil per se in this, although after a few hours of wear vanilla and cardamom come out a bit more, sweetening the berry freshness. A perfect summer scent; very glad I got a bottle of it.

[SarahScent44]

For me, Australian Copperheard is Snake Oil but sweeter in the imp - the only specific note I can pick up is a hit of neroli.

 

Once I put it on, the initial hit is sugary and fruit (neroli plus a berry-ish-ness that i'm pegging on the acai), but the Snake Oil smokiness is definitely there.

 

When it dries, it's very Snake Oil-esque, on me, but the amber and the fruit give it a warmer, sweeter quality that makes it much more wearable for me than SO is. Very nice!

[maribouquet]

This starts out promising with a fresh, spring-like berry scent with a smoky hint, but the dry down reveals the snake oil, which as per usual goes to play-dough on me. Lovely, amber play-dough, but sadly not something I can wear and enjoy. Oh well!

 

The acaí is such an interesting note - I hope we'll see it again in other blends.

[jaeyne]

Berry. I don't dislike it but I wasn't crazy about it as it doesn't smell like it has any Snake Oil to it to me. However everybody loves it on me.I get the comments "You smell great" Guess I'll wear it more often. Big bottle often.

[storme]

In the imp: huh, berry-citrus drenched in honey.

 

On me, wet: Very sickly-sweet but that sharp berry is cutting through it a fair amount, and the neroli is helping.

 

On me, dry: hmm, there's the vanilla and amber, and those sharper notes have mostly faded.

 

Verdict: Enh, this isn't doing much for me, to be honest.

[ACVail24]

Australian Copperhead

 

In the Bottle:

Berries! and an undertone of Snake Oil and vanilla.

 

On my Skin, Wet:

More berries and smoky vanilla!

I get the SO but it's delightfully subtle - it lets the berries and vanilla be the stars!

 

On my Skin, Dry:

A little more SO now, but still mostly smoky vanilla and a berry-licious undertone.

 

Verdict:

9 of 10 Ranking!

very beautiful & sophisticated - but still young & playful.

Wonderful snake!

[Honeygirl]

Bottle: Berry!

 

Wet: This is very foody! Berry and vanilla! I don't get much Snake Oil at all!

 

Drydown: Some neroli coming out now. I like this one a lot!

3.5 outta 5

[Leopard403]

I adore this!

Upon first application, it reminded me of IoE's CSCWEM perfume oil (in which I smell the apple note most heavily, and the funnelcake is soft vanilla in the background). It dries down to a similar scent, slightly Midway-ish with a slightly tart note.

Just wonderful. I am so glad I took a chance and bought a bottle!

[Emu Nymph]

I really like this one I get a nice berry/vanilla scent on top with just a little something darker underneath. So far this is the only one of the snakes I can wear

[joseybird]

This is really lovely!

 

The berry is the dominant note--very fresh and tart and not juicy at all. The Snake Oil is very much in the background, and the other notes just serve to soften the berry. This is very, very nice

[Shannihilation]

In the bottle this is sharp and has a sort of cough drop kind of smell to it. I sniffed and wrinkled my nose. One I put it on though it starts to soften up a bit. I've been wearing it for a couple of hours now and I can't smell the snake oil at all. It's all vanilla and neroli on me, which is fine with me. I love Neroli and the vanilla that the lab uses. The amber is there in the background adding a sensual note and blending everything else together. I went from thinking this was horrid to really loving it. I think I'll probably end up wearing it pretty often.

[scarletgenesis]

In the bottle, this is all Robitussen. Cherry Robitussen.

 

Wet, lots of tart berry here...um...where's the Snake Oil?

 

Dry-ahhh there it is. Once it dries, the berry sort of fades to a tart background, and the vanilla, amber, and a hint of Snake Oil come through nicely. I get cardamom if I really concentrate, also.

 

In my scent locket and behind my ears, I still get whiffs of the very tart berry that is much stronger than on my wrists (weird that a scent would react differently depending on where on my body I apply it).

 

I really like this once it's dry and not overwhelmingly berry. But it's not what I expected. The Snake Oil takes a secondary role here, when I was thinking it would be OMG SNAKE OIL with hints of the other notes. It's actually the other way around. I think this actually may be really nice layered with the 'pure' snake oil. I do like this on its own though.

[hkhm]

bottle: açai and neroli with a teensy hint of amber.

 

wet: the açai is the strongest note here but i can still detect that nose-tingling sting of neroil. this smells light and happy.

 

dry: the açai is a bit lighter and i can just detect the cardamom. lovelovelove.