alsatia

Expectations: Cherry cordials without the chocolate, and doughnuts without the cake. I sure hope to like it, as it's the only bottle I own so far and was purchased completely on impulse. In bottle: Cherry Kool-Aid. No cream or sugar yet. On skin, wet: Mmm. Still mostly cherry, but now it's real cherries instead of a powdered drink mix. I improvised an applicator by cutting the tip off a Q-tip, and a bit of oil got up into the center of it and led to me applying a smidge more than I'd intended. So I imagine this scent is going to be powerful. On skin, dry: So very sweet. The cherry is very strong, with just a hint of the cream and sugar. I can tell they're in there from the sweetness, but can't pick them out as individual notes. I hope that over time the cherry will fade just the tiniest bit and let the other notes have more of a presence. After time: After 30 minutes, I'm surrounded in a cloud of sweet, sweet cherries. The cream is stronger now, but sticks close to the skin. Conclusion: Yum, yum, yum! I was worried about this since a lot of my early BPAL purchases were based on complete cluelessness about what would actually work on me. But this one turned out to be a fabulous choice. I'll just need to be a wee bit more careful about the amount I apply, as I think the current scent cloud would knock over anyone in my path.

Expectations: Mmm, spicy with a hint of fruit. All of the notes are in the range of "like" to "love". I have a feeling it will need to be worn for quite a while before it blends well though. In vial: All the notes quickly make an appearance. Black cherry is, to my surprise, the first thing I smell, along with a bit of patchouli which makes it a little musky. Then the verbena pops up, followed by cardamom. I'm not all that familiar with cassis, so it didn't hit me as clearly as the others, but if I keep sniffing I can tell it's there. On skin, wet: Strongly cardamom with a side of patchouli. Verbena hides until I inhale deeply. There's a fruity undertone, but for now it's primarily spice. On skin, dry: The bastard love-child of cardamom and verbena. They're starting to blend, and it's just not as good as the two notes individually. I really hope the spiciness will back off a bit and let me have some of the fruit too. After time: Oooh! I think I smell some fruit again! It's been 20 minutes. *keeps waiting* 30 minutes now, almost entirely patchouli and cardamom. If I get up close, there's a slightly "off" scent that I think might be caused by the verbena interacting with another note. Conclusion: I'm kind of waffly about this. I know that means that, by my standards, I don't like it. But I want so much to like it! I think I'll hold onto the imp for a little while, until I can make another round through all the ones I kept.

Expectations: Fruit salad with an extra dash of sugar and a pinch of spice. Yummy! In vial: Whoa, bubblegum! I was blasted with the scent the instant I opened the imp, even though it was about 1' from my nose. On skin, wet: Still bubblegum from afar, but if I sniff closely I can pick out the sugar and the apple blossom on top of the other scents. On skin, dry: The bubblegum is still there, though it's now acquired so much spiciness that it doesn't seem like bubblegum from a casual sniff. There's a slight apple cider aspect to it. After time: After 30 minutes, it's still faintly spicy, but more of a mixed fruit than a bubblegum. Just as fabulous though. Not much throw, but what's there is of decent strength and I hardly applied any, so I think it will be just about perfect when applied in normal quantities. Only one problem...the smell is making me hungry! Conclusion: Fantastic. I love this one, and given the number of "it's nice, but I'm not in love" scents I've reviewed recently, it's a pleasant surprise. Most likely getting a bottle before the carnaval goes away.

Expectations: Probably not going to turn out too well. The sweeter florals tend to go all chemical on me. I want it to work though, as the individual notes are nice when not on my skin. In vial: Oh yeah, those are the flowers that don't like me. I suppose I'll be foolish to hope that they'll work just this once. But maybe the musk and vanilla can keep them in check. On skin, wet: Jasmine, violet, and leafy green scent. On skin, dry: Sweet flowers, a little bit chemical but not nearly as much as usual. I am, however, getting a hint of a headache and I don't know whether this scent is to blame. After time: I've only had this on for 5 minutes and it already feels like half an hour. The leafy scent comes and goes...right now it's pretty strong. Jasmine is the predominant scent though. Conclusion: I do like the scent, but I'm really desperate to wash it off and hope that my head stops hurting. If there's any chance this is giving me a headache, I can't wear it anyway as I live with someone who's highly sensitive to odors.

Expectations: I'm not sure. Florals don't usually work very well on me, but it really depends on the floral. I'm hoping that this might give me an idea of whether Hope & Faith could work. In vial: Just as the description says: sugar, incense, flowers. The flowers themselves are sweet too. Not too bad, but we'll see what happens when it interacts with my skin. On skin, wet: Slightly musky bubblegum being chewed in a garden. It's too floral for me at this point, but I think it might improve as it dries. On skin, dry: Ooh, yes. The floral is calming down a bit and blending nicely with the incense. It's still too floral if I smell it up close, but the small amount of throw is quite nice. After time: After 30 minutes this has turned into a gorgeous sweet floral incense. I think this is the first time a floral other than rose has turned out really nice on me. Conclusion: Yay for finding something girly that doesn't smell like crap when I wear it! I don't know that this will become a favorite, but I definitely will keep it around for occasional use. Also, definitely want to try Hope & Faith now, since their base flowers are ones that do normally smell okay on my skin.

Expectations: This is probably not for me. I don't hate any of the notes, but I also don't particularly like tea leaf, mint doesn't work well on me, and lemongrass, while I like it, tends to send the scent too far into the herbal range. In vial: Tea served by someone who doesn't particularly love tea and is trying unsuccessfully to mask the taste. I got the lemongrass right away, and the mint showed up soon after. Plus there's a faint sweetness. On skin, wet: I have no clue how, but this is doing that thing that reminds me of toilet paper holders. Tea is still the predominant scent, and the rest started blending together pretty quickly. On skin, dry: Tea. Lots of tea. Blech. The mint isn't as bad as I usually find it, but that may just be because there's something worse to cover it up. After time: 35 minutes have passed, and I see why other people like this. It's a very nicely blended tea scent, but as someone who does not drink tea it's just not the thing for me to wear. I never noticed any orange blossom, and the honey/sugar cane combination only added the slightest sweetness. Conclusion: I don't mind this, but if I kept it around I'd never put it on.

Expectations: High hopes for this one. I love fruits, and plumeria and gardenia are among the rare florals that I can tolerate. So as long as there's a definite Snake Oil base under this, it should be good. In vial: Delicious spicy apple cider. On skin, wet: Pretty much the same. I can tell there are other fruits there, but they can't be picked out individually. Not really getting the florals at all. On skin, dry: Yummy, yummy cider. It's a bit more fresh apple now. Reminds me of when my mom had friends who owned the local orchard. After time: 30 minutes later there's very little change. The scent is more blended, but that's about it. Conclusion: Delicious so far. Definitely keeping this snake around!

Snake Oil with red mandarin, myrrh, and almond. Expectations: This is hit-or-miss. I love Snake Oil and mandarin. My feelings toward myrrh are currently on the positive side of neutral. And I always think I should like almond, but it tends to be too bitter on me. In vial: Strong, musky spices with a layer of nutty sweetness. On skin, wet: Pretty much the same. Right now the individual notes are too distinct, but if all it does as it dries is blend better, I think I'll like this. On skin, dry: It's gone a bit dry and incense-like. Boo. It's not bad, exactly, but it was better when wet. It's not as sweet now either. After time: After 20 minutes, the scent has improved a bit. More blended, a tiny bit less dry. It's pretty faint though. At 30 minutes, it smells like Snake Oil plus some extra notes (finally!) Conclusion: I don't like it as much as the original, but could definitely wear this. I'd probably like it more if I just applied some and went about my day rather than trying to review it.

Expectations: Hahaha, florals. I'll bet my right eye that this doesn't work on me. In vial: Sickly sweet florals. Almost fruity. On skin, wet: The height of toilet paper holder scent, plus some mysterious citrus that shouldn't be there. On skin, dry: Less sweet, but more soapy. Amazing throw. After time: After 20 minutes, the smell isn't too bad unless I stick my nose right next to my arm, at which point the flowers seem slightly rancid, and I feel like I might sneeze. Ugh, another 5 minutes and it's gone back to toilet paper holder. Conclusion: I'm just not enjoying this. I really think it could be ok if I was getting any Snake Oil at all, but it's pure floral.

Expectations: Probably a bit too masculine for my tastes. I think I like leather, but in blends it doesn't work that well on me. And I hate sage. In vial: Really nice leather drizzled with spices. On skin, wet: Wow, the leather in this is amazing. I'm not sure how I feel about the spices though. There's an oddly floral scent to it. On skin, dry: The leather's a bit less sharp, and the spices have gone dusty. I'm not detecting the Snake Oil base yet. The leather reminds me of a memory, but I don't know what it is exactly, just that it makes me smile. The scent is a bit more masculine than what I'd normally choose to wear, but not too much so. After time: After 30 minutes, the leather has softened quite a bit. The spices are better with a casual sniff, but if I make an effort to smell my wrist there's a cool tingling in the back of my throat. Not a fan of that. Conclusion: I could probably wear this, but I think I'd like a purer leather scent more.

Expectations: Fruity Snake Oil with an extra burst of vanilla. In vial: Lots of neroli, with a hint of spice. Also a tiny bit of an unfamiliar fruitiness, which I guess must be the acai berry. On skin, wet: Leafy fruits. My opinion of this went downhill as soon as it hit my skin. On skin, dry: Dusty leaves, with a bit of watered-down fruit juice. I can't believe how little I care to continue this review. It's not even that bad, really, just kind of blah. After time: At 30 minutes, I've got a very leafy scent with only a touch of fruit. No Snake Oil, only the smoked part of the smoked vanilla, and possibly a little of the powderiness that I always get with amber. Conclusion: I know there's a chance that the Snake Oil will make an appearance if I wait longer, but if I don't like the first half hour of a scent then it's just not worth it. Plus, it would end up as Snake Oil plus this icky leaf scent, which I won't like anyway.

Expectations: Oooh, I hope this is as good as it sounds. I expect it will make the Snake Oil slightly more foody, but hopefully not too sweet. In vial: Exactly as I imagined it. Just like Snake Oil, with a hint of cocoa blended in nicely. On skin, wet: The same as in the vial, which might be because the oil is sitting on top of my skin and not even soaking in yet. On skin, dry: Pretty much the same. The cocoa has blended in a bit more, and I'm getting slightly stronger vanilla. After time: It's been 30 minutes, and while I can tell this is slightly different than Snake Oil, the difference is very subtle. The vanilla isn't quite the same, probably due to the rice milk mixing with it. And the cocoa is faint. Conclusion: I do like this, although I'm not sure if I'd choose it over the original. It's not that strong, for one thing.

Expectations: This is my most anticipated Snake Pit scent. I love dessert spices, and expect they'll go perfectly with the rich, subtly sweet Snake Oil. In vial: All spices, no Snake Oil. It's predominantly ginger. Delicious in itself, but I do hope the other notes make an appearance as it dries. On skin, wet: Ginger and cassia. On skin, dry: The cassia ran off, so now it's ginger and cinnamon. Still getting absolutely no Snake Oil. After time: After 30 minutes, I think I catch the faintest hint of the Indonesian oils, but the spices are so overpowering. I don't smell vanilla at all. It's a strong scent...I put on the tiniest drop possible and am still going to have to scrub it off before I can try something else, even on my other arm. Conclusion: I could wear this just for the spices, even if they continue to overwhelm the other notes. I'd really like the Snake Oil to make its presence known though. Maybe I'll have to keep this one around and let it age. Also, I tried this at the same time as Boomslang and occasionally got a whiff of it while trying to sniff the Boomslang patch on my arm. I think layering a tiny dab of this with a liberal application of Boomslang might be nice.

Expectations: Meh, probably won't like it. I don't care much for wood scents, and it's a rare musk that works on me. In vial: A little bit citrus, and some kind of furniture polish, maybe? It's a strange scent, and not one for which I can easily find a description. On skin, wet: Woods, but they're soft and pulpy and wet. On skin, dry: A slightly faded version of the wet scent, with a bit of lemongrass. After time: After 35 minutes, I'm noticing a bit of the Snake Oil. It blends pretty well with the additional notes, and I'm getting good throw. Conclusion: This is quite a bit better than I expected from the description. Not sure I like it enough to keep it, but I wouldn't have a problem wearing this again.

Snake Oil with vetiver, black coconut, vanilla, and opoponax. Expectations: Snake Oil already has vanilla, so additional vanilla makes me suspect (and hope!) that it's really strong in this blend. Coconut sounds nice, but the rest is a bit iffy. In vial: Oooh, yes, lots of vanilla. The other strong note is vetiver. On skin, wet: Mostly this smells like regular Snake Oil, but if I sniff too long I get burnt nuts on top of it. On skin, dry: Same as wet, only slightly less overpowering with the burnt nuts. Unfortunately, if I inhale deeply I can taste them. After time: After 35 minutes, this is a slightly smoky Snake Oil. It might also be a tiny bit sweeter than regular Snake Oil, but I'm not sure as I haven't worn it in a while. Conclusion: I do like this, but it's so similar to the original on me and I love the original, so I don't need both.