Western Diamondback

[greenranger]

Snake Oil with leather, tonka bean, red sandalwood, and sage.

I have high hopes, and deep fears for this one. I love tonka, sandalwood and leather are usually good on me...but sage sometimes overwhelms other scents on my skin on drydown.

Wet, leather.

Drying, leather and sandalwood, and I think I smell the sage warming up. Interestingly, the scent just hit a point where everything just blended and I can't pick out the notes.


Dry, the vanilla and the sage aren't playing nice with each other on my skin. The leather and sandalwood have vanished behind the vanilla and sage battle.

This isn't working on my skin. Really really not working, like public bathroom disinfectant smells.

Ah well.

----

How come the ones that your skin hates are also the ones tha are so bloody hard to wash off completely!

---
~edit~ My first review of this was back in July. It is now early December. I was going to swap this bottle away long ago, except that I kept reading that it aged well, and that aging improved it. So, I held onto it, and tested it a few more times.

It took until September for the cleaning solution smell to leave, but, I still wasn't in love with it.

Today, I put a little on the back of one hand, sniffed it, decided it was nothing special yet, and went off to do other things. About an hour later, I put my hand up to my nose half out of habit, and thought, "What?! What is that! Vanilla and...*sniiiiiffffff* ...."
Ok, it doesn't smell like cleaning stuff anymore. It hardly even smells like snake oil at all. There's a whiff of vanilla/tonka/leather on that hand. It's delicate? How can it be delicate? None of the other snakes are delicate on me? Maybe it's a skin chemistry fluke, but, right now it is lovely.
And I hated it before...
Of course this means it is going to be even harder to swap anything away..... Edited December 9, 2008 by Aerinha

[nekogrrl]

In the bottle: Snake Oiled leather.

 

On skin: Vanilla, tonka and leather. Can't really smell the sage.

 

Dry: Where did everybody go? Oh wait, there's leather, hanging about.

 

Is leather feeling all right? He's hanging out pretty close to my skin.

 

Oh. Apparently leather has to go home, as he's not feeling so hot.

 

----

My skin apparently ate Western Diamondback. It may be good in a scent locket, though.

[darharper]

Thanks to nekogrrl for the decant!!

 

Western Diamondback started out very promising. The sage was definitely there in the wet stage and I loved it. As it dried, the vanilla started to peak out and mix with the sage. It was really lovely.

 

Unfortunately, once all the way dry, it turned into freshly oiled saddles. A rich leather. I love the smell of leather, but, I don't like the smell of leather on me, particularly. It went really, really masculine and the sage and vanilla disappeared. Oh well. Perhaps, I will try it on the husband.

Edited July 21, 2008 by smallpaws

[galahad]

In The Bottle

Leather. Aged and rich

 

On Application

Primarily leather with a touch of tonka

 

Dry Down

This was a generous imp from Vultureguy. Thank you! I am so loving this. The snake oil emerges about 10 minutes into the drydown to sweeten up the blend while still leaving the leather at the forefront. This is a top 5 for me and I will need to stock up on bottles before the carnival leaves town!

 

Rating (0-5)

5

[fairnymph]

In the bottle: Herbal - definitely sage, but not a terribly astringent sort, more of a woodsy, garden type, bright sandalwood, a hint of warm, barely cured leather, lightly sweet tonka, and Snake Oil behind it all.

 

Wet: Lighter than typical Snakes; a dark gold colour. Fresh and almost grassy - one of the nicest sage notes I've smelled, totally lacking any sort of medicinal bite. The leather smells so real, like an actual suedey-hide, tangible. The tonka is more earthy on my skin, much like the tonka in Thaleia; it's gently sweet and slightly resiny, too. The sandalwood is clean and woody without being dry or sharp. Where's the SO? This is horseback riding through meadows and woods, just so evocative.

 

Dry: By far the most delicious leather note I have ever smelled, and the most realistic. It reminds me of the leather note in Thierry Mugler's Atelier Grimalier, but even better. It has assumed rich, sexy command. The sage and sandalwood are still pleasant, but less apparent, while the tonka has lost virtually all sweetness and is pure earthy resin. And there's still no snake oil.

 

Later: The sandalwood has finally developed a bit of dryness, but it's nowhere near as dry or sharp as other sandalwoods. Very faint hints of clove and boozy vanilla from the Snake Oil have emerged, but only if I sniff very closely. Unisex to masculine, but I would wear this.

 

Summary: Gloriously warm and velvety soft leather, touched by slightly dry but mostly just sun-warmed, almost beachy-salty sandalwood. Softer, faintly sweet earthy-resiny tonka and gentle herbal sage. The SO here is pretty much...not. Decent throw and good lasting power.

 

This is unlike anything else in BPAL I've ever smelled and utterly unlike all the other leather blends; it's like it's a SUEDE note instead of leather. It's soft, not slick. The whole scent is sunny, outdoorsy, grounded, and casually sexy.

 

Egads, and I already promised this bottle to someone! I was so sure I wouldn't like it....well, I'll have to buy more, including back ups for menfolk - this is just stunning. So far the Snake Pit has been blowing my freakin' mind, and I don't even like Snake Oil! Or sandalwood! Or tonka!

[iiinterstate]

I've been wearing this one for about an hour, and during that time I smelled like a really nice new boot. That sounds bad, but I did like that stage, I was just hoping for something more complex.

 

I was at a meet and sniff this weekend, and someone told me Western Diamondback is a blend that you need to let sit for awhile. Glad I did!

 

Now it's finally starting to morph a bit. I've still got the strong leather note (which I am LOVING) but now its backed by the spiciness of SO. Not nearly as much of the sweetness I usually get.

 

I think I need to slather the hell out of this and see how it wears for a day. I think it has incredible potential, I just need to wear MORE

[caffinatedangel]

I should start out by saying I despise Snake Oil. Yet, when I read the description of Diamondback I couldn't help myself. Leather, tonka... I'm in. Both notes I absolutely adore. (Dee is one of my top cuddling favs lol)

 

Wet in bottle: Leather. Like those fake crayon scents I had when I was a kid. hehe

 

Wet on skin: Sage. I just rolled in my mom's garden... (which is currently overflowing with crazy sage). I'm also wearing lederhosen. lol

 

Drydown: Mm. Either tonka or Snake Oil is spicing my leather, which is lovely. The sage is apparently lightening my leather, as well. Someone else said how it was more like a Suede note than leather, and I agree.

 

More dry: Eh.... Suddenly I'm at the pool? It's light, and airy leather. It smells like chlorine and bleached blonde hair. I think the Sage and Leather aren't playing well together on my skin. It could make it a lovely "Suede" like I had for a few moments, or it makes it chlorine-like. I've never really tried sage on my skin, now I wonder. Maybe it's Snake Oil's Vanilla note screwing up. I haven't had luck with Vanilla.... I dunno. The leather turned sour. Maybe overly sweet? Leather shouldn't be sweet <.< -goes and bathes herself in dee-

Overall: Snake Oil notes were sort of hard for me to pick out, honestly. I think SO, Sandalwood, and tonka combined into a spicy sweet thing. Then Leather, then Sage. I think this is a skin-chemistry make or break deal. Sadly, mine broke.

 

It was a very complex scent to my lil nose, slightly damp but dry (makes me think of a slithering snake. How they're silky but yet scales...) perhaps that's what invokes pool water for me. -shrugs- I may be trying this again just to be sure it's not a cruddy day, but it looks to be a flop for me :/

 

 

Edited: I kun spel

Edited August 15, 2008 by CaffinatedAngel

[zomathesadist]

so being from the desert Southwest, I knew I had to give Western Diamondback a shot. Not to mention, BPAL's leather looooves my skin.

 

sniffed in bottle: Snake Oil. slightly less sweet.

 

after ten minutes: resiny loveliness. I love it, much as I expected to. I can't really pick out any of the disparate elements, though. Maybe I should try SO on one wrist and WD on the other. I'm not getting a ton of sage or leather, or anything...it's just a *good* smell.

 

drydown: the best part! it's a sweet, close skin scent, I'm thinking the leather mixed with the sage. beautiful!

[furygrrl]

In the imp: Uber leathery - that cherry-vanilla leather that I get from Quincey Morris. A touch of Snake Oil underneath.

 

On wet: Oooh - sweeeet Snake Oil! Extra sweet! Absolutely delicious.

 

Drydown: Back to mostly leather. It's sweet, though, and both the sandalwood and Snake Oil are apparent - not sure where the sage is, it's usually not very friendly with my chemistry. There's an almost smoky quality to this now, and it's *really* yummy. If the sage stays missing or quiet (whatever it's doing), I'll be extremely happy.

 

Overall: Lovely. This is dark and sweet and lightly smoked - it's also quite addictive. I can't stop sniffing myself! Totally brings to mind being pinned against the wall of some dark club by a pair of very masculine, leather-clad arms. ::fans self:: Oooh, yeah - I'm thinking I might need a bottle of this one. Freakin' HAWT! 4.5/5

[Victory]

In the imp, the Snake Oil is apparent, along with a certain pale dryness. Sage? Sandalwood? Tonka? I'm not sure. Looking at some of he previous reviews, I think it may be the sandalwood drying the tonka out that gives the pale dryness and maybe the sage backs that up. I feel like I should know what it is, since for almost the entire weartime, that's what Western Diamondback sells like. Pale, dry, and dusty. The Snake Oil is virtually invisible on my skin, perhaps just anchoring the blend on me. I wish the leather was stronger on me, it's also a no-show. Sandalwood and I have a love-hate relationship: it loves me, and I don't return its affections; moreover, sandalwood lasts and lasts. I was often temped to wash Western Diamondback off in the first few hours. In the very late dry down, I liked the blend a little better, but probably not enough to try it again.

 

ETA: Having sniffed Brom Bones, I've realized it's the leather that's smelling so pale and dry and dusty. Yech, guess that note doesn't work for me.

Edited November 25, 2008 by Victory

[whisperingmachines]

I too was a bit confused by the almondy-ness of this, but I guess thats the tonka. Very strong tonka, with a bit of steamy leather hiding in the background, and a wee bit of spice from the Snake Oil- this is awesome.

[foxroses]

lighter than I thought! Definitely getting some sage – I think maybe its the tonka that is making it light, I thought snake oil + leather would be really dark and heavy. I do get leather but its subtle. I don't explictly smell sandalwood although I'm sure its contributing. I love this!! masculine and would go well on my bf but I love it on me, too. Later the leather comes out a lot more, so its more sandalwood/leather now, but still delicious.

 

I may be getting a bottle. nom nom.

[sirsaber]

Of the snake oils I have tried...this one has been the most pleasing on immediate wear. Whereas Death Adder and Snake Oil had the play doh scent on me, this one smells really herbal and oddly enough I almost smell forged metal in there for some reason. I gotta say I love how this played out and can only wonder what it will smell like with Coyote added to it. I smell leather and it must be the tonka. This one rules.

[jewelbug]

Wet: Delicious dark vanilla, resins, and leather.

 

Dry: The leather gets stronger, and I suppose it’s a little masculine because of it, but the snake oil vanilla keeps this sweet so that I can imagine both sexes wearing it. After a few minutes, I get something almost minty/camphorous out of this, but I can only assume that’s the sage and my nose is misreading it. Still, that’s a back note, hard to catch, and mostly I have leather+dark vanilla. Its lovely. Later, the leather is mostly gone, and this reminds me strongly of snake chamer/snake oil in their late dry (duh)…just lovely dark vanilla that so many have come to know and love.

 

Overall: Possible bottle...I want to wait and compare it to some of the other snake pits before i decide.

 

Update 7/2014: Bottle: dry dusty snake oil; Wet: dry sage snake oil with a hint of leather and wood; Dry: this does read as very desert-like, quite arrid, I think that must be the dusty sage/sandalwood combo. Of the Snake Pits, this is not one of my faves, and as I'm trying to keep my collection sanely sized, I will be passing it along.

Edited August 4, 2014 by jewelbug

[rayvn1]

This was lighter than expected, but once it warmed up there is a rich, warm darkness to it with that leather I just have to stick my nose pretty close to my arm. I'll try putting more on next time because this is really nice! No sage so far, just leather and snake oil spice

[marared]

Fresh decant. This is leather and sage and no Snake Oil that I can detect yet -- it's definitely an *evocative* scent and calls up lots of interesting images, but not really a *perfume* scent for me, and consequently not a bottle purchase. I've read many comments noting that this gets substantially better with age, though, so I'm going to hang on to the imp and check it again in a few months.

[Apple]

After trying and disliking Snake Oil, Green Tree Viper, and Boomslang, I pretty much gave up on the Snake Pit. But I kept seeing exclamations of love for Western Diamondback, talking up its leathery goodness. Then some reviewers started mentioning an almondy note, and my level of interest went from merely cautiously curious to MUST HAVE. My lovely switch witch, AutumnBriars, came to my aid and sent me an imp of Western Diamondback to try.

 

Oh. my. god.

 

It smelled freaking delicious in the imp, both sweetly edible and leathery. I didn't pick up on any almond, but it was luscious nonetheless. While wet on my skin, it was spicy (in a cinnamon/nutmeg/clove/gingery kind of way) and sweet and leathery. Gorgeous. While drying, it started to smell slightly powdery and I thought my brief love affair might be over already. But no! My partner took a sniff and his eyes lit up with a devilish gleam.

"You like that?"

 

"Oh yes! That's very good. Mmmn... leather. Put some on me!"

I dabbed some on his wrist, and much to his disappointment, the leather note vanished on his skin. That's okay - more for me. My skin usually eats/mutes leather, and I was so pleased to find that the leather note in Western Diamondback is both distinct and prominent. I finally understand what people mean when they describe a scent using phrases like "sexy baked goods". I typically don't find foody scents sexy, but Western Diamondback definitely is. Like Bastet, this is just one of those perfect "me" scents.

 

It has good throw and longevity. My only complaint is that if I put some in my hair, the next day all I can smell is the Snake Oil... which I don't like. At this stage I find it reminiscent of grape-y incense (nag champa?), which makes me think of hippie shops and makes me feel slightly ill. It also smells different depending upon where I apply it: more leathery in the crooks of my elbows and the hollow of my throat, and more foody/vanilla in my hair.

Edited November 16, 2008 by Apple

[Schmoozy]

Snake oil leather with sandalwood. *swoons*

I was worried Sage would overpower, but it just adds a beautiful herbal element

that deepens the leather and sandalwood. Tonka Bean slightly sweetens, and adds a hint of spice.

Overall it is a stunning snake oil blend, and just further proves that a few snake pits are definitely on order.

[desertwaya]

i can smell the leather in this but its not as strong as quincy morris which is what i was trying to duplicate. i like thid better on myself then my husband & told him im going to steal it lol. although hes putting up a fight cause he likes it too.

 

this is a sweet smelling leather, i wasnt expecting it really. when its drying down i dont smell the leather much anymore on me. i can smell it on my husband though,leather is his scent that comes out strong..lucky him.

 

so i ended up buying a large bottle of this cause its a mellow scent and very pleasant.

[crebbsgirl]

The sage and leather combination here is very reminiscent of Bow and Crown. This blend has some wonderful scent associations for me, because on the dry down the leather note comes out rather prominently and reminds me of the way the costume stores would smell when I had to go buy new ballet shoes every year growing up. Not to say this blend is all leather. It's not. The Snake Oil lends a wonderful sweet spice. I really like this!

[ami226]

A very mellow scent. When smelling it I immediately get a sense of leather! The leather is so strong on me, that I think this is one scent that is going to have to be traded away.

 

On the dry down, the leather moves to the background and the sage and something herbal peaks through. Smells pretty good, but I just don't think it is me.

 

I don't really like the initial leather stage (leather just isn't me), and the second stage is a bit light for my taste. Anyways, I am sure this will make someone else happy!!

 

-ETA-

I've come to appreciate leather as a note, and really this is a good one. Leather, sage, and Snake Oil combined. I don't see myself wearing this one too often, but I do like it.

Edited August 26, 2012 by Catseyes

[voodoocatwoman]

O aged Snake Oil, how I love thee...

 

And this one is no exception! Snake Oil with a bit of warm leather and bright sage. The Snake Oil outlasts them both and stays for hours and hours. Love.

[femmefatale]

hmmm....I'm surprised at how sharp this is at first. Actually, I shouldn't be since my skin seems to turn leather (or at least a certain type) very sharp smelling. I pick up the smooth, rich Snake Oil in the background trying to offest the sharpness, along with just a hint of sage. Not much tonka or sandalwood. As it dries more the leather calms a bit and it's a bit more balanced.

 

I do think I like this and I will probably get a bottle, though just one should be good.

[lothien]

I can finally wear this!

When I first got this bottle, I knew there was some risk involved, since I was untried with Snake Oil, and had no idea how it would smell on me to begin with.

And when I first opened the bottle, it certainly put me off. It had the sharp almost astringent smell I know now was the Snake Oil, not the comforting herbal woody leather scent I'd read of in reviews and was hoping for. I tried wearing it a couple of times but couldn't bear the medicinal smell, and it didn't burn off.

But I did know enough to put it away. I put it away somewhere out of my perfume box because it was fouling up my lovely co-mingled BPAL smell.

That was a couple or 3 months ago.

Today I took it out and tried it on again.

And, lo, it is lovely! Rustic, as others have mentioned; SO, some nice leather, yummy sage, without the cloying sugary vanilla of the (admittedly old) Snake Oil I tried. It does not threaten to go to play doh, either, like the other. It seems to have the parts of SO I liked without the parts I didn't. Maybe the leather and sage is enough to balance the vanilla, because while there is a sweetness to this, I definitely get a scent I would identify as tonka over vanilla, at least for a long time at the start. The longer it dries, the more I get little wafts of vanilla, but if I put my nose on my wrist I smell non-sweet SO and sandalwood and tonka. The sage is distant background.

 

This has turned out really really yummy, with more complexity than I expected. I have a partial bottle of Temple Viper on the way, and it would be awesome if it is equally successful. ^^

[TheOneTheyCallLuna]

Gah, this is delicious! In the imp I mostly get leather with spices...a hint of sage. I smell western saddles and sagebrush....it is REALLY an evocative smell for me! It reminds me of my best memories of horse camp (and not in the stables, lol) of galloping through a large field on my awesome horse, Scooter, in August with the smell of sage on the wind. On my skin it sweetens up a bit, and I get a little whiff of something that smells almost like almond, but I think it's the combo of leather, red sandalwood, and snake oil. The leather scent comes back to the forefront, backed up by snake oil's sweetness, with the sage falling to the background...I can't pick out the red sandalwood, but I believe it is in there adding to my love of this blend (I am a big sandalwood fan.)

 

I am won over. This has top ten and possibly top five material written all over it. I'm gonna need a big bottle of this one as well!