Snake Oil

[cosmoblue]

<div class="bpal" style="background-color:transparent; border: 1px dotted #000033; color: #000099; padding: 5px; width: 90%; align:center;margin:0 auto 0 auto"><i>By far, our most popular scent! Magnetic, mysterious, and exceedingly sexual in nature. A blend of exotic Indonesian oils sugared with vanilla.<!-- bpal scent end --></i></div>

 

10/17/2008

In Vial sweet spicy.

 

Wet spicy sweet with a little sour soapy.

 

Dry sour soapy is gone sharp, slightly bitter like shoe polish, sweet spicy. When I go outside and the hot breezes blow I get a whiff of yummy warm vanilla spice. The following morning it is really lovely and warm spiced vanilla exactly what I was hoping it would be based on the previous reviews. I think I'll have to try this one aged.

 

Editing To Represent this same imp aged 3 1/2 years:

 

5/11/2012:

In bottle: spicy, slightly sweet earthy oil, smells a bit like my namaste.

 

Wet, earthy slightly spicy slightly sweet and a little bit shoe polish chemically.

 

Dry, the chemical smell dies down to nearly 0 and I just get a a sweet warm perfume. I can see why this is so popular now. Though I think it still is not the best match for my chemistry. Before I thought it was a little too much like Sex Panther from The Anchorman with my nostrils burning from the shoe polish smell, but aging has really improved it a ton. I can actually wear this now but I don't think I'll need a whole bottle. Maybe I'll collect an imp every couple of years.

Edited May 11, 2012 by cosmoblue

[annerqm]

What can I say that hasn’t been said before? Love it, love it, love it! It’s the perfect fall scent and it blends beautifully with so many other oils…

 

I was somewhat skeptical, simply because I’m not a big fan of vanilla -- but trust me, this vanilla is so warm, sexy and wonderful, it’s not really like those other too-sweet-too-food-like-vanilla scents you’ve smelled before.

 

And yes, this is a very sexy scent, but it’s also very comfortable and comforting – in that way, I would say it’s more intimate than “sexy.” It’s like the most warm, intimate sex with the one partner who is perfect for you.

 

I love Snake Oil on its own, I love it layered with the 2005 Harvest Moon decant I won recently on eBay, I love it with Cathedral, with Alice…I love it with a LOT of other stuff. You can turn up or down the sweet/vanilla note depending on what you layer it with…

 

Oh, and I love the scent Snake Oil leaves behind on your clothes. I usually throw on the same super comfy cotton-silk blend sweater each afternoon when I get home, so now it is infused with Snake Oil (which I also tend to put on when I get home for the day) and it smells DIVINE. I don’t want to wash it now, it smells so wonderful – warm, spicy, exotic but at the same time, so comforting and relaxing.

 

I also love this in my hair -- I mix a bit with whatever product I'm using that day and the sweet-spicy scent stays in my hair all day.

[tacey]

Ummmm...ya'll are going to think I'm crazy. Snake Oil smells exactly like Tanin'iver! I think I must amp Dragon's Blood to the point that nothing else comes thru. It does start out with a really nice sweet vanilla and spice. Faded fast with a lingering of pepper.

 

 

Just don't mind me -- I'll leave this up so I don't forget the insanity that is my chemistry, but I don't think this review will have much to do with you, dear reader.

[jenen]

1st IMPression: millisecond of spicy bite, then reminiscent of mom’s favorite perfume growing up: Shalimar

 

Applied: sweet, powdery vanilla; impression of spice that’s slightly play-dohy

 

Drydown: just vanilla

 

Few hours later: simply sweet vanilla, slightly powdery

 

Verdict: too sweet now; will try again in a few months

[inurbanus]

So I admit, I was skeptical about Snake Oil. I haven't had the greatest experiences with red musk scents, and it would be just my luck that something that works on practically everyone wouldn't work on me. I was wrong, though. As soon as I opened my bottle, I took a deep whiff of it, and was instantly won over. Snake Oil is a lot more resiny than I was expecting; it reminds me a lot of Schwarzer Mond. However, this has a lot more depth than most resin scents. It's deep and dark, smoky and seductive. Every time I open my bottle (which is admittedly only a few months old), it gets better. I actually have to stop myself from wearing it too often, in order to let it age better. It's hard, but I can tell it's going to be worth it.

 

4.5/5

[obsidienne]

In wear, this is like a warm-smelling wood scented with vanilla with some spices. It's kind of like soft incense. It's enveloping, warm and comforting, yet also sexy.

 

I had to slather it on to get it to the point where I could really smell it, which surprised me. Maybe my nose is broken?

 

Definitely a "keep in stock at all times" sort of blend. It's just so cozy, and if I get to feel cozy while others may (or may not) think I smell sexy, well, I'm all over that!

 

Edit 1: I read some reviews that mentioned how much this benefits from aging, so I plan to try that and not wear it for a few months. (I really do find that I need to use a lot of it, and if I don't wait it'll be all gone before I get to the aged stage!) I want the vanilla to amp more, but even if it doesn't, I still like the scent a lot.

 

Edit 2: October 28/08 -- #!*(!@*&%*(!!!11 My boyfriend smelled me yesterday and commented that I smelled like an old lady. So much for sexy. Drrr.... I'll just have to wear it for me, then.

Edited October 28, 2008 by obsidienne

[LadyLuckless]

I got an imp of Snake Oil in a very generous swap (much love for Undream!!! ), and the first thing I thought when I sniffed it in the vial was "huh!?". It smelled weirdly dirty and stale! But trusting in the wisdom of more learned BPALers than I, I slathered on a goodly amount and waited. I waited for about 30 seconds. Then the dirty stale stuff on my skin performed a transformation sequence worthy of Sailor Moon and became an intoxicating spicy-musky-smoky-dark-sinful-vanilla! Oh yeah, Snake Oil and I are going to have a long, passionate future together! I'm just mad my fiance is sick right now and can't smell me!

[jencallisto]

In the imp: caramelized spice with an alcohol/herb base

Fresh on the skin: Spicy, with an odd herbal bite to it. A little soapy.

5 minutes in: Oh. Oh, I'm really liking the spicy vanilla waft. Impressive throw.

10 minutes in: Still something bitter in the scent very close to the skin, but the waft is all creamy, spicy vanilla, not too sweet. Mmmm.

1 hour in: Spices and vanilla and dry, lit incense. Still really liking this.

2 hours in: I was a little afraid it was going powdery for a bit there, but I shouldn't've been afraid. This is still a lovely warm, light spicy vanilla with a hint of incense. It's faded in strength a bit, but is still most certainly present.

3 hours in: It's starting to fade down to a more generic vanilla, but it's still really nice.

4 hours in: Warm vanilla deliciousness.

5 hours in: Fading.

6 hours in: Not yet gone, but getting there fast. It's become a very light vanilla root bear scent.

7 hours in: Basically gone, just the barest vanilla ghost of it left.

 

Verdict: I love this. Love love love love love. Simple as that.

[MisterShrapnel]

Uhhhohohoho man the little vial of this stuff gets better every time I come back to it. I like the name, too.

I endorse all positive comments about this posted so far x234352663462352^100 (for whatever small amount my opinion is worth). This is legendary for a reason!

Kind of hard to describe, really... "resiny, warm, sweet, spicy, incense-y vanilla" does not quite express how delicious (but not quite foody) this is.

You shouldn't even be reading any reviews for Snake Oil if you're on the fence about trying it.

You shouldn't be hesitating in the first place.

(This after the first dozen pages the reviews are probably just for people to talk about how much they love this scent or to record their reactions for their personal reference anyway That's pretty much what I'm doing since this will just get lost in the sea of reviews that will get posted sooner or later... )

If you were disappointed by an initial trial with an imp/bottle that you received recently, wait a month or two and try it again (imps of Snake Oil will apparently "age" faster than a bottle, I've heard?), because it's an entirely different creature when it's... "mature." When the oil was still fairly light and fresh, the throw was a powerful blast of baby powder (eghh) but now it's a viscous dark syrup that's basically Extract of Awesome (this is where I get shot for being cheesy...). I looove this and I kind of need a bottle now. Elizabeth is very generous to share her special personal blend with us (along with all the hundreds of other amazing oils...).

[stillalive]

It's alright. Reminds me a bit of Dragon's Milk, but spicier. I'll probably keep it just for enabling (since so many people seem to like it), but I'll list it on my sales page and if anyone wants it they can have it. It's nice, but not *my* scent, that makes sense. Still, I'm quite thrilled to finally be sniffing it.

[Jennie]

Sweet. A cocacola-vanilla kind of sweet. It’s spicy, but not foody-spicy. It’s rather incense-like. It’s strong, and I applied all too much (a little less than 1,5 drops). I can sense something woodsy in the background, too. It’s not deep enough to be very sexy on me, and I can’t really relate to it, either, so it’s probably not for me. Smells a little like the cocacola-tobacco my friends have to their hookah pipes, but a little more vanilla-dusty and perfumery. Coca-cola hippie-tobacco. I think it gave me somewhat of a red rash, too, that hurt. Auch.

 

As quick as anyone entered the room they asked “What’s that smell? Have you been burning something (by that meaning incense)?” So I left my room and went into my sister’s, and there someone entered again, “Have you been burning things in Here, as well?”

 

Well, it wasn’t The scent to wear at home, so I tried to wash it off, but even then it’s still vaguely on me the day after.

 

On the other hand, when you ask people what's their favourite smell, many answer with "Hookah pipes' cocacola-tobacco", which is (almost, on me) dead-on snake oil, so it's not entirely wrong.

Edited November 8, 2008 by Jennie

[caitilarkin]

Just adding to the Snake Oil love...

 

Based on the recommendations in this thread and throughout the forum, I let my lab-fresh bottle sit for about six weeks. Then I couldn't stand it anymore and HAD to test it out. Even fresh, it turned out much better than I had imagined.

 

In the bottle: Medicinal, alcoholic vanilla

 

Wet on skin: The spices come out to play and the boozy/medicine note recedes.

 

Dry on skin: Refined, rich vanilla with spices in the background; almost demure, more coy than sexy. Lasts forever and a day; is appropriate for all places and occasions.

 

This was not nearly as sexy as I thought it would be...well, actually it isn't sexy at all on me at this point. Maybe it will get hotter as it ages. But I do still love it. I slathered it on all weekend and got tons of compliments.

[dzurlady]

I ordered an imp of this with my first order in January 2006, and it was this imp that really got me into BPAL as an ongoing interest in January 2007 when I unearthed it and retried it. But I've never really felt able to describe why I like it, until now.

 

Snake Oil is sadly fickle on me, sometimes doing terrible things on my skin and sometimes smelling like it normally does, only powdery. But it is so glorious when it works I can't give it up. I can only start wearing it when it's a year old, and the older it is the better it gets. When it works, it's an amazing combination of deep warm vanilla (which generally takes a few hours to develop) and spices, and a kind of floating note that I can best describe as sort of but not really cola-like and which I recently discovered to be ambergris after I was able to try Beth's SN ambergris. I don't get any dirt from the patcholi but it helps to ground the scent. Periodically I will develop a craving to smell snake oil and must go and apply it for the day. It's pretty amazing, if unpredicatable.

Edited November 14, 2008 by dzurlady

[Juushika]

My imp is aged two years.

 

In the vial: Thick, dark, unsweet vanilla and red musk.

 

On me: Snake Oil goes on as dark vanilla, dark spices, and a whiff of musk. It's not a sweet blend, initially, and the spices are the furthest thing from foody. It reminds me of the cap of an old bottle of mid-grade vanilla extract, where the extract has dried to a thick, crusty sludge, the scent is too dense to be sweet but is still somehow cloying, and the alcohol makes it smell medicinal. Needless to say, it's interesting but not particularly pleasant. No matter how much I slather, the scent disappears after about ten minutes. But some time later when I least expect it, up pops a ghost of deep, dark, sweetened vanilla infused with a wealth of rich foreign spices—complex, sensual, dark, and beautiful. This belated drydown is divine but frustratingly insubstantial, only enough to catch whiffs of glorious vanilla from an uncertain source.

 

Verdict: I keep returning to Snake Oil, hoping that now that I've tried again, now that it's aged, it will be as miraculous as everyone else claims. Sadly, in two years it just hasn't worked out that way. I love the concept, and long for those ghostly whiffs of dark vanilla, but the oil itself is pretty unremarkable on my skin. I'll save my imp for oiling my hairstick—as that dries down, it releases more potent tendrils of that beautiful dark vanilla for days, a much more satisfying way to enjoy the scent.

 

(On a similar note: Boomslang, the only Snake Pit I've ever tried, also does a perfect disappearing act on my skin after ten minutes, leaving not even a whiff of Snake Oil behind.)

[CynicalPink]

In the Imp: Sticky and sweet, with some spice. I dunno. This is a super hyped up oil. Maybe I'm expecting too much.

 

Wet: Warms quickly in to more vanilla. One odd thing, though. The oil actually went on kinda sticky. Maybe it got cold in my mailbox?

 

Dry down: Just not getting what I was looking for. I think I was hoping it might be sweeter. There's a spiciness to this oil that just isn't my style. It's by no means bad, I just don't think I'll ever wear it. Off to the swap pile to find a more loving home

[toomuch]

Very nice, but the vanilla went really strong on me after a while. I like it enough to use the imp but won't order it unless it's for others who like vanilla. If you're a vanilla fan, I expect you'll love this one.

 

edited to add: after it aged the vanilla toned down and the lovely spices came out. Changed my mind - it's bottle worthy. I just need to let the bottle age before I use it.

Edited July 22, 2009 by toomuch

[othelloperrello]

Snake oil: the ideal spicy, sweet, exotic blend.

I bought this to age, because I have experienced the grandeur that is snake oil mellowed with age. But I thought I'd review it new, and see in about 6 months how it compares.

 

So first of all there is an undeniable difference to the scent when it's new, like it's a naive, inexperienced snake oil. For one thing the vanilla is much more prominent almost to the point where for me it turns me off. Within a minute though the more resinous spices come in and round it out well. I think this is sexy as hell to start with, especially for me as a guy who has a hard time finding a lot of sexy scents.

Compared to other bpals it's simple and straight forward, but compared to most of the rest f the world's education of scent it's crazy-good.

 

The only other thing I can say is that, after 5-10 minutes it has settlled into: vanilla + an inscrutable ball of delicious swarthy spices that registers simply as 'good'.

Looking forward to trying out blending with this.

 

x Othello

[MCS4096]

Purchased an imp of this with my last order.. Had to try the legendary Snake Oil

 

In the imp: A little sharp and a little sweet. Smells a little patchouli-ish, spicy of course, and definitely has strong vanilla.

 

Wet: This is so orange and thick it looks like iodine on me Pretty much vanilla.. lots of vanilla and a little bit of spice. It has a faintly medicinal edge.

 

Dry: Hmm.. well, I can see how this will be good aged, and I think I might purchase a bottle to give it a try, but I wouldnt say this is terribly amazing. It's mostly vanilla on me, with subtle spices, but it does have a weird bitter twinge to it when sniffed up close. I agree with the review above me-- by perfume standards it's great, but there are certainly BPAL scents I like better. I am however, a spice/resin freak.. so I will have to try this baby aged.

 

ETA: even after rubbing this into my skin (which I don't like to do-- I prefer to air dry) it left a distinctly orangish spot.. I have very fair colored skin

Edited December 16, 2008 by MCS4096

[unlaced]

I bought a bottle of Snake Oil aged 1 yr. from another forum-goer. I had to try it, and I've read that it's best aged.

 

In the bottle: spicy and smoky. This is a scent that packs a punch!

 

On me: the oil and the scent itself is darker than I expected. Right away it starts to lose its spicy kick, (but not completely) and starts to get sweeter. It smells kind of incense-y to me... I don't get much distance out of this one unfortunately.

 

edit: it left an orangeish spot on my fair skin... *sadness*

Edited December 17, 2008 by unlaced

[acidrica]

I just got my first set of imps from another BPALer, and had to try snake oil. (Pretty sure it's aged at least a bit, as it came in a decant)

 

In the imp: Spice, vanilla, and sex.

 

On the skin: Very, very spicy. Something else starts to come through that I can't really identify. I want to say it's bitter, but not in a bad way. There's definitely some musk. It leaves an orange spot on my skin, but after about ten minutes it's starting to fade. Honestly, it smells like spice and vanilla are having a throwdown on my skin. I'm gonna wait a while and see who wins. Note: At this point I had to put some on the other wrist because it was just too nummy.

 

Edit: Five hours wearing this and it's still going strong. The stain came back as a large yellow splotch, but I didn't mind. I'm an idiot, so it was nice to have something reminding me not to lick myself. The stain's gone now though, not sure why. The spice has gotten softer, and I've gotten a few compliments. =3 It's not exactly 'me', but I love the smell so much that I have to get a bottle of this. It's blended perfectly. I've been sniffing my wrist all day. Beth, you're a genius.

Edited December 19, 2008 by Acid

[Andrea912]

Imp: subtle vanilla and sugar, mostly exotic spices

 

Wet: again, the exotic spices are OK, but I need more creamy sugary vanilla

[Dianora]

I ordered this one just KNOWING from the reviews and the description that I'd love it. I mean, with all the raves for it, and the fact that it is the best seller, there is no way I could not. Except. I didn't.

 

In the bottle it smells sweet and almost cloying. It sent warning bells off in my head, but I thought "this is Snake Oil! I'll love it once it's on." I put it on and sniffed gingerly. It was spicy and sweet, but in a strange way. It almost reminded me of anti-freeze. The spices were also giving it a strange and kind of unpleasant scent. I resisted the urge to wash it off and let it dry. During the dry-down, I almost washed it off a dozen times, it just didn't seem to get any better. Finally, after several hours of wear, I got soft spicy vanilla. Which was good, but it was so faint and almost gone.

 

I'm so sad. I wanted to adore this madly, but instead I am half-tempted to throw it in the swaps pile and never look at it again. I will keep it though, and let it age to see if that makes it any better. So far though, this is a heart-breaker for sure.

 

ETA: A few days later and I put a tiny dab on to retest. It's done an amazing morph and doesn't smell like anti-freeze! There is still that faint smell of something weird, but its almost hidden under vanilla. It isn't incredibly impressive or lusty yet, but I am optimistic.

Edited January 6, 2009 by Dianora

[vegasblueblood]

I have a beautifully aged bottle of Snake Oil that is now thick and viscous. This stuff is really like liquid gold. A little goes a very long way and I find just a few tiny drops will last for 10+ hours. It starts off spicy and full of a more exotic vanilla. This is so heady and smoky an as it dries it morphs into a gorgeous musky sweet vanilla that lasts and lasts and lasts. It is so unique and unusual, truly unlike any perfume out on the market today and the way it ages is astounding. No wonder it is a favorite.

[odalisque]

I've tried Snake Oil a couple of times and we just don't get along. The vanilla blends into the resins and woody notes enough to make it wearable, which is rare for me. But I've come to the conclusion that whenever Beth says "exotic spices" or something similar in there, there's a note that doesn't work on me. It's in Bien Loin d'Ici and Silk Road too, and it smells like spices all right, some kind of stale exotic cooking spices.

[fantasmaglow]

This stuff is really potent, so potent in fact that it left a yellow stain on my skin. Snake Oil and I have a love/hate relationship, it unfortunately turns to spicy play dough on my skin, but I find that there are times when I crave it terribly.