Snake Oil

[biocarolyn]

By far, our most popular scent! Magnetic, mysterious, and exceedingly sexual in nature. A blend of exotic Indonesian oils sugared with vanilla.

This is so hard to review at this point, after everything that has been said, but I'll take a shot at it. On me, Snake Oil goes from a fairly nondescript vanilla incense smell to a must warmer, sultry vanilla. Seriously, this is not BBW vanilla! It doesn't feel sweet or goody to me, and I wouldn't call it spicy. I don't get cassia, cloves, or any of the other usual suspects of spicy. Instead this is a thick, rich, warm scent. It blooms on the skin and I've noticed that it smells very different on different people. A wonderful experience, and a great perfume.

[pekeana]

So, I travel with a 5 year old 10ml bottle of Snake Oil in my purse, but I finally had occasion to break it out and use it.

 

After 5 years, it smells like this deep, dark patchouli-spice syrup with just enough vanilla to keep it from being "OMG WHUT?" On the skin, I pick up more of the musk notes, then a deep, warm patchouli-spice mixture, and the vanilla actually fades to the background, just adding an interesting afterthought to the whole process.

 

While I like both new and old Snake Oil, the aged was definitely more appropriate for a funeral. New Snake Oil would've been too willy-nilly and uppity, in your face kind of a scent, whereas this was refined, mature, and somber. <3 And it's back in my purse pocket for emergency use only.

[snapesgirl34]

In the bottle – Mmm, it’s sweet without being sickly, and it’s sort of a “Dark” sweetness, like burned sugar. It’s spicy too.

 

Wet – It might be my imagination but the oil feels more viscous than normal, almost sticky. It doesn’t smell very sweet on me at all, oh no! I’m just getting that gross pathchouli smell, how disappointing!

 

Dry – This started smelling really gross so I had to wash it off.

 

Overall – It smells so wonderful in the imp, but smells terrible on my skin (why does my skin always amp the patchouli?). Ugggggh. Even after I aged it a year it still smells nasty on me. Why does my skin always amp my least favorite scents?

[Amalthea]

Imp: burnt sugar and incense

Wet on skin: Vanilla, incense and sugar

Drydown: The vanilla gets creamier and the incense goes into the background but it is still a gorgeous combination

Dry: Even creamier vanilla and a little incense

Verdict: Mine is really fresh and I will always feel the need to love it. It really reminds me of Indonesia which is a country close to my heart and so I will always smell comfort in this more than the sexy.

[Rho]

My bottle has aged many months now, and I think it's finally ready to be reviewed. When it was fresh and new from the lab, it had a strong medicinal/menthol vibe that really cleared out my sinuses. That element was distracting, but it's mellowed out now.

 

Now I'm getting much more of a warm, swirling kind of fragrance. Snake Oil could almost be the scent of a spicy vanilla tea if it weren't for the overlaying incense (*I* can't imagine drinking incense, anyway). I love the vanilla note; it would be a medium tan colored vanilla if it had a color.

 

Other people have described the scent of Snake Oil much better than I think I can, so I'll describe my impressions of it instead.

 

I find Snake Oil to be a sexy fragrance. It's inviting and flirty, but has a weight that makes it sultry. It's certainly exotic as well, and I think it would draw people in to get a better whiff.

 

On me, it smells like something my skin has absorbed after prolonged exposure rather than something I'm wearing. That is to say, it's a believable, natural kind of fragrance.

 

I could see this becoming somebody (maybe my?) signature scent. It's unique and defined; attention grabbing and seductive. A wonderful perfume that I'm giddy to own.

[ziggystardust13]

I have such a love/hate relationship with snake oil.

 

It's the perfect spicy vanilla. I love the spice though it is initially very medicinal, almost metallic. Something about it is so addicting. Initially I tried an imp fresh from the lab. I wanted more of the vanilla which I found in a bottle of aged snake oil I got off the forum. Its much more vanilla and lighter on the medicinal.

 

But lately snake oil and I haven't been getting along. I'm getting the baby powder effect which I highly dislike. Weird thing is, I don't get this effect all the time, just sometimes. Guess its my weird skin chemistry? I don't recall having this problem with the fresh snake oil though.

 

Either way, I love you snake oil.

Edited October 23, 2011 by ziggystardust13

[Eleven11]

I'm not a huge fan of this scent. To me it's boring and very erhm vanilla.

 

In the bottle: Sugared incense I used to love incense but now I'm more of a sharp fan.

 

Wet: A sharp mess of chemicals and it gives me headache.

 

Dry: It smells alot like eat me but a little less edible.

 

THIS PERFUME LASTS FOREVER AND EVER AND EVER! I was very annoyed because I wanted to try some other scents out!

 

It's nice enough but I'd rather wear eat me and avoid the incense all together. It's a very good perfume just not my thing.

[vanilla323]

Snake Oil

 

In the bottle: Strong Vanilla & Powder scents

 

Wet: Very strong powder and vanilla with some incense type smells coming out too. Very strong on first dab.

 

The dry-down: Powder is what lingers but its a sexier adult powder not baby powder. Stays on long, so glad it does. Staying power is important to me.

 

Final: 4.5/5

[CathyCR13]

I ordered a full bottle of Snake Oil based on the Lab's description and the reviews here. I figured there was a reason it's the most popular scent, so I gave it a go.

 

In the bottle, all I could smell was baby powder.

 

Wet, more baby powder. No vanilla, no spices, just powder.

 

Dry, baby powder.

 

2 hours later, baby powder and play dough.

 

Though I'm a bit disappointed, I haven't given up on this fragrance yet. My plan is to let it age a bit and try again. Maybe it will get better after a few months?

 

Oh, just FYI I only use unscented bath and body products, so there was nothing to clash with it, and I don't normally have the play dough issue.

 

I apologize for my first review being less than positive.

[wehunger]

My first review:

 

I'm quite sad about my first 5ml bottle of Snake Oil. I have ordered amazing-smelling imps of it before from BPAL. My 5ml bottle however, smells just like baby powder in the bottle, and stays smelling like powder on my skin... a very cloying and long-lasting powder. It reminds me of Johnson and Johnson's baby powder with the tiniest hint of vanilla, which is almost unnoticeable.

 

I'm tempted to save up for another bottle to see if this is just what it smells like now (has it changed? The imps I bought were fresh, so I don't think it's a matter of aging) but I'm afraid I will just lose another $18

 

In the meantime, I'm still sparingly dabbing on my imp so I can smell the way I thought Snake Oil was supposed to smell!

[glassdeer]

If you took a stick of unburned incense and dipped it in vanilla, it would smell exactly like this, which is pretty nice. Wet I could detect strong patchouli and spices and it seemed a little overwhelmingly hippy-ish, but within minutes it mellowed out to give a sweet, warm, sensual, and bohemian vibe. Impressively, I could still smell it after biking to work, pouring coffee for eight hours, and biking home! And I know it's a keeper because I just had to reapply when I got home.

[Lyssa]

I got a decant of Snake Oil that I think is something like 5 years old, so I can't attest for any newer batches of it, or even a brand new imp.

 

I'm one of the few who didn't like it, although I think I need to try it again just to make sure. Rather than vanilla, I got spicy oils that were coated in sugar. Overall, it was too dark, too heady, and too incensey for my tastes. I wanted a lot more vanilla/sugar with those hints of delicious darkness, but the vanilla/sugar are definitely backdrops to the spiced oils. I mostly tried it because it's the most popular scent, and I see why people would like it.

 

It's just not for me.

[Eliyetres]

Lovely vanilla, though the spices are almost too much and gives me a headache when I get it too close to my nose.

It stays practically the same the whole time, from smelling the bottle to a few hour later. I wish it would fade a bit but I'm stuck with this nose-stinging note

(Though I should also say that I am VERY sensitive to scents overall)

[DahliaHayashi]

Snake Oil is one of my favorites. I is a very sexy sweet scent and so hard to describe. on me its vanillary sweet spices with a bit of smokyness to it. it makes me feel sexy yet warm and comforted. I use it to sleep if i have problems with falling asleep and I also use it if i go somewhere where i wanna feel sexy. it is one of those scents that automatically makes you raise your head and gives you this proud feeling when you wear it.

This is one of the few oils that doesnt settle down on my skin. every time my body heats up it gets nearely overwhelmingly strong even if its already on for hours. i dont dare wearing it in the summer because it would probably eat me alive

i first got an aged imp (4 years) and then a fresh bottle. love both but aged it gets stronger and spicier so i probably get a backup bottle to let one age really really long!

i really love it and layerd with O its a really nice combination.

[mimieux]

I ADORE Snake Oil. It was one of my first 5mls and I am so happy I purchased it purely based on reputation alone. (Plus, it IS Beth's favorite--how can one go wrong?)

 

I get a medley of fragrances from Snake Oil. And every damn one of them is DIVINE. Thankfully, it doesn't go "play-doh" on me. I do smell vanilla, but it's not overwhelming thank God since I am NOT a foodie as far as my perfumes. Definitely spices here and just a touch of patchouli. Beth has confirmed that patchouli is indeed one of her special blends for SO and it's not AT ALL overwhelming. It's just right. Once it's been on for at least 30 minutes, I start to get a whiff of leather? Or perhaps that's tobacco? I swear it smells just like a worn leather couch with the most divine vanilla candles lit in a library and some wonderful Indian incense burning. I AM IN LOVE! I have an imp that I aged and it's all gooey and smells even more divine than my bottle. TRULY HEAVEN Thank you, Beth. Now, I want Snake Oil soap, bath oil, hair gloss..basically everything I can get my claws on. I am doomed. :::sigh:::

[Celtic Goddess]

Okay, I still haven’t quite decided if I love this or not. This one is like Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde…one day it’s all sweet vanilla and something really spicy and intriguing and the next day it’s sugar and rubber (what the heck!?). I think I’ll reserve final judgment on this crowd pleaser and allow the oil to age…here and now, I give it a tentative thumbs-up.

[Viridian]

Finally got to test a lab fresh imp of this!

 

Wet, on skin, it's something that I might've pegged as vetiver, though since no one else seems to mention that I bet it's patchouli. I can't really identify patchouli that well, except that sometimes it doesn't work and it's kind of dusty/leafy in a less sharp way than vetiver. Anyway, that's the first thing I pick out because I feel like it's going to be problematic on my skin in such quantity.

 

As it settles I definitely get vanilla, and kind of a musky feel from it. I don't get "spicy" at all, just an earthy vanilla. I actually think I like it better than the blend I bought specifically for a sweeter Snake Oil - I think it was Womb Furie - because the latter goes extremely powdery on me and this is only trying to go kind of powdery. I think the spicy half doesn't play well with my skin or my nose - I can see how this would be gorgeous on another person but I'm not at all sure about it on me. I'm going to let it sit in my imp box for six months or so and see if it mellows into something I like better.

 

EDIT:

 

I let my imp age for a year, since everyone says Snake Oil is better once the spices mellow. While I agree that I like it a little better this way, it's still patchouli and musk and a little powdery. I don't think I'll ever love this one, but I kind of like how it smells in extremely small amounts.

Edited December 21, 2012 by Viridian

[Morsigne925]

In the imp: Smells like patchouli/incense, with just a hint of spice

Wet: Vanilla/sweet smell is more prominent, though the incense smell is still at the forefront. Liking this more and more as the minutes go by. After about 10 minutes I can't stop smelling my wrists

Dry (1-2hrs): When I first put this on I was worried it would smell too hippy-incense for me, but once it settles in it starts to smell lovely, slightly foody but in a mature way, like a grown-up's dessert that's spicy and isn't overly sweet; It smells to me the way the most burnt part of creme brulee would taste if creme brulee were made of eggnog that was full of black rum and exotic spices

End of the day: It's no wonder this is their most popular blend - wonderful scent, 5 stars. I would definitely wear this often, and it's on my list for a big bottle

 

Revisit Aug 2014:

 

Bottle/wet: Sweet and spice, little bit of incense maybe

 

Drying: I'd previously had issues with this turning to baby powder after a while, so we shall see...currently still smells lightly sweet and nicely spicy, so fingers crossed!

 

It seems like it is doing the sweet caramel baby powder thing, unfortunately. I still love the scent so maybe will use it as a room fragrance or something.

Edited August 25, 2014 by Morsigne925

[Gateau]

Got a fresh imp from the Lab, and though I'm not a big resin fan, I really do get what all the love is about.

 

This is like a resin greatest hits medley on me, starting with patchouli and working through incense to dragons blood. In this phase i dont find it that pleasing. Eventually, the vanilla comes out, and the resins calm down and the whole thing melds into a vanillaed smokiness that is really nice on my skin. I am guessing that what I'm looking for is aging, so I think I'll buy a bottle now to put away.

[mollyfatale]

I am fairly new to BPAL and was absolutely DYING to know what Snake Oil smelled like. I knew it was something that I just had to try given all of the positive comments. I put an ISO thread for some, and a generous, lovely BPALer sent me an imp as well as some extras. When I first opened up the imp I pulled my head back in repose- "WHAT IS THIS STUFF?" I asked aloud, and also "WHY IS THIS SO POPULAR?". It smelt like pure vetiver and something earthy. I closed the imp and was like "eh, maybe I will try this when I am adventurous". Since BPALing, I know that the fragrance just is not the same in the bottle as it is on the skin, and you cannot just got by bottle smell alone. Fatefully, I received an imp of Snake Oil in my Beaver Moon 2011 order and thought it to be fate. So, I smeared some on my skin and gave it a try.

 

Needless to say, it hasn't left my skin SINCE.

 

It is a very sexy smell and every time I put it on my skin my boyfriend is cuddly and says "oh you smell so good!". On my skin I find it to be not extraordinarily spicy, but cozy and musky. Its a very sultry fragrance and I can see wearing this regardless of season (though I think it might be very well suited for muggy, sultry, glittery nights in the city!). I find vetiver to still be present as well as a spiciness. Its just lovely.

[IsabelleAngeline]

Snake oil is just a little bit of everything shmexy. It's warm rich vanilla, more inscensy than spicy, has a resin quality without being total babypowder, and musk.

I mean... come on. I thought it was just "ok" at first. I recently got my sister into bpal--which is great, b/c we can coordinate what we're buying so we can try MORE-- eep!

 

Anyhoo, she walks by me one day-- and oh. my. gosh. What is that smell?? I ask her. Snake oil! I think it smells a tad bit better on her, but I still love it. (although, honestly, every perfume smells better on her, she's just one of those gorgeous lucky people who attracts others like flies) AFter smelling it on her, I had to give it a real try. So I've been wearing it more often. It's very feminine and sexy, leaves a trail, but not overpowering. I've already had several people smell me and say, "someone smells amazing."

 

Also, it really does last and last. I like to put it in my hair... either straight from the vial or using some I mixed with coconut oil that I put on my ends. It smells great forever. You know how you'll wear a traditional perfume and it always smells better at the end of the day, b/c it's had time to mix with your scent and fade into your skin? Snake oil does that straight from the beginning... I think that's why it's so popular. It makes you smell like you just smell amazing all by yourself.

[BoneBone24]

I seem to be one of the unlucky few that snake oil goes wonky on. On my first try it started as medicinal baby oil and turned into straight-up medicated chapstick (w/out the pleasant tingling sensation). Suspecting that hormones may have been interfering, I waited a week and tried again. The second time around it smelled like medicinal baby powder. An improvement, but only a slight one. Definitely not the spicy vanilla I was expecting.

 

I'll give the aging idea a try, but I suspect my skin chemistry just isn't going to allow this one to work on me. I wish I knew which note was causing the problem so I could avoid it elsewhere. Luckily O is heavenly on me so at least I can wear one of the superstar scents!

 

 

Update -

 

So I’m finally giving an aged imp a shot, and I must confess that it is, in fact, one thousand times better now.

 

It starts out as sugared spices and musk over a woody/resinous base. It’s slightly tingly at the top and slightly creamy at the bottom. As it dries it becomes smoother and creamier. Eventually it settles into a soft and resinous vanilla musk.

 

Note-wise, my guess would be vanilla, skin musk, patchouli, sugar, opoponax, cardamom, oud, & amber. Maybe clove, frankincense and/or almond too.

 

 

 

Fresh: 2 out of 10 bones

Aged: 6.5 out of 10 bones

Edited August 1, 2013 by BoneBone24

[TinaWillsieWhite]

This one starts overwhelming on me and never mellows out. This is strange for me, because so many other blends disappear on me too fast. I like the scent at first, but then it gives me a headache.

 

Update

That review was on fresh Snake Oil. I think it's time to give it another try... NOT giving up on this one!

Edited February 13, 2012 by Paleokitten

[Mokiefraggle]

So, I just got my first set of imps, and this one was the first I just had to try, after a round of cursory sniffs.

 

In the imp: spicy. It had a definite incense-like scent, patchouli and a sort of smoky quality. Didn't get the vanilla directly, but there was a sweet quality that definitely hinted at it.

 

Wet on skin: oh, hello, vanilla. There you are. As soon as this hit my skin, the vanilla came out and blended very nicely with the incense scent, just sweet enough without being cloying. Very strong if I put my nose right up by my wrist, but it's a soft sort of strength--nothing sharp or biting, but very dense. Not at all a "foody" vanilla.

 

Dry down: as this starts to dry, the scents continue to mingle and smooth out from that initial pop of vanilla I got when I first put it on. The sweet and spice blend nicely, and neither facet seems to overwhelm the other. I'm a bit surprised at the throw; I've never had spray perfume really do so other than as a clinging aerosol fog, but this I can definitely get a whiff of without it being a kick in the face.

 

I'll have to wait and see how this stays throughout the day, but this is pretty much just what I was looking for. Just sweet enough without being overwhelming, just spicy enough without being biting, and a vanilla that doesn't smell like it belongs in baked goods. I already foresee where some of my Christmas funds will be going, because this is delightful.

[boomtownrat]

This is glorious! I got a frimp of Snake Oil with my Oak Moon order and have ended up wearing it more often than any of my other BPALs so far. There's no question I'm going to order a bottle.

 

Snake Oil is like BPAL has simultaneously managed to bottle all these feelings and more: going out dancing in my best outfit, hair, and makeup; sexytimes; snuggling on the couch with my DH; and enjoying a cup of spiced hot tea and a good book. If I could only pick one BPAL to wear all the time, it would be this.

 

Vanilla often seems to go a little dark and spicy on me anyway, and of course that's more pronounced thanks to the spices. It's my first BPAL vanilla - hopefully the first of many - and it's not foody, but it's rich. After I put on Snake Oil in the morning, I don't really need to reapply it during the day, but I can't resist putting on a little more in the afternoon. When I wake up the next day, it still lingers. Snake Oil plays nicely with my fragrance sensitivities, but I have to be careful not to overdo it in case somebody around me is more sensitive to it than I am. I just want to bathe in it, even though I've never been the sort of person who wears a lot of fragrance.

 

ETA, more than a year later: I depleted that first frimp. That's the first and only imp I have ever finished, and I'm a dabber with at least four dozen imps and more than 20 bottles now, so that should tell you something about how often I wear it. About 13 months ago I bought a bottle and somewhere in that time period the lab sent me another Snake Oil frimp. If I just use the imp I can let the bottle age some more, but honestly I love Snake Oil fresh and with more than a year of age. I can only imagine how much I will swoon for a truly aged bottle of this brilliant fragrance.

Edited March 3, 2013 by boomtownrat