Death Adder

[SultryWolf]

Snake Oil with vetiver, black coconut, vanilla, and opoponax.

in the decant: Coconut, and something orangey (? yeah, I know!)
on: Mostly coconut, over Snake Oil.

[lookingglass]

Ooooh, yeah....you are not going to be seeing this one on my swaps page! If you like Snake Oil, Perversion, and/or Blood Kiss, this is for you. It is dirty, sweet and so sexy. Yum.

[Tesseljoan]

O Yessssssss.... This one will become a staple like Snake Oil. The Vetiver makes the Snake Oil darker and deeper, the coconut gives it a ridiculously sweet touch. Liek someone above me said, if you like Snake Oil and/or Perversion, you will like this one.

[Teggy]

Hmm...I do like this! It is mostly black coconut + snake oil. I wish it was a fresh coconut, but overall it's a nice, slightly warmer/softer twist on Snake Oil. It's almost a little more gender neutral. This will be great for those days when I can't decide what to wear.

[asciident]

Wet: Strong, incensey vetiver. Very earthy.

 

First on: Snake Oil is popping out! And I think it may be helped along by the extra vanilla in the blend. So far, I'm indifferent. If it smells just like Snake Oil, it'll end up in the undecided pile along with it.

 

Dry: Huh. The extra vanilla and maybe the coconut in this toned down everything I wasn't sure I liked in Snake Oil and made this intensely sweet in the dry-down. Just a sweet, sugary vanilla blend. Have to wait for the dry down to get it, but boy is it worth it! It's almost like a vanilla single note for me.

[djuna]

I'm not sure that I know enough yet to be posting a good review, but I'm in love with Death Adder.

In the imp it's sweet and dark, I'm guessing that what I'm getting is the opoponax and the Snake Oil.

Wet, and during drydown, there's definitely a bit of green here--must be the vetiver, and I'm quite relieved that I like it, after reading so many negative reviews of vetiver--it's a herbal sort of green, and not too in-your-face.

Dry, there's a brief moment of pure Snake Oil, very sweet, and then the vanilla and coconut come forward, but it's definitely not a suntan-lotion kind of coconut--everything blends beautifully, it's a very dark scent, and I'm absolutely sure I smell like the best sex anyone's ever had

This lasts for hours, and just gets better, and dirtier, and I must start buying bottles of it immediately.

[bombus]

My first thought when I put it on was an evening on a beach with a fire going, after spending the day in the sun. There is a slight sun tan lotion smell that is mellowed my the smoky note, which I am assuming is the opoponax. I must like it as I can’t keep my nose of my wrist for long. It is a bit on the masculine side, but that doesn’t bother me at all, this will be going on my wish list.

 

ADDED 6/7/08:

 

mmmm…coconut. Vetiver doesn’t always work on me but it is in this one. The added vanilla makes the snake oil come out much more that the other snake pits. It is pretty yummy.

[roesmoker]

I wanted to like DA so much, and I'm in search of the perfect coconut blend, but the vetiver just ruined it for me. I got about 4 hours of scary, blasting single-note vetiver (which on me expresses itself as herbal/medicinal/grass) and then 2 hours of faint metallic coconut.

Edited March 25, 2007 by roesmoker

[Aredhel]

Rating (on skin): 1/5

Summarised in a few words/smilie: Vetiver.

 

In the imp: Deep, smokey vetiver, and opoponax.

 

On skin, wet: Very, very earthy, dark Snake Oil. I really wish the vanilla and coconut were stronger.

 

On skin, dry: Alas, it's all thick, wafting vetiver now, nothing more, nothing less. Nary a trace of the vanilla, coconut, nor sugared spice of the original Snake Oil.

 

Conclusion: I don't dig vetiver on myself. It can smell fantastic on others, but my skin does unspeakable things to it, and Death Adder is proof of that, indeed.

[PurringPulsar]

Death Adder

 

In the imp: sweetened vetiver. Very heavy vetiver…but with a hint of creamy vanilla.

Wet on skin: mmm, this is actually not the evil Malediction vetiver, but a nutty, sweet variety, improved by vanilla (not Snake Oil yet) and made nuttier by coconut.

Dry: oh wow. This scent reminds me of Reunion Island! Vetiver and vanilla, with a hint of tropical coconut, bring back pleasant memories of holidays there. This is a strong vetiver but I really like it-it smells gritty and nutty and dark, but the vanilla and coconut prevent it from smelling too moody. There’s even that lemony tinge that vetiver sometimes has…but this reminds me of some table mats that my mum brought back from Reunion made from vetiver grass, with Bourbon vanilla pods and coconut sweets.

After a while: hey, what’s happened to the vetiver? it’s now gone…and what I’m left with is a wonderful sweet and dry yet creamy vanilla-coconut. Hints of opoponax, maybe a little of the Snake Oil too, add a lovely depth and darkness to what would otherwise be a sweet, light, almost fluffy scent, but it’s mainly a summery vanilla-coconut scent. I love this.

It becomes even sweeter and creamier, like a delicious coconut sweet, but the vetiver adds grit and a down to earth base to what could easily be an almost innocent candied coconut scent. Snake Oil slithers underneath it all with its musky rich depth. It still reminds me of Reunion though.

Then, after a few hours the vetiver really does make a comeback at the very end of the scent. dark and a little bit metallic, this slightly sinister note smells slightly tar-like at this point as well, but fringed with the sweetness of Snaky vanilla. No longer the pleasant coconut on a tropical island scent I got before, now the vetiver is starting to show off. It’s not as evil as some vetiver notes can be though, but I think this one will stick around for a day or two…

Verdict: this was a lovely surprise. I was a little worried when I saw that many reviews mentioned heavy vetiver, and yes the vetiver in here is strong stuff that lingers for ages, but I really like this one. What I love most about this Snake is the happy thoughts it brings up of my beloved Reunion Island, where I have spent many wonderful holidays as a child…vanilla and vetiver are scents associated with the island, and they are dominant here, and with the addition of tropical coconut, it just smells even more like an exotic island holiday. It is actually surprisingly light for the first few hours of wear-a cheerful, summery and fluffy vanilla-coconut with just bare hints of vetiver to ground it all…surely too sweet and innocent to deserve a name like Death Adder? Not so. Eventually it’s darker undertones rise up and the vetiver once again is in charge. It’s one of the nicer strong vetiver notes, but there is something a little bit tar-like to it, which I’m not sure about…though the Snake Oil does show up as well at this point. I do love this scent a lot more than I expected to though so I will definitely get a bottle or two of this scent.

Emoticon rating:

Is it a keeper? Yes! Usually vetiver is too much but this evokes good memories and I love it.

If you like this, try: Van Van, The Music of Erich Zahn, Great He Goat, Blood Kiss, Czernobog, Snake Oil

[AutumnQueen]

Oh, this is wonderful. I'm addicted to Snake Charmer, and I think that Death Adder might be the perfect successor to my precious. It's earthy and sweet and dark and delicious, just the way that Snake Charmer is on my skin. I am DEFINITELY going to have to get a bottle of this.

[moon_lemming]

I entered the Snake Pit warily, as I seem to be one of those rare beasts on whom Snake Oil doesn't work, not one bit.

 

The vetiver in Death Adder stuck out on my skin at first, but faded back after about ten minutes. What's left is a slightly damp-smelling black coconut blended with a light version of Snake Oil. It's not bad, but it isn't really me, either.

[Naamah_Darling]

This blend is meaner than hell. The vetiver hisses right out of the bottle, followed by the rough crystals of opoponax. Vanilla? Coconut? Maybe faintly in the background, but mostly this is just plain fierce.

 

It does smell of Snake Oil, underneath the vetiver. It's very nice, actually, once you pass the initial vetiver blast, which is powerful.

 

At first on the skin it's sour, sharp. Like cut grass, bitter. It settles a little, smells of Snake Oil plus this razor, keening edge. It's pretty, but not really friendly at all. If Snake Oil is comfortable as a well-loved boot, this is finding a snake in that boot.

 

The drydown is more sedate, almost loveable, but it keeps that fine vetiver tooth.

[phedre]

In bottle: heavy on the vetiver. A touch of opoponax.

 

Wet: Argh! Vetiver is my nemesis. It hates me. This has turned to burnt rubber on my skin.

 

Drydown: smoke, like hickory chips. There's a hint of coconut here, but ick, definitely does not work on me.

[supremegoddessofall]

In bottle: Snake oil plus suntan lotion.

 

On me: Lots of coconut and opoponax. Barely getting the snake oil.

[lyricalwaters]

In the bottle: The first whiff is really sweet, but then something MUCH stronger takes over. My guess is... vetiver. Very herby, almost pine, but with more of a bite. And then that's pretty much ALL I smell, except for a slight background of spice which I assume is the snake oil.

 

Wet: A little sweeter again... maybe that's the coconut? Yay!

 

Dry: Nope, coconut's gone. The initial bite of the vetiver is much softer, though. Still, I think it's far too masculine for my tastes. I think I'd like it a lot on a boy though.

 

Later: Boy does this one linger! I couldn't get rid of it even when I tried!

[steffanina]

Death Adder-

 

In Bottle: Ooh, dry and bitter like a desert. And I mean that in a good way.

 

Wet: The coconut and the vetiver complement each other beautifully! That tiny hint of sweet-and-dry.

 

Dry: I LOVE this. Dry and coconut-yummy and so very, very interesting. A little masculine but I'd much rather wear it on myself than smell it on a guy. What a beautiful blend of dry-and-sweet.

 

Overall: I love.

[fountaingrl]

Oh dear. From all of the reviews I read I figured it would be Snake Oil with an undercurrent of sweetness and resin.

 

I love snake oil. I love resins. Fantastic, these things separately are wonderful.

 

As combined here together though, this is awful on me. The coconut amps to the point of inducing nausea. I cannot wear this, I smell like generic knockoff tanning oil in a very very very bad way. It even chases away the snake oil. This smells like turned coconut with brown sugar. And I had such high hopes! I hope the decant of Temple Viper that also came from the circle works better on me...

 

(at least my 11 y/o is happy, she gets first pick of the rejects and she ADORES this one...)

[Tess]

I worry that this will be too sweet for me, as the idea of vanilla added to Snake Oil just sounds sweeeeeet, sweet. However, black coconut? Yum.

 

In the vial - Ooo, that's much darker than expected. The vetiver is lovely and the coconut is anything but sweet.

 

Wet - The coconut is really nutty...

 

Drying - This is like Snake Oil's older, darker male cousin. The vetivery is smooth and the opoponax is right there with it. However, the coconut I think is a bit too dark for me. It's very nutty and not very coconutty, if you understand what I mean. The overall scent is dark resin with a nutty and spicey tone to it.

 

Dry (2 hours) - I'm starting to notice a pattern with the snakes... This has dried down to a slightly darker version of Snake Oil. The resins are lightly there, but it's almost completely Snake Oil, with the spice at the forefront.

 

Overall - It's just not different enough for my tastes. Plus, the strange nuttiness really rather threw me.

[Syzygy]

I've been wanting to do a proper review of this for a long time, but whenever I try the only words that come are This is exactly what I wanted Snake Oil to smell like. My bottle of SO is a little over a year old, developing some character so that I like it more than I first did, but I doubt it'll ever age into something as good as Death Adder is right now. It's the vetiver. DA is dark and exotic and sweet like SO, but the vetiver gives it enough of an edge to keep it from being too friendly. It's inviting, yet dangerous. I can't wait to see how this ages.

[luckybuzz]

I am currently busy drooling on my right arm while my eyes roll back in my head, so this review will be short.

 

First sniff, and wet on skin: HOLY FREAKING VETIVER. (coupled with, aha, so that IS what vetiver smells like!)

 

Drying down: coconut! But dark, heavy coconut...this is not a tropical drink. Although, hi vanilla!

 

Dry: dark. swarthy. sweet. dangerous. Oh my god...is it...yes. It is. This is a Dangerous Mood scent! I am *so* going to get in (good) trouble wearing this...

[abejita]

In the bottle: Holy vetiver. Dark, dark green vetiver and nothing but.

Wet: Sweet coconut and screaming vetiver.

Dry: Oooooh yeah. Rich black coconut, sweet resinous opoponax, creamy vanilla, all held together by the spices of the Snake Oil and the green vetiver, which has receded considerably. There is also a very interesting salty note. It's unexpected, but I like it a lot.

 

Why on earth did I wait so long to get this? It was on my list of things to buy when it came out, but kept getting superceded by other things. I'll definitely be picking up another bottle. I like Snake Oil, but it's never been my all time favorite. However, Death Adder has shot up to my top ten. Maybe top five. I think it's even beat out Boomslang for my favorite of the Snake Pit.

[Ajila]

In the bottle – Coconut, a slight resiny tinge, which I presume is the opoponax, and just a hint of vetiver

 

Wet on me – A kind of earthy vanilla

 

Dry on me – The green bitterness of the vetiver does come through, but it’s always sitting in a background of vanilla, which stops it becoming too harsh

 

Overall – I was worried about the vetiver, but on the whole I’m glad that I decided to take the gamble. This is an everyday wearable scent that contains just that hint of sensuality, which takes it to another level

 

ETA Now that it's aged for the best part of two years, this scent completely rocks. Running from almost straight Snake Oil to a thick deep vetiver that's just like clean leather. It is sex cubed.

Edited February 10, 2009 by Ajila

[nevermore]

Yum! When I first started reading the reviews I was worried about the vetiver, but it's turned out lovely. For those of you familiar with Lush products, this smells almost exactly like Trichomania with a bit of Snake Oil. As I wear it, the coconut comes out more strongly, until finally I'm left with a sweetened Snake Oil. I'm impressed with this one!

[Tal Shachar]

This smelled absolutely gorgeous in the bottle, which I bought unsniffed on the strength of my love for the notes. Smoky, dark vanilla and coconut. It is powerful stuff, so smoky that it was making my eyes water a bit when I slathered it on (I like that effect). After the first ten minutes, I got an icky sour smell, like the coconut and the vetiver weren't playing well together, but then that disappeared, leaving a nutty scent. Thank God, because I would have cried if a blend like this hated my skin. I would scent-locket it in the event of such a disaster.