The Serpent in the Carnations

[Jenjin]

Snake Oil-soaked carnation petals, spiked with a dash of clove and allspice.

[bunnicula]

Just got my package two days ago, so this is a first impression test and is subject to change with more rest!! 

Freshly applied: Hm, interesting! I definitely recognize that unique carnation spice note from Alice, but take out all the supporting milk & honey creamy sweetness, and replace it with a dark earthy musk and spice smell, which i imagine is supposed to be the snake oil, but it smells kinda different from snake oil to my nose.

Drydown: the carnation spice is still the same, but the "snake oil" backdrop is changing to be a lil more pleasant. I smell clove, and an earthy type of patchouli and the vegetal muskiness. but its still a lil.. bitter(?), I feel it's lacking a little of the dark vanilla that makes regular SO so addicting to me? Actually after like 30mins or so this gets much better, all the different spices (carnation, clove, allspice, snake oil spice) are melding more harmoniously into one huffworthy floral spiced earthy musk!! Like Serpent in the Roses, it takes a while to warm up on the skin and develop into maximum allure. i think this will get even better with rest!

[patina]

First wear: very carnation: pink, somewhat powdery floral. Soft clove. The Snake Oil background is not prominent, somehow there's an occasional whiff of suede leather in the background. I think my brain is mistaking the patchouli and musk for leather. I'm reminded of The Bow and Crown of Conquest. Up close I get Snake Oil. The Snake will likely get stronger with time.

 

I'll have to test this one later. As Snake Oil blends go this isn't my favorite so far because I'm neutral on carnation. But Snake Oil blends also intensify with time and I do like clove.

Day two, warmer: the vanilla, spice, and amber(?) are really coming out.

 

After some aging the clove really is evident. The Snake Oil has come out and overtaken the carnation, making this red instead of pink.

Edited April 26 by patina

[Geminirubyshoes]

Absolutely gorgeous. I agree with the review that compared this to the carnation note of Alice just without the milkyness. Instead it’s mixed with a seductive waft of spicy Snake Oil goodness. If all you smell in the bottle is the spices, put it on and let it bloom on the skin. 

[doomsday_disco]

This features the Lab's spicy, cinnamon-y red carnation note, with the dusty patchouli that's found in current iterations of Snake Oil. The carnation and spices are the star of the show throughout most of the wear, but the other aspects of the Snake Oil gradually emerge more over time, only they don't smell as bold as fresh Snake Oil used to, and I'm not getting a lot of vanilla from this. The spices in this did not burn or turn my skin red when I tested this on the back of my hand (I have sensitive skin), but there's no way I'd risk applying this somewhere like the crooks of my elbows. It took at least six hours for any vanilla to show up, but again, it wasn't even as prominent as it was in some of last year's Snake Oil Yule variants.

 

I think fans of red carnation and the Lab's current iterations of Snake Oil will enjoy this, but I can't see myself reaching for it over Alice or Queen Alice when I feel the urge to wear some carnation.

Edited April 25 by doomsday_disco

[Alethia]

Thoughts before testing: I am an absolute sucker for BPAL’s carnation. To date, I’ve burned through 2 bottles of the original Hod and one each of Hod Res and the Spanish Carnation single note. I like Snake Oil decently and my hopes are high for this being primarily carnation and spice with some snakey goodness in the back. 
 

Wet: strong Snake Oil with a really lovely hit of floral spice. 
 

Dry down: the carnation and spice are in equal measure with Snake Oil’s patchouli. This is really doing it for me. I keep getting whiffs of it and going “ooh!”

 

Dry: I’ve never really gotten a lot of vanilla from SO, but after about an hour of wear the patch backs off and the vanilla comes to the forefront and melds really beautifully with the carnation and spice.

 

Final thoughts: this lasted well into the next day on my skin, which is a rarity for me. Out of all the SO variants I’ve tried, this is far and away my favorite. Definitely my favorite of this year’s Lupe’s as well. It’s an immediate bottle, and I’m tempted to get a backup. 

[elissamay]

Alice went to Morocco wearing Snake Oil, and they put it into this bottle.

 

If you love carnation, definitely don't miss this one. Beautiful throw and longevity.

[Cali]

Spicy carnation with snake oil! I don't know if my skin just eats snake oil as soon as anything is added to it, but it seems to be pretty much the case. I end up with mostly spicy carnations and a vaague vanilla-remnant of the snake oil. It's very very pretty, but the carnation doesn't amp enough (nor the snake oil) for me to hold on to this... sighs.

[Little Bird]

Last year's The Serpent in the Roses is one of my favorite bpals (I'm not buying a bottle of this year's version of The Serpent in the Roses, so I'm not sure how different In The Roses 2024 is compared to the 2023 that I've hoarded) and carnation is a note that can do no wrong in my book, but I don't love this blend as much as I thought I would. 
The Serpent in the Carnations smells weirdly like cardboard covered in spices, and the spices and patchouli here are sharp and somewhat difficult for me.  I can smell carnation in the opening, but not in the drydown, and the overall scent is bone dry and fades away within 2 hours.  I do smell the patchouli (but I'm not in love with how dry, sharp, and dusty the earthiness here is) and dry spice that's in the new version of Snake Oil, but this has that weird cardboard thing going on, and I was really hoping for more fluffy carnation petals and carnation type spiciness.

Jovial Tengu is still my standout carnation of this year's Lupers.

[dancingchair]

This has a similar Snake Oil component to the Serpents in the Roses. To my nose, that SO has a lot of musky patchouli and less of the rich vanilla. Wet, I do get a noseful of peppery carnation mixed with the musky patchouli, but as it dries the clove and allspice take over more. I think the clove and allspice balance the musky patchouli really well. In the dry stage, the carnation disappears and I'm left with a clove-studded snake.

 

I like this a lot more than the Serpent in the Roses, partially because that was too floral and musky for me. The clove is nice in this one and I like how it pairs with the muskier Snake Oil.