arabella

First Impression: Patchouli and musk. Dries down to: Never changes. Additional Comments: I never detect the vanilla bean, pomegranate or wild plum as individual notes. I'm not usually a huge fan of musk but this blend is so sexy and sophisticated that I'll make an exception for it It's got a lot of throw and lasts a long time, which is rare for me. I can also see layering it with other blends to give them richness and depth. I have to get a bottle of this "power scent" before the series disappears. Lasted: All day. Rating: 5 out of 5

First Impression: Fizzy melon with a touch of citrus. Dries down to: A touch of apple blossom emerges later. Additional Comments: What I thought was melon with citrus was the guava and orange peel. The white pepper adds a sophisticated touch to the whole blend and keeps the spun sugar from getting too sweet. This is certainly unique but not quite a 'must have' blend for me - only because it doesn't last too long. Lasted: An hour or two. Rating: 4 out of 5

First Impression: Tea with lemon - lots of lemon. Dries down to: A bit of mint appears, then the honey starts to amp up until it's screaming at me. After a long while, it does settle down but then the blend becomes bland and muddy. Additional Comments: I think this is buckwheat honey. It's grabbing at the back of my throat and making me gag. I have issues with honey stemming back to when I was given hot milk with honey and butter in it as a child, whenever I was ill. Over the years since then, I've learned to like it in small doses where appropriate - baklava, lemon tea, sticky chicken - but it needs to be kept under control and that isn't happening here. Lasted: A few hours. Rating: 1 out of 5

First Impression: Patchouli, citrus and amber. Dries down to: Something in here is turning plastic and going bitter. In the end, it's all rubber tires. Additional Comments: I'm probably mistaking the sarsaparilla for the citrus and amber. I don't get any almond milk at all, which is the note I was really hoping for. The tobacco smoke is very subtle and I'm not sure about the pine bark. Maybe that's what's causing the bitter note. Lasted: Several hours. Rating: 1 out of 5

First Impression: Floral, milky tea. Dries down to: There's very little change. Additional Comments: This is pretty much a unisex scent. It's a neutral blend and would work well as an everyday scent on anyone. It's light and inoffensive. Lasted: 1-2 hours. Rating: 2 out of 5

First Impression: Barely there musk. Dries down to: Watery fruit custard. Additional Comments: I don't know why but I can barely smell this at all. It's as if the blend were watered down; yet, it's not aquatic in the least. Too bad because what's there is pretty but not worth the effort. Lasted: Less than an hour. Rating: 1.5 out of 5

First Impression: Jasmine. Dries down to: Jasmine and a bit of violet. Additional Comments: This is a sexy, sultry blend. I've grown quite fond of jasmine and it's at its best here. Violet is one of my favorite notes and it complements jasmine beautifully here. The other notes serve as supporting players. This is one of my favorites of this series, so far. Lasted: A few hours. Rating: 4 out of 5.

First Impression: A faint rose and labdanum. Dries down to: The rose is still there but I can't detect the cedar or the teak at all. A dditional Comments: I'm astounded that I don't get any woods, they're normally shouting to be heard. Rose amps up on me 90% of the time but here it's just soft and lovely. I guess they counteract each other. This is okay but nothing I'd kill for. Lasted: A few hours. Rating: 2.5 out of 5

First Impression: Lemony, floral musk. Dries down to: It becomes soft smoky leather. Additional Comments: This is definitely a masculine scent. I like the soft leather in this. I thought the fir needle would be harsh but it's not. This isn't a scent with swagger; rather, it's got quiet strength. It's comforting but not something I'd ever wear. Lasted: All day. Rating: 2 out of 5

First Impression: Dark chocolate with flowers. Dries down to: Stays the same. Additional Comments: I can't believe this is just chocolate and cream. There's got to be something floral or citrus in the mix because I get a slightly sour edge to this - almost like candied lemon peels covered in dark chocolate. Maybe the cream curdled. It's not sweet at all and is quite haunting. Very unique. Lasted: A few hours. Rating: 3 out of 5.

First Impression: Patchouli. Dries down to: The patchouli settles back onto a pillow of fruits and spice until it's enveloped. Additional Comments: While I don't think this is a scent I would wear, I quite like smelling it and I'll keep it for home use. Lasted: Several hours. Rating: 2.5 out of 5

First Impression: A wooden basket filled with lemons. Dries down to: Something - I think it may be lily - emerges. After a while I get a hint of opium and coconut. Additional Comments: This is such an intriguing blend. I was off on some of the notes initially but could pick them out later on. Black musk doesn't like me but it sure works here. I love the opium, lemon flower, coconut and heliotrope. The rest of the notes aren't obvious to me but add to the richness. Like other blends that confuse me, I'm really drawn to this one and will probably get a bottle. Lasted: A few hours. Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

First Impression: A bright, soft floral. Dries down to: A sugary glaze settles over the flowers. Additional Comments: Midway didn't work well on my skin so I was anxious to try this. Anything sweet usually amps terribly on me but in this blend it's held in check, probably by the incense. This is a lovely, flirtacious scent and definitely a keeper. Lasted: Several hours. Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

First Impression: Snake Oil and Vick's VapoRub. Dries down to: Quickly settles into a subtle masculine scent. Additional Comments: The leather in this is really nice - it's more like suede. Sandalwood usually amps up on me, but not here. The sage adds a note of interest. This one is much nicer than I expected it to be. Lasted: 1-2 hours. Rating: 3.5 out of 5

First Impression: Snake Oil, Mint and Benzoin. Dries down to: Snake Oil and Teakwood. Additional Comments: This isn't particularly woody or musky. I can't really pinpoint what this smells like, other than that it's very dry. It's not bad but neither does it do anything for me. Lasted: A couple of hours. Rating: 2 out of 5

First Impression: Super-spicy Snake Oil. Dries down to: Cinnamony Snake Oil. Additional Comments: If you like spicy scents, this is for you. I'm not sure what it is, but there's something I don't like in this - probably the cassia - yet, somehow, I'm drawn to it. Lasted: Several hours. Rating: 3 out of 5.

First Impression: Sour Snake Oil. Dries down to: Snake oil with citrus and florals. Additional Comments: Once this settles down, it's a pretty blend that reminds me of creamsicles. I don't know where I get the floral note from. I can usually rely on amber to work on me and cardamom is also a fave. There's just enough smoky vanilla to give it a bit of an edge. Other than the initial phase and the fact that it doesn't last too long, this one might have been one of my favorites of the Snake Pit series. Lasted: 1-2 hours. Rating: 3 out of 5.

First Impression: Snake Oil Lite. Dries down to: A faintly floral Snake Oil. Additional Comments: This is a soft Snake Oil. I can't pick out any specific floral notes until a bit later when the linden blossom finally shows up. I was actually hoping for more linden blossom, which is one of my favorite florals, but at least it's obviously there. This is a pretty, everyday scent but very light and short-lived on me. Lasted: About an hour. Rating: 3.5 out of 5

First Impression: LUSH's Olive Branch. Dries down to: A softer Olive Branch. Then, after a while, the oakmoss and seamoss start to amp up - especially the sea moss. Additional Comments: I love the early stages of this blend but once the mosses come out (and I think it's the sea moss that's the culprit), it smells like piles of seaweed washed up on the beach in November. What a shame. Lasted: A couple of hours. Rating: 2 out of 5

First Impression: Snake Oil, Honey and Burnt Sugar. Dries down to: No change. Additional Comments: Honey and I seldom get along, so it's no loss to me that this blend is rare. I was grateful to receive a teeny sample so I could test it and stop lusting after it immediately. Lasted: A few hours. Rating: 2 out of 5

First Impresson: A complex, rich and creamy blend - but nothing stands out. Dries down to: There's little change - it's just softer. Additional Comments: I was surprised to see there's coconut in here. I love coconut and usually spot it right away. I'm guessing the vetiver is stifling the coconut. The end result is lovely but, unfortunately, it's very light and turns muddy fairly quickly. This was the one Snake Pit blend I had high hopes for, so I'm a bit disappointed. Lasted: 2-3 hours. Rating: 3 out of 5.

First Impression: Snake Oil and Almonds. Dries down to: Almond Roca. Additional Comments: I only get the almond note, which always amps on me, but it's being tempered in this blend. I love almond so this is a great blend for me. It's my favorite of the Snake Pit series. I wish I got a bit of the red mandarin but I won't complain. None of the Snake Pit lasts long on me so I don't know if I'll spring for a bottle but if I were to do so, this is the one I'd get. Lasted: A few hours. Rating: 4 out of 5.

Flirst Impression: Stale celery and citrus. Dries down to: Celery and rancid apple peel. Additional Comments: This has notes I usually love but they're not working on me at all in this blend. The plumeria eventually peeks around the pile of old apple peels and helps somewhat but it's too late. I like Beth's other apple scents but this one is just bad on me. Lasted: 1-2 hours. Rating: 2 out of 5.

Snake Oil with orris, frankincense, and copal. First Impression: Woody Snake Oil. Dries down to: Soft wood. Additional Comments: There's no obvious wood in this so I guess it's the copal or orris that's giving me that impression. The frankincense is softly floating on the snake oil. Quite nice. Lasted: 1-2 hours. Rating: 3 out of 5.

First Impression: Snake Oil and sharp resins. Dries down to: A mellower version of the same. Additonal Comments: This one confuses me. It's a lovely blend but I couldn't name any of the notes if my life depended on it. It's not floral nor fruity nor woody nor smoky...no specific category comes to mind. It's an adult scent - quite sophisticated. Lasted: About an hour. Rating: 3.5 out of 5