Saw-Scaled Viper

[MadameGorgon]

Snake Oil with cinnamon, cassia, and red ginger.

Thanks to Herb Girl for insisting that I try this.

I was happy with my plain SO and Boomslang. Then Herb Girl came along and sent me more of the Snake Pits. Thanks for helping me empty my bank account!

This is some ANGRY cinnamon. Almost harsh and burning. Like the cinnamon toothpicks I used to buy in middle school. Lip tingling! I assume it's Cassia that gives it the serious dryness. I'm not smelling Ginger but it may just be contributing to the heat.

I like cinnamon and this is STRONG cinnamon with THROW like crazy. But after 30 minutes or so, the cinnamon backs down and the vanilla and SO come forward. I do get tiny hints of the same soapiness that I got from Alice's Evidence, which is odd. The cassia does lend an almost watery cinnamon note. Don't know quite how to describe it, because it's certainly not aquatic.

Once the initial cinnamon heat blasts off, its a super sweet cinnamon/vanilla scent with some extra warmth from the SO which stays in the background. Why didn't the cinnamon/vanilla combo in Pickled Imp work this well?

[RhinestoneHousewife]

This is spice, spice and more spice and I love it. If you like cinnamon then you will probably like this. It's an intense oil that may cause irritation on some people. I like to layer this with something soft and creamy so smooth it out a bit.

[invisible iris]

In the bottle: Intensely hot cassia and red ginger. It’s a very red- and dry-smelling heat.

 

On skin: Still hot cassia and red ginger, but now cinnamon joins the fray and a hint of SO emerges. I feel a faint burn where I applied this, on my inner elbow, but it doesn’t last.

 

Dry: The spices have mellowed some, but not much. Saw-Scaled Viper is for serious spice lovers only. I get a very dry almost woody spice, you can sense the ground bark texture of the cassia and cinnamon. Cassia and red ginger are most prominent, with cinnamon in close third. It's a very heated and heating blend--it seems even to have an ayurvedic-like heating effect. (I’m testing this on my left arm, and Green Tree Viper on my right, and going between the two is like going between red hot fire and green leafy ice). Snake Oil fits right in as a base to these spicy top notes, as would be expected, but its vanillic sweetness is only barely detectable under the bitterly hot spices. Much later in the drydown (6 hours), it’s still going strong but the SO comes out more, and the effect is ground cinnamon/ginger spiced SO. Impressive throw, long lasting.

 

Verdict: Saw-Scaled Viper isn’t messing around. This is the spice blend I’ve been looking for. It’s spicier, hotter, and longer-lasting than the other cinnamon/ginger blends I’ve tested in the GC, and doesn't have any foody sweetness. It's amazing and I love it.

[DeCuvieri]

I bought Saw-Scaled Viper having never tried Snake Oil but told that it's similar to my beloved Vixen. Plus it has my favorite red ginger and cinnamon, so how could it go wrong? I bought a bottle unsniffed. I am so happy I did.

 

In Bottle: It's a blast of red ginger, which is harsh and nose-scrunching as straight-up ginger tends to be. The cassia hedges it a bit, but it's pretty much muscled out by the former. The entire compound is like a roar of red spice rage.

 

Wet: The previously undetected cinnamon bursts out onto the scene and the ginger morphs into the quieter scent that I've come to love. My guess is the notes of Snake Oil are what's tying these together, because I wouldn't think that they'd work in conjunction without something to help them mesh.

 

Dry: This is dry and gritty spice. As invisible iris described perfectly, you can really sense the ground bark texture of the various components. However the vanilla is mellowing things out significantly, and the ginger loses much of its bitterness. The end result is really enjoyable.

 

5+ Hours Later: Clinging to me is a vanilla-cinnamon combo that is neither too "burnt" smelling nor foody. The last remnants of ginger give it just enough bite to keep me from projecting "Holiday cookie!" as I usually do with cinnamon. This is what I was hoping for from Inferno and Chimera: A heated cinnamon dry-down with attitude, but with the faintest feminine touch. I am in love.

Edited July 24, 2011 by DeCuvieri

[WidgetAlley]

Swapped for this because I am a hyoooooooooooge ginger/cinnamon/cassia fan. Heavens willing this will be everything I hoped and dreamed!

 

Bottle: Mmm-hmm. Heavy, spicy, delicious deep ginger backed by cinnamon and the sweet spiced vanilla of Snake Oil. At this point it's very similar to Shub-Niggurath and Vixen. Smells good enough to eat without being too foody. Like sexy incense cookies!

 

Wet: A drier, dustier cinnamon, probably the cassia, comes up quickly with ginger close behind. This bottle is definitely aged because I can smell that sexy slinky Snake Oil back there too. There's almost a chocolately note in the back, I think it's that deep vanilla + cinnamon + cassia making a sort of spiced hot-chocolate scent. This one is actually making my skin tingle a bit where I applied it, which is super-rare for me!

 

Dry: Does what it says on the tin! This is Snake Oil with the spices of Shub or Vixen. There's something in here, however, that's lending it a note that reminds me of... soymilk? It's not a spoiler by any means, but I will have to deathmatch this, Vixen, and Shub and see which I like best, as there's really no call for all three.

Edited October 25, 2011 by WidgetAlley

[Monday]

In the bottle: this smells...stale or a bit musty, like cinnamon that has been lying around in a closet for years.

Wet: Seriously dry sweet cinnamon with maybe a tiny hint of ginger. I can't detect any Snake Oil yet which is too bad because this blend could really use some. It still has that musty smell underneath.

Based on the notes it should be a winner, oh well can't love them all.

 

Edit: ->lost in translation.

Edited January 31, 2012 by Monday

[AEris]

This starts off with a dry woody cinnamon spiciness. Intense!!! I'm going to let it dry down and see what happens when the spices calm down. Right now, I can't smell any snake oil spices or vanilla at all.

 

Later (30 min): I really am not liking the ginger. I can detect Snake Oil now but the ginger puts a sour edge on it that isn't working for me.

 

After an hour: Not my favorite scent. Reminds me of Shub or Gingerbread Poppet, but without the swirl of smoothness/sweetness that make those work on me. People hunting for a drier ginger/cinammon scent should die over SSV though!

[84trillion]

I can't believe I haven't reviewed this yet! Definitely one of my all-time favorite scents.

 

In the bottle: red, sweet, spicy - like red hots.

Wet on skin: sweet cinnamon and more RED - definitely a foody smell, but a weirdly sexy one.

Dry on skin: the spiciness has become sharper, the sweet more muted, and the snake oil bleeds in behind.

 

So absolutely amazing.

[Ordo_ad_Chao]

Wet, this goes on with an intense, almost scorchingly harsh ginger and woodiness.

 

as it dries, a dry- bark cinnamon comes to the forefront, mingled with the ginger. This is incredibly powerful, with a throw to the moon.

 

 

The longer it's on, the ginger fades to the back and it becomes a dry, woody, cinnamon type scent with an overlay of creamy vanilla.

 

Normally, the dry woody scents merge with my skin into something that can't be distinguished from my natural smell other than a warm glow added to it. This one remains stronger, and the throw is powerful. But as it wears down, the notes that were discrete blend together into a rich, creamy warmth. I like it- a lot.

[Atrous]

Oh boy is this one a slow morpher.

 

Really hated this scent at first. Bitter and angry - the spices are all very dry and intense. Wet on my skin, my nose was going into convulsions. half hour later and still the same story. I was mystified. All the notes should work on me. I was going to scrub it off but before I could I had a errand to run. About 3 hours later I started getting spicy whiffs of snake oil and remembered that I still had SS Viper on my wrist. When I went to take a sniff...WOOHOO! It had changed into a really lovely blend. The spices mellowed out quite a bit. Glad I didn't scrub this one off as I was going to swap it. Not anymore. This one's a keeper.

[poissonrogue]

This is one strong scent.

In the bottle it smells like cassia and cinnamon spiced blackstrap molasses. Or maybe a really strong cinnamon roll, without the butter. It's dry enough to avoid smelling overtly baked goodsy but not as dry as say Plunder.

Honestly, this scent is stomach turningly strong on me for the first hour or so. Not as in it has too strong a throw-just that it is a very straight, in your face scent.

After an hour or so it becomes much more mellow with just a hint of the snake oil coming out to balance things out. Wear is pretty average for me, around 4ish hours (I have dry skin so scent tends to wear off on me quickly).

I quite like this scent after the initial burst of spice. It's just too much at the beginning- and I'm someone who really likes spices. I'll be keeping this one for a while to see if it grows on me.

Edited April 20, 2013 by poissonrogue

[EricthoDesalamander]

Reading the reviews I assumed that Saw Scaled Viper would be a little bit sweeter, but its not. There is some sweetness there, but it is a very VERY DRY smell. Hot and dry, and very woody to my nose.

 

When I applied the oil, it stayed very dry, woody, and incredibly spicy. It seems as if my personal chemistry seems to intensify the cassia and ginger to the nth degree - it was all bite right up to the very end.

 

I am determined to work with it, as I think this would be absolutely beautiful layered with other scents - especially with vanilla.

[mermaidsdream]

When I put this on, I *immediately* picked up the ginger note. The cinnamon note comes out very soon after, overwhelming everything else. I love how this smells, warm and cozy, and ...

 

oh

 

oh no

 

nonononono

 

There's that burn, that itch & nasty burn I get with some of the lab's cinnamon/cassia notes. It starts where I applied it on my throat within minutes of application, and moves on to my wrists quickly after.

 

Damn it, I really wanted to keep this one, but the physical reaction is enough to have me add it to the "sell" pile :(

[mymymai]

ITB: Indonesian oil, red ginger, powdery cassia, and a touch of sugar. It's a little powdery in the bottle, but it's worth a try.

 

Wet: Powdery - cassia, cinnamon, and red ginger root (ground), with a hint of vanilla and Indonesian oil. It's certainly strong, but I think I'd like this better if the powdery aspect died down a little.

 

Dry: After 12 hours, the scent is less powdery, sweeter, and much more appealing in its blend of sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, ginger, and Indonesian oils.

[poofie]

Reading the reviews of SSV, I was more than a little scared, but I went with my gut and bought it from a lovely forum member. I am so, so glad I did! It's a little scary in the bottle, dry and super sharp ginger and cinnamon, and it's loud and hot when first applied, but it does down to a really sexy cinnamon-ginger-vanilla spice that I didn't consciously know I wanted. This is honestly the first scent that makes me feel sexy!

 

I put it on as soon as it came in the mail, and reapplied it after my bath I liked it so much, even mixing a drop with my lotion to wear it everywhere.

 

Be advised it did tingle a bit when applied to the back of my wrist; I'm not super sensitive to cinnamon so it may irritate your skin if cinnamon irritates you.

 

I'm already stalking the sales forum for a back up bottle.

[vanilla323]

This scent was just as described cinnamon, cassia, and ginger until the Snake Oil...I didn't get any in it. Or it must've been over shadowed by these stronger notes. The strongest being the ginger which was a bit too much really. I hoped the Snake Oil would foodie it up and add some vanilla but no. If you love the other three notes and especially ginger then get this little snakey. But for me it was too much heat and not enough sweet.

[boomtownrat]

I'm shocked that I didn't review this years ago. Saw-Scaled Viper was one of my first rare BPALs, a gift from a friend who had decided not to keep it. By the time I got the bottle it was already a few years old, so I have no idea what it smells like when it's fresh. (I'm about to find out, when I get my order of the new version! Eeee!)

 

Saw-Scaled Viper smelled just like sexy cinnamon cookies when I first got the bottle. It still does four years later, only more so. I get a picture of Snickerdoodles that are heavy on the cinnamon. Cinnamon and cassia are always loud on my skin, which is just how I like it, but the vanilla of the Snake Oil binds it to the red ginger and all the other spices so well that nothing really dominates. It's comforting and feels like how I was meant to smell.

 

As much as I adore Snake Oil, I would choose Saw-Scaled Viper over it if I could only wear one for the rest of my days. I could wear it constantly if I hadn't been hoarding it.

[GoddesShel]

2016 version:

 

This was the one I tried first, because I was apprehensive about the possible skin irritation. Nope, I'm all good!

 

Out of the bottle and wet on my skin - pure cinnamon red hots candy. After about 15 minutes, I start getting the ginger, and also get whiffs of something deeper and more complex behind the spice. I'm betting this ages into something really spectacular.

[Nyx_DevineNight]

2016 Version

In The Bottle: Snake Oil and cinnamon. So soft and warm.

Wet: I can smell everything, the Snake Oil, cinnamon, cassia, and red ginger. Its so soft and warm. The spices don’t overpower the Snake Oil and it all seems to be pretty well blended together. Its like all these notes were meant to be together! (It reminds me of something, but I can't thing of it.)

Dry: This stays the same on me through both stages. And OMG! I am in love with this scent. I love everything about this. A wonderful, soft, warmly spiced Snake Oil.

I will definitely be getting more of this, much more! I can't wait to see how it ages!!!

[Elspethdixon]

2016 version.

 

I've never smelled the old version of any of the snakes, so I'm coming at this a snake pit virgin. Snake Oil on its own was not really my thing when I tried it a couple years ago (I should probably retest an imp now that I have more experience with BPAL, but my fear of patchouli stays my hand), but the snake pit is so beloved that I knew I had to try decants of them when they came back around. Since I adore cinnamon and am pretty sure I amp it at least some of the time, I decided to start with Saw-Scaled Viper on the theory that the cinnamon would drown out any potential patchouli cooties.

 

In the imp - I can smell the cinnamon the moment I got the lid off. Lots of cinnamon, backed by a sweetness that reminds me a little of Bengal's spiced honey (which could be either very good because I love the way Bengal smells, or very bad, because Bengal gave me raised red welts wherever it touched my skin).

 

Wet - delicious buttery cinnamon baked goods - Boomtownrat's "sexy cinnamon cookies" is the perfect description. I immediately slathered it all over my wrists/forearms and chest, and am either going to be very delicious, or very sorry.

 

Dry - fifteen minutes in, and there are no welts, redness, or stinging/tingling. Another cinnamon-heavy blend that doesn't irritate my skin! Rejoice! (Thus far the list consists of Saw-Scaled Viper and Chimera). Unfortunately, the delicious sexy cinnamon cookies have turned into pure cinnamon red hots. I smell less like cinnamon baked goods and more like a craft store cinnamon broom. I *like* craft store cinnamon brooms, but I have other perfumes that already make me smell that way.

 

Then I went out with friends, forgot to keep checking my wrists, and didn't remember until hours later when the perfume was basically gone. I'll have to retest Saw-Scaled Viper again in hopes that the sexy cookies come back at some point during the dry down.

[aiobhan]

BOTTLE: Cinnamon!!!

 

ON SKIN: Cinnamon!!! But also some ginger.

 

AFTER A FEW HOURS: Now it's warmed into smelling more like the actual description: Snake Oil with cinnamon, cassia, and red ginger. it's a touch sweet, very spicy, but not overwhelming.

[theredkilt]

In the bottle: Hot Tamale candy, not the burning kind.

 

Skin: the oil doesn't sting a bit, but as it fades, it turns powdery and plastic. No sign of SO yet.

 

I think this oil needs some serious aging.

[Casablanca]

2016

 

Bottle: Cinnamon-cassia, ginger, and Snake Oil. I also get a sense of something sweetly resinous, like myrrh.

Wet: The above spices, with the ginger stronger now -- however I don't smell the Snake Oil right off the bat on my skin. The sweet resin impression is still there for me underneath -- this also reminds me a bit of snickerdoodle cookies, if they were made of more cinnamon than anything else. The cinnamon, she is mighty.

Dry: This is mainly cinnamon now, with the other spices as support. Nothing else stands out. On the plus, I've had no skin irritation from it. A few hours later it's mostly a dustier spicy cinnamon.

[VioletChaos]

2016 version.

 

In The Bottle: Whoa, cassia! I *adore* the cassia note and that was the reason I took a chance on this bottle. It comes on strong, and that's how I like it!

 

Wet On Skin: Still the primary note, tiny bits of Snake Oil are coming in at the edges and it's pretty great.

 

Dry Down: If the cinnamon and ginger are present in this at all on me, it's just in a faint support of the cassia. The cassia by far remains the dominant note. I expect that the Snack Oil will make something of a comeback, once this has had a chance to age, but honestly, even if it stays as-is, I will be totally happy to have this sweet, spicy bottle. <3

[FeralFae]

2016 version

After reading some reviews here I was scared, even as a spice lover, that this would be -too much- but SSV didn't strike me as too spicy or burning like I was fearing. Smelling it on the bottle, it's all dry, sweet cinnamon. I get the ground bark aspect of it, but the snake oil is missing both wet and in the bottle.

 

After a few hours the cinnamon and the ginger start to mellow out a little and more of the Snake Oil comes out, making the whole thing smell like sweet cinnamon cookies

 

I honestly don't know if I prefer the initial blast of spices or the mellowed out, sweet throw after a few hours. I couldn't choose! Either way I've been wearing this every other day because I simply cannot go without it anymore. It makes me feel badass but it's such a comfort scent as well and if anyone ever asks me what I'm wearing it has such a perfect name??

Saw Scaled Viper, I love you and you're going to be my forever smell <3

 

(Also, I feel like this and Alan McMichael are sister scents, with Alan being a bit drier and less sweet and SSV more complex and foodie.)