Snake Charmer

[stillalive]

Sensual, sibilant, sexual and hypnotic: Arabian musk and exotic spices slinking through Egyptian amber, enticing vanilla, and a serpentine blend of black plum, labdanum, ambrette, benzoin and black coconut.

eh. It wasn't as good as I was hoping. =/ I'm very so-so on this one. It reminds me of Dragon's Milk but less yummy.

[oravannahka]

This is like aged Snake Oil on me (that's a good thing!) or even better. Everything that SO seems to give me trouble with has gone away and I'm left with an awesomely slinky scent. The vanilla is my favorite note, as it is neither plasticky nor non-existent. The amber manages not to go rank on me through some miracle. Probably my favorite scent so far.

 

This is the best/strongest reaction the boy has had as well. Usually he either doesn't realize I'm wearing perfume (I have to infer his feelings through other means) or thinks they're weird. But he actually commented that this one was "really good." (yeah, that's a winner, believe it or not.)

[Iceblink]

I have a bottle of Snake Charmer from, I think, the second time it was available (bought on the secondary market), so I know what it smells like aged but I never smelled it fresh. This resurrected version is *very* Snake Oil-y at the first blast and then the coconut comes out in a way I've never noticed with my aged bottle. The plum is more noticeable here too. Overall this reminds me of a fruitier Snake Oil more than my aged Snake Charmer, but I get hints of the "old" SC in this too. It's going to be fun to follow this new bottle through the aging process. No matter what the age, Snake Charmer is a BPAL classic and I'm glad it came back! Love it.

[cinderfallen]

Oh, I am SO happy with the new Snake Charmer! This will age exactly into the old bottle I sold/swapped away, I can tell. It's a little bold and sharp but the same reassuring musk and fruit note is there, ready to become slinky-soft-sexy. Not as patchouli and dark/heavy as Mme. Moriarty, which I really appreciate.

 

I think the only Snake Oil resemblence is in the slightly sharp note and the hint of spice/sweetness, but I don't think they're very much alike at all. Fresh, Snake Charmer reminds me a little bit of Hell's Belle.

Edited January 5, 2009 by cinderfallen

[jade_starlight]

Wet on my skin, it smelled pretty much just like Smut did, which wasn't a good thing as it was far too heavy and musky. Once it dried, however, it seriously mellowed out and got really nice and sexy. I can't pick out any specific notes, but it's really, really nice. Will definitely need more. *g*

[jencallisto]

[Note: this is the Resurrected scent.]

 

In the bottle: Sweet and complex, dark and fascinating.

Fresh on the skin: God, this smells amazing. I have no hope of describing it, but it's beautiful. Heady, exotic, even a little fresh, creamy, fruity. Intense, but not overbearing. Wow.

30 minutes later: This is so stable. And so fucking gorgeous.

1 hour later: The powdery freshness ought to put me off, but for some reason it doesn't. Spicy, fruity, with a yummy amber base.

6 hours later: Hmm. It's gone all laundryish. Not a bad laundryish, mind.

 

Verdict: I think I might need another bottle of this.

 

One word: Exotic.

[fairnymph]

2008 Version

 

Sniffed in imp: Rich, warm chestnut-brown oil. Sweet, softly spicy, intensely musky. A little smoky. The coconut and vanilla are distinct, as is the amber with its warm powdered edge. Hint of playful fruit and bright labdanum.

[innocent]

Word to the wise: I don't like Snake Oil, and I think Mme. M is "pretty nice".

 

That being said: I thought Snake Charmer was "okay, sorta sickly-sweet".

 

I'm happy for everyone who's been lusting after this for ages, but I think Mme. M is very similar and (IMO) better.

[rayvn1]

For such a BPAL staple, I was expecting something wondrous. I would have been ecstatic if it had even just smelled similar to Snake Oil. I'm not sure I get what all the fuss is about at this point, because this oil just kind of stalls on my skin. It's vry indistinct - I get hints of greatness and I can understand that this is probably amazing on other people, but not for me Maybe I should let it age... Right now I get some spicy resin, but nothing very distinct. A warm blend. Wish I could say more, but this one kind of stumped me

[Yoginispirit]

*Sigh* I was hoping NOT to love this as much as I do but alas I've fallen under the spell of the wickedly beautiful snake charmer. After all the comparisons to snake oil and Madame M, I was worried it would be too spicy or overpowering but needlessly so.

When I first applied to test, it was a soft, sweet coconut with hints of sharp, musky resin.

Then it began growing smoother and sweeter. While cooking dinner I forgot about it for awhile until I began getting whiffs of vanilla and wondering where it was coming from. It was ME!!!

This is DELICIOUS I'm getting major throw of vanilla and coconut. I would certainly recommend anyone to try this if they were expecting more vanilla out of snake oil because THIS is what I've been expecting and now that I've found it I only have a few more days left to order more .

 

Emoticon Rating

[Indigo78]

The Resurrected Version: Yeah, it's the yum - and it's also the only BPAL that has amped cocoa in an appropriate way on my skin. Based on the note description, it looks like it's actually coconut. On first application I get this note that I want to call wood ( ). It keeps that undertone for it's duration on my skin, and that's the only thing that keeps me from flailing in ecstacy while wearing this. It's a distracting note, probably because it isn't listed and I can't identify it. If that goes away with some aging, I'll be doomed (in the good way). All of the elements in this dance around the sweet center~ I love it alot!

 

eta: a little goes a lonnnnnnnng way, here. Two itsy bitsy droplets from a toothpick went strong for around six hours on me.

Edited January 10, 2009 by Indig0

[nekogrrl]

This is the resurrected version.

 

In imp: spicy vanilla. Hm. This could go to good places.

 

Wet on skin: spices! with the vanilla, amber and bezoin. Yum. I see where this was a popular scent.

 

Dry on skin: OMG this went SO WRONG. It smelled.. sickly sweet with a burnt note in there I can't exactly pinpoint. And the throw was so strong! UGH.

 

10 minutes later:

 

30+ minutes later: This.. mellowed out nicely, actually. Not worth the nastiness to get here though.

 

The imp will definitely last me. I'm disappointed, I thought it would be so nice, as there's no real dealbreaker notes here for me. Oh well. More for people who love it!

[Dark Alice]

Okay...this is my second review of SC...except this is fresh!

 

In the imp: Vanilla, plum and coconut.

 

Drydown: Initially beautiful....a wonderful dance of vanilla, something that reminds of red musk and the fruitiness of the plum. HOWEVER....on the final drydown the coconut is starting to turn on me! Funky fake scented coconut. I hope to the heaven's above that this settles down with age...because I ordered 2 bottles of this @!#$%% because I fell in Love with it at WC....Don't fall out of love with me SC please!

[waternight]

Snake Charmer LIED to me. I read "Arabian musk" and never guessed that it was actually RED musk. Which just happens to be my number one nemesis note. I wanted Snake Charmer to be teh sexx0rs on me like it is on so many of you, but it just wasn't meant to be.

[Dianora]

I bought a bottle of the resurrected to see what all the hubbub was about. In the bottle, it smells sweet, like vanilla with something faintly buttery underneath. On my skin, the spices, vanilla and coconut start out smelling pretty good, but shortly into the drydown process I get nothing but burnt marshmallow. I was bewildered, and the first time I wore it I was away from home and didn't wash it off. Many hours later before bed, a sniff of the wrist revealed that the burnt mallow smell was going strong.

 

Thinking my skin chemistry was wonky, since I had tried Snake Oil for the first time around the same time and it had changed since then, I tested it again, weeks later. It was exactly the same even after settling from the shipment and I had to scrub it off because it was turning my stomach. I wanted this to be delicious and covet-worthy like it is on so many others, but it's off to the swaps to someone who will love it.

[MisterShrapnel]

The much fussed-over Snake Charmer... It's a bit like meeting a celebrity, isn't it? I'm so glad I can try this one!

This is based on the 2008 Resurrection.

The first thing I really think of is maybe Eat Me (vanilla and a bit of fruit), plus some of the spicy vanilla-patchouli that I enjoy so much in Snake Oil, and finished with a dusting of coconut. For some reason it smells slightly salty in the bottle... At times when I sniff, it bears more of a semblance to Mme. Moriarty (albeit more playful). It doesn't stick out a whole lot if I try to catch whiffs of it. However it seems to pervade the general vicinity; someone walked into the room that I had been sitting in for a while and said I made the room smell lovely.

I have a good feeling that this will get stronger as it ages. I haven't been knocked over by my first day with Snake Charmer (reminiscent of some other oils, only gentler and less "incense") but it feels like a blend that I will really take a liking to with time (many of my favorites so far have done that), and all of the notes are great! Since it's lighter and... cuter (?) than its sisters I have no worries wearing it anywhere during the day. Knowing this vein of olfactory bliss, I'll probably develop an unhealthy obsession over this as soon as it "ripens" and I can't get any more.

Even though I'm getting an extra bottle while I can, I wouldn't feel too much pain when I use it up, as there's Mme. Moriarty and, at the end, Snake Oil (which is heavenly in itself! I could wear it every day, really). Those who want less patchouli and more fruit would probably prefer this one, though.

And I LOVE the name of this one! I keep relishing it when I wear the oil.

 

ETA: I never did get back to this review, did I? This became one of my favorites EVER. I prefer it over Snake Oil (despite the initial similarities, they are indeed quite different) because I can wear it without having to age the hell out of it first. And it's perfect just about every day, any time of the year. D: Long-lasting and has great throw. This one made me break my hoarded backup limit. A lot.

Edited April 13, 2009 by MisterShrapnel

[starwild]

(This review is for the 2008 version.)

 

First, I want to quote my review of the original Snake Charmer:

 

 

Okay, so...I'm staunchly anti-coconut and vanilla. They just don't work on me. Vanilla turns to dime store french vanilla without fail and my skin amps it until I smell like a puddle of melted ice cream. I refused to try any BPAL with vanilla, excepting Perversion which was a frimp, and which I quickly got rid of anyway. I was content in my vanilla-shunning ways and accepting of the fact that I will never be able to handle a lot of BPAL scents because of the vanilla note.

 

Until a kind soul sent me a sniffie of Snake Charmer.

 

The spices and amber so overwhelm the vanilla that even my horrible chemistry can't amp it. It just adds a touch of soothing warmth to what is otherwise a holy-cow-sexy blend of richness.

 

If I could choose any scent for a revival, I do believe this one would be it. This blend, and this blend alone, is why I'm now dying to try Snake Oil, am giving Blood Kiss a go, and just got an imp of Mme. Moriarty. If Mme. Moriarty is like this but with patchouli, I will go crazy for it, but that's neither here nor there.

 

Snake Charmer: charms even the forum vanilla hater. This is a miracle. Beth, perhaps this can make a guest appearance in the next act of CD?

 

 

A year later, and thanks to SC, I am now totally unafraid of vanilla, benzoin, vanilla bean, orchid vanille, vanilla musk...you name it, I'll try it! *steps up to podium* Snake Charmer changed my life. *steps down*

 

I see people saying it's not doing it for them, and I say...don't knock it till it's aged.

 

The 2008 version IS much like Snake Oil/Mme. Moriarty, but that's because it's fresh. Personally I love the 2008 fresh version too! It's not as plasticy-Playdough as Snake Oil. However it's much more lightweight than the aged version. It's a lady who has only gotten half of her clothes on, and she isn't quite ready to go out yet. But when she is all dressed up, she will be STUNNING.

 

On me, SC 2008 is amberish, spicy vanilla--very brown and creamy white, with sparks of green and orange. This one does not have a ton of throw, but it does promise the same lasting strength. It's more subtle and while not sharp, doesn't have the depths of coconut and dark spice that develops when it's properly aged.

 

People are going to be kicking themselves (again) over this one in a couple years. Fortunately I bought four bottles, so I will not be one of them.

 

Five Stars, a Ten, a total

[kikithepirate]

Review of Snake Charmer: Resurrected

 

I have to disagree with the people who say this has nothing in common with Snake Oil - when it's wet, there is definitely the same note that makes Snake Oil smell like old medicine on me. HOWEVER, amazingly as the oil dries, that sharp smell goes away in Snake Charmer! Which is fantastic, because amber, vanilla, and coconut are some of my favorite notes. I don't really catch the plum here, and I think that it's the benzoin and/or resin that gives it that slightly medicinal smell. I can still catch it, but luckily it's covered by a sweet and musky scent - slightly floral, caused by the ambrette, I imagine.

 

It's certainly not my favorite BPAL ever, but I'm willing to give it a chance to age before I form a full opinion, as it's not terrible, either.

[Argentwolf]

This is for the resurrected blend:

 

I can see right away why this one is popular. It's dark and resinous, redolent with patchouli and spices and musk. I personally get a hell of a lot more 'incense' than 'vanilla' with this one, though I can also sense the vanilla; it wafts up every now and then in teasing little strokes, like a beckoning finger.

 

I'm probably going to really really really really really hate myself for not getting a bottle, because I have a feeling it's going to age REALLY well.

[Dymphna]

Um, so. I first tried Snake Charmer when some of the CN scents made a comeback in...2006? The musk reminded me a lot of the musk in Snake Oil, which I hate, so I gave it to my best friend, who loves Snake Oil. Blah blah, a couple of years go by, people remark often about the wonder that is Snake Charmer, I roll my eyes because I just don't see the appeal.

 

Then it was resurrected and I figured I should probably try it again because, while I still dislike Snake Oil, my tastes have changed, my skin chemistry has changed, and the only other blend with Arabian musk is my adored Anactoria. I asked my friend to let me try that decant and I liked it a lot but didn't love it. I ordered a bottle anyway. At first try, I still liked-not-loved it.

 

And then a switch got flipped somewhere in my brain and I fell in love and have been wearing Snake Charmer almost every day since. It's just...magic. It starts out a musky spiced plum--I still don't love this musk at first, and it doesn't smell at all like Anactoria, but it mellows almost immediately into something very sexy and not Snake Oily--then segues through a sort of vanilla/plum/incense scent, and ends up in a deeply sexy amber that doesn't go bad on my skin at ALL. When amber works on me, it smells a lot like a Revlon perfume I wore in middle school called Intimate (yeah, I was a weird kid) that was sexy, musky amber heaven. This is like that, but about a hundred times better. It is LOVE. I have four backup bottles on the way and I'd have ordered more if I could have afforded it.

[kjirstiben]

This oil goes on with the lovely spice and earthiness that I remember loving in Schwarzer Mond. As it dries down, the plum and some sweetness emerge and the earthy spices retreat to form a backdrop.

 

A few hours later, this is distinctly a plum and vanilla scent. Mmmm. It continues to get richer over time, rounding and deepening, and is at all times truly delicious.

 

Late in the day, some of the spiced character re-emerges, blending with the vanilla and plum to make the whole concoction even lovelier. Oh yes, I love this scent--I can see why it's so popular! (I can't wait to try it aged, too.)

 

This is a lovely scent with a long life. Interestingly, when I've put it in my hair, I get much less of the plum and vanilla sweetness and a lot more of the earthy spices. Still good, but a very different character overall.

 

Recaplet: Plum and vanilla deliciously layered over deep, earthy spices.

My rating: 5 of 5 (I LOVE IT!!!)

Color impression: Plum-toned maroon.

[milo]

This is the Resurrected version.

I get a lot of coconut, and spicy vanilla, and a touch of plum, silimar to the fruit in Hellion, though I can't remember if there was plum in that blend. This is also a very "smooth" blend, the name matches the oil very well, like an actual Snake Charmer seducing it's unwary victims. As a comparison to Snake Oil, there is definitely a similarity, but it stops there for me, like another cousin, perhaps. To me, Snake Oil is heavier, more suited to Fall/Winter, while SC would be nicer in the Spring/Summer with the lovely fruit vibe. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this, and glad that I have plenty of back-ups. As another note, it seems to fade faster than snake oil and the original SC that I have. Maybe it just needs a bit of aging.

Edited January 24, 2009 by milo

[veronicafranco]

gah. i am one of those people for whom most everyone else's ZOMG scents are either meh or bad.

i was soooo excited to get my resurrected snake charmer bottle! but atm all i can smell is a faint sweetness (coconut, vanilla, maybe the barest hint of the plum) and the musk, which smells like dark gray smoke and all but takes over the blend.

amber (my single favorite note)? fruit? labdanum? benzoin? you all normally smell so divine on me! where are you?!

 

right now, i am stubbornly going to keep it and see if a) it's a time of month thing that would improve in a few days, and/or b ) if drying for a long time / aging for longer than that will make this into the thing of great joy and beauty that everyone else seems to get.

for now, i'll go back to sniffing the rather spectacular eustephanos on my other wrist.

 

eta: yeah, ok, it's growing on me. a few weeks later, i do get the plum, coconut, vanilla, benzoin at times, occasionally the amber. i will age it and see. oddly, though i don't love it, i still just get the urge to wear it sometimes. also... i have this song stuck in my head quite a lot:

 

 

edit 2.0 - this is still growing on me. sometimes when the plum and coconut (who'd'a thunk i would like a coconut scent?) are really blooming, the amber is out to play, and i'm having a day that i feel like i can pull off the sexeh spiceh thing, i really actually have gotten fond of it. other times i regret that i can't wash it off more fully and put on something lighter, but we know how that goes.

 

also, i have been taken enough with this that i finally ordered an imp of snake oil. remarkable that some people don't find the two scents related/similar. they sure are for me. so far... heh... i like the charmer better than the (lab-fresh) snake. but we know how that often goes, too....

Edited March 5, 2009 by veronicafranco

[LizzyLies]

In the bottle:

I'm getting 'softer Mme. Moriarty.'

 

On the skin:

It's definitely got a decent throw going. With that said, for some reason it's making me think of a darker version of Ho Ho Ho! Er, asides from that, I'm getting mainly Arabian musk, maybe some vanilla, black plum, and benzoin in there, but mainly the musk.

 

Overall:

I'm always happy to have a bottle of a favorite LE of the forum and BPAL'ers in general, but at the moment, Snake Charmer Res. isn't doing much for me. Not to mention, I have Snake Oil, Mme. Moriarty, and Ho Ho Ho. I'll definitely be letting this one age for a little bit.

[AliBabble]

i hope it's ok to review the resurrected, if i've already reviewed the original....

 

i lost my original bottle of snake charmer recently, when my bag was stolen. i don't know what possessed me to carry the bottle with me, i had never travelled with it before. but i think i was reassured by the fact that the resurrected was around...anyway - i'm sad to say, i don't like this version as much. i hope that aging makes it smell like my lovely old aged version, we'll see. the new version is very much like snake oil, which i never liked. it is rougher around the edges - less soft, sweet and sensual than original SC...my nose is searching for coconut, but finding none, and the lovely powdery amber i used to get doesn't seem to be as present. in short, it seems less complex. i realize that aging it may help out a lot, but i seem to remember liking the old one right off the bat. i also preferred the old label, as this one is shiny, not matte, and has a big "resurrected" across it, and a different font. i guess i'm a picky old coot.