Green Tree Viper

[Elizabethm]

Snake Oil with four mints, bergamot, and green tea.

Mmm my first bpal that I want multiple bottles of! And that totally suprises me because I thought I was just a strictly floral girl.

Goes on wet super minty. It's nice.. I like it lots.. then it gets better

About an hour later I smell like the most incredible vanilla with green tea mixed into it.. lickable.. I had my nose buried against my arm for 10 minutes just sniffing while I was watching a movie. And it's lasted hours and keeps getting creamier and I get the mint still but it's not the overwhelming mint of the wet stage.

Very very yummy. Definitely going to get a second bottle of this in my next order. I can see this almost as a signature scent.

[alicia_stardust]

GREEN TREE VIPER

This is very minty. It has a very clean, cool, and fresh smell to it. The mint is very dominant but it's softened by the Snake Oil. It comes across as a very "green" mint rather than icy or sinus-clearing. Underneath the mint I can detect the tea and the vanilla and musks from the Snake Oil. I like this one a lot more than I expected to!

[naeelah]

I never thought I'd be a big fan of minty scents, and when I got a bottle of this for a decant circle, I figure it'd be one I could pass on without a second thought.

 

WRONG! It turns out, I love mint, in some cases. I think that the reason I shy away from it is that it creates a very sharp, dry scent, and I don't generally wear scents like that.

 

But when you pair it with snake oil, it's a delicious contrast of sharp and bright against rich and sultry. Snake Oil is very sultry, so it's great for summer, to me -- you already feel sticky and hot (at least, you do in the south), so why not put on a perfume that won't clash with that feeling? Add mint, and you can both join the heat and beat it at the same time. LOVE.

 

Although there are green tea and bergamot in this, I never really pick them out. They just seem to support the mint and aid in the overall bright quality. The brightness never overpowers the snake oil, though. Of course, those are notes that evaporate very quickly.

 

As my decant has aged, I haven't noticed a big change in the scent. Just the usual changes to the Snake Oil component. So, of course, the overall scent becomes a bit richer and creamier. The growing creaminess of snake oil's vanilla blends really well with the mint.

[Fright]

I love Snake Oil. I love mint smells. This was the perfect combination for me. I almost wet myself when I put it on. It's cool on the skin. It's very minty and vanilla-y on me. It's sooo lovely. It doesn't last very long, sadly. Not near the stay-power that Saw Scaled Viper has, but still, sooo lovely. Soft, and faint.

[Styx]

Green Tree Viper (deep yellow oil)

 

Decant: Smells like the creamy green bits in mint chocolate.

 

Skin: Wow, the mint whacks you on the head! It doesn't smell as foodie as it did in the imp.

Its very cool and bright, almost cold, but there is a certain creaminess to it where the vanilla lies.

The mint dies down in an hour or so, and I am left with a very soft, smooth scent that makes me imagine a cream green colour.

I didn't get that much vanilla residue like I got in Temple Viper.

 

medium weight, middle pitch, all year round scent

[Torrain]

Starts out smelling like chocolate mint without the chocolate, which is a really neat trick.

 

5 min: slightly tangier and drier.

 

20 min: rich and sweet, not floral but an overall sense of something green and growing. So good. I'm guessing this is the Snake Oil (oils and sweet vanilla) coming out; I hope I don't loose the green.

 

45 min: the green is very faint; there's still a hint of freshness in the scent, but not much.

 

1 hr: faint hints of something green and dry over the oils and vanilla—it's probably just the bergamot and green tea, as the mint seems to have packed its bags and fled for parts unknown. *Dammit*. Oh well, I suppose I will be stuck with a generically lovely scent, rather than a mintily lovely scent.

 

Love and coffee,

Frances

[Lirion]

I love mint, I have to try anything with mint. I'm addicted. So, I really wanted to love this scent, it seemed perfect for me. Unfortunately on my skin it smells as though I have marinated in toothpaste

 

It's the sickly spearminty smell on me, rather than the gorgeous so cold it buts menthol I love.

 

Luckily it's also a short lasting scent on me, however when the mint burns off it seems to take everything with it, with jsut some faint lingering vanilla spice right up close. Damn all round really.

 

I've got other mint scents that do work, just not this one

[mspixieears]

Another Snake that I’m sceptical about because it contains mint, however, it’s much nicer than I thought it would be and has excellent throw. It actually reminds me of something else I’ve smelt before – the chocolate mint plant at my parents’ place. I don’t get any of the bergamot or green tea but I would expect the mint to overpower that anyway. A while later the mint fades and it smells like Snake Oil proper again.

[Akurarei]

Green Tree Viper

 

In the Bottle:

Snake Oil + Monster Bait: Tokyo Stomp

 

On my Skin, Wet:

Snake Oil spiciness and a huge amount of vanilla.

I can also smell the mint - it's definitely the same exact mint used in MB:TS

I cannot smell the green tea at all - and I cannot tell if I detect bergamot or not.

 

On my Skin, Dry:

Still very Snake Oily & MB:TS.

The vanilla is still pretty strong over the spices & mint though.

also, I seem to just absorb Green Tree Viper - so it's almost indistinguishable on me...so faint I have to remember that I actually applied it!

 

Verdict:

As a scent, this ranks 8 of 10.

because of it's lack of longevity, I must knock it down a few points to a 4 of 10.

so.....overall it's a

6 of 10 ranking.

Edited December 31, 2007 by Akurarei

[merovin]

In the bottle:

Spearmint Gum, which unfortunately, I'm not a huge fan of.

 

Wet on Skin:

Thin mint cookies and the slightest hint of green tea. Refreshing, but somehow not very me. A little too sweet. Probably a swapper.

 

After an Hour:

Vanilla and soft green tea. No trace of mint at all. Lovely.

 

Rating:

3.5 of 5

 

Went from a medium throw to a weak throw fairly quickly (and as the scent improved ) , but is still detectable to me after about 8 hours.

 

This isn't the scent I was expecting, but I'm new to BPAL and still learning what notes work on my skin. It is subtle and sweet, and more... innocent than I normally like. I was going to swap this scent, but it grew on me as it aged. I'll probably never buy a 5ml, but I'll try to keep a decant around.

[crimescenecleanup]

I just bought a bottle of this, aged one year, off of a forumite.

 

In the bottle it smells strongly of BPALs sharp green tea note.

 

On the skin, it's by far the most "medicinal" of all of the BPAL herbal blends I've tried.

I immediately thought "herbal cough drops and Vick's VapoRub!" - with just a hint of syrupy, smoky Snake Oil vanilla that warms and gradually takes over.

 

It's beautifully blended, but you can still discern individual notes. I expected this to have a strong, cold peppermint or wintermint note.

 

Instead I get a very strong, musty horehound, just like horehound pastilles, and the pennyroyal note from BPAL's "Pain" without the sharpness of lavender. On its own, as a compliment to the horehound, the pennyroyal is very mellow and smells like the dried tea sachets. There's also a strong and bitter menthol note in the background, and a hint of fresh spearmint. That's my guess for the four mints, anyway.

 

After a few minutes the Snake Oil really comes to the forefront, but stays creamy and light, and a sweet, oily bergamot creeps into the mix, while the four mints stay strong all the way through.

 

There's a lingering bitter note in this too, that might just be the smoky note from snake oil and the green tea note coming together, that reminds me of an ashtray. It's not unpleasant, just unexpected, because from the all the herbal greenery and the fruity bergamot and the vanilla make me think this will turn into a sweet blend. It never does - there's something musty and earthy and ashen about it, underneath that delicious Snake oil and mint.

 

I like it a lot.

 

Six hours later it's still going strong in the scent locket and on my hair, but it's barely noticeable on skin.

 

For those who like visual descriptions of scents, this makes me think of a cold, misty meadow early in the morning. It's a dark green, shifting scent. It also make think of old-fashioned apothecary shops - probably because of the horehound and menthol.

 

Overall, a really unique blend, and one I never would have expected to find. Brilliant!

Edited January 25, 2008 by crimescenecleanup

[Salendire]

Green Tree viper (please be kind, this is my first review ever!)

 

Bottle: Mint with vanilla and spice, well rounded.

 

Wet: The mint is sharper now, with the vanilla and spice hanging around in the background.

 

Dry down: Mint has calmed down a bit, it's becoming warmer and rounded again.

 

Dry: Mint is gone But what's left is rather lovely, almost has a grown up candy feel to it. I'm having a hard time picking out single notes. But this is creamy and has a slight sweet edge, very very sniffable.

 

Conclusion: Well, i think it's lovely, i like all of the stages for different reasons. I've never actually worn snake oil before, but i got two bottles in the order i got today (SQUEEE). I think it is a lovely rounded scent and it has potential wearablility in summer (for the cool mint) and winter (for the creamy goodness). I believe i shall be investing in more bottles. The throw doesn't seem huge at the moment, but i did not put much on. I will ETA a note on staying power later today.

 

So far these baby gets a 4 out of 5 star approval! Not perfect but really really nice. Multiple bottle purchasing will ensue!

[semuelle77]

Green Tree Viper was my first mint scent. I was not sure what to expect. I did not want to end up smelling like menthol all day. (It would constantly remind me of sore muscles.) Luckily, I did not get that vibe at all from this scent.

 

I received an imp of this little green guy very recently from a BPALer who had run a decant circle. I have a feeling the imp has aged a bit since it was first purchased. The mint was mellow, not overwhelming at all. Rich, creamy. I am thinking the Snake Oil is making a strong presence. (I have yet to try straight up SO.) There is a depth and spiciness comingled with the mint. It reminds me of this Mint Chai that I get at my local tea house. Yum!

 

After a couple of hours the mint completely dissapears. If what remains is true SO, then I need a huge bottle, PRONTO!

 

I like this scent. Very much. I think I need to try Snake Oil before I decide to puchase a bottle of Green Tree. If the mint truly did disappear, than I would just stick with SO. If the end product (dried down) smells unique, then I will definitely be purchasing a bottle before the Carnival leaves town.

[gchris]

In Vial:Dark mint, I think it is the bergamot pulling it down.

 

Wet: Sickly sweet. The mint is just a hint in the background. The other notes are so heavy that they keep the mint from being refreshing.

 

Drydown: This smells like mint tea with too much sweetner and the hint of perfume. :

[hkhm]

bottle: mint! i'm sure there are other notes here but... mint!

 

wet: oh wow! this is mint, with a sweet, light bergamot chaser. i.am.in.love.

 

dry: the mint and bergamot are almost perfectly balanced and i can just barely smell the tea. really quite beautiful. and minty!

[suileach]

Oh, ew ew ew ew ew ew ew. Oh god, this smells like medicine. It smells like penicillin. I am wary of mint scents that include notes like vanilla, chocolate or anything else sweet, because the combination frequently makes me feel physically ill. I think this scent has finally helped me figure out why - it's because, to my nose, they smell like chalky, bitter, liquid medicine.

 

[Iceblink]

Mint with that sharp fresh Snake Pit base underneath...more of an herbal mint than the candy mint of the Lick It oils. No matter what the mint it disappears on me faster than you can say "What's that smell?", though. An hour later and this has a faint drydown of sweet green tea. It'd be nice if it stuck around longer.

[SarahScent44]

In the imp, this is strongly, sweetly minty with a touch of vanilla.

 

On my skin, it's minty, sure, but complex - there's vanilla, and a hint of tea.

 

Once it dries, the Indonesian oils from Snake Oil are definitely walking hand-in-hand with the mint - too strong for me.

[scarletgenesis]

In the decant, it's very fresh mint.

 

Once on, the Snake Oil comes out, but it merges with the mint to make an herbal-mint-vanilla loveliness. I hope the mint stays after a while, because it adds a lighter dimension to the Snake Oil that I really love.

 

This sort of mellows out the 'dirtiness' of the Snake Oil (which I like, but this is a wonderful alternative).

 

I'm not sure how many Snake Oil blends I need, but this is at the top of the list, of those I don't have bottles of yet. The Snake Pit loves me!

[voodoocatwoman]

In the imp: Minty goodness- I agree with the description of Thin Mints

 

Wet: More mint, cool, not icy.

 

Dry: WTF? I smell like Mentholatum now. NOT GOOD. My skin took this delightful fragrance and turned it very medicine-y. It is the scent of those Vicks Nostril thingies that open your sinuses. If I want to go home sick from work, THIS is what I need to wear. I smell like illness.

Edited March 27, 2008 by voodoocatwoman

[arabella]

First Impression: Vanilla Mint.

 

Dries down to: Doesn't change at all on me.

 

Additional Comments: I never get the green tea or bergamot notes specifically. I'm not a big fan of mint but there are times when nothing else will do. This blend is made for those times. It's like an olfactory grasshopper cocktail. I think it will make a great room scent - especially, in summer.

 

Lasted: About an hour or so.

 

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

 

 

Comment on the Snake Pit series as a whole. For some reason, unlike Snake Oil itself, none of the series had much staying power on me. If it had, each one would have been rated at least one point higher.

[theseagrows]

the snake pit just continues to impress me! i have liked nearly all of them, and originally only wanted to try a handful. green tree viper is no different. at first it's a strong, sugary mint on my skin. once it soaks in a bit it becomes this beautiful sugary mint tea. so beautiful! i must definitely get a bottle of this!

[iiinterstate]

I'm dead set on trying all of the Snake Pit blends, and i thought Green Tree Viper seemed especially promising... Minty SO? Sounds great!

 

 

Wet:Medicinal mint with a hint of snake oil.

 

After awhile: less minty, more snake oil, but the medicine smell still sticks around. Not the vanilla mint I was hoping for.

 

A few hours later: Just snake oil left now. Nice, but I've already got a bottle of SO.

 

 

I'm tempted to keep this around and let it age and see what i get, but after reading the reviews on some aged bottles, it might not be worthwhile. Looks like this snake is off to swaps and sales.

[lainevierge]

I think mint might be a dealbreaker for me because it's ruined more than one blend. Also, I always think I'll go crazy for tea scents and then they usually turn on me. So you can guess how this one turned out. I swapped it away pretty quickly.

[alsatia]

Expectations: This could go well, or could go very badly. I love Snake Oil. I love bergamot. I don't particularly like green tea, and mints usually are a disaster on me. The smell is sometimes ok, but they often make my skin unpleasantly tingly.

 

In vial: Super minty, with a slightly musty tea smell. The mint is predominantly wintergreen, I think.

 

On skin, wet: All mint. It's clearing my sinuses pretty well.

 

On skin, dry: I got a phone call and missed the immediately dried state, but after 15 minutes it's still entirely mint. Now I smell more peppermint than anything else.

 

After time: After 30 minutes, still mint. The only other note I ever smelled was the green tea, and it disappeared as soon as the oil hit my skin.

 

Conclusion: I might have thought Snake Oil plus mint was nice, but there is not a trace of Snake Oil in this. The only bright side is that my skin isn't tingling. Apparently it might get better with aging, but I'm not sure if I want to bother with that.