Cottonmouth

[maijasu]

Snake Oil with linden blossom, calla lily, passion flower, and narcissus.

Cottonmouth is a very light, sweet, fresh floral. It makes me feel happy and reminds me of springtime. I don't smell much Snake Oil, but we'll see if this changes as the oil ages. I definitely need more of this!

[melissadragon]

COTTONMOUTH:

 

Imp: Pretty flowers! Synthenesia says Peach! like this - applied to left wrist

Wet: Pretty flowers over Snake Oil, still getting the color Peach O.o

Dry: Mostly the flowers. I wish I could place each of the noted flowers. I'm not sure which is the dominant note. I can barely detect any Snake Oil at all.

1hr later: Different top note, still a floral I can't identify though. Snake Oil is surfacing.

Verdict: Keeper. I want to keep it until I figure it out!

[gaai]

A creamy, spicy floral blend!

I love it! I've learned from being into Bpal that I actually *do* like some florals.....mind you, not *all* of them, but I can really appreciate lillies, carnations and some rose. So I had to try this one and I'm not sorry I did!

The SO adds the creamy, spicy edge to the flowers so that it's not just a floral perfume, but much more than that.....I find myself drawn to it more often than I would've thought.

 

A bottle will surely be in my future!

[juniperus]

Bottle: clean, this just smells clean

Wet: mostly the same, but with more of a floral feel - I bet that clean is linden blossom.

Dry: very delicate and pretty, and I can just baaarely catch the snake oil beneath the florals.

Later: this is really lovely, and amazingly enough the lily doesn't seem to be amping out of control..oh it's pretty large, but it's not taken over. it's really...innocent. strange and innocent and alightly sexy...rather Lolita in feel to me. and fresh and clean...lovely really.

[SultryWolf]

in the decant: Sharp, bitter herbal, almost like a furniture oil.

on: A fruity floral, with the Snake Oil emerging beneath.

[CiCi]

I have decided that I must have all the CD Snake Pit. I love every one and they love my skin chemistry. I can mix them and match them. I can wear three at a time-I can do no wrong it seem as far as the Snakes go.

 

I wanted to try Cottonmouth because of the calla lily. This was my grandpa's favorite flower and I grow a patch of them in the courtyard. When ever I see them they remind me of him.

 

This is a gorgeous, bright, clean slight floral scent with snake oil in the background. Imagine yourself in the middle of a meadow with Spring just starting. You are holding a bouquet of flowers and the wind is gently blowing towards you. The fragrance you smell is Cottonmouth.

[Carolyn]

Very light, bright, slightly fruity floral. Creamy and white. This is Languor on me, and only Languor. Now I love Langour, but I don't need more of it. Fans of that scent will LOVE this.

[bombus]

I don’t know, it seems like the flowers are fighting the snake oil. I am not loving this one. I will keep my decant for now and try again, but it isn’t going on my wish list.

[savage_rose]

I would not have known that this was a Snake Oil blend by first smell at all! At first it's all white floral, sweet yet sophisticated. But over time the Snake Oil comes out, adding a gentle warmth. This is definitely one of my my favorites of the Snake Pit.

[sarada]

Another Snake scent that I couldn't imagine until I smelled it. Can flowers and Snake Oil truly co-exist?

 

Indeed they can! I can't take flowers on their own usually unless they're roses, but the Snake Oil is just enough to lift them up in a sweetened, ambery bouquet, amplifying the delicate florals without drowning them out. The SO component must be fairly light in blends like this, just enough to add a shade of slithering exotic spices and sweets.

 

The florals themselves remind me a bit of Phantom Queen, one of the only floral blends that I really really like, though I don't think it has any notes in common with this...still, the impression is a spray of white and pale purple and yellow flowers, in my mind. In this case, the flowers are scattered over an exotic oriental rug, with a stick of incense burning in the background.

 

I could see adding this to my Snake collection, but probably not until the very end of its run.

[filigree_shadow]

It's floral, yes... but it's a really good floral. I usually don't like florals, but I've had some good luck with calla lily and linden blossom, so I thought I'd give this one a whirl. I'm glad I did! These floral notes smell great with a Snake Oil base. The SO gives the scent a depth that florals don't usually have on me. It's not a light airy breezy floral, it's a rich, deep scent.

 

I think this smells wonderful. I'd love to have a bottle of this.

[Naamah_Darling]

The florals here are sweet and sugary, and a little pale. I don't recognize any of it but the lily and narcissus. In the bottle it's faint and soft. On, this is a wonderful blend of Snake Oil with florals, something you would not think would work but absolutely does.

 

The florals have a sweet, juicy, slightly green quality that's only enhanced and complimented by the richness of Snake Oil. I like this really well, despite having expected to despise it. It's quite pretty, and even though it's a bit soapy at the end, it lasts a good long time.

 

Also, unlike a lot of florals, it's polite – it doesn't have a lot of reach, and what throw it has is smooth and pleasant.

 

I have to admit to being just too amused by a scent called "Cottonmouth" when the snake of the same name is one of the vilest creatures on earth (and I say this as one who loves snakes, and even loves cottonmouths). Biting you is hardly the worst that they can do. An adult specimen can cover eleven square feet with a potent mixture of urine, feces, and musk, and furthermore, they will do so at the slightest provocation.

 

Thank goodness this smells way, way better than the genuine article.

[yeahbutnobut]

Cottonmouth

 

In the imp: a gorgeous rich sugared floral with soft vanilla.

Wet on skin: a soft springtime blossom scent with a hint of green, and creamy vanilla.

Dry: now it’s very green and tangy, almost fruity, I think that’s the passion flower (it reminds me of the fruit, very vaguely), but underneath I smell beautiful creamy spring blossoms with vanilla, reminiscent of the golden vanilla backgrounds of Banded Sea Snake and Green Tree Viper mixed with the springy floral notes of Al Araaf/Leanan Sidhe. The tangy scent is very strong now, almost like a citrus note with crushed stems, it’s almost piercing. But the promise of vanilla coated blooms waits underneath. Maybe this sharpness will recede a little.

After a while: the intense sharpness does go away, and the scent left behind is so pretty. It’s a floral-fruity version of Banded Sea Snake, on me, but without the slight aquatic feel that had. I smell linden and just a hint of narcissus too. There’s also a slightly fruitier note here which reminds me of plum blossom, and a sharper citrus note, like orange blossom. But the golden, slightly oily (in a good way) vanilla scent underneath it all is really lovely. It reminds me of Leanan Sidhe with Snake Oil now.

It gets smoother over time, but the bright, citrus-like sharpness that I get in here is very much like orange blossom. The calla lily doesn’t turn to soap (yay!) and the linden note is so pretty. And it gets even nicer with time…the scent smoothes even more, the creamy, slippery vanilla note comes out and mingles beautifully with the pale blossoms which have lost their sharpness, whilst a hint of gentle musk turns up. The scent is now like the Unicorn, thanks to the linden, with a vanilla-musk undertone reminiscent of Dorian. It also reminds me of the Enraged Bunny, but with a little less greenery, and a little more musk. And it gets even nicer after a few hours when all the floral and the musky/vanilla notes merge beautifully.

Verdict: it’s springtime Snake Oil! This blend of floral notes with Snake Oil is so much nicer than I expected, there's nothing soapy or 'screaming florals' to this. This does a similar thing to Green Tree Viper and Banded Sea Snake in that the Snake Oil turns a little bit Dorian-esque at the presence of lighter notes, and I love this. At first there's a sharpish note to it, almost like citrus or cologne, but the mix of gentle blooms with a sublime vanilla-musk base is delicious, and gets even more so as the scent dries down. at first it's a crisp tart white floral scent but then it smoothes even more as the sweeter base mingles with the flowers beautifully. The best thing about this blend is that the calla lily doesn't turn soapy, painfully sharp or waxy like it can do, which is quite remarkable. The scent also has that 'cottony floral musk' feel that the Enraged (and aged) Bunny Musk has to it, though distinctly different. I really like this scent, it's made for warmer weather and smells very pretty and feminine but not in a stereotypical way. I do prefer other SP scents but this is gorgeous enough to buy at least two bottles of.

Emoticon rating:

Is it a keeper? Yes! I do prefer some other Snakes in the Pit but this is a lovely spring scent.

If you like this, try: Snake Oil, Al Araaf, The Unicorn, Leanan Sidhe, Enraged Bunny Musk, Banded Sea Snake, Green Tree Viper, Dorian

[phedre]

In bottle: Lily and passion flower. Very floral.

 

Wet: There's something off here, sour, but it passes quickly. Sweet floral notes.

 

drydown: sweet lilies layered over snake oil. Very nice!

[supremegoddessofall]

In bottle: Floral, heady snake oil.

 

On me: More floral than snake oil.

[lookingglass]

At first this is almost citrusy (which must be the linden), which makes me almost run away screaming. But I remember that I love narcissus and Snake Oil, so to hang the f*@& on and get my nose OFF of my wrist and let the scent settle and waft...

 

I just might like this best of all out of the Snake Pit. It is clean but creamy, floral but musky, sweet and deep. This is Snake Oil for when it is warm outside. I will save it and wear it all summer. We happen to have a lot of cottonmouths around here. Maybe it will appease them!

Edited December 25, 2010 by lookingglass

[bibliophile]

Beth is making it very hard for me to decide which snakes I will need to stock up on, because so many of them are wonderful on me! From this, I get mainly Snake Oil sweetness overlaid with clean linden blossom; over time, lilies show up and fade away again. These blends in which the Snake Oil is clearly present, but sweetened and muted (Cottonmouth, Banded Sea Snake, Temple Viper), are fast becoming favorites of mine; I think "Snake Oil Lite" is better on my skin than the original!

 

Edited years later to add that Cottonmouth is far and away the winner of the Pit for me. The bottles I've had (for there have been several!), which were lovely initially, have just gotten more beautiful and well-blended over time. Both the clean floral notes and the Snake Oil lose what sharp edges they have over time and meld into a soft, spicy blanket of resins and soft florals. It's incredibly alluring but still appropriate for a variety of environments. I reach for it all the time. It's easily in my top 5 BPALs.

Edited February 27, 2010 by bibliophile

[steffanina]

Cottonmouth-

 

In Bottle: Floral, a little citrusy.

 

Wet: Very bright floral with some citrus.

 

Dry: This is not a bad scent at all, but I am not as excited about florals to be in love with it. But it's nice for being a floral! I think it's the Snake Oil that does make it feel like that.

 

Overall: Nice. Not as exciting for me personally.

[zankoku_zen]

In the imp: Fresh and breezy florals

 

On Skin: Fresh, very strong lily smell. I get a definite 'bridal' vibe from it.

 

On Drydown: Stays pretty much the same, a touch warmer.

 

Verdict: Pretty, but not a stand out for me. I can definitely see someone wearing this on their wedding day though.

[deleahrium]

This is sweeter than I would have expected. It's very floral, but it's not grossing me out like really floral blends do, although these flowers are notes I don't usually see in other blends. It's actually kind of lemony, with a white flower background. I think it would be great for spring or summer.

[Tess]

Me and florals don't mix, generally, especially lily since it tends go soap on me really fast. However, sometimes miracles happen.

 

In the vial - This is glorious! The florals are juicy and sweet, almost orange like. That must be the linden! I'm getting nothing from the Snake Oil, though.

 

Wet - Boom, boom, boom... That's the lily stomping out now.

 

Drying - The linden and the lily are really fighting it out, but I have to say, I don't like the Snake Oil base with this. It's jarring, breaks up the flow of the florals in unusual ways and just don't mesh. It's like I'm wearing two perfumes which don't work well together.

 

Dry (2 hours) - I actually really like this. The florals are light and not at all soapy (yay!) with that slight citrus that I love so much. Plus the scent of the Snake Oil is lighter than it normally is on me. It's light and girly.

 

Overall - I think I'm going to hang onto this one, until I find something that imitates the smell of the floral notes. At the very least, I've discovered a note that I adore in the linden blossom!

[cranberry]

I have to admit that this one scared me a bit. I glanced at the reviews when this first came out before I got my decant and remember seeing all flowers completely overpowering the Snake Oil. So it’s taken me months to pull this imp out and give it a shot.

 

Yup, it’s flowers. But not sweet, innocent flowers. This is a medium dark scent – the flowers are more of the sultry, sensuous type. That must be the effect of the Snake Oil as I can’t imagine these flowers alone smelling anything like this. There’s spice there and I’m actually getting a lot of vanilla from this scent. It’s much closer to Snake Oil than some of the other oils from the Pit. But lighter and brighter. I can’t discern any of the individual flower notes; I can just tell they are there. This reminds me a lot of how I remember Ravenous. My memory could be totally off but this is very similar to my memory of how that scent is and they seem to be of the same “family” of scents, if not closely related.

 

I’m pleasantly surprised by this scent and now I’m tempted to get a bottle. It’s pretty – not quite as sensuous as Snake Oil, and seems a bit more refined. More for day-time use if you will.

 

ps - I should note that this decant is from when the Pit was first released, so it's not lab fresh and has a touch of age.

[Musamea]

in the imp: very floral… I haven't really worn enough BPAL florals to differentiate between them, though

 

wet: pretty florals with the Indonesian oils peeking through beneath. I *want* to say that the top floral note is calla lily… I feel like I recognize it from another Lab blend. But I can't be sure.

 

drydown: the florals take on a shade of spicy sweetness… a lot more hit-you-in-the-face now. I like it!

 

dry: It's the exotic spice of Snake Oil, with a teeny hint of vanilla, covered all over with glorious flowers. I like it a lot… the florals lend a sweetness to Snake Oil that is less foody-warm as the usual vanilla… it's pretty and feminine and, if true to form, it's just gonna get better. This one's a keeper.

[bryghtrose]

I've never smelled Snake Oil, but I *love* linden blossom. I really wanted to try the only other lab scent with linden blossom. I've never smelled Snake Oil.

 

I opened the imp and was floored. This is a rich, sexy floral. Strong, sexy, tropical, warm and creamy. I love it. I really smell the vanilla, and the linden is elusive but still there.

 

I've realized a few things. I need a bottle of Cottonmouth (or 2) and I need to try Snake Oil.

 

[ACVail24]

Cottonmouth - The Snake Pit

 

In the Bottle:

Fresh and floral!

I can smell the Snake Oil spices and vanilla, but they are the base for the lovely, lovely florals.

 

On my Skin, Wet:

Stronger Florals and Snake Oil vanilla mostly - very nice!

It does have that 'clean' feeling to it that other forumites have mentioned - loving this so far!

 

On my Skin, Dry:

Spicy creamy florals on me.

I cannot pick out the Snake Oil anymore, though it's presence is still definitely felt in the spices and creamy-ness that vanilla tends to do on my skin.

 

Verdict:

I love this wonderous snake!

I have to admit that I'm torn between Cottonmouth, Coral Snake and Boomslang.

I also really really want to try Habu, King Cobra and Green Tree Viper and on the fence about either Asp Viper or Saw-Scaled Viper....

so many snakes, only so much $$$$

I want to try other snakes from the pit until I decide on a favorite!