Serpents with Glittering Eyes and Forky Tongues

[bristlecone]

Serpentine green herbs, glistening red currant, sparkling yellow lemon rind, green musk, lime, and snakeskin.

I think that if I hadn't already fallen in love with 51, then Serpents would have been a bigger hit with me. Don't get me wrong; I do like it. But I can't really smell the red currant and the lime isn't as tangy and crisp as I was hoping it would be, so it's mostly about the green musk. Which is a very nice musk indeed, but I like having some other stuff to balance it out. 51 does a better job for me in that respect.

I might see if my friend is interested in trying my imp. If not, I'll keep it for myself, but probably won't invest in a bottle.

[Lethran]

In bottle: It’s lovely in a citrusy way. The lime blends so well with the lemon rind and currents. The green musk is fascinating with what I’m guessing is the snakeshin. It’s pleasantly green and fruity. I know it’s all wrong for my skin chemistry, but it is lovely in the bottle. Wet: my skin starts amping the lemon immediately, though the green musk and lime hold their own. On my skin it has none of the subtly it had in the bottle, but I expected that. I think this would be a good late spring or summer scent for a fun loving athletic woman. Dry: It retains it’s balance rather well as it wears, staying bright sweet and fruity. It feels the way melon smells, really. On me it goes a bit soapy, but I’m bad at citrus.

[voodoocatwoman]

Yummy!! This is a very bright and clean fragrance. Very effervescent and citrusy. I like it a lot.

[savage_rose]

Sweet currant, zesty citrus, both tempered with fizzy greeness. A very optimistic, active scent. Defintely a winner!

[Ajila]

In the bottle – Currant and a touch of citrus from either the lemon rind or the lime

 

Wet on me – Sweet currants, with a slightly soapy edge

 

Dry on me – A candylike green scent with a bitter edge

 

Overall –I can’t say anything bad about it, it just doesn’t grab me

 

[catatonic1242]

In the bottle: Grapefruit?

 

On, wet: Ah, what I thought was grapefruit in the bottle turns out to be lemon when wet. This is super light and refreshing with just the right mix of musk to keep it kind of earthy.

 

On, dry: YUM! This is red berries and lime, with just the right amount of earthy herbs for balance. I keep catching whiffs of this and wondering what smells so good before I realize -- it's me!

[Miss Lynx]

I absolutely had to try this one, if only for the name, even though I fear green musk after trying Pollution.

 

Thankfully, it is nowhere near as unpleasant on me as that one was, though at least at the beginning, it seemed like really not my sort of scent. True to the description, it's a very, very green scent -- cool and clean and initially kind of soapy. The citrus notes give it a nice crispness, though, and as it settles into my skin, the soapiness seemes to fade, and the fruit notes (currant in particular, I think) come out a bit more, sweetening it nicely.

 

At this stage, it's got elements that are reminiscent of Embalming Fluid and Verdandi... It's still a fairly cool scent, and would be awesome for summer for those who like cool-toned scents to balance the heat of that season. It's gentle enough that you could wear it in a conservative environment (rather like Embalming Fluid, which I'd say is its closest relative -- this is basically EF with curranty sweetness and a bit of herbal complexity), but unique enough to be interesting.

 

I'm actually starting to quite like it, green musk and all. I'd originally expected these serpents to slither on to a new home once I'd satisfied my curiosity, but I'm thinking they might be here to stay...

 

Grade: B/B+

[white_jenna63]

I tried this yesterday. And started out as...well, green. How appropriate. And then it went to straight Irish Spring soap. Again, very appropriate. But not at all what I wanted to smell like. Off to the swaps it goes.

[femmefatale]

At first this just screams aquatic. No herbs, no fruits, no musk, nothing but bathroom air freshener. So sad.

As it dries though it becomes greener smelling, though still a touch air freshener. Where is my lime I wanted so badly? Where are the berries other people are getting?

After a while this turns a bit soapy, but very pleasant. It's very fresh and clean. I could see this being a good summer scent when I need something very light and crisp. I'm still sad about the fruit though. I'll keep my imps and try again, maybe my chemistry is off today. If nothing else, I could see it being great in a locket or bath.

 

 

[zomathesadist]

I was hoping this would be just like Envy, only without the 'disappearing in five minutes' act that Envy pulls.

 

Wet on skin: frui-TAY. that's not what I was expecting...then I reread the description. ahh. it all makes sense.

 

After ten minutes: fruity citrus. green musk. melon. yep. it's a dead ringer for 51.

 

Unfortunately, the day I tried 51, I got a raging headache that lasted two freakin' days. I don't think it was 51 that caused it, but that smell immediately brings back that memory. It smells lovely--but it's not very me, and the association is a little too great to overcome.

 

drat.

[fairnymph]

In the bottle: Light yellow oil. Sweet-tart fruit and herbs. Red current, lemon, and lime stand out. Fresh and bright.

 

Wet: Similar, but with a slight soapy edge that makes this pleasantly clean. And that green musk, which is always a touch sharp on me, but here is buffered by the red currant and sweetness of the lime.

 

Dry: Not much morphing. This is oddly perfumey, in that 'traditional' way - I say oddly bc the notes wouldn't suggest that - but it's a pleasant trait, here. Citrus has gone a bit bitter, but nicely.

 

Later: I'm going to guess that thyme and a very light mint are amongst the 'serpentine green herbs'; they're light notes, but they add a fresh, cool feel.

 

Summary: This is VERY much like 51, but not quite as 'biting'; it's fruitier from the red currant and more musky which I'm guessing is due to the snakeskin (dark/black musk). Great throw, unisex to feminine, sexy.

 

I love 51 and I love this. Note: I don't read reviews pre-testing, so I'm glad to see my feeling it's like 51 is shared by others.

[magikalbrownies]

oh man - you wanna get super duper happy?

 

HELLO LEMON!

 

i smell a slight hint of everything else in the blend but nothing pokes out as much as my little lemony/lime goodness..

 

i feel like a walking margarita.

 

lucky for this scent, i love citrus scents! gonna put this on the wishlist.

[gchris]

in vial: sweet, fresh, juicy fruits

 

wet: at first, bpal snow note and ripe, wet fruit. This is growning a little greener, a little more herbal. Becoming sweeter in a sticky fruit juice sort of way.

 

Dry: This has gone through several changing stages but is now back at bpals snow note (whatever that is).

 

To me this smells similar to many of the winter blends that have this same note.

[ayelienne]

I tested Serpents... today, and my first thought was that it reminded me of Budding Moon. I took a look at the note list and didn't see any common notes, and as Serpents... dried down, it was clear that they were more kissing cousins The bright sweetness is similar in both, but while Budding Moon stays sweet and slightly floral on me, the sweetness in Serpents... settles down quite a bit and there is no floral note, rather a really pretty musky herbal scent. It's more gender neutral than Budding Moon and overall is a quite nice blend. Glittering indeed!

[Lyrical]

In vial: green and slippery, citrussy without being tart.

 

Wet on skin: very green, no red currant (which is one of my all time favourite notes), not exactly sparkling, but rounded and sweet without being cloying.

 

Dry on skin: ow - stings a little! Surprisingly bland and boring. Lemon rind and herbs. Where is the lovely lime and red currant????

[Kikkervisje]

Wet: My first thought is a glittering, brisk fruit scent with something deeper underneath: the musk or snakeskin. The lemon and herbs never really make their presence obvious on me.

 

Dry: A nice... slightly dusty? musk.

 

Wear Time: At least 12 hours.

 

Fits Description?: Seems a very positive scent to me, but I suppose I could imagine a connection to avarice.

 

Overall: Sharp, fruity, and very lively. A really great scent, I think; but not very "me." Recommended, though.

[GardenCat]

Interesting blend. I thought I got sweet pea at the beginning, but it must have been the Serpentine green herbs. Very springy scent - it's bright & light. On me, there's just a hint of citrus at this point - I'll have to keep sniffing to see if the green muskand snakeskin come out to play later.

[Monster]

In the vial: Sweet, fresh herbal perfume.

 

Wet: Hmmm...an herbal, clean, soapy sort of smell. The lime in this is just a squish, not the gigantic lime note I was hoping for. The citrus in this is very gentle, it's more of an herbal blend on me.

 

Dry: The citrus is almost entirely gone now (as expected) and I'm left with a fresh herbal scent (with just a dash of something sugary smelling...the currants?) This reminds me of very expensive, French milled soap you buy at fancy boutiques while on vacation.

 

Verdict: This is nice, just not for me. I thought I was going to like it more than I do so I'm a bit dissapointed. It's not bad, I was just expecting something different.

If you like clean-smelling herbal scents, this one is for you!

[PersephonesChild]

This is bright and splashy smelling, but very subtle. I think the dominant note is actually the green musk, with an edge of citrus. I had expected this would smell a lot like Envy, because it's a lime and herbs combo, but it doesn't at all-- it's very gentle, very freshly musky. The herbs are really not too strong, and I think the red currant just sweetens the blend a tiny bit. I'm really digging this-- it's kind of like what I wished Embalming Fluid would be, a light but present cool blend. Perfect for summer.

[fireflower]

Straight away, this is reminding me of Green Phoenix, because I believe they both have the green musk. It's light and just ever-so-slightly soapy, but not in a bad way. It's a very nice, pretty soap. It's well-blended so that even though I know there's green musk in there, no note overshadows another. So far I like it.. it's a soft green scent that reminds me of dewdrops and the warmth of spring. Right now I'm going to let this one sit on my skin for half an hour and come back to see if it's changed, as previous reviewers have said it does.

 

Half an hour later, the soapiness gone and this is just all soft, green, musky, and dewy. It reminds me of some of the bubble bars I've gotten from Lush but I can't describe how or remember which ones, I just know this is familiar and it has to be from something I got from Lush.

 

I like this... strongly considering a bottle.

[isisonearth]

Imp: Crisp greens with that one round red note of current...a drop of venom glistening at the tip of a fang.

 

Wet: Sweet lemon lime slithers through the fragrant grasses. Very summery and outdoorsy. Reminds me of overgrown fields.

 

Dry:The green musk is interesting. I don't remember ever smelling that note before. Dry it seems to alternate between herbal and tart. The current never really plays on my skin which is all to the good since I'm not always a fan.

 

Overall: Evocative, summery, fun...I'm not in love but I will enjoy the imp I have.

[theseagrows]

this is a fruity aquatic on me. i mostly get the red currant and green musk, with a hint of lime. it is a very green and red scent. i'm not getting much lemon or herbs though. nice but too fruity/aquatic for my personal tastes.

[furygrrl]

In the imp: Sweet, unidentifiable fruit, and something almost cleaner-ish.

 

On wet: Fruit syrup - the kind that you get from canned fruit cocktail. Lightly sweet and pourably slick.

 

Drydown: I'm mostly smelling musk, maybe whatever the "serpentine green herbs" are, a touch of the lemon/lime combo every once in a while (not very prominent at all), and something dry and spicy-hazy underneath it all - I'm assuming that's the snakeskin. Weirdly evocative! The fruity vibes from the initial application vanished after just a minute or two, but the further it dries, the more currant I seem to get - wonderful! I love Beth's currant notes, so I'm really glad they make a more obvious appearance!

 

Overall: The list of notes sound like they were made for me - lemon, lime, musk, currant - but it takes a *long* time for these superstars to actually wake up and shine on my skin. I didn't care for the wet-to-dry stages that much, and the later drydown - which I really, *really* like - was super faint and didn't seem to have much throw. I agree with posters before me who mention the 51 comparison. 51 is one of my favourite light musk/fruity blends, and Serpents definitely heads in the same direction the longer it sits on my skin. Even still, it's huffably addictive (my nose is mashed against my wrist even now), so it's quite possibly bottle-worthy in the future. 3.5/5

[tacey]

I love this! It's bright and sparkly, reminding me of Croquet, but with a deeper grounding from the herbs or snakeskin, perhaps? Definitely some light musk.

 

Lime for sure, but nothing I can identify as currants. Not sweet at all -- just bright. Amazing blend!

[yewberry]

I'm getting a sort of Phantom-Calliope-without-the-spices-or-patchouli thing. I might need to slather this for full effect, but now it's kind of a muted, tasty neck-nuzzler. Very pretty.

 

After slather: Elizabeth Arden's "Sunflowers". Nice (and extremely well-made), but too perfumey for me.

Edited August 12, 2009 by yewberry