Boomslang

[Tramp]

Snake Oil with cocoa, teakwood, and rice milk.

Holy shit - it is a chocolate covered snake oil

Wet: What are those chocolate flavored caramel candies called? The are all chewy and rich and dark? That is what this smells like.

Drydown: The rich creamy chocolate tones down to a more dusky, incensy chocolate when dry. There is almost a cinnamon feel to it as well. Spicy.

[princessbeena]

Boomslang is definitely for the chocolate lovers...to me it smells like a grasshopper cookie......almost a minty chocolate....which is odd because there is no mint listed in the description. Again, as with most of the snake pit, the snake oil is very much in the background with this one....barely there but still making it's presence known.

[forspecial_plate]

This is a beautiful, soft cocoa scent. Cocoa can be a problem note for me, sometimes my skin turns it quite dusty. That doesn't happen here, or at least not enough to ruin the scent. I can smell the Snake Oil and also rice milk. I drink rice milk a lot and wouldn't have thought it has much of a smell. It's there, though, and mixes wonderfully with the cocoa and Snake Oil spices. I think the rice milk gives the scent a little more sweetness. After a while, I think I can smell the teak but I'm not sure. If so, it's very subtle. This is an exotic scent. A little sweet but dry at the same time. I like it.

[rhubarbbear]

i was super excited to try this, cause i love beth's cocoa notes!

 

boomslang oil is dark, pretty much black. never seen anything like it! i'm pretty pale, and i actually had to actively rub it in to get the color to disappear from my skin!

 

and the cocoa in this is amazing. really quality stuff! sadly, it disappears on my skin in like 15 min, leaving me with more or less plain snake oil. for people who's skin doesn't eat the cocoa, however, this will be, just...wow.

[zenvodunista]

Today I decanted for my Snake Pit circle and I very quickly wanted to write about this oil. Two friends were over to supportively sniff, chatter & decant assist, and when I did Boomslang the room went quiet because this stuff is SO THICK.

 

It's so thick it's difficult to decant, it doesn't actually want to go up into the pipette. It's like decanting maple syrup. And the color? I put it in the clear imp and capped it and held it to the overhead light to try and see the color. At the very edge it is almost maroon, but other than that? BLACK. No light passes through this oil. It's that dark.

 

I squitched out one the last pipette droplets onto my skin. I couldn't pass it up.

 

Just glorious. I wager this isn't just cocoa in there, it's got to be cocoa absolute of extremely high quality. That, mixed with the sugared indonesian spices of our beloved Snake Oil.

 

I can't wear Beth's "chocolate" note, but I can wear cocoa - and I can wear this. And yes, it's cocoa slathered snake oil - but it's cocoa the way vanilla is in SO. It's resinous cocoa. Deep, sexy, not foody in the slightest.

 

Divine! I will be getting several bottles while it's available for the aging - and hoarding. Oh yes, I will be hoarding this one.

 

 

ETA: Took Boomslang out for a full ride today - at full slather. I don't think this is "foody" in the slightest. This is pure elegance. Up there with the great classics of perfume. Yep, many bottles to hoard, coming this way. I'll need at least 20 ml.

 

ETA (again): BTW, while wearing this, occasionally I will get whiffs of something that makes me think of the caramel macchiato from Starbucks - a drink I love. My skin chemistry won't let me wear a lot of caramel scents, and we only have two coffee scents and both don't work on me. But Boomslang lets me pretend I have Misk U. on. I can't wear Misk. U in the slightest. It's disgusting on my skin - and the Boomslang isn't like that all the time. Just as my body changes through the day, I get these whiffs of caramel macchiato, followed by a sophisticated and elegant "oriental" styled perfume.

 

I love this stuff! SO complex!!!

 

N.

Edited February 1, 2007 by zenvodunista

[LittleGreyKitten]

This is absolutely heavenly delicious. It requires mixing by rolling in your hands- the cocoa tends to float on top. I can't believe how wonderful it smells though. The Snake Oil is noticeable, the cocoa definitely is, and I also get a wee whiff of rice milk. Together they are divine. I've gotten tons of compliments on Boomslang. I cannot wait to see how it ages either. I need several!

 

5 out of 5, lovely!

[pkwench]

Bottled sex, bottled joy, bottled bliss. Boomslang delivers if you want any of the above. It seems to be be a lot like Velvet meets Snake Oil, though much thicker and less woody. It may be one to slather though as it seems a bit light now. However, I did apply lightly.

 

If the rest of the Snake Pit is as fabulous as Boomslang, then it may be the most brilliant collection ever. I've already found myself wishing that they were catalog items. The Snake Oil collection or something. That'd be sweet.

 

Anyway - Boomslang is glorious. If you like Snake Oil and you like Velvet's cocoa notes, then you must have this.

[ceej]

I wasn't sure I was going to like a chocolate/cocoa scent. I'm not entirely into the foody thing. Boomslang converted me.

 

Milky chocolate over a warm spicy base. Maybe a glass of chocolate chai? Dusty dusky chocolate. Not too sweet, more rich & warm. Guh!

 

My skin ate this up, so I have to slather it.

[olympia301]

 

This is just gorgeous. Bloody gorgeous. It has to be one of the most superb oriental/resiny/deep and beautiful perfumes ever concocted.

 

Of course it is chocolate at first, as everyone else has said, then the Snake Oil sliters out and then it sort of either goes into hiding or your nose gets used to it. Fine, you put more one and think it's because you have a greedy nose. But, it amps up again after it dries down and delivers such a perfectly harmonious blend of excellent resins, mixtures of roots and deeply strong earthy delights that you can do nothing but give into the divine hedonism. Mmmm. Real good.

[The_Witching_Hour]

This is one of the *thickest* oils I seem to have tried to date.

 

I, too was surprised at how little light passes through this blend. I really like Beth's cocoa blends and was excited to try it as a great addition the Pit.

 

The cocoa is *stunning* in Boomslang. Bone-shaking, teeth-rattling, chillingly divine! I wish it would have lasted longer than 30 minutes on me. But what I'm left with is a richer feeling Snake Oil after the cocoa departs so I'm a happy camper in the drydown, as well.

[Loligo]

The first note I get is distinctly cocoa, not chocolate: it's like smelling directly from an open tin of cocoa powder, then some spices and incense notes waft into the picture. The overt cocoa smell is gone after about half an hour, leaving mostly Snake Oil with just hints of warm, dry cocoa and sweet, grain-like rice milk. Lovely.

[Gale]

This is the first Snake Pit I tried.

 

In the bottle and on wet: As previous reviews have noted, the initial note is cocoa--pure, dark, and unsweetened.

 

On dry: The cocoa is present for awhile, then the Snake Oil and wood start sneaking forward. I didn't get the rice milk, but I'll be more attentive for it.

 

It didn't last much longer than a couple hours, but I didn't slather like I usually do, and let me tell you, this is slather-worthy!!

 

A Stunner.

[jesvet]

Non-foody chocolate. BPAL chocolate notes are hit and miss on me, and this one is a hit! As others have said, the cocoa is very gourmand and deep; but the initial blast wears off quite quickly and settles into a grounding note. It blends beautifully with the Snake Oil components, giving it warmth and depth.

 

It's definitely a dark cocoa in the vein of Candy Butcher, except less foody. Just gorgeous, and I wasn't expecting to like it nearly as well as I do!

[minnalavender]

Received as part of a decant circle.

 

Oh deer Jeebis - Boomslang is an orgasm in a vial!!! I can't even write a coherent review, it's so good! And I am not a foodie person!

 

I do, however, love Freak Show with all of my heart - and the chocolate in Boomslang reminds me of the cocoa in Freak Show, rich and dark. Which reminds me: this is THE darkest, thickest oil I've ever seen - and it separates! I have to roll the vial in-between my palms to incorporate the darker oil with the lighter before applying.

 

In the vial and wet on skin: chocolate. Not milk chocolate, not bitter dark chocolate - like the perfect hot chocolate with just enough milk and just the right amount of vanilla. Snake oil emerges quickly from beneath it, and when it does... it's so beautiful I have no vocabulary for it. I'm not a Snake Oil fan, but when combined with these extra notes it's so lovely I want to BATHE in it! It's still strong and sexy-spicy, but with a touch of dark chocolate gentleness and sweetness that I guess I need to love it. I would almost swear there was some amber in this blend - as it dries down it has that baby powdery amber note, softening it even more.

 

Oh. I love Boomslang the way I love Snake Charmer, and that is saying something.

 

Perfect. There will be several bottles of Boomslang for me before the Carnavale goes bye-bye - oh yes. I'll wear this all the time!

[ivyandpeony]

"Hey! You got your chocolate in my Snake Oil!"

 

"And you got your Snake Oil on my chocolate!"

 

Two great smells that smell great together - that's Boomslang.

 

One word: divine. I don't necessarily fall in love with every chocolatey BPAL blend I try, but this was some sort of divine inspiration that struck Beth. I am going to have to order backup bottles of this, or wage a campaign for the Snake Pit to stay forever, or something.

 

It was the first thing I tried from the Snake Pit and it's so good, I am diving in headfirst now. I'm ready to caress all the snakes.

[Teggy]

I tested a bunch of snake pit blends tonight and only some of them actually smelled like Snake Oil blended with something. Boomslang did, and it's exactly as these reviews are saying, "Cocoa covered Snake Oil." I'm soooo glad that it was cocoa and not chocolate. For some strange reason, chocolate goes funny on me.

 

I tried this on right away and I thought it faded quickly. About an hour later, I put more on (read: slathered) and yuuuuum. I noticed that the cocoa faded and it turned into Snake Oil, but that's ok. I love Snake Oil anyway. I can't wait to find out how this smells aged!

 

Be wary when you slather it on though, I noticed that it turned my wrist yellowish-brown. Nothing a bath couldn't fix, but you might want to check yourself before you go out.

Edited February 2, 2007 by Teggy

[Ina Garten Davita]

As much as I adore chocolate and the scent of Beth's chocolate scents in the vials, chocolate scents smell literally like an unclean backside on my skin. But this scent may be an exception because of the Snake Oil.

 

This oil smells like thick, rich, dark, fudgy cake frosting in the bottle. And it looks like dark chocolate cake frosting when you apply it. I get the chocolate assfunk just as it starts to dry and the Snake Oil starts to make its presence known. The Snake Oil is whipping the chocolate into submission. I think I might be able to wear this.

[Little Bird]

In the bottle, Boomslang is a delightfully creepy visual (and smell-wise it's just damn good). It's so dark and thick that it looks like there are actual solid particles clinging to the edges of the cap and floating around in here, and there is a layer of light colored oil laying on top of the thicker, dark oil. I took a sample from just the light oil off the top, then shook the whole thing up and tested it normally.

 

The lighter/clear bit just smells like 'lite' Snake Oil to me... the smoky vanilla of Snake Oil, separated from the rest of the blend. (ETA: Over time, that clear layer has disappeared and this oil has gotten insanely thick and even richer smelling.)

 

*shakes up bottle*

 

If you like the smell of chocolate or cocoa in any way at all, you need Boomslang. Even if you're not so fond of chocolate, I'd still suggest trying this, because it's crazy-good, and I've never smelled anything like it before. I personally do not like Snake Oil. It's actually dirty and stomach turning on my skin, whether it's fresh or has been aged for forever and a day. So, I'm really shocked at how much I love several of the snakes. The added components actually make Snake Oil wonderful and wearable for me.

 

Boomslang is like Snake Oil with less of the 'dirtymuskyincense' (or, in my case, unwashed hair and BO) and more of the smoky vanilla aspect, dusted in a generous layer of dark chocolate. There's still a muskiness here that reminds me of hot red musk, but it's just a smoldering, sexy hint at the edges of the fragrance.

 

Boomslang is like the highest quality, creamiest dark chocolate truffle in the world, put into perfume form, and then sexed up with a bit of musk and dark vanilla. Love it.

Edited June 24, 2011 by Little Bird

[laochodia]

This scent is.....ebbeh. Amazing. The thickest hot cocoa, with the spices that are in snake oil and some vanilla pods floating in it. I say cocoa because on me, the labs chocolate note turns to ick, and this is definitely cocoa....it has that dark, dry, almost powder taste/feel to it.

 

....I want to try and make a drink that tastes like this smells. This is definitely a new favorite scent.

[Macha]

So let me start by explaining that I can't really wear Snake Oil.. I am one of those people who, sadly, has the perfume turn to something that is a precise and uncanny rendition of play-dough within moments of contact with my skin. So I wasn't really planning on trying the Snake Pit, but Beth talked me out of abstaining. A while back she showed me a cocoa absolute oil (I believe she passed it around at a Will Call too) that she'd discovered — rare, difficult to obtain, frighteningly expensive — and it was this perfume gem that she had added to Bloomslang.

 

Yeah, okay. I had to try it.

 

As others have mentioned, this is a thick oil. I knew from previous experience with the cocoa absolute that it tends to separate, but even so I managed to not mix it enough the first time, and ended up with a light Snake Oil scent that didn't much smell like cocoa but didn't turn to play-dough either. A good sign, I thought.

 

I mixed it a little more thoroughly and tried again.

 

Even well-mixed, the chocolate for me is less an in-your-face extravaganza than a sneaky sort of figure, darting in to tap you on the shoulder, then running away when you try to look. But the cocoa does do an excellent job of making the Snake Oil behave, so what remains is a rich, sexy, and dark fragrance that does not tend towards even the slightest resemblance with children's toys. And truly, it's pure joy to finally be able to wear this perfume and not have it go wrong.

[edenssixthday]

Boomslang - My first reaction this was *SWOON*FAINT*KATHUNK*. This is amazing! It's gorgeous! It's a stunning and stellar scent. On my skin, it's basically Snake Oil with lots of bitter cocoa and the occasional surprise waft of teak. I don't smell the rice milk as a distinct note at all. This fades more quickly on me than regular Snake Oil, but most cocoa/chocolate scents don't stick to my skin, so that's normal. I am very surprised by this blend and I absolutely adore it.

[LiberAmoris]

Oooh, Boomslang! This stuff is serious business. As others have said, this is some good sh*t. It's like cocoa-rolled Snake Oil, and the teakwood gives it depth while the rice milk gives it almost a grain-like creaminess. It's exotic, it's hypnotic, and it's the kind of blend that inspires misbehavior.

 

I may need to get a little extra of this for aging. It's that good.

[Scylla]

Boomslang definitely smells like Snake Oil blended with the cocoa note from Velvet. On my skin, it smells like a Snake Oil/Velvet combo. Of the Snake Oil variants I've tried so far, it is the one that smells the most like actual Snake Oil.

 

I just KNEW that Boomslang would be my favorite of the Snake Pit, but surprisingly, it was not to be! It smells wonderful in the bottle, but my chemistry makes it smell less than wonderful. But what a wonderful use for my Phoenix scent locket.

[savage_rose]

So WOW, that's a brown oil! Enough of this stuff and you could tan with it .

 

To me, this smells like a pantry. A wooden pantry stocked with dry cocoa, powdered milk...sort of a comfort scent, but much less foody than I was hoping for expecting. It's nice though, and the longer I wear it the more I like it. It's very sweet and homey smelling.

[lookingglass]

Yes: very thick and gritty in the bottle...like the bottom of a homemade cup of hot cocoa; that is the smell and consistency of Boomslang in the bottle. It is very much like Velvet and SO together when wet. It must be the extra bite of woods that gives it that effect, but I always assumed it was the myrrh in Velvet that gave it that minty bite, and here it is for a moment in Boomslang. Hmmm?

 

Drying down, it's Snake Oil with just a light dusting of cocoa. Love it! It will be my "extra sexy and delicious" Snake Oil blend!

 

This morning DH came to wake me up and he was surrounded in a thick, dark, delicious, sweet cloud of muskiness. I could not identify what is was, and was shocked to find out it was Boomslang! He dosen't wear Snake Oil!?! He said the cocoa was very prominent wet, but it dried out on him by the time he got upstairs. I think we may need another bottle soon!

Edited August 8, 2011 by lookingglass