Western Diamondback

[valentina]

Snake Oil with leather, tonka bean, red sandalwood, and sage.

I mostly like my Snake Oil straight up and neat, but I can't resist trying the Snake Pits... In the bottle, the Diamondback smells like a western supply store. Clean and leathery, as in clean, unused leather. When I first put it on, it's certainly based in Snake Oil, because I get a whiff of it along with a smooth, mellow, cowboy leather-and-sage smell. It's very nice. Then my body's tendency to amp leather takes over, and the balance of the scent is skewed, never to return to the prior perfect balance. I just smell like the saddle department of a western supply store. I think if you're a person who loves Tombstone or Coyote, this would be a must-buy fragrance. It's a nice variation on the theme, not that strongly redolent of Snake Oil, but just enough to give it a distinct difference from the previously-mentioned scents. Living on the edge of where the Western Diamondback dwells, I think this blend is a marvelous evocation of this part of the world, and of the cowboys whose horses reared up and bucked them off at the sight of the rattlesnake! Edited April 9, 2007 by Shollin

[Naamah_Darling]

The original is on one wrist, Diamondback is on the other.

 

The most immediately noticeable difference is that Diamondback smells of sage and just a hint of rawhide.

 

It's a very different scent. The creamy spice of Snake Oil is less intense here. This is much less rich and fruity, and more clean and smooth. The sandalwood gives it a woody, raw feel. This is, indeed, very "western" in feel.

 

It's subtle. I have tried Snake Oil both fresh and aged, and this is more like the aged scent. I want to say it has less patchouli in it, and the sage gives it a definite greenness that makes it a slightly cleaner scent than the original.

 

They finish so differently that it's hard for me to see them as the same scent; Diamondback is sandalwood and sage at the end, where Snake Oil is mellow spice and vanilla.

[supremegoddessofall]

In bottle: Yummy leather.

 

On me: Beautiful leather and not a lot else. I love it!

[yeahbutnobut]

Western Diamondback

 

In the imp: ohh, it’s like Snake Oil meets Perversion. Leather coated in sweet spiced vanilla-tonka.

Wet on skin: now I can smell the sage and sandalwood along with the sweetened leather.

Dry: mmm, this is lovely! Another one of the Snakes where the Snake Oil is apparent, though this has a herbal aspect to it which makes it even more interesting. Soft warm sage, green and herbal, almost like a crushed plant, is now the dominant note, along with a hint of black leather (to me this is more like Loviatar than Quincy Morris for now), as well as a fantastic sandalwood and tonka background which mingles wonderfully with the Snake Oil. This is indeed SO with a Western feel.

After a while: suddenly, the scent suddenly smells different. I don’t smell the initial Snake Oil scent I got before, but now I smell a soft, warm, honeyed amber sandalwood with sage, a hint of tonka sweetening it even more, and just the faintest touch of leather. It’s hard to describe what I’m smelling, it’s almost like warm skin, or rather, like the doeskin note in Coyote, or the musk in Buck Moon with a hint of sweetness. Indeed, this now reminds me of a warmer, sweeter Buck Moon, or a cousin of Coyote, a soft sweet herbal skin scent with dusty wood. I also smell something like honey or beeswax in here, which is odd since it isn’t listed…but this is very nice. It’s comforting and dry and warm. The scent then becomes woodier, with sandalwood really showing off (a very good thing, I think), in here it smells dry and dusty, like the woods in Coyote, with a balmy sage note adding a fuzzy, soothing quality. It reminds me of the Cup of Death, but not as bitter and harsh as the woods in there, in here the tonka sweetens it beautifully, and I can make out that rich leathery background which is very subtle (not like Loviatar or Quincy) and it even smells spicy and musky, probably from the Snake Oil. It reminds me of King of Clubs now, it’s a sexy mix of warm woodsy sweet leather with a hint of musk. And then it becomes a wonderfully soothing scent of herbal-woody Snake Oil with a little bit of smoky leather and something musky and skin-like, almost like clean sweat, and there’s even a hint of something like ambergris to this. Spiced sandalwood with herbs and a little vanilla and tonka. This is gorgeous, it’s comforting and unisex-though I bet if a man was wearing this, I’d shag him in an instant. The drydown is like the sage-wood-musk of Coyote with a hint of the ‘Dorian-esque’ drydown of the lighter Snake Pit scents, with a hint of something earthy, a little dirty. Mmm.

Verdict: this really is the ‘cowboy Snake Oil’ scent, and damn, it’s fantastic stuff. First it is Snake Oil with black leather, sage and sandalwood, it stays herbal for a while before something amazing happens. I get a wonderful skin scent coming up, with a warm dry sandalwood and even a hint of honey and doeskin. It is quiet, not as leathery as before, but sublime. It reminds me of the likes of Buck Moon and Coyote (especially the latter), but with the exotic spice of Snake Oil warming it up beautifully. a gorgeous skin musk, warm and pulsing, with fragrant wood and a little sage too. The spicy wood then becomes stronger, and then the leather returns and then the tonka mixes with the vanilla-musk of SO…this is such a gorgeous scent, comforting yet sensual, it's lovely on me, but I can just imagine how shaggable it will be on a guy! I've had very good success with most of the Pit, and this is another one to get many bottles of. I can't wait to see how this ages as well. Another beautiful and sexy serpentine scent!

Emoticon rating:

Is it a keeper? Oh yes, this is so good. I love this sexy cowboy snake!

If you like this, try: Coyote, Quincy Morris, Perversion, Loviatar, Cup of Death

Edited April 21, 2007 by yeahbutnobut

[phedre]

In bottle: new black leather and smoky vanilla. Smells like walking into a leather goods store. Very strong!

 

On skin: Snake oil immediately comes out, with the leather fading a bit. I was a bit scared of it in the bottle, but it has more promise now.

 

Drydown: This is deep and sultry, with the familiar snake oil scent darkened. Definitely a nighttime scent. I'll keep this around to see how it ages; I suspect it'll do wonderful things after a year or so of aging.

[Jilara]

Just got my snake decants, and this was the one I had to try first. (Okay, I sniffed Faizia the Black Mamba, but this one I tried on ME.)

 

Oh. My. God.

 

In the decant, it's definitely snake oil and sage.

Wet, it's snake oil and SAGE.

Then it dries down and gets complex. The leather note really starts to come out as it dries down, and the sage backs off a bit. And then it starts to blend...

Dry, it's gorgeous, and you can't really identify many notes individually. Mainly, it's incense with a backing of sage and faint leather, and the snake oil is just part of the mix, without being able to say "hey, there's Snake Oil in here." But of course, all the notes that make Snake Oil so wonderful are there, all the same, but with so much more complexity. Intriguing, subtle, utterly captivating! Strong, but stays close to my skin.

 

It doesn't seem masculine or rugged on me, at all. Just...wow... like it brings out my mulebrity (female equivalent term for virility). I feel dead sexy, and can't stop sniffing.

 

Later notes: Lasts for HOURS with no noticable fading out. A friend says this really has an under-note of shed snake skin. Maybe he's just suggestable, but he says he used to keep snakes, and there is something here that nudges him to think of snake dens.

Edited May 4, 2007 by Jilara

[asciident]

Wet: Wet leather. Or maybe a saddle.

 

First on: The leather's got a bit of spice, but it's gone all sagey-herbal on me. A little soapy? And manly.

 

Dry: Leather is so dominant -- I do get tonka and sage, but they are definitely in the background. I need to start accepting that I don't like leather as a scent on me. Ah well, off to the swap pile.

[deleahrium]

On, wet: The sage is strong in the forefront upon first sniff, then the leather jumps in on the next sniff. All in all a very balanced scent. If I take a long deep whiff, I can pick out sandalwood and tonka along with the leather and sage that are so strong. I'm not sure they make the best combination, but it's definitely well done. I'd say this is great for a man. Yep, my man can smell like this any day.

[theseagrows]

dear western diamondback,

i love you very much, more than i can express in an emoticon, but i will try:

you are all i could've ever hoped for and more.

western diamondback, you are a vanilla-tonka base with a hint of sexy leather. i can barely

detect your sage or sandalwood, but they add a nice supporting warmth in the background.

western diamondback, i think you will be a multiple bottle purchase and our love will last forever and ever.

 

yours truly, love, your #1 fan,

theseagrows

 

[LadyCrow]

Delicious. I love the way this slithers between the dry leather and the sweetness of the Snake Oil and tonka bean (for me, the sage mostly comes out in the very-wet and drydown stages). Long-lasting and seductive in an outdoorsy, summer-evening way, with the creamy sandalwood making a nice base for everything. I can see why you'd handle a rattlesnake that smelled like this.

[Tess]

Leather and sage tend to be "eh" on me, but tonka and red sandalwood are yum. Let's see how it balances out and it I'll have luck with ANY of the Snake Pit...

 

In the vial - Yeehaw. Leather and Snake Oil, with just the teeniest touch of sage for that herby kick.

 

Wet - Leather, leather, leather.

 

Drying - Ooo, this is actually turning out nicely. The sage is coming out, but it's a soft sage mixed with the sandalwood. The leather is still in the front, but it's not in my face like normal. It's still got that new leather scent, though, so it's a bit clarifying to my nose. The Snake Oil spice is playing around in here, mixed with the leather. It's a soft scent.

 

Dry (1 hour) - This is very leather and is oddly a very true leather. The sage is there quite strongly, as is what I always seem to refere to as the "Snake Oil spice." I'm going to have to look up exactly what that entails again one of these days, it's been so long.

 

Overall - This is nice, soft and very Western feeling. If I were to go horseback riding or camping, I could really see wearing this one.

[Meg]

In the bottle: Sage, wood and leather

 

Wet: Oooh sage, sweetening... with the Snake oil beneath.

 

Drydown: Still sage, with a nice mix of red sandalwood and leather beneath it. It has this wild feel, something you'd smell if you were riding on an old leather saddle through the fields. The leather starts amping like mad. Then it develops into pure Snake Oil, bleh.

 

Overall: Snake Oil with leather and sage... it's pleasant at first, before the Snake Oil becomes too strong. Then it's just very diluted leather with a whole load of Snake Oil, which I don't like so much for starters. I'd have liked to see more of the sandalwood, too.

[Musamea]

in the imp: Snake Oil and sage

 

wet: The tonka really highlights the resiny vanilla in Snake Oil, with the sage bringing freshness to the mix. It reminds me just a bit of the gorgeous creamy orchid-vanilla in Regan, which is a bit strange, since vanilla is about all these scents have in common. Just barely a hint of the sandalwood, mixing beautifully with the oils, to keep things grounded. The leather is really apparent when up close, but it's really not a hyper-masculine scent.

 

drydown: This one's a morpher. Sometimes the sage kicks in really, really strong, and it's all pretty floral, then the leather rises to the fore, dusty, lowkey, comforting. And then the tonka reasserts itself and together with the sandalwood gives the goooorgeous smoky vanilla that plain Snake Oil usually takes a few hours to dry down to, on my skin. I feel like I'm wearing aged Snake Oil, mixed with a bit of Regan, with a dash of leather thrown in to keep things interesting.

 

dry: My wrist is pure, unadulterated aged Snake Oil that's all sexy, smoky vanilla. The crook of my elbow has retained the floral of the sage a bit better, and it's blending beautifully with the creamy tonka.

 

overall: I can't stop sniffing myself. This snake is just so beautiful! It's really, really close to Snake Oil for me, and that's making me waffle a bit about whether or not I want to buy a bottle, but… but… it's all the good things in Snake Oil, in aged Snake Oil, without the wait. What's a girl to do?

[n0thing]

I *love* this!!

 

Initially it's a sweet, cold, almost slightly minty, vanilla-y leather, and it stays much the same on (hurrah!), just a really lovely, clean, leather smell. Reminds me of the smell of a white leather purse i got in Spain when i was ickle

 

Heh, that's a terrible description for such a beautiful scent!

[Ajila]

In the bottle – Leather with the familiar Snake Oil backdrop

 

Wet on me – A back bone of leather with occasional wafts of tonka and sage

 

Dry on me – Warm, sexy Snake Oil with salty leather to ground it and make it earthy

 

Overall – Of all the snakes this was the one I anticipated liking most and it did not disappoint. Tombstone mixed with Snake Oil

[funkmoppet]

Guh.

 

Oh my lordy yes. The familiar delicious snake oil is there, but there's a glorious, herby, woody warmth to it. The sage and sandalwood take the edge off the sweetness and lend this blend a divine depth. A slightly masculine edge, without it being at all a masculine blend (though it would no doubt be scrumptious on a boy).

 

As it dries, the snake oil really backs off, so there's just that sexy honey'n'spice base. The sage and sandalwood just drift about. The leather is the soft, sweet kind, and compliments the other two.

 

This is SO gorgeous. Absolutely want a bottle of this.

[alicia_stardust]

My skin amps the leather until I can smell nothing else, but before that happens I get a brief glimpse of how this may wear on other people: sweetness, leather, a touch of dry sandalwood, a very slight touch of sage; all layered over Snake Oil. If your skin doesn't amp leather like mine does, this is going to be a nice blend.

[Dinerdulcinea]

To my nose, this blend is very much like Quincy, my hubby's favorite cowboy from the Dracula series. A little bit warmer and spicier through. Must be the leather---which smells icky (or disappears completely) on my skin in some other leather blends, but here is very nice.

 

Refreshing, actually!

[workedtodeath]

In the bottle, it smells really spicy. Wet I can really smell the leathery ness of it. Yuck. When it is dry the snake oil smell comes out more.

I did not like this one. I just do not like the smell of leather at all.

[smallvoice]

I am SO behind on reviews, but how did I miss this one? I love this scent! I love the Snake Pit! I'm not a fan of Snake Oil, but almost all the little variations (that I've tried) are crazygood on me. Seriously. Crazygood.

 

This one is sexy on me, but it's not so sexy that I can't wear it lounging around at home all day in my sweats, or at school with people around me. The leather is SO good. It makes the Snake Oil... fantastic. The sandalwood doesn't go dusty, and the sage is barely noticable on me. The tonka smooths things out and adds a bit of sweetness to the leather, in addition to the wonderful spices from SO.

 

:D

 

I can only imagine what aging will do to this scent!!

[angharad]

On me, this is wonderfully sexy leather with Snake Oil's creamy spices lurking just under the surface. I love it, but I'd prefer to smell it on my husband because it's not really a "me" scent with the leather. So I dabbed it on my husband, and his skin chemistry brought out the sage in full force. Sharp, acrid, rotting sage with just the barest hint of leather. He refuses to let me come near him with that decant anymore, and I can't really blame him. If your skin chemistry is more like mine, Western Diamondback is gorgeous, sexy, and male. If your skin chemistry is more like my husband's, avoid this like the plague.

[Mary Mayhem]

This is in close competition for me with Snake Oil. It's not that they're the same scent, but that it's so damn nice I usually pick it over Snake Oil (which is quietly aging as we speak)

 

There is snake oil in the background, but it's not as.. intense, it's cleaner, but still a bit heavy. My husband prefers this over Snake Oil too and he actually notices and comments when I wear it. My son does as well. THAT IS A FIRST!

 

I'm not really picking up much leather or sage, maybe in the background, I just get a less of a "knock your head off" vanilla in this scent.

 

Will most likely buy another bottle since it's the only one I'm wearing out of all my oils.

[Trish]

In the imp: Sage mainly, the other notes are much more subtle and well blended.

 

Wet: Tonka, vanilla and sage.

 

Drydown: Sage and lots of it, with just a little tonka and sandalwood underneath.

 

Dry: The sage softens a bit but is still very present. The only other thing I can smell is tonka and the combination just doesn't sit right on me.

 

*sigh* I'm glad I just got a decant of this and not a bottle despite the fact that I love the majority of the notes. But I am not a fan of sge, especially when it's as strong as in this.

[grashopper8]

So.......

 

I've discovered that I really don't like leather as a note in perfume.

 

My skin chemistry turns it into bleach. Yep, that's right: Clorox, chlorine bleach, sodium hypochlorite, whatever you want to call it, that's what this stuff smells like to me.

 

Snake oil and bleach. I gave it a good 45 minutes, and it smells the same, and now I can't get it off with soap. It's got great staying power, at least

 

Major bummer for me. Those who dig leather scents will love this one, I'm just not loving that note. Off to the swaps!

[tinyvulture]

sweet, sexy Snake Oil blends perfectly with rugged leather. and it is strong – i put a dab on my husband and i can smell him in the next room! my skin really amps the vanilla and tonka, and i can’t smell the sandalwood or sage at all. this is in my top 10 – i want to smell like this all the time.