Chaos Theory V: Recursive Self Similarity v4

[marared]

(Since I am apparently the first reviewer, I'm not sure if we're lumping all four variants under a CTV title, or if we're going to split the topics for each base, so I went with the latter.)

 

VIII

 

 

Easily, it's Boomslang without the cocoa note. In the bottle, the oil is very gourmand - I initially thought it was hazelnut, but that's obviously not an option, as the Lab excluded major allergens like nuts. It's sweet, but a dry sweet, and when it's wet on my skin, it briefly takes on a woody note. I thought about it for a while, and when I hit on the Boomslang comparison, I realized that what I'm smelling is *rice*. It's Snake Oil and rice pudding!

 

And it's actually pretty yummy too, so far. I'm gonna stash this for a while and see how I like it in a month or two.

Edited March 21, 2009 by marared

[ravenfeathers]

LXI

 

in the bottle smells a little bit floral, which terrifies me.

wet on skin wowowowowowow! i'm going to call this "snake in the grass" because, holy cats, it's green, sappy, and dandelion-y with just a breath of snake oil!

test #2: still grassy and dandelion-y with a bright, dry floral; the overwhelming vibe here is... grass shampoo

dry on skin like a cousin to hexennacht, this is green and fresh while being dark and mysterious all at once. the grassy, dandelion-y note remains the main player here with a slither of dark, amber-y snake oil. WIN! incredibly, massive, wonderful WIN!

later: soap.

test #2: the shampoo-ness fades although this never really comes down off its high, spring green thang. it's a fabulous blend for someone who's hardcore into the grass scents, but a bit too bright for me.

 

X

 

in the bottle there's apple in here! whee! i love apple! *nods*

wet on skin no more apple? there's still a fruitiness that i enjoy, but it's a sweeter fruit, date or fig

dry on skin this smells a little bit like gunpowder, which i didn't like very much. apple, oats, and just a hint of something darker.

test #2: okay, the gunpowder vibe is missing completely from this test (yay!) and instead i'm getting the dark, mushy apple with something a bit amber-y, kind of a golden, powdery resin, over the black vanilla base of snake oil. and, may i also say, that i LOVE this one. love. magnificent.

 

Edited March 23, 2009 by ravenfeathers

[cameroncrazed]

LXXXV

 

in the bottle: very masculine, or at least like something my dad would wear. A spicy masculine Snake Oil. A sweet note I can't place.

wet on skin: A vaguely mediciney scent + the vanilla and spice that I love so much in Snake Oil. A hint of something fruity hiding underneath the rest. A bit powdery.

dry on skin: Is this the same scent that I put on earlier??? I'm used to an aggressively sexual Snake Oil - instead, LXXXV settles into this lovely shy feminine seductress. The scent stays very close to my skin. Mostly a dark berry or wine scent (maybe both? I'm having trouble distinguishing what this note is - some sort of deep red wine, or a blackberry or maybe a currant - actually, it reminds me a lot of Bordello, so maybe it's that plum/currant/bordello combination), with the vanilla a very understated note.

 

This bottle's got to be one of the biggest morphers I've ever encounted. The smell in the bottle is almost completely unrelated to the scent on my skin. I absolutely adore it - it's the bastard child of Bordello and Snake Oil, two of my absolute fav scents.

Edited March 21, 2009 by BellaKatrina

[awesomeoverlord]

LXXVI

 

In the bottle: Little bit of Snake Oil with a slew of other things I can't quite discern -- there's something sweet and woody in here.

 

Wet: Whoa...deep! Sexy spices and a touch of smokiness. Definitely cinnamon, though I'm also picking up a bit of clove and what I want to say is fennel. Basically, a really nice smoky spicy Snake Oil.

 

Dry: It went through a funky phase about half an hour in where it smelled of pure cinnamon... Like serious angry CINNAMON. I was almost ready to give up on it at this point since, even though it was a very nice spicy scent, I'm not generally a fan of that much straightforward spice. However, another half hour later, the cinnamon beast calms down and it melts into this wonderfully spicy soft incensy sweetness. Kind of what I always wished Snake Oil would be on me.

 

ETA: It's had a couple of weeks to settle into itself and the spices are mellowing into each other quite nicely...at this point, I'm inclined to call in a cross between gingerbread and a really good Indian chai, yet surprisingly not foody in the traditional sense. Angry cinnamon never did make a comeback, so I'm rather pleased.

Edited April 11, 2009 by awesomeoverlord

[AmandaArcana]

XLI

It took me a while to figure out what this is since I've never tried snake oil before. It's snake oil and fruit! It's the same fruit smell in MB Bloody Mary, when it dries it's snake oil and cherries. Not bad!

[abejita]

CXX

 

It took me a minute to realize what was in this one. It's very heavy on the myrrh. Asp Viper is one of my all-time favorite oils, and this is very much like Asp Viper sans almond. The oils are even the same color and consistency. I am a huge myrrh fan, so this is perfect. I can't wait to get more CTs. Making these based off beloved GC oils was a wonderful idea.

[nenia]

I have CXXIX

 

I'd say it's like a cooler version of Moriarty. Sweet yet dry plummy.

I keep trying this and it changes on me. I don't know if it's hormones/chemistry or what.

But I've went back & forth between love/hate with this.

Maybe I should give it a bit of time and see ...

Edited March 23, 2009 by nenia

[angelicruin]

LXXV

 

This one has had me stumped all afternoon.

 

Sniffing the bottle, it's a bit astringent.

 

Applied to my skin wet, it's hard picking out anything over the Snake Oil base. At that time, I was beginning to think my skin had just soaked up everything else and left me with only the snake oil remaining...

 

Now that it has fully dried, I think I do smell a bit of leather and maybe faintly tobacco. But I'm still not sure if that's exactly it either. I plan to pass some of this along to others and see what their thoughts are.

 

I like it, but it's a bugger for me to try to review.

[walshbc111]

XCII

 

In the bottle, this is a fresh, summery, very round and happy smelling snake oil. It smells pale green, with hints of dandelion and green apple skins.

 

Wet, this is strong, unmistakable classic snake oil, a bit greener- I smell hints of sweet citrus, like a candied lime or yuzu, a hint of mint, and some herbal/leafy note. I imagine this would smell a lot like what would happen if someone mixed an imp of envy in with a 5ml of snake oil. I like it.

 

Dry, this scent is even more snake oil-y, with just a hint of green around the edges. So pretty.

[samarablackcat]

LXIX (69 )

 

Apples! Very fruity in the bottle.

 

Wet on skin: yup, apples, like a Rome or Jonathon, good for cooking, not too sharp.

 

As it dries, there is a little citrus (orange? lemon?) rounding out the scent.

 

Dry, no Snake Oil to be found. Just gently spiced apples.

 

 

 

CVI (106)

 

Clean and fresh, not ozony.

 

Wet, reminds me a little of Dorian, so vanilla. Something in here reminds me of cotton, not sure why.

 

Dry, I only get the vanilla-y cotton.

[Emu Nymph]

XXII

 

This one is sweet like lemon cake. I dodn't get any of the Snake Oil in it This one is going up for trade.

[Lethran]

LXXXVIII

 

In bottle: Strong herbal note. Ginseng maybe? Possibly some ginger. The snake oil is very fresh, which heightens the herbal effect. I can tell already this will need aging. Wet: Oh shit, I think that’s mint in there with the Chinese medicine scent. It also seems to have a lot of musk. Like, Smut level musk. Peppermint smut turns out to not be a bad combo objectively, but OMG on my skin? I am naturally musky, which means musk amps and I have trouble with mints. I still suspect that’s ginger dancing with the Snake Oil. Dry: Too much musk, something that smells like paper and ashes.

[Chapanis]

LVII

Snake Oil with that lemon candy floss bit from Snow Angel without the snow bit. Or maybe Snake Oil with lemon cupcakes.

But it is mostly Snake Oil with just a touch of the lemon bit.

I have been craving sweet lemony scents lately.

This is absolutely perfect.

[LdyKnight]

CXLIX--

In the bottle this is very sharp and herbal--I'm not familiar enough with herbal notes to really take a guess at which ones--there is something that reminds me of lavender, but isn't, if that makes sense. On me, it holds the astringent herbal smell for a few minutes, but softens in the drydown and I can start to really smell the Snake Oil. Half an hour later, the herbs are nearly all gone, and I am left with a straight-up Snake Oil. I may hold on to this for a couple months and see how it ages, but it may not be for me.

[Heavenlyrabbit]

CXXXII (132)

 

Well.... revised edition. When will I learn to be more careful reviewing multiple scents?

 

A slightly more urbane version of Snake Oil, more masculine and still sexy. VERY smooth.

 

This Snake is a Player.

 

Possibly some very small amount of Amber. But there's something more balsamic. A balsamic Wood.

 

And I think maybe a top-shelf drop or two of Myrrh and/or Vetiver. Or rather, that's Tobacco? Something a bit smoky.

 

Then there's what seems to me like some of teh sexy Leather.

 

I'm thinking close relative to Doc Constantine with only just a tip of the hat to Death Adder.

 

Follow up- after unearthing my bottle of Doc Constantine, I'd say this is DEFINITELY a close relative.

Edited March 29, 2009 by Heavenlyrabbit

[twilighteyes]

XCVI (96)

 

Snake Oil with Red Wine!! I have really been liking the wine notes lately so a winner. I have it in my scent locket as I type.

 

 

CXXXVII (137)

 

Snake Oil and ... Lavender? This reminds me a bit of Lilith Victoria.

 

 

DLXXIV (574)

 

This one is VERY Foody -- hazelnut? Cake? Yum.

 

 

DCXXII (622)

 

Snake oil with rose and lemon?

Edited May 28, 2009 by TwilightEyes

[herkissofshame]

XLVI

 

Okay, so I wound up with two WONDERFUL Chaos theories. This Snake Oil variant is like all the things I love most about Crowley and Bow and Crown of Conquest rolled up into one. I can't quite tell what's in it, other than a burst of low-key citrus in the beginning and a LOT of leather... but it's mild, sweet, mellow, and OMG so much sex. Lovely. Just lovely.

[grashopper8]

LIII

 

I am not the sharpest, keenest sniffer when it comes to fruits, but I think that my Snake Oil Chaos Theory is mainly Pineapple. (Maybe? So hard to say! Passion Fruit? Mango? Argh!)

 

It's like Pina Colada/tropical fruit yummies layered over the awesome, sexy perfection that is Snake Oil.

 

I am really enjoying it! This works surprisingly well on me.

 

[Malista]

LXXIX (79)

 

Snake Oil and musky honey. Maybe a little balsamic something as well, but primarily SO and honey. Somehow the honey seems to offset the red musk, with my chemistry, for which I am grateful -- I usually can't wear new SO because red musk hates me and wants me dead. This is very carnal. Very nice. And you just know this is going to age splendidly, as well.

[nursekins]

XLIX -This one is a heavy vanilla snake oil.It has a really foody vibe to it...not cake more unique.I would say it is more like snake oil meets drink me...I get a slight buttery note with it and a berry note...not a traditional berry scent...this is like the cranberry in drink me...it is there and tart..not overly sweet...yes this is a drink me and snake oil's love child.I adore it...Very strong with great throw.

Edited April 19, 2009 by nursekins

[mparker]

XXXV

In the bottle - Snake Oil and licorice?! Woohoo!

Wet on skin - Whoa! This goes on dark (Scentwise, it's a normal looking snake-oil blend). Like black, dark. There's a heavy amount of snake oil with a dark black-licorice scent. This isn't a sweetly cloying candy licorice, but more the dark and herby sort, and I'd thought at first it might have been aniseed. It might still be, possibly with a bit of patchouli to deepen it? One thing worries me, there's an unfamiliar dark sharp musk in here too, and fairly strong. I've never smelled civet, but I'm wondering if that's what this is. It's just on the pleasant side of cat-pee-smell and I'm terrified it'll tip over the edge.

Dry on skin - That sharp musk behaves itself, tamed down by the Snake Oil. It's just a hint of wildness that lingers on the edges. That licorice/aniseed (maybe both? It's quite complex.) remains a wonderfully large part of this blend. This does lighten up a bit as it dries down and the various spices and complexities warm up, and it loses some of that original almost oppressive impression of blackness. Standing out more than the nearly-gone musk is something almost, but not quite, fruity. At this point the perfume becomes very well blended and hard to pick out the notes, aside from the Snake Oil with Licorice impression.

 

Very nice! It had me worried a bit at first, but Very Very nice! I doubt it will get much wear as spring rolls on into summer, as it is a heavy, heavy perfume. Possibly the heaviest I own that I'm likely to wear often. But when the weather cools again, this is going to be visited regularly.

 

 

LX

I have to admit that I'm worried about this one. Because in the bottle there's something heavily musky. I'd thought that the above wasn't musky at all in the bottle, so I'm going to have to try this one when I'm not heading out to go to work, just in case it's too musky.

 

I'll pop back in and review this one later!

 

[sarada]

Number smeared on label -- XX (20) is clearly visible but it looks like there might have been more numbers before or after it that were erased during its travel.

 

In the bottle: something bright and lemony, perhaps herbal, with an undertone of musk. On my skin: incensy, strong black musk -- definitely, absolutely black musk. Which I happen to love. The lighter herbal tones are an interesting contrast. It's bright, stimulating and still sultry, sinuous, sweet and with an undertone of that sort of 'mothball' musk feeling. Fascinating. I really like this. Yeah, I'll definitely be doing this again! I don't like Snake Oil on its own but I like variants -- this is unlike anything else I've tried in the Snake Oil family.

 

[MCS4096]

CXXXIX

 

This is Snake Oil with dripping wet cherries and dry grasses. I totally thought "Snake in the grass" when I first opened it laughed when I saw another variant described as such above

 

I would not have chosen something with cherry in it.. but what's amazing is the way it combines with the grassy note here.. it results in a smell like a woven grass mat-- kinda dried, but crushed so the scent comes out.. it's not fresh cut grass, it's definitely dry grasses.

 

The Snake Oil is fairly strong, but cherry is a dominating note in blends I've found. As it dries more of the vanilla comes out. I'm loving this-- it's sweet dried grasses, how weird!

[ami226]

CCXCV

 

Whoa! The oil is a dark olive green!! Well, on me it smells like a lime snake oil. I know that sounds kind of strange, but it is actually pretty good! There is also something sweet in with the lime, but I can't place it. I think it might be some sugar. Yep: Lime Sugar Snake Oil.

[TrailerTrashPrincess]

CXCIV i think, the silver writing is fading and wearing off quickly.

 

to begin: i don't really care for Snake Oil or any of the variants.

this, however, is like Snake Oil and cake batter. and sugar. i really, really like it and hope it doesn't go funky as it ages!

 

editing to add the bottle i picked up at the DirtySouth Will Call last night:

 

CDXXIII

Snake Oil Coconut Cream Pie. totally. there's a dry pie crust (not a graham cracker crust or a real, home-made crust, but the cheap pre-made kind with a faint almondy taste {remember, i hate almonds}), that almost-oily creamed coconutty filling and toasted peaked eggwhites on the top.

this isn't the coconut i've tried (and liked) in a bunch of the Lab's blends, that's more of a dark or black coconut, this is the white coconut, like a pina colada.

 

Edited April 11, 2009 by TrailerTrashPrincess