Snake Charmer

[Lucretia]

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.

Oooh.. Goodness! This was way worth the wait and the HOM mix up.
This smells divine!
Snake charmer never really worked on me, it was a bit too heavy. But this is just right. It's very close to snake charmer, with the vanilla and insence and a smell of baked goods and sex, but this is lighter and not cloying at all . I think maybe I can detect a hint of coconut, and a whiff of plum which is a tiny bit tart, but this is blended to perfection.
It's a warm, yummy, sexy, comfort scents, and I am keeping this one for sure.

[Belladonnastrap]

First Sniff

Aged Snake Oil with more Vanilla then you can count.

 

Wet

Oh the amber is really coming out now and fighting for dominance over the vanilla. THERE CAN BE ONLY ONE! Who shall win?!

 

Drydown

The plum roared in from third place, whupped the ass of both vanilla & amber and is standing on top of my skin screaming "HERE I AM WHORE! DON'T FORGET ABOUT MEE!" which is to say the plum (which almost never works on my skin) has come out in full force. It's lovely.

 

Aftermath

Oooooooooooooh. This one is a keeper.

[~AmusedMuse~]

My Impression:

This is the first of the Carnaval Noir scents I have had a chance to review.

I am totally blown away by its enticing amber and black cocconut. Not at all what I expected when I ordered it but truly one of my new favorites. A must have for any one who appreciates the spicy goodness in this one.

My scale of 1-5.....5

[tempete]

Snake Charmer was love at first sniff for me, a definite OMFG BPAL and the first LE that shot immediately and without hesitation into my Top Ten. Initially, I can detect whiffs of plum and coconut merging with the rich, smooth vanilla/tonka base. It dries down to the luscious base notes with the plum and coconut adding a touch of fruity, creamy sweetness. Snake Charmer is definitely reminiscent of Snake Oil, but is different enough on my skin (sweeter, more vanilla, less incense, musk and spiciness) to justify hording large vats of both

 

My only problem is that Snake Charmer doesn't have the throw and staying power of Snake Oil, so multiple bottles are a necessity for me. I have one bottle already, and have another one coming in a swap. I don't think that's enough - I think that I need to order more bottles before the Carnaval goes away so that I can slather myself in this scent with abandon!

[coulrophobe]

Because of all the comparisons to Snake Oil, I just had to do a side-by-side comparison. Usually when I do this, I discover how wrong I am (like when I thought The Lion, Brisingamen, and Blood Amber smelled similar - while they're all ambery, they sure don't smell that similar when you do an actual sniff test!).

 

Snake Charmer is very much like Snake Oil, but sweeter and more subtle, with the fruits coming into play. Sadly, it's not as long-lasting on my skin - but absolutely gorgeous, nonetheless. It's a soft yet sultry scent, and it suits the name perfectly.

 

I also have an imp of an experimental blend from Brumbjorn, and it's an even fruitier Snake Oil - I love the variations on a theme!

[Krista]

I can definitely see the Snake Oil comparison with this one. It's soft and pretty with a hint of amber and vanilla. I really like it but it's too similar to Snake Oil to warrant more than my imp.

[tesao]

in the bottle: warm amber and incense.

 

on my wrist, wet: when i first put it on, it reminded me of the dancing moon, which is the local "witchy" shop where i buy books and supplies. sort of incensy, smoky, sweet.

 

on my wrist, dry: after it settled a bit, it reminded me of Snake Oil but different...as if there was a fruit note that wasn't quite fruit...it was bordering on evil, and it danced around the way that i imagine a cobra would as the charmer played her flute, the snake undulating to the movement.

 

i admit that had me worried a bit, as fruit tends to amp way up on me and then go NASTY. but this didn't. it simply blended. the result: a dry down that is orgasmic. reminiscent of Snake Oil but sweeter. one that i actually like better. and that the mister liked, too!

[paperdoll]

Initial Sniff: A strange combination of Snake Oil and Venom in the bottle. Odd.

 

Wearing: This wears a lot like Snake Oil on me: spicy vanilla amber that goes slightly powdery. However, this is different somehow. It almost has an egde of tropical to it... Bombay meets Phuket, Marrakesh meets Fiji, or some other such nonsense. I can't put my finger on what exactly is different about it, but it is something... Anyway, I did experience a moment of plum - I was reaching for something and my wrist was briefly in front of my face, and I smelled a very strong plumminess. I took a closer sniff and it was gone! Strange, that.

 

Final Impressions: A twist on an old favorite, much like Tropical Skittles. Taste the rainbow, my friends. It is lovely.

[Em-]

This smells a lot like Snake Oil to me as well, but is a more complex blend and I like it considerably better than Snake Oil. The fruity notes really make this oil something that I will be likely to wear. It really is a very lovely, sexy blend.

[Reinaluna]

Snake Charmer: What else can I say but that this is another blend that is right up my ally! This is sweet, spicy, warm, exotic, sexy goodness. It is very similar to snake oil, more like its fraternal twin sister. I smell the musk, amber, vanilla, black plum and black coconut. It is very sexy. A definite keeper!

[vyvyan]

Well, this is lovely.

 

Snake Charmer dries down on my skin to a gorgeous, soft scent - I can pick up the vanilla and amber, so it's sweet, but not *too* sweet; the spices keep it nicely balanced. There may be a hint of plum lingering about the edges, but not much - I'm not usually a big fan of plum, so that's just about perfect, as far as I'm concerned. In my head, this is a goldy-bronze-y color with a hint of a dusky purple color. Definitely keeping this bottle!!

[Red_Hot_Mama]

Snake Charmer, my love, I'm so glad to finally find you once more!

 

Before you think, "OK, she's completely off her rocker." let me explain. Not quite a year ago, Kimmer sent me a particularly DIVINE blend that I promptly fell in lust with. I had to have more!

 

Alas, it was an experimental blend of Beth's from the LUSH Forum & not to be had anywhere. Kimmer, goddess that she is, decanted more of the yummy blend & sent it to me.

 

Imagine my surprise when I test Snake Charmer! This is it in all it's glory. That deep, rich, sexy smell.

 

The amber, musk & exotic spices are in the forefront. Next juicy black plum & vanilla/ambrette blend beautifully to intensify the lushness of this blend. (It makes me salivate, just thinnking about this!)

 

The black coconut is the last to make it's appearance.

 

Overall, if you can purchase only one CN scent before they are gone forever, Snake Charmer gets my vote!

 

Finally, I know from personal experience that this blend is magnificent when aged.

[blaqpearl]

I tried Snake Oil on Friday night for the first time, and really enjoyed it...as well as DH.

 

Well I got my bottle of Snake Charmer and these two are very related. SC is like SO nicer younger sister. I love it.

 

Vanilly goodness. I wish I did smell more coconut. But that is okay. I should be placing an order for another bottle. Maybe.

[Aharona]

At first I thought "This is very muck like Snake Oil!" but on the drydown I got strong figgy and vanilla notes and there was much more spice to Snake Charmer. After a while I got the coconut. It wasn't like a suntan lotion/fake coconut. It reminded me of fresh slices of raw coconut.

 

I adore this scent. I will be getting another bottle.

[sookster]

I am seriously in love with this CN scent and it is by far my absolute favorite!!

 

Upon application it is very deliciously incensey and ambery....works amazingly well with my chemistry....I get the teensiest hint of the black cocconut ...

Oh joy of joys, I have finally discovered a coconut scent that works on me

 

I can only imagine Snake Charmer to become one of the bpal perfumes that gets better with age....

 

Just wonderful!!!

[blueroses]

Yay - the coconut doesn't show up and turn funny on me!

 

On me, Snake Charmer is all amber and spices. The plum puts in an appearance early on and then slowly fades. Very nice - I'll be hanging on to my bottles.

 

ETA: Four months later, this has gotten even better. The plum note isn't as sharp as it used to be, and the incensey spices and amber feel more ... settled or something. Better blended. I wasn't impressed with Snake Oil that much when I tried it, but my aged Snake Charmer is so good that I'll be ordering a big bottle of Snake Oil.

Edited January 16, 2006 by blueroses

[emz83]

This on me is Snake Oil but with far more resin and incense (I adore Snake Oil)...I read somewhere that the 'amber' scent in Snake Oil is actually a vanilla bouquet or something similar. So if your skin is good with resins I think you'll like Snake Charmer; unfortunately it just goes to this wierd floral powdery scent with my chemistry.

[requieminblack]

First sniff from the bottle- Amber and patchouli maybe?

 

After 20 minutes- Warm spiced amber with an earthy patchouli undertone (the Arabian musk maybe?). I can actually feel this warm up where it is on my skin. This has the same vanilla in it as Snake Oil which didn't agree with me, but this is so well blended with all the other fabulous ingredients that this is distinctively different and much more exotic. I am not getting any plum in this, but I do detect a slight hint of black coconut. This is not the same coconut as in Spooky, this is a deep dark black toasted coconut. All in all this is fantastic!

 

Summery- On me, Snake Charmer is dominantly a dark spiced amber with a deep earthy-musky undertone and slight black coconut note at dry down. Definitely a winner.

[sophia_helix]

I've really got to stop trying oils without checking the description first. It makes the experience so much better...

 

In the bottle:

 

Almost straight Snake Oil, down to the "uh-oh" alcoholic scent, except there's a resinous incense whiff at the end.

 

Wet:

 

Oh, wait. Wow. Yum. None of the funky spices of Snake Oil. Instead I get that strong, spicy incense with a sweet, real-smelling vanilla. This is how I wanted Snake Oil to be, instead of with that weird alcohol thing that never quite worked for me. But it's early on, and I've learned...

 

Drydown:

 

Several hours later it's still there, though definitely faded. And it's been quite lovely. The throw is excellent, not overpowering but I kept getting whiffs. Never got any plum, though I did detect amber. I also went through a brief phase in which coconut was the topnote, which weirded me out at the time because I didn't know coconut was in the blend.

 

It's a beautifully balanced, sensual oil. I would want to wear it out for a date; whoever said it was the love child of Snake Oil and O was right. Spicier and more sophisticated than O, without the heavy qualities of Snake Oil -- now I just have to decide whether I can spring for two bottles tomorrow, and how I'll make the dab of oil I have left in the imp last!

 

Oh, and worry a little bit about the color, too. My ghost-white inner wrists have pale yellow smudges on them, which is too bad. My only qualm...

[bellis]

Ack. I don't think I like coconut on my skin. Other than that, this is very much like layering Snake Oil and O. Yummy. I'll probably end up handing this off to someone who can appreciate it more, though.

[cranberry]

Yum - Snake Charmer is amazing. I have to agree that SC is Snake Oil's younger, more innocent sister. When I first smelled this I thought Snake Oil lite and there was no difference. Wearing them side-by-side, you really get the fruity aspect of this as compared to Snake Oil's deep incense. Whiff of coconut and lots of amber.

 

Great throw, very long lasting.

 

I made 1 ml into a spay and it brings out the patchouli - which in the oil form is covered by the vanilla, amber and spices. In any form I love it and I'm so glad that I got a few extra bottles. I think it's going to age REALLY well.

[Lycanthrope]

I'm going to be really bad at this, because, well, this smells very much like Snake Oil to me, but... 'different,' which I hope to be able to get across. In general, I love this scent much more than Snake Oil, because the vanilla in SO turns to gauze on me.

 

In the vial, it's amazingly resinous, sweet and ambery, without any strong vanilla aroma which makes me quite happy. There's a hit of strong spiciness, the same kind of spices I love in Snake Oil that I have to fight the vanilla for to enjoy... But, there's definitely a darker, sharper and sweet coconut musk aroma in addition to all this (the 'ambrette' mixing with coconut?) that sets this apart from Snake Oil, in that it lends a sweet bite to the spicy, amber goodness.

 

The scent feels warm, sultry, and edible, and a tiny drop lasts forever.

 

I want more.

[fragrantgrasse]

With Snake Charmer on one arm and Snake Oil on the other I can tell the difference and I really love both these scents!

 

Snake Oil is deeper, richer and fuller than Snake Charmer & maybe it is all the vanilla (at one point I was convinced there was dribble of Dragon's Blood somewhere in Snake Oil!) which as other reviewers have mentioned is more like Snake Oil's little sister....or that's my interpretation.

 

Snake Charmer has a deep fruity note and I smell the plum and lots of lovely light spices mixing with coconut and labdanum giving it substance & weight...and i love the soulful ambrette which to my nose lends a sweet grounded-ness.....

 

I am so happy I ordered this one - it is a keeper and I am looking forward to wearing it as the days grow cooler and more autumnal.....yum.

 

Edited September 2, 2005 by fragrantgrasse

[madelf]

This is smokey and incense-y on me. The vanilla is a background note that makes this just a bit sweet, and the touch of black coconut that comes out gives this a bit of an exotic feel. The amber is really the most prominent note on me, which seems to be really hit or miss with my chemistry. Luckily it works in Snake Charmer.

[AliBabble]

damn, this is a good one. real sweet, warm and amber-y. the oil has a slight amber tint to it, which you can see on your skin - a reddish brown. and that is how the scent feels too - a warm, spicy, reddish-brown. it's nicely spicy at first, and sticks around all day, with a slow and gradual sweetening up...so the patchouli (if that's what it is), which is strong at first, gets less spicy as the vanilla and hint of coconut come in to play. it's very sensual, but in a totally comfortable way. could be addicting.