Coral Snake (2016)

[dementia_divine]

Snake Oil with blood orange, blood apple, lemon peel, plumeria, and red gardenia.

Note: I bought two bottles of Coral Snake on eBay in 2013. One was a partial bottle that essentially smells of Snake Oil apple cider. I only have a few drops left. The other one smells drastically different, and I don't get much of a Snake Oil vibe from it at all. It's heavier on the plumeria and gardenia. In any case, this bottle is more like that aged partial that I purchased (though it's a lot lighter on the Snake Oil spices).

In the bottle: When this arrived, it smelled of sun-warmed red apples in an orchard with the addition of Snake Oil spices and orange slices. The apple note smells so realistic. After settling for several hours, the blood orange ends up being the strongest note in the bottle.

Wet: Oh hai, blood orange! The blood apple note is extremely realistic and similar to the apple note in one of my favorite atmosphere sprays, Apple Orchard. The apple and orange notes are the most prominent, followed by the tropical floral notes, but the spices from the Snake Oil seem to be gaining strength with time. I'm not getting very much lemon peel from this. Then, it morphs. This is sweet, juicy, and pretty, but not like the aged partial that I have which reminds me of Snake Oil apple cider.

Dry: The floral notes are more prominent now, and they are very sweet, almost verging on bubblegum-y (but not on the same scale as lotus).

Several hours later, the apple note returns, and the spices and vanilla have finally emerged. The floral notes are still present, but they aren't as intense as they had been. At this point, the scent is very light and stays rather close to the skin.

Verdict: I had to order this to compare to the bottles that I have. The Snake Oil base isn't very prominent now, so I can't wait until this ages into the Coral Snake I know and love, because the aged Snake Oil with this blood apple note is going to be stunning.

[Blood onmy hands]

This is so different from the original Coral Snake. The original Coral Snake was spiced apples (like apple cider blended with creamy, vanilla-d floral notes), and I don't get any spice at all from this new version. Where the original was warm and softly spiced apple, this version is fresh, juicy, sweet fruits and misty tropical florals.

 

Bpal's apple notes are often a miss on me (powdery, soapy, too spicy, etc), but the apple here is like a sweet, red, candied apple. It's not doing anything strange or unpleasant on my skin, lol. The blood orange adds a juicy citrus burst and the lemon peel smells like a candied lemon peel that's not sour or sharp at all. The plumeria makes me think of wet tropical flowers in a rainforest after a heavy rain, still damp and cool.

I liked the original Coral Snake, but I think I like this one more. Red candy apple, juicy blood orange, candied lemon peel, and wet, cool tropical blooms. Very sweet and fruity, and so pretty I'm not getting any of the Snake Oil from this one either right now.

Edited September 20, 2016 by Little Bird

[aiobhan]

In the bottle: It's basically all fruit pulp, but in a good way. Apple, orange, and lemon. The flowers are floating just behind the fruit, but the Snake Oil is basically nonexistent to my nose.

Wet on skin: Still all fruit! Juicy orange and apple, but the florals are definitely more present. They're gentle, bright, and not soapy at all.

After a few hours: This didn't even last two hours on my skin.

[lizardqueen]

In the bottle and on me, wet: juicy red apple with the tropical flowers hanging out way in the background, just enough to complexify things. (Yes, I know "complexify" isn't a word!)

 

This sweetens as it dries, and the citrus comes out just a bit at the top. Creamy gardenia is at the core, and my brain wants to read coconut into things, but I think it's just misinterpreting a generally tropical vibe as coconut.

 

This is really interesting. I'm not getting any Snake Oil out of it at all at the moment, but I bet it'll age beautifully. In the meantime, this will be another nice summer snake, I'm thinking.

[zankoku_zen]

Blood orange, apple peel, plumeria and Snake Oil. Extremely low throw and wear length.

[Kay Torres]

Since my decant sat for two days (not through any patience on my part, my brother brought my package in, and I didn't notice until today), I decided to start with this because Snake Oil does bad things with my body chemistry 75% of the time, and I'd rather know right away how this is going to go.

In the imp: That distinctive SO smell with a faint trace of fruit and flowers.

Wet: Spicy and apple-icious! Like a sweet cider made with ripe apples! This is why I held out hope for this one - apple adores me. A little plumeria, and NO gardenia or Play-Doh, thank sweet baby Jesus!

Dry: Orange is coming out to play, but I can't detect any lemon peel. It's so gorgeous right now. The SO is still playing nicely and just adds a sexy, sweet skin smell to my spiced apple, orange, and plumeria blend here.

An hour in and still no Play-Doh. It's warming up, though - softening... I've burned through the apple and orange, and this has turned into soft flowery vanilla sex. Mmmm!! I thought I was in love before, but I'm really in love now.

When the apple is in play, this has insane throw on me, but once it fades, this stays thisclose to my skin. Ungh!!! Delicious!

Verdict - LOVE. LOVE. LOVE. 8/10. I'd give it higher marks if it lasted a little longer before turning into a skin scent.

If SO turns nasty, but apple and citrus love you, give Coral Snake a try. It's working for me during a time that SO usually doesn't.

Edited May 16, 2016 by SunsetKay

[Casablanca]

Wand: Blood orange and red apple on a floral background.

Wet: Lovely blood orange, red apple, and plumeria. A little gardenia and perhaps an unlisted benzoin. I don't smell any Snake Oil, but this is pretty on its own as a fruity floral. I love blood orange.

Dry: During drydown, I get a sense of distant spices, as though the Snake Oil base is slithering around behind some foliage a few hundred feet away. I have to wonder how it would go if I just added a little more SO to a decant as a test. I want a little more of that spice and grounding, and a little more throw, but still, this is lovely. As time passes, the Snake Oil slithers closer, but it's being as shy as a real Coral Snake. And then, sadly, it all starts to fade.

Glad I got a bottle, despite its low throw and wear length. This lasted only about an hour on me before mostly vanishing.

[nolifeking]

Thanks to the lovely Little Bird for the decant!

 

Wet: Mmm! The scent of true apple! Blood orange is a bit of a bully and steal the apple place after 15 min Fortunately, it's gorgeous! Lemon peel come to play too and behave itself

 

Dry: Lush tropical flower( to me at least) with blood orange and lemon:) it's really a fruity floral, with almost no SO alas..but it's there, it's just shy 5h later, all that remain is the vanilla from SO

 

Must have a bottle! ♡

[Nyx_DevineNight]

2016 version

In the Bottle: Apple and florals.

Wet: I'm really getting the apple out of this. Then the florals.

Dry: The florals have come out much more and the apple has fallen behind. I'm getting a little blood orange mixed in in the background, but no snake oil or lemon at all. Its also quite sweet right now. I was lucky enough to get to try an aged version so I know this has the potential to age wonderfully and I can't wait.

[patina]

This is a really pretty fruity floral. I get glimpses of the gardenia underneath the apple. The snake oil is present but not in a very obvious way. Sadly the orange and lemon peel are just awful on my skin and I can't do citrus.

[ButterMoth]

I smelled snakeoil in my first few months of bpal, and wasnt a big fan, but many years ago (10+ maybe?) i ordered a bottle of Green Tea Viper, and could sense the snake oil IN it, but didnt MIND it.

 

based on my love for green tree viper, i decided to try Coral Snake this time around, and i LOVE IT!

 

in the bottle: reminds me of Punkie Night from many years ago! orange pith and cranberry juice and apple drippings, with something airy but earthy and dead.

 

immediately on skin: the smokeyness i thought was earth comes forward for a bit, but the apple/orange/cranberry-ness stays sharp and at the front of my senses. its almost like in the bottle, cranberry/apple/berries/orange are all huddled up next to snake oil, and on my skin they all take a strong several steps out from snake oil, but they are all recognizable distinct parts of the smell.

 

after a few minutes on the skin: the red berry/apple cider part of the fruit scents seems to stay, and when i catch a wiff, my brain goes "wait wheres the cinnamon", because usually i experience this kind of overwhelming apple accompanied by spices in craft stores in the fall.

i am overjoyed that there is no cinnamon i can sense, however, as that is my -least- favorite part of fall as a whole, and i LOVE apples and cranberries.

it has almost 'simmered down' to a honeyed scent, as though the apple/cran has been cooking in honey or sugar. the smoke is dissapearing.

 

two hours later: i still have a hint of craft-red-apple and a biiiit of almost nag champa/charcoal if i look for it, but from a distance only the champa-apple mix remainds.

 

overall: LOVE IT. ORDERING MORE TODAY. <3

 

edit: much to my delight, i do not get ANY floral (florals usually turn into something between baby powder and laundry detergent on me).

this has much to do with my chemistry itself, so there may still be florals IN it, but i am pleased that the fruit and the champa-like note come together on top of it (or maybe the floral comes thru AS the champa scent im getting, who knows).

either way, LOVE IT.

Edited June 17, 2016 by ButterMoth

[Haltija]

I never smelled the original so I cannot compare.

 

When I first tried this it was gardenia and snake oil and truthfully I didn't like the combination. I let it settle for a few days and the apple came forward and the gardenia took a back seat and I immediately started loving it. Now, after a few more weeks of aging I love it even more. It's snake oil (barely) with a ton of apple and plumeria. If you're afraid of apple in scents for the fear of it ruining a blend, fear not, this is stunning and I think everyone should try it. The plumeria makes it smell tropical and beachy but not in a salt water, ocean type of way...............

 

I love this and it lifts my mood and makes me feel like walking sunshine.

[PeculiarHeroine]

Wowza.

First bite of Coral Snake is over the top orange and apple, a screaming fruit salad, so tropical and fresh.

This vanishes after only a few moments, mellowing a little, and then starts its slow decent into a delicatly floral tinged Snake Oil, with just a hint of the fruit rounding out the edges.

I'm not sure at which stage I like it more. The first is so playful and dramatic, the second subtle and nuanced. The second, however, is a wrist huffer, as the throw is minimal at best.

Theres a little trickiness to this snake, but I like it.

[gloame]

5ml straight from the Lab. Top notes: juicy red apple. I don't get much Snake Oil in this blend, especially wet. As it starts to dry down, I get the most interesting hint of plumeria with the apple. It's kind of a mealy apple. 10-15 minutes after drydown, it's a dry apple on me, with no lemon and just a touch of the plumeria.

[Zorra]

I get the lab's apple note with a bit of snake oil, no gardenia or plumeria at all. I am sorry about that, I was so curious to smell the combination of fruits and flowers in this one.

[torikitty]

I've had this for a while, and was hoping that a bit of aging would bring some of the notes out more. While this smells lovely, it's very faint on me. I get apple with a pinch of Snake Oil, with a background of something tropical. I guess that's the plumeria. It smells great, but it's not loud enough for me. And I think my skin sucks it up only hours later.

[Lucchesa]

Sweet apple and juicy orange, faint gardenia, subdued Snake Oil. I wouldn't call this a fruity floral so much as a florally fruit. This is a workplace-friendly summer Snake, with no throw and a friendly demeanor, but you know the snake is lurking underneath. It doesn't last anywhere near as long on me as regular SO.

[Juliamon]

In the decant: fruit with a hint of Snake Oil

 

Wet: Apple is dominant, colored lightly by the blood orange. If I didn't know there was Snake Oil in here I wouldn't be able to tell, it's all fruit with a trace of tropical flowers. I was a bit nervous about the lemon peel but there's not enough in here to even suggest cleaning product.

 

Dry: Finally a bit of Snake Oil spices shows up! Still not enough that I would consider this a Snake Oil blend, it feels more like a tropical cocktail that someone spilled a little bit of Snake Oil in. The upside of this is that the SO isn't harsh at all, acting more like mulling spices for the apple. The downside is that it doesn't have SO's lasting power.

 

An unexpectedly gentle snake, perhaps a milk snake just pretending to be venomous, and a good option for someone who thinks they can't do regular SO. I have a binder-tank with a coral snake patterned fabric, and I will probably wear this alongside it this summer.