Serpent's Kiss

[Galatea]

Seething with passion, yet utterly cold-blooded. Dragon’s blood, vetivert and spice.

Preface: I really, really wanted to like this scent. it was my first gift from the lab!

in all fairness i really thought i would like it, after all, i love Dragon's Blood, i like spiciness especially cinnamon, but i think the vetiver was definately a deal-breaker. and kind of a big one too.

you see, i've long had a dislike of vetiver. i first smelled it whilst using oils for my own magickal use. i guess my nose hasn't changed its mind about it - this perfume has actually made me sick to my stomach. i've now tried to wash it off twice, with soap, to no avail.

no more "Smoochy Snakes" for me.
was it clue one that i dreamt about Snakes on a Plane last night?

[medvssa]

The stuff dyes my skin red! well, orange. I am not a lover of Dragon's Blood...

Luckly, I smell mostly spices, with an earthy undertone, and a far away sweetness, that must be the dragon's blood... but it is not unpleasing.

 

On me it seems pretty balanced. None of the parts come out much more than the others. I seem to perceive some itchiness on my wrists, will that be in my head? I didn't have any reaction to inferno... later on it dissapears.

 

All in all, it surprised me positively. But it is just not me...

[gwyllgi]

This is a strange blend, sweet and sharp yet dark.

 

...it reminds me of Red Hots. The fact that it stains my skin red (thank you, dragon's blood) doesn't help this impression.

 

It'd be an interesting scent for the depth of winter, I think; it's certainly warm and bracing. For the humidity of summer, though, it just doesn't work.

 

I think I'm going to be making a note to myself to pick this up around December, though. Right around then, it'll be perfect.

[misfitroxy]

Very spicy vetiver in the imp.

 

I applied this rather lightly because I'm anticipating that it will be a strong scent. I can definitely catch the three distinct elements very clearly after I've brushed it on.

 

The dragon's blood smells just a bit plastic to me, which could also be attributed to clove if that's one of the spices in the blend.

 

As others have noted, this is probably the closest BPAL I've found that smells almost identical to red hots candies. With just a bit of the woodsy vetiver to round it out.

 

I like the scent, and I wouldn't mind smelling this blended with a more masculine individual's chemistry. But it's not really working for me.

[karengypsy]

In the vial: Cinnamon and dragon's blood.

 

On me: The cinnamon is at the forefront in this scent, with the dragon's blood following close behind.

 

Verdict: This is way too cinnamony for me. Off to the swaps/sales.

 

Rating: 2/5

[songtoisis]

I'm neither "seething with passion" nor "cold-blooded" so it remains to be seen how this will work with me. Out of the bottle all I can smell is spice. There's almost a warm spice-cookie sweetness to it, a possibly edible sense to the spicyness. My husband thinks it smells like Christmas trees--all pine and juniper. It is definately a comforting, atmospheric kind of scent--it doesn't remind me of a person but rather a place in time. I'd be more likely to use this in a diffuser--it would make my home festive come midwinter.

Edited July 2, 2006 by songtoisis

[TrailerTrashPrincess]

the oil is so pretty! like grenadine or red syrup.

 

it didn't stain my skin, like some others have had. thankfully.

 

initial sniff from the imp: vetiver and... musty old books? ( i love the smell of well-kept old books. these are the ones that got wet and weren't properly dried, and then sat in a box for a gazillion years)

 

on skin, a few minutes later: BPAL dragon's blood and i don't get along, but i think it ran away. all i get here is spice, and almost a little musk?

 

i didn't expect to like this at all, but i think i do. maybe not enough for a bottle, but certainly enough to keep this imp. to watch the pretty oil roll around if nothing else.

[fairy]

In the bottle: NO! not my kind of scent at all. It's the complete opposite of what I normally love. This was sharp and bitter.

 

On: It settled a bit and something overpowered most of the bitterness...but it still didn't love me.

[edenssixthday]

Serpent's Kiss - Based on the color of this oil, I was certain there was dragon's blood in this blend. When sniffing the oil straight from the vial, however, all I can smell is vetiver. It's very strange to be getting such a dark, black scent from an oil that is such a deep, blood red. Sure enough, when I apply it to my skin, all I can smell is vetiver. Within a few minutes, I notice my skin is red and irritated, and without even smelling my wrist I am certain there is cinnamon in this blend. Sure enough, when I sniff my wrist, it's all vetiver and cinnamon. I do not smell any dragon's blood. As the oil dries, the cinnamon fades quickly (as it always does on me), the inflammation decreases, and for hours afterward, all I smell is vetiver. I never do detect the dragon's blood in this blend. Oddly enough, I don't mind the vetiver in this blend once it dries down. In fact, I kind of like it, which is a reaction I don't usually have to vetiver, but I do adore dragon's blood so my guess is that although I don't smell the dragon's blood, it must have tempered the bite of the vetiver enough to make it a dark, husky scent that I can actually enjoy. I am going to try layering this with Wicked. I think they might smell beautiful together.

[Kitrona]

I wasn't sure about this one, since the one experience I've had with Dragon's Blood gave me a headache. Straight from the imp, though, I really liked this. I decided to wear it to Pagan Pride Day, since it was all outside and none of these scents were likely to get me stung by bees.

 

On me, it was dark and smoky and lovely. Unfortunately, it tended to fade fast, and I had to reapply several times during the day. Maybe I'll try figuring out how to layer it so it has more throw. In any case, I really liked it, and I might spring for a bottle. I certainly won't be giving this one away until I have more.

[maijasu]

This scent really reminds me of Blood Moon, which I love! It's got the same spiciness and darkness. Unfortunately, my skin just eats this oil for breakfast, leaving me smelling like nothing at all. Underpants did this to me too. Why must the pretties hate me so?

[azhure]

In the vial: Sharp and immediately disagreeable. I'm guessing that's the vetiver?

 

Wet: Ugh - get it off me!!

 

Drydown: I didn't give this a chance to dry. The vetiver was sharp and acrid and just ew on me. I ended up layering it with Snake Oil to dim down the vetiver.

[Eros]

Frimp from a wonderful forumite

 

Upon seeing the color of the oil, Dragon's Blood. Uh oh...

In the imp I immediately recognize the vetiver that's also in Blood Kiss(a favorite!).

On skin/wet there's a strong, Red Hots candy cinnamon in the background that threatens to take over completely but doesn't quite. As it dries I'm reminded of Blood Kiss again. Blood Kiss with a touch of cinnamon.

Finally I'm left with a beautiful, slightly dry and VERY light cinnamon spice with just a touch of Dargon's Blood sweetness(Yay!! It didn't go nuts!!) and something else that's coming through that smells quite a bit like vanilla.

I'm liking it!!

[steffanina]

Serpent's Kiss-

 

In Bottle: Sweet and wood-spicy; interesting. I wonder how this will be, mixed with the Dragon's Blood, which I always think of as sweetly powdery?

 

Wet: Mm, lovely! A little chocolate and a little clove mixed with sweetness. And maybe a little cinnamon too. Very pretty and rich!

 

Dry: Hmm, this dries down to something not as pretty as it was wet. On me the powdery scent of the Dragon's Blood with the clove scent just did not dry down nicely--it was a little odd, a little wrong. Not quite cloying, but not quite right.

 

Overall: Not friendly on the dry-down.

[supremegoddessofall]

Mmm. I smell primarily dragon's blood, but it's very spicy as well. There's almost a hint of leather, which I suppose is the vetiver.

[metaldog32]

Serpent's Kiss comes to me by way of frimp from Labbies..thank you once again!!!

 

Not something I was interested in trying because of the vetiver. Vetiver usually ends up smelling like hay on me-however..it's a freebie and one NEVER knows how things will end up working on one's body chemistry. So..I guess I will dive in and see how this all works out.

 

Initial sniff from imp:Ummm...spicy..sort of like cinnamon...with a slight floral note that has to be the dragons blood..and a plant like or hay like note..that has to be the vetiver. I have to say...it kind of makes my nose wrinkle a bit..it doesn't automatically make me all giddy..but I am willing to try.

 

Funny...this sort of reminds me of what I registered when I took a whiff of Mars..I wonder if that has vetiver too???Hmm....

 

Anyway..back to Serpent's Kiss....

 

Applied wet on skin:Definitely cinnamon like note leaping off at me....and I guess the vetiver is there too...the floral note is nowhere in sight..so I can't really register the dragon's blood. I wish that dragon's blood translated more on me like dark cherries..but instead it usually smells like floral..which isn't a bad thing..but I would have liked the fruity note that other people register with this particular blend. Right now all I am getting is a strong cinnamon/vetiver combo which kind of makes my stomach unsettled.

 

 

Couple of minutes on skin:Still the cinnamon/spice/vetiver party going off and out of control on my me..but now I get a slight tinge of the floral..which is my dragon's blood. All of this isn't horrible..but it really isn't doing anything for me either. It's just...cinnamon with a hay/plant like note that kind of really puts me off guard. It's not offensive..it just doesn't tickle me pink either. I tolerate it.

 

Drying on skinOkay..this has kind of thrown me for a loop. It's now softened considerably with spicy cinnamon/hay notes...kind of like Red Hots..but now the floral is a bit more in the forefront..huh??? In this stage this is actually more tolerable for me...a floral with a bit of a softly spicy kick..it's not bad...not making me swoon..but not making me gag either. Hmm...I am a bit intrigued here..

 

Throw on me is medium. Lasting power is about 3+hours.

 

Drydown:Soft spicy notes..with the tinge of the floral I get from the dragon's blood bringing up the back. Not bad at all. Not loving it..but not hating it either..am not quite sure how I feel about it.

 

Bottom Line: Serpent's Kiss kind of leaves me feeling..confused? I wasn't expecting a warm cuddly scent..and I didn't get one. The notes in the beginning made me feel uneasy because of the similarity to Mars but in the end..I was left with a melange that was actually very interesting. I can't embrace it..but I can't reject it either.Serpent's Kiss I think would be good in the fall..maybe early winter. I myself don't love it/like it enough to warrant a bottle..but the whole experience was valuable insofar as getting my nose to sit through a bit of a confusing olefactory journey.

Edited October 9, 2006 by metaldog32

[Luhtarian]

Wet, there's a LOT of vetiver which is freaking me out - I've recently discovered I can't stand vetiver. Drying, there's less of the vetiver and a LOT of dragon's blood and cinnamon, with something warm and softer in the background. Still, not something I really like.

[lookingglass]

Creamy sweet dragon's blood, made a little sharp and dirty by the vertiver, and spiced up. Together, it is quite surprisingly...leathery. It dries out strangely floral, yet not entirely feminine...a bit powdery.

 

Someone said this would be Snape's scent. I have to agree...

Edited September 27, 2012 by lookingglass

[Koumori]

A round, red, spicy scent. Dragon's blood isn't my favorite note, and neither is cinnamon, but they work together here with the vetiver to give a scent that on initial drydown reminded me of spicy Christmas potpourri or mulling spices. It ripens quickly into something full and sexy, with the vetiver dominating; I think it's a masculine-leaning scent.

[makhsihed]

I'm not sure I like this one. Got it as a frimp, and I think I might have to give it to a friend who likes spicy scents...

 

Wasn't sure what to make of it in the bottle; it's sharp, almost medicinal to my mind, though not store-bought liquid-medicine... more like the herbal concotions my kitchen-witch friend makes, with the sharpness of pennyroyal and I'm not sure what else. There's something of dry mustiness, too, somewhat reminiscient of snakeskin just before shedding.

 

On the skin... oh, gods. I'm really not sure I like this. Reminds me of something, I can't tell what - but it burns my nose, it's sharp and acrid and harsh. Spicy but not warm-spicy. It's a very dry scent. Makes me sneeze; my nose won't stop itching.

 

Drying down, it's... yeah, I don't like it much. Still that musty snake-smell, which isn't too bad, but it's made sour and too sharp by something - probably the cinnamon others have mentioned. What is that mustiness? Is that the vetivert? One of these days I need to find some pure vetivert and sniff it so I know what the hell it is.

 

Maybe Lei will like this; she likes spicystrong scents. I'm washing this off before I sneeze again.

[Brianne]

In the vial:

Shub, I'm tellin ya

 

On me:

Dark and spicey and earthy - this makes me think of Shub-Niggurath. It smells like that dark ginger and deep earthy spice. The dragon's blood makes this red and herbally. I keep thinking of the word "rooty" because it's just so dark and gritty but spicey.

 

Final note:

I don't care for this much, the spice is a little too deep and earthy for my tastes and the vetiver is too sharp. But if you liked Shub, give this one a shot, I think they are similar in a way.

[couscous]

I only got a bit of cinnamon out of this, if at all. In the vial, it smells like one of the worst BPALs you could ever imagine- almost exactly like barbecue sauce. No; I'm not kidding. You have to be extraordinarily brave to put this on your skin at any time other than a day when you know you'll be staying in, because if the color doesn't turn you off (this has got to be the most saturated red in the catalouge), the initial smell will. Peppered to the extreme.

 

Like to the beginning stages, which are so vetiver-intense that even I, a staunch defender of the note, have a bit of trouble sticking it out.

 

A bit of patience, though- about 20 minutes- and I'm left with that gorgeous, light lilac dragon's blood note combined with woody, earthy, wonderfully gritty vetiver. It's so refreshing, because there's nothing sticky sweet, chemically "fresh n' fruity", or decadently "foody" about this one. Serpent's Kiss is straight ahead warmth and dirt, and what a welcome change it is.

 

I never bought a 5ml of this oil, because it bears a strong-ish resemblance to Bloodlust and blood kiss (to a lesser extent), and I already had blood kiss. I wouldn't start out on this one if you don't already know how vetiver behaves on you- but if you enjoyed either bloodlust or blood kiss, plus tintagel or three witches or another spicy scent, give this one a try. Serpent's Kiss calms down quite nicely!

[PirateMaggie]

Serpent's Kiss certainly slithers. Uncapping the imp, hot dragon's blood and spice slither out. Wet, the dragon's blood and spice are joined by vetivert, a smooth, cool combination which reminds me of snake skin. Though the blend warms and softens on the skin, the overall effect remains slinky and chill, like a curve-swerving satin gown which leaves little to the imagination, worn with crimson lipstick in an air-conditioned room.

 

All in all, this is a gorgeous scent, sexy in an aloof way. I already have a 10ml of Tintagel, which is my favorite green-and-spicy dragon's blood blend, so I don't think I'll order a bottle of Serpent's Kiss, but I will certainly enjoy my imp.

[Nidaba]

In the bottle: Whoooa, very strong and full of vetiver. I can't smell much else at this point.

 

Wet: Still strong, a bit of sweetness joining it now. The two smells are not meshing well on me. It is actually making me a bit nauseous.

 

Dry: Much, much nicer dry. Now it is cinnamon and a bit of sweet with a nice spice to it.

 

I like it now, but I don't think I will get another imp as the wet stage is too much for me.

 

3/5

[filigree_shadow]

This smells mainly of vetiver and either clove or cinnamon at first, mostly vetiver. But the oil is bright red, so I'm waiting for the dragon's blood to come in any minute now.

 

 

Hmm, still no dragon's blood. And then the vetiver mostly goes away and I'm left with only spice. Kind of a sweet spice, but this is still too spicy for me.