Saw-Scaled Viper

[faifai]

Snake Oil with cinnamon, cassia, and red ginger.

 

This is one of very few oils that elicited an actual, verbal "blech" reaction when I opened the bottle. Seriously, something is in here that smells like rank Middle Eastern food (I'm guessing roast lamb and spiced rice that's been left out overnight, stinking the whole kitchen up. something "wild" and almost musky).

 

I have no idea what it is! Cassia normally goes all plastic on me, it doesn't smell like this. Cinnamon also goes generally goes kind of plastic. And red ginger, I don't know what that smells like. It's definitely not as friendly and homey smelling as whatever ginger is in Shub. This smells bitter, sharp and almost smoky, like smoked meat smells. After half an hour, it calms down and the unpleasant savory food association fades away. What's left reminds me of Shub-Niggurath but a bit, I don't know, "clearer"? It's the scent equivalent of high pitched alarm bells sounding a fire, complete with an edge of smoke from said fire. Thankfully, my skin doesn't react to this like it did to Shub, but I don't think I'll be wearing this one for a while so it doesn't matter much.

 

When I got Shub, it had this offensively bright lemony edge to it, and aging it eventually burned the lemon aspect away. I am hoping that aging this will burn the leftover dinner smell of this away, leaving a lovely cinnamonny, gingery, incense and vanilla delight like I had hoped.

Edited March 3, 2007 by faifai

[melissadragon]

SAW-SCALED VIPER:

 

Imp: Just red ginger, that's it. - applied to back of left hand

Wet: Yep, just ginger

Dry: Hello ginger, meet your Top, cassia. Ladies, please, stop fighting.

1 hr later: Cassia, you won. Congrats. Go find a new home.

Verdict: Not a keeper. I don't like Cassia single note which precisely what this approximates on my skin

[juniperus]

Bottle: spicy. none of them are really stepping up on their own, it was a team effort.

Wet: while I can catch the cassia, this is ginger's show.

Dry: spicy and sexy and more of the cinnamon...foody, but WOW. it's spice-rack foody, not baked-good foody.

Later: the same...it almost smells like three witches over snake oil with no pepper. and by that I wish to say: wooooowza!

[asciident]

Wet: *nose twitch* Dry and spicy. Like sniffing your spice rack, maybe. It has potential.

 

First on: Hmm...the cinnamon is nice, like a nice spicy, dry cinnamon not red hots. Something smells almost cocoa-y?

 

Dry: Despite my vague description, I would have been happier if this stayed in its first on phase. It now smells like rotting wood. Or at least something rotting and something woody. Meh. I don't know what note is doing this--cassia isn't usually horrible on me, and neither is ginger. It's almost as if something took a slightly sour note in Snake Oil and twisted it, making it worse.

[SultryWolf]

in the decant: Bitter-spicy.

on: Much the same; the cinnamon+cassia is too strong for me, with a bitter-pungency that I do not like.

[lookingglass]

This is quite like Red Phoenix was on me. The cassia/cinnimon thing is just overwhelming and does not play nice with my chemistry. Can't do it.

[emzebel]

I love all of the notes in this, but somehow, all together in this one blend, this is just too much of a good thing - SSViper is too spicy sweet - almost syrupy - on my skin and I just can't wear him. So sad.

[Miss Lynx]

As I commented in my Boomslang review, I couldn't resist ordering decants of a few of the Snake Pit oils despite being one of the few people out there who doesn't like Snake Oil. They just added so many interesting things...!

 

I'm very fond of spicy scents, so Saw-Scaled Viper immediately grabbed my attention. And spicy it certainly is... This not one you want to apply to any remotely sensitive areas of the body, or right after a hot shower either, unless you enjoy pain. But on intact, not-too-sensitive skin, it doesn't burn... much.

 

So, it's plenty spicy, but I don't really find myself liking it as much as I thought I would. I don't dislike it, but it doesn't really have the kind of depth behind the spiciness that made me love Chimera and Red Phoenix and scents like that. The spices come across as a bit harsh and flat, and vaguely discordant -- a bit like Three Witches did on me, which I also expected to love and did not.

 

I think I'll have to let this viper slither on to a new home.

 

Grade: C+

[yeahbutnobut]

Saw Scaled Viper

 

In the bottle: whoa. Spicy. I can smell the cassia. But there's a lot of red ginger too…and this smells like the ginger that turns to rubber on me…oh dear. Here's to hoping it won't.

Wet on skin: oh no, ginger's threatening to turn bad here…will the other spices save this scent from turning to the smell of hot car tyres?

Dry on skin: hey, the ginger's being calmed down by the cinnamon and cassia! Yay! It does threaten to turn rubbery but for now it smells like ginger root, kept guard by the gorgeous sweet spices of cinnamon and it's darker sister cassia. For now this is all about the spices, hot and biting yet sweet and delicious. This is the best of both worlds when it comes to spice, the spices are both fierce and fiery, yet also comforting like a cup of chai. The Snake Oil isn't coming out just yet but I think that's what seems to sweeten this a little.

After a while: now the spices seem to melt into each other. Ginger has submitted to the charms of cinnamon and cassia and now merges with them to form a very nice hot spice scent over a deep, sweet, softly Snaky base. The spices are natural in feel, and very dry smelling, it brings to mind a home made chai recipe, or dry gingerbread. Now is when it starts to smell a little Shubby as well, and also reminds me of Three Witches.

Over time, this dry spice becomes more cinnamon-dominated, and increasingly dark and musky, almost like Smut, in fact…spicy Smut. I think the musk and patchouli of Snake Oil are showing up a lot here. And at the end, the Snake Oil vanilla slithers out of the spices and blooms beautifully, filling the air with its deep, rich, indulgent sweetness. I love this drydown so much…and it's also rare in that it strengthens with wear instead of just fading. Damn, this is going to be orgasmic when aged.

Verdict: this was another Snake I was looking forward to-I mean, cinnamon Snake Oil? That's got to be the best thing ever! (Along with chocolate Snake Oil, aka Boomslang, which is also magnificent, but that's another story…) But as I smelt the oil in the bottle, I was a little scared of the obvious red ginger, which doesn't play well with me most of the time. Thankfully, the cinnamon and cassia beat the pesky ginger into submission, and prevented this scent from turning into something nasty and rubbery, and turned it into the perfect spiced Snake Oil. Like Snake Oil chai. It's even better than the 'cinnamon Snake Oil' experimental blend, as it's more cinnamon-y than that was. The spices play very nicely on my skin-I don't suffer from cinnamon burns anyway, but the ginger doesn't turn nasty on my skin at all. this is a hot, fierce scent with a warming undertone to it, it would be perfect for winter months. The drydown is even nicer-that's when the Snake Oil really comes out, and when it comes out, it has such throw. I love the way this scent broadcasts its vanilla-musk-cinnamon-patchouli-incense scent after a few hours. I'm so glad I got a bottle of this straight up, it really is as good as I hoped, and then some. I think I'll need more bottles of this just for aging!

Emoticon rating:

Is it a keeper? yes! I can't wait to see how this spicy snake matures with time…and I think I'll get more!

If you like this, try: Shub Niggurath, Bengal, Al Shairan, Snake Oil, Three Witches, Chimera, Priala

[shellyshells]

At first sniff, I didn't think I'd like this much. It was straight up fresh sliced and diced ginger. On my skin it was quite spicy but pungent ginger and thankfully it calmed down about 5 minutes later and settled into a nicely blended ginger, cassia + cinnamon. About half an hour later the SO finally blooms and I'm love loving it

[presotm]

This one bit me. Hard. I don't like the 'yowch' factor in my scents, and my chemistry doesn't do anything to make me overlook the pain and embrace this snake. Off to a hopefully more loving home..........

[Trish]

....and that hopefully more loving home is with me.

 

I love Snake Oil and spices so I have very high hopes for this.

 

 

In the bottle: Definite ginger here! Also cinnamon and cassia, and there's a little smokiness too.

 

Wet: Freshly sliced ginger and a hefty dose of cassia. The cinnamon has disappeared. It's not nearly as hot or harsh as I thought it might be, although it's certainly spikey and reminds me of Indian food.

 

Drydown: It's getting sweeter and a little less like Indian food, as well as more rounded and not as spikey.

 

Early dry: Mmm the cinnamon is reappearing and merging with the other spices. There's a hint of Snake Oil vanilla in the background too. Oh woah, this could be love....

 

Later Dry: Snake Oil with a hint of the extra spices. My skin tends to eat spice, especially cinnamon, (except Chimera for some reason) so I shouldn't be surprised they've nearly all gone. However there's enough left to distinguish this from regular Snake Oil.

 

In short, this has definitely found a more loving home! I do wish it had stayed in the middle dry stage though, where it was definite Snake Oil but still very spicy as well

 

 

 

ETA 6 months later:

 

This really does age wonderfully! It's much smoother and a little sweeter now, and not as harsh or spikey when wet. Also the spices seem to be lasting longer on my skin now.

Edited September 30, 2007 by Trishek

[pariahsdream]

I ADORE this scent. I haven't written a review here before, so I'll copy what I had on my LJ for quick notes.

I'm in love. It's not cinnamony but it's got a sharp kick. Still it reminds me of something- it's almost...woody. Like cedar? No. Hrm. I love it though. So sexy.

 

I didn't get the burning sensation that a lot of people, nor a food one. Mine was more of a woody-ness which might have been the cassia, which I've never smelled before.

I'll already ordered two bottles of this.

This is great if you want something that'll make you sit up and take notice, but I'm that kinda girl.

[isis33]

It's funny, when I sniffed the bottle could smell ginger, and only ginger. And that was what I smelled for the first five minutes as well- and I must say that I didn't like it one bit.

 

But now it's all warm cinnamon and Snake Oil, and I must confess to sniffing my wrists over and over. Love this!

[Belladonnastrap]

When I tried this, the cinnamon really really amped in my skin and caused a bit of an reaction so I had to wash it off

 

However in the bottle it smells like a spicier snake pit with a bit more headiness.

[tinyvulture]

astringent ginger and spicy cinnamon take center stage in this blend. if you like the strong spice of Three Witches, i’d recommend this for sure. the sweet vanilla and resins of traditional snake oil add warmth and balance. i don’t think i need a bottle of this, but it’s really nice. try layering it with something creamy for a lovely chai scent.

[supremegoddessofall]

Wow, this strong. Very, very strong cinnamon and ginger. Not sure I'm liking it though - it's really overwhelming and has a cereal-like smell to it, too.

[Mianjo]

Quick review: This one dried down to Red Hots on me. The way Red Hots smell/taste as you're chewing them? Yep, that's it exactly.

 

I didn't get any Snake Oil out of this one. Pity, because I really wanted to love this--ginger, cinnamon, and cassia are 3 of my favorite notes in fragrances.

[filigree_shadow]

When I first put this on I thought it smelled very strange, and not in a good way. The ginger wasn't working on me at all. Then the cassia came out, and it started to smell like food. Mind you, it smells like good food, the kind I love to eat. But I'm not entirely convinced that I'd like to walk around smelling like I've just come out of an Indian restaurant. When I can't smell the ginger any more, what I end up with is a scent that smells like cinnamon toast. I don't know where that bready scent is coming from, but I swear it's there.

 

I like gingerbread scents, so I guess I'm not surprised that apparently I also like cinnamon toast scents. I'm going to hang on to this one until the summer time -- I like wearing hot-smelling scents when the weather is warm.

[bella_delirante]

In the bottle, I smell the Ginger and Cassia, STRONG. It kind of hits me in the stomach, but once I put the oil on that goes away.

 

While its wet on my skin the ginger almost disappears and it's nothing but cassia. As it dries the cassia fades a little, the ginger comes back softly and the snake oil comes out. The spice and vanilla blend beautifully so I smell like a creamy chai latte (one of my favourite smells).

 

I think this one has displaced Bengal as most delicious warm spicey scent.

[lady_pandora]

When I first put this on, it smelled disgusting on me. I can't put my finger on exactly what it smelled like, just that it threatened to be as big a disaster as Depraved or Coiled Serpent was on me.

 

Ten minutes later? Warm yummy ginger and cinnamon. These two spices drown out pretty much everything else in the blend, turning it into a slightly less-sweet version of Bengal on me. I really like this. Not sure if I need a supply, though, given the similarity to Bengal and the fact that I kind of like the more-sweet quality of the latter.

[Naamah_Darling]

You're not going to be able to tell this is Snake Oil at all. The cinnamon, cassia, and red ginger are all that exist here. This is fiercely spicy, fiery and rough.

 

The throw is all zippy, rambunctious spice. It's not hard to recognize cinnamon and ginger here; the cassia is like cinnamon but at once a little woodier and a little sugary.

 

This has formidable throw, not that that's a bad thing. It's really quite pleasant.

 

The Snake Oil smell is buried under there, way down deep. You really have to sniff to find the resemblance.

 

It smells more like Snake Oil the longer it wears. The cinnamon dies back, leaving the cassia and a bit of ginger, and allowing the spicy, liquid smoothness of Snake Oil to come out just a little bit, right at the end.

[jiggahava]

This is one of the spiciest blends I've ever tried! The cinammon and cassia are raw and dark and hit you right in the face. It smells kind of bitter at first, then calms down to a yummy gingery/cinammon smell. Half an hour or so later the snake oil part comes out and gives this a creamy sweet feel, which I attribute to the vanilla. Very spicey without being foody. I really like it, but will be careful not to apply too much, because it STINGS my inner elbows like crazy and left a big red welt there. Oddly enough, it didn't do that with my neck and wrists. It's a delicious scent, but apply cautiously. This snake bites if you're not careful.

 

for the scent itself, for what it did to my inner elbows.

[batsy]

In the vial: eww... raw ginger root. Like in the produce department.

 

On the skin: ugh, cassia. And my eyes are burning. Wow, not a good combo for me. *hurriedly tosses in the swaps*

[Jilara]

I could have sworn there was cardamom in here, in the wet stages. It's absolutely nose-twistingly spicey at that point, and not in a good way. It almost stuns my senses.

 

Then it dries down and turns into cornbread with a slight nutmeg chaser. WTF?? No other spices left, after half an hour, just cornbread and nutmeg. Cornbread??? Where the heck did that come from? It's okay, but not what I'd wear.

 

I think this decant is going to find another home.