Snake Oil

[Teggy]

By far, our most popular scent! Magnetic, mysterious, and exceedingly sexual in nature. A blend of exotic Indonesian oils sugared with vanilla.

 

I first tried out Snake Oil at July will-call, and it was one of the top two spots on my arms that I kept going back to sniff. I ordered a bottle and it arrived yesterday. I must say that it was generously full.

 

Then I opened the bottle and put some on. I thought to myself...did I really love this that much at will-call? It was very boozy in the bottle and for the first 45 minutes or so.

 

Then...magic! The scent shifted to a soft, sultry, spicy vanilla and I fell back in love with it. Now THAT'S what Teggy was talking about! This is definately a "bad girl" scent like Anne Bonny, but it's wicked because it tricks you. It seems like something girly and innocent, but it's definately not! Like a Lolita in a bottle.

 

The Snake Oil bottle should come with a warning on the back: "Danger! Snake Oil has throw! May cause spontaneous sniffing when brought in contact with the opposite sex. Use with caution."

 

Edited August 17, 2006 by Teggy

[m13]

I'm guessing there's myrrh in Snake Oil because anything with even a touch of myrrh goes straight to baby powder within seconds of hitting my skin ... and that's exactly what Snake Oil did.

 

It did do something that I've never had happen post-powder though, a half-hour later it transformed to burnt play dough.

 

I'm going to age the imp for a few months to see what happens, but if there is myrrh in Snake Oil then this will likely never work on me. So, not the blend that's at fault, 'tis my myrrh-rejecting skin. I'm posting this just as a heads-up for others who have the same go-to-powder issues. I really wish I could have worn this, judging by almost all of the other reviews it must be absolutely wonderful on most people.

[fairy]

My second imp decapitation of the evening...I should probably throw in the towel for tonight. Its a good thing Snake Oil smells heavenly, as it's everywhere...and hey, it mixes well with The Red Queen (the other imp catastrophe of the evening)

 

It smells like amber to me...which = love Yummy and pleasant. I can see why it's so popular

[beldorf]

A woman I work with has started wearing snake oil. I can't begin to describe how it affects me!

 

I can't keep a straight thought in my head. I've commented (to her) about the scent and how it has hit me just right. She keeps wearing it and a part of me is wondering if this is (partly) because it's fun to watch me squirm.

 

Well, regardless of the reason, I hope she keeps wearing this one. I can't seem to get enough.

 

I just want to crawl under her desk and be her slave boy.

[The_Merf]

In the imp: Yes, this does smell like sugar and vanilla, with a spicy kick.

 

Wet: This is very thick going on my skin and actully smells quite sweet. Then again, what would you expect from sugared vanilla? The spices almost smell like someone added deep fruits to the mix.

 

Drydown and wear: I know no one's going to believe me, but this disappears really fast! What is left is that vanilla/fruity combination. It remains very sweet and almost demure on me--it doesn't seem to take that darkening step that it does with many. However, on the advice of just about everyone, I am going to let this imp age and try it again in a few months.

[copyshopclerk]

This was one of the first imps I ever got from the lab because it seems like it's on everyone's list of favorites.

 

In the imp: There's this import store in a lot of malls where I live called Gifts from Afar (no idea how expansive their chain is) where they sell imports from around the world. This smells like the incense they always have burning in there.

 

Wet: Still mostly incense, with maybe a smidgen of vanilla underneath

 

Dry: Not working – I can smell vanilla, which is lovely, but I want to push aside the smoky incense that's in the way because it's keeping me from enjoying the vanilla underneath.

 

I wanted desperately to like this because the way everyone else describes it, it sounds amazing, but it doesn't work on me. I tried putting it in an oil burner, and it was rather different - a very pretty vanilla edged with incense. On me it's almost all incense. I can't bear to give the imp up (it's about 5 months old which I don't think is exactly aged) because every time I read a review I want to try it. Maybe one of these days it'll work!

[blackfelicula]

I accidentally got some of this on my fingers yesterday, letting friends sniff the imp. I could not stop smelling my fingers, despite their dislike of the in-the-bottle smell.

 

In the bottle: Smells like sweet resins to me. Some friends thought it smelled like cough syrup. Resinous smells remind me of my all-time favourite, Myrrh from Triloka Essentials. Snake Oil is definitely sweeter and smoother than that.

 

Wet: Humming resins blend with sweetness for a lovely combination.

 

Drying down: This is almost a foody scent. The sugary sweetness makes me go yum on a regular basis.

 

Dry: It’s like some spicy exotic dessert, like sprinkling vanilla ice cream with curry powder. (I know it sounds gross, but it was delicious when I tried it out.) Lovely.

 

Later: If possible, this has only gotten tastier. It’s richer yet still spicy and sweet. This is going on my list of bottles I want.

[porcelain72]

Mmm...yummy. This burst of warm, spicy goodness is a wonderful contrast to the gloomy day outside.

 

In the bottle: it's thick, thicker than any oil I've tried so far. That gives is a certain air of mystery. I can smell the vanilla and spices together, this is also one that smells exactly like I thought it would, going by the Lab description.

 

Initial application: delicious! The vanilla is sweet and creamy, and the spices give it a wonderfully dark, sexy edge.

 

Drydown: the vanilla is overtaking the spices a bit, but still this is pretty great. I may consider eventually purchasing a 5ml, but my next order is going to include Dorian, which this resembles a bit too closely to want both at the same time.

 

[Torrilin]

I like Snake Oil and I don't.

 

First off, it goes down in history as the second vanilla ever that doesn't sit on my skin and sulk. It makes a lovely powdery soft skin scent with a hint of something more from the musks. It is reminiscent of Lush's Butterball scent, which is the other vanilla that doesn't sulk on me. And yes, there are multiple musks in this. I can pick out black musk, which my skin loves and a lighter, powdery musk reminiscent of Fae's musk. It's a bit more intense tho, so I don't think they're the same. No detectable red musk tho.

 

The down side is the patchouli. The patchouli in Snake Oil smells like stale sweat on me, just greener. Patchouli doesn't always do this on me but it does here. *sigh*

 

The scent is very well constructed, just my skin chemistry murders it.

 

Kalli

[kryshki]

This has way too much heliotrope for me. I do like the vanilla later on, though once the heliotrope retreats, as well as the spicier low notes. But is it worth the wait? No. Not for me.

[crescentmoon]

Sex in a bottle. Seriously, especially when layered with Smut. My hubby LOVED the two scents together. This one has the most beautiful "after smell" too. I applied this set at 7pm and the next morning I smelled like boozy vanilla. It was absolutely delicious. I'll definitely be ordering more Snake Oil!

 

Edit:

I may be taking back my initial love of Snake Oil... I hadn't tried it alone yet, and today, I did. It's going powdery on me. To me, it smells slightly cherry vanilla coke-esque with some baby powder mixed in. I guess that's the only way to describe it. My hubby says it smells like baby powder and perfume to him. He states it is "overwhelming when sniffed". He does still love this layered with smut though.

 

I probably will buy a bottle of this to layer with Smut, but I don't think I'll be wearing it alone.

Edited September 5, 2006 by crescentmoon

[Tallulah]

I can't believe i have not reviewed this yet, it is my absolute favourite

 

My friends have said that "that is the one that smells like you" Sweet, spicy and warm, i am so glad people think of me in that way!! That is exactly how i would describe this scent, sweet but not sickly, warmth and a soft spicyness.

[grifyn_whiffs]

I know everyone and their sister has reviewed this one, but I'm going through reviews I've been keeping privately and on LJ so I can contribute.

 

IN THE BOTTLE: Whoa! DOWN VANILLA, DOWN! ::another sniff:: But there's something… else. Something intriguing is lurking there. Like some sort of exotic candy you would buy online from a place you couldn't afford to visit.

 

Yeah, that clears it up, right?

 

WET: This is nice. I'll bet it doesn't last long, though, so I'll apply it generously.

 

30 MINUTES LATER: Shouldn't have done that. Thank god it takes me an hour to get work. Some of this can sort of fade by then.

 

ONE HOUR LATER: WOW. This is great. Something mystical seems to be happening with the Indonesian oils. Can I call this fragrance "sweetly mystical"? Not with a straight face.

 

Of all BPAL oils I've worn, this has garnered the most comments from random people. I once got sniffed by a waitress at a restaurant, who then had someone else come over to sniff me. "Smell that! Isn't that great?!" So, warning for those of you (like me) who might ferociously value your personal space... this scent makes people crazy!

 

THROW: I'm not going to be a good source of information on throw. I don't hover near other people that much.

 

NEEDED TO BE REFRESHED: Mid-day. Someone stood right next to me within five minutes after I refreshed it, and sniffed me. That's flattering, I guess, but STOP SNIFFING ME. Freak.

 

Comments: It gave me a headache, or maybe the headache was just a coincidence? I put on too much, though, so I'll give it a second chance later.

 

Second chance:

 

I didn't take a bath in it this time. But what I DID do was put a drop on my hands and put it in my hair right before I blow-dried it. This changed the smell a bit, but not much. Every few minutes, I sort of tossed my hair around and sighed happily. Now everything smells like it, including my laptop and various articles of clothing, and I'm halfway through my second imp.

 

PURCHASING: Damn betcha - would've bought it ten times over, but I keep falling all over myself for the Shiny & New and Limited Editions!

Edited September 3, 2006 by Grifyn

[Rosaleen Dhu]

I've obtained a two year old bottle of this...

 

oh...my...god. Unreal spicy sweet incense love. I've worn this fresh and it didn't blow me over, but this! I need at least 2 bottle to stash away in a closet. I cannot keep my nose away from my arm. I totally get the Snake Oil fan club now! Sign me up!

[Dinerdulcinea]

I am TOTALLY bummed about this one too...it just disappears!

 

imp: light, a little foody

 

wet: very light, a little foody with a hint of baby powder on me.

 

dry: It is funny...I get SO much baby powder on me that Scherezade smells foodier than this to my nose.

 

verdict: what a cryin' shame. It is so very light it is barely smell-able and too powdery.

 

*sigh*

[akabob]

This smelled lovely in the bottle, but as soon as I put it on, it turned to baby powderrrr!!!! Waaahhhh. I wanted to love it. I got the 5ml without trying it. I even left it on for the past few hours to let it simmer, hoping it would help cut the baby powder scent. Alas, no.

 

I'm putting this one up for sale so Snake Oil fans can enjoy it. I see why people love it...in the bottle the scent is rich, sugared incense and has a beautiful allure. I just wish my skin would love it.

[nightbird]

rich, spicy vanilla - YUM. it's a bit stronger than the scents I usually wear, but I'm keeping my imp around to wear occasionally... and I want to experience the aged Snake Oil that I've heard so much about!

[Concupiscentia]

This is soo nice. It suits any occasion, really. It's spicy, smoky, creamy, sweet, sexy and cuddly. I'm so glad I ordered a bottle. It also layers well with O, Morocco, Sherezade, Dana O'Shee. I can see why it's so popular.

[gravedigger]

After reading all the reviews, I ordered a 5 ml of this unsniffed because it sounded so completely perfect for me.

 

In the bottle, Snake Oil is about what I expected - nice, incensey vanilla. Yummy.

 

It stays about the same on me for a bit, but after it dries, it turns to burnt coffee. I guess I'll have to try aging it for a while. I'm definitely keeping my 5 ml, though - it intrigues me. It definitely has the potential to be very, very good.

[myoubi]

PRECONCEPTIONS: I wanted a come-do-me scent, and this seemed to fit the bill, according to prettymuch everyone...

 

IN THE BOTTLE: mm, spicy... spicy is good. okay, this is promising.

 

ON SKIN: Attack of the Vanilla! oh my goodness, this is far sweeter than I expected, and i've been really moving away from sweet scents lately. I was counting on a lot more spice here, and right now I smell like poor-quality Essence of Vanilla perfume. Oh please don't let this be another let-down...

 

...but wait! about 20 minutes after application it starts to change, and by half an hour the balance has shifted. The vanilla-sweet is still there, but it's just the mellow base to show off the spices. mmmm, I can't stop sniffing my wrist. It's not sharp or piercing in any way, and it's not aggressively sexy as I expected - but it does have that heavy-lidded languor. I'd say that it's not a girl walking out in a thong, more like a woman stretching her arms up lazily, and somehow without ever doing anything overt, making that movement incredibly sexy. Mmmmmm. keeper.

 

ETA: So aged Snake Oil is a totally different animal altogether. I recently acquired a 6-month-old bottle, and it's completely lost that SuperVanilla stage. It's a lot richer and hugs closer to my skin, and gets to the murmuring spices almost right away. Yum.

Edited February 5, 2007 by myoubi

[ND¢]

Snake Oil smells quite similar to Snake Charmer on me, which is a great relief and a comfort, because now I don't have to sweat about $40.00 5mL bottles! Lighter than Snake Charmer, but with the same characteristic sugary-vanilla/incense scent that is sexy and utterly feminine.

[sporadicity]

I smelled this for the first time at a meet 'n sniff. In the bottle the scent was off putting so I didn't try it on. I came by it again and decided to try it. I obsessively sniffed my arm and was given the imp (bpalers are SO very generous).

 

It feels warm when it goes on. Warm vanilla smell with musk. Also seems to have a slightly floral note to it. After 20 mins or so, the floral disappears and scent becomes very sensual. It grows on you and becomes kind of addictive. This scent has a good throw and I could get a good whiff of it if a breeze blew by. It lasts for hours and hours.

 

I'm undecided about getting a bottle or not. I think it mostly smells of musk after a few hours, the boyfriend seems to think it smells like baby powder. *sigh*

[Vampy]

I love this, though I have to be very sparing with it or it threatens headaches. Probably the vanilla is to blame. I can't really pick out any specific notes other than vanilla. There's an earthy element which might be due to patchouli. The only way I can really describe this oil is with an image - the image of a beautiful, dark golden-skinned youth, either gender, dressed in colorful gauzy scarves, and with dark, seductive eyes, like the idealized concept of a harem girl or boy.

 

This is also one of the very few oils that doesn't turn into vague powdery sweetness after an hour or two on me. It's long lasting (for me, which still isn't that long compared to most people's mileage) and morphs very little, just becoming slightly more musky and less sharp over time.

[Inanna9]

One of the first blends I tried when I discovered BPAL was their famous Snake Oil. Sadly, it was horrible on me--way too strong and spicy and made me think of a man who drowns himself in aftershave until everyone within a ten foot radius feels queasy.

 

But I just got this frimp from the Lab and now I know what went wrong: I got my first imp of Snake Oil off of ebay, and it was probably a very aged one, dark-amber in color and extremely viscous. Some people covet the aged version, but it turns out fresh Snake Oil is my heavenly Holy Grail. Yea!!! I can wear Snake Oil! As long as it's fresh from the lab, it is the perfect blend of vanilla, patchouli and spice

 

So I finally understand what all the fuss is about. And I'm off to slather myself in this...

[Faeried]

Very vanilla on me. I'm undecided if I would classify it with the keepers. The vanilla I like, the other scents that I'm getting with it? I can't place, but I'm not sure they compliment me.

 

This is in my maybe pile....

 

No after wearing it a while, I decided this is a must keep. It just got more delicious as it stayed on. I see a bottle in my future.