Saw-Scaled Viper

[salamandrina]

Snake Oil with cinnamon, cassia, and red ginger.

*dances around*

I smell like sexy cookies!

This is a beautiful cinnamon-y spicy snake oil blend on me.

It did bite, though - on my left arm, I have a ginourmous welt. On my right arm and my collar bones, nothing. Weird.

Anyhow, this works out to be pretty balanced on the non-welty spot, and a little heavier on the spices over the welt...
Worth the pain...

[mspixieears]

Instant scent of cinnamon – very strongly. This doesn’t smell so much of Snake Oil though. It reminds me of something else I’ve tried in the BPAL catalogue but can’t recall what. Not one of my favourites.

[Skirt]

Definitely second salamandrina's description of cookies! It's very cinnamon-y, but in a sexy cookie way, not in a "I just fell into a chef's lifetime supply of cinnamon" way. I love it, and it lasts very well. I get a lot of compliments on this one.

[akiko]

I'd mostly avoided the Snakes because you can't get them as imps, but I saw this one listed in a "spicy blends" rec post, and said "MUST HAVE!" So I bought a partial bottle off the forum. Yay.

 

In the bottle, it's got a weird, musky scent to it.

 

Wet on my wrist, it's very cinnamon and yummy. It smells kind of like dessert, my hub says.

 

About 2 hours later, it's less sharp, more subtle, maybe? and a bit more of the Snake Oil is coming out. I wish it stayed more in the sharp cinnamon stage, but it's still a nice, pleasant scent.

[naeelah]

I've reached the conclusion that I just don't care for red ginger. I'm not huge on cassia either, and cinnamon I like only in small doses... so this blend was not destined to be a hit, for me.

 

The first time I tried it, when it was fresh, it kind of choked me.

 

Now it's aged (about 6 months), and it's much, much smoother and gentler. The sharpness of the cassia and cinnamon is gone. The first thing I smell is the red ginger, but the cinnamon seems to be getting stronger as it dries. And the longer it's on my skin, the more I get a slight warming sensation... The Snake Oil is definitely there, but it's only a backdrop.

 

The throw is definitely decent. I won't know about wear life, because I want to go wash this off.

 

If you love cinnamon and snake oil, then don't miss this, because it's sure to be a winning combination. The ginger and snake oil keep the cinnamon from being so candy-like. Don't try this if you have a history of skin sensitivity with cinnamon. I don't have a history of sensitivity, and this is bothering me slightly.

[agnusdei]

The first time I tried Saw-Scaled Viper I was disappointed because I got... pumpkin?? Not pumpkin spices or anything, but straight up super raw to the point of being 'green' pumpkin. So I set it aside for a while, hoping that with time Snake Oil's Legendary Aging Powers would rescue it.

 

I don't know what kind of magic went on in the imp since then, but I'm wearing Saw-Scaled Viper again now and... wow. Now THIS is what I was hoping for. Blow-your-nose-off-your-face-strong cinnamon and cassia with fresh red ginger lurking underneath. As it dries the ginger is the first to settle, it loses that almost citrus-y bite and becomes a lovely smooth compliment to the spices. Once more time passes (I think I'm an hour or two in at this point) I can finally pick up the Snake Oil as a creamy, slightly sweet backdrop that adds a wonderful warmness to this otherwise dry blend. The staying power and throw on this snake are great, the spices have mellowed a bit since first applying but haven't gone anywhere since. I'm so glad I gave Saw-Scaled Viper a second chance because it's exactly the kind of bold and spicy blend I love the most.

Edited January 16, 2008 by agnusdei

[joseybird]

HOLY CRUD 0_0 RED GINGER LIKE WHOA. Then the cinnamon comes forward. Some spice in the background but...WOW. Pungent .__.

[ravenfeathers]

i was scared to try this, it being my first serious BPAL cinnamon experience. i've read so many tales of welts that i tested too sparingly. i had to go back afterward and slather a little to get the idea of the scent.

 

in the bottle my least favourite phase. it's like gingerbread poppet with a serious attitude problem and some personal hygiene issues, too. sour, spicy, and too, too dry.

wet on skin the cinnamon and cassia are so dry! it's like whiffing straight bark. the ginger blooms upward, though, as it warms and softens the whole thing without taking over. this is the phase that is pure evil bakery products.

dry on skin the dryness recedes a bit more, although this stays very hot and very dry. i never really get even a smidge of snake oil in this except in the wet phase. throw is immense, wearlength is moreso. i have non-sensitive skin and this didn't leave burns or welts on my wrists, cleavage, throat, or earlobes.

[hkhm]

bottle: cinnamon! and a little bit of ginger mixed with snake oil.

 

wet: as soon as it's applied it becomes a cinnamon spice dream. however, even on the least sensitive testing place i could find, this burns a bit.

 

dry: very cinnamon/gingery. i don't really get any snake oil from this but it's quite nice nonetheless.

[YoakeNoKami]

Bottle: Musky-spicy something. slightly sour. Hrmmm....

 

On/wet: o.0;; Cinnamon/ginger. Mostly strong cinnamon... uh oh...

 

Drydown: *Saw-scaled viper: *NOMS HER ARM* Ow, ow, ow. So... uh, usually I don't have a reaction to cinnamon but... wow... I kinda like the way it smells, sorta hot cinnamon and this slightly sweet gingery note under it... but I really don't want to risk slathering with the way this welt looks. Off to wash off this viper before it eats my whole arm.

[SarahScent44]

In the imp, this is smoky and cinnamon-y - it's very strong, very unusual.

 

On my skin, the vanilla from the Snake Oil comes out a little more, and it's quite weird with the cinnamon and the ginger.

 

When it dries, warm, very warm with the cinnamon/ginger - but there's something strange about it that I can't quite pin down.

[scarletgenesis]

In the imp, this has a slightly off smell I can't pin down. Maybe it's the ginger? I get spice and patchouli (from the Snake Oil, I'm guessing), but nothing specific.

 

Once I apply it and it dries down, it's cinnamon and cassia amplify time! I love cinnamon, and it loves me back. Thank goodness it doesn't make my skin welt, because there's alot of it in this blend. The red ginger is there too, but thankfully not too much. And I definitely do get Snake Oil as a nice base to the cinnamon. This is one of the spiceyest BPALs I've tried so far, and I really like it. I found somewhere that says cassia is less delicate than cinnamon, and is sometimes called the "bastard cinnamon". That certainly applies here, but not in a bad way.

 

So, of the Snake Pits I've tried, I've liked all of them, including this one. This is going to be hell on my wallet.

 

For cinnamon lovers, this is a great blend to try. The cinnamon acts like a well-received companion to the Snake Oil, and the cassia and ginger are bratty older sisters that pretend they don't love you, but really know you're meant to be part of the same family and would beat anyone up to defend you.

[lainevierge]

Wow, I glopped the wand from my decant of this on my arm without sniffing it first and what a mistake. I never would have put it on my skin had I smelled it first. This must have the same cinnamon as Priala, an overpowering, super concentrated cinnamon that kills me. I really thought I was a cinnamon lover until this blend made me realize that it was only going to work in things like All Night Long.

 

I'm happy with most of the other Snake Pit scents I've tried, but this one is just gross.

[arabella]

First Impression: Super-spicy Snake Oil.

 

Dries down to: Cinnamony Snake Oil.

 

Additional Comments: If you like spicy scents, this is for you. I'm not sure what it is, but there's something I don't like in this - probably the cassia - yet, somehow, I'm drawn to it.

 

Lasted: Several hours.

 

Rating: 3 out of 5.

[alsatia]

Expectations: This is my most anticipated Snake Pit scent. I love dessert spices, and expect they'll go perfectly with the rich, subtly sweet Snake Oil.

 

In vial: All spices, no Snake Oil. It's predominantly ginger. Delicious in itself, but I do hope the other notes make an appearance as it dries.

 

On skin, wet: Ginger and cassia.

 

On skin, dry: The cassia ran off, so now it's ginger and cinnamon. Still getting absolutely no Snake Oil.

 

After time: After 30 minutes, I think I catch the faintest hint of the Indonesian oils, but the spices are so overpowering. I don't smell vanilla at all. It's a strong scent...I put on the tiniest drop possible and am still going to have to scrub it off before I can try something else, even on my other arm.

 

Conclusion: I could wear this just for the spices, even if they continue to overwhelm the other notes. I'd really like the Snake Oil to make its presence known though. Maybe I'll have to keep this one around and let it age. Also, I tried this at the same time as Boomslang and occasionally got a whiff of it while trying to sniff the Boomslang patch on my arm. I think layering a tiny dab of this with a liberal application of Boomslang might be nice.

[valentina]

I stayed away from this Snake Pit because so many reviews keep yelling "SPICE!! SPICE!!!" and especially in that cinnamon category. And on me, cinnamon normally means big ol' hot burnin' red streaks, no matter how much I love the way it smells.

 

OK, so then a friend gave me a bottle because she found out she's sensitive to cinnamon and I thought, "here we go again." I've also had middlin' luck with the Snake Pits because I love pure Snake Oil so much, and in general, don't care for variations on the theme.

 

So I tried it. Loved it! To me smells like a warm, mellow, spicy Snake Oil. No skin irritation whatsoever! Just lovely Snake Oil with a shake of spice over the top. I am so happy I have a bottle, for it is just lovely!

[Tilby]

Spicy hot cinnamon! It tingles and reddens my skin, but the scent is totally worth it. It's a woodsy cinnamon on, I'm not sure if that is the cassia...after it drys down a bit I get more of the snake oil scent. It turns to a slightly vanilla soft cinnamon. Beautiful!

 

ADDED July 13:

 

One of my favorites, but I just cannot wear it. It burns oh it burns! My skin is quite sensitive, so I get large red welts when I wear it. I adore the cinnamon and the ginger in the bottle, and I wish I could wear it. I tried it in a scent locket, but the effect just wasn't the same. Farewell beloved viper, farewell.

[DogNPonyShow]

I got no Snake Oil in this one at all. Just eye-watering spicyness. It's funny that I wanted to try this one, seeing that it's a very rare day when any of these notes agree with me, but I'm always looking. On, this was delicious cinnamon gum...until my arm got all red, prickly, and itchy. My search continues...

[bheansidhe]

Whoa! Everyone who was disappointed by Saw-Scaled Viper's red-hot, cinnamon-sharp cassia-fest (including moi, last year) - Either set a half-imp out to age, or get your hands on a sample that's one year plus. Just as aging benefits its parent, venerable Snake Oil, the mellowing effects of oxidation and time make a HUGE difference with this viper.

 

It becomes .... "clouds of foody billowing yum." At least on me.

 

Edited March 28, 2012 by bheansidhe

[motdakasha]

In the bottle:

Rating: 2

Notes: red ginger, cassia, cinnamon

Comment: I don't like ginger.

Wet on skin:

Rating: 2

Notes: red ginger, cassia

Comment: I don't like ginger.

Dry on skin:

Rating: 3

Notes: cassia, cinnamon, red ginger

Scent Intensity: 3

Comment: I can still smell the ginger. I'm sure other people don't think I smell bad, but definitely not my shtick. It's not the perfume's fault that ginger makes me nauseous.

Misc:

Duration: ~2 Hrs.

Keyword(s): gourmand

Color:

Smells like: Big Red gum & ginger breath

Edited July 2, 2008 by Akasha Tsang
Removed Lab description --Shollin

[mybrainhurts]

I got this as a sniffie from a decant circle I was a part of. A little bit of the oil got on my fingertips when I opened the bottle so the test wear was on.

 

Unfortunately, I -really- don't care for cinnamon. This one smells heavily of cinnamon. The kind of cinnamon that you get from eating a mouthful of red-hots all at one time.

Not my style.

[greenranger]

In the bottle, cinnamon.

 

 

Wet, on me...Ouch! What is that? Ginger? Yikes!

 

Ok, now the ginger is thankfully taking a step back, and I smell cinnamon again. The scents are not playing nicely yet. I'll give this one a few minutes and get back to it.

 

 

Alrighty, back from their time out, cinnamon, cassia and ginger are behaving, now, but, I don't know if that will last. There might be Snake Oil behind these scene stealers or there might not be. It's hard to tell so far.

 

 

So far this is a delicious dry cinnamon/ginger scent, with only a few minutes to be wary of when freshly applied. I'm still not getting much Snake Oil from it, though. Maybe next time, with different weather and skin chemistry.

[nekogrrl]

My wrist smells like a cinnamon red-hot. Which would be nice if I liked smelling like candy (and I do like to be nibbled upon), but this is just too sweet for me to enjoy. Neither the cassia nor the red ginger come out to play, and I really don't get a lot of Snake Oil, even. Just sweet, sweet cinnamon.

 

Wet, it's fairly strong cinnamon. After about 10 minutes, the cinnamon softens, but that's still all I smell. Not for me.

[milo]

I haven't tried this before today, because there was such a "bite", that I'm assuming is the red ginger which almost makes me feel nauseous. This fades away pretty quickly and I'm left with wonderful spicy cinnamon. After a few hours, I thought it had faded away, but I kept getting whiffs of something that smelled REAL good, and it turned out to be me. It turns into a wonderful creamy scent with barest hint of snake oil that says "Don't you forget about me, I'm here!" This turned out to be one of my fave snakes, even though I barely liked it in the imp.

[djsiberia]

wet/in imp: interesting. it's like gingerbread poppet, snake oil, & shub had babies.

 

dry: cinnamon snake oil. this reminds me lots of gingerbread poppet and shub. it's not so cookie/ramen/indian food smelling like gingerbread poppet, and it's not bad.

 

by the end of the day, i'm kinda tired of smelling like saw scaled viper and i think it might last longer if it were really aged shub.

 

in the end, i'm not sure this is worth the bottle purchase. i did get compliments on it, but it smells so much like shub and snake oil, that i could probably layer it. it also doesn't stay on my skin too well, it gets eaten within 20 minutes. it stays pretty well in the locket and that's with a decent slathering.