Snake Oil

[zenvodunista]

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

after not having gotten around to ordering an imp long ago when i first found BPAL (because i didn't think i liked vanilla!) and then after trying to swap for one forever and day, i finally ordered a bottle of Snake Oil unsniffed and just recieved it in my Anniversary package. i figured i could sell it, if it didn't work on me.

in the bottle, i smell spices, especially cinnamon, vanilla, and some kind of rum or bourbon!

on me, this is an intensely spicy blend. it sinks into the skin and wavers back and forth between a round vanilla supported by rich woody spices, and a spicy bubblegum. i can't tell if i love this, or don't like it at all.

i will be trying it again, and i will be keeping the bottle for aging and trying more. i am hoping the vanilla will smooth out the somewhat rough edges of the spices.

ETA:

two days after writing this reveiw, i found myself reaching for the Snake Oil. i wondered if it smelled "rough" because of the amount i'd put on. this time, i put a dab -- just a dab mind you -- on each wrist, behind each ear, and a small swipe along each collarbone.

Snake Oil lived up to it's reputation. smoky, sensual, warm, sexy, and a little bit comforting. i was wrapped in a warm blanket of vanilla supported on clouds of spice. it laaaaaasts too. really lovely.

i'm glad i ordered a 5ml unsniffed. a new favorite, and definitely in my top 10.

n. Edited January 2, 2006 by zenvodunista

[Fury]

After a number of orders based simply on historical curiosity, Snake Oil was my first real bid based on notes alone, nothing to do with personal affection towards subjects of scents. I love vanilla, adore it, but hardly ever go for blanket vanilla fragrances. Mostly I love my scents to leave impressions, and delicious I find invading my personal atmosphere with such aromas by means of candles and incense, I prefer oils a little moodier, a little warmer.

 

Which was why, coupled with the multitude of raving reviews, I was so excited about trying out a vanilla amped up a shot. Besides, I love spicy, though I'm coming to understand perhaps it does not love me.

 

Oh, Snake Oil was gorgeous in the bottle, just the right amount of balance to the foody nature of the vanilla component. However, once it hits my skin the sweetness disappears- to a rather unfortunate side effect, something more akin to a spice packet in some sort of shake and bake recipe, rather than something with the depth and throw I'd been looking for.

 

Quite a shame!

[merebrillante]

In the vial: Vanilla and liquor.

 

Wet: Vanilla, coconut and liquor.

 

Drydown: Liquor is getting much stronger, turning almost to a formaldehyde smell.

 

Dry: That's definitely bourbon I smell. I've always hated bourbon. And I think it's making my nose run.

 

Later: Synthetic rubber Barbie doll. With lots of staying power.

[Anbreen]

I'd buy this by the gallon.......if it was sold that way, and if I could afford it.

[moon_lemming]

Thought I'd love it -- vanilla! Love! But it smells like straight-up incense once it's on, and my skin kicks up the wrong notes and gah, so bad. So, so bad. I had to wash it off. Goodbye, Snake Oil. I like incense-y smells when it comes to incense, just not as perfume. On me, anyway.

 

I'm going to give this one another chance, though, since my first imp was straight from the Lab, and I've heard Snake Oil gets better as it ages. I'll edit this review in a few months when I try it again.

[Moryssa]

I have the same problem, Karen...

 

I just got an imp of Snake Oil... and I'm not as blown away as I expected. It reminds me far too much of the incense-y smell of the Egyptian stores at the mall, which isn't necessarily a *bad* smell... just not necessarily something I want to go about my day wafting out scents of. I like the dry-down smell, but it takes to long to get there, and that incense smell never really goes away.

 

Like Karen, I like incense-y smells in incense, but I'm not so sure about on me.

 

I'll keep the imp and see if aging it makes it better, but I'm not holding my breath.

 

--M

[Jocelyn]

Snake Oil, had i known it had patchuli in it, i would not have ordered it.

In the imp it smells like spices and vanilla, smells fairly nice.

I put it on, it smells good for somewhere around 10 minutes, and then i smell like a vanilla coated hippie. And not in a good way.

However, other people seem to like it on me, so i will age it and see what happens.

[mudtusk]

I've been playing with Snake Oil for a few weeks now - so it must be time to review it...

 

In the bottle it's a dark, musky vanilla smell.

 

Wet - Same but sweeter as the vanilla comes out. There's an oily tang that's almost off-putting.

 

Dry - This is a unique perfume that quite defies an appropriate description. It's vanilla, sure, but like no vanilla scent you've ever experienced before. It's dark, sweet, oily and animalic.

 

What's to add? It's a unique, intoxicating smell for freaks and weirdos. Wear it to shock and attract/confuse others.

 

I Score It: 8.5/10

Edited January 12, 2006 by Mr K

[LittleGreyKitten]

Snake Oil took a long time to grow on me; in the bottle I detested it. I often washed it off before it developed, and I like it best after it's mellowed for about a half hour- plus, I think I overapplied it initially, which didn't help. It's very, VERY potent. It does smells "headshoppy" a bit to me, which is not necessarily a bad thing- something familiar about it too, that I just can't put my finger on. The vanilla takes a back seat to whatever spice elements are in this. I like it best after it's mellowed a few hours, and applied sparingly. It smells golden, warm, exotic and very sexy.

 

I like it more than I thought I did. I may end up buying a full size someday, though my imp will last a long time. I'd give it a 5 out of 5.

 

Some sweet swapper gave me a second new imp of this, to match my 2 or 3 year old imp (which is almost full!). I now realize why people suggest aging it. The smell is markedly different- the old one is smooth, more creamy and quite divine. The newer one is close to as good but much sharper and less mellowed. Interesting! Even the boy could smell the difference between the two imps.

 

I finally realized why this is a familiar smell. I have a tiny vial of a scent called Moroccan Vanilla, which I haven't touched in ages, from a now-defunct Seattle perfume oil store called The Body Scent. I realized Snake Oil is not quite a dead ringer- it's actually better blended and doesn't have this weird shrill scent that the Moroccan Vanilla tends towards- but it's awfully close, yet better. Moroccan Vanilla was the most intensely potent stuff in the universe- one teeeeeeensy, like microscopic dab would last all day. Snake Oil is a little less potent but still pretty intense. This also nails the "headshoppy" vibe I get- someone I knew ages ago in high school used exclusively Moroccan Vanilla incense from The Body Scent, and he was a total hippy type. Very funny! Scent memory is incredibly powerful. I knew I kept seeing tie-dye when I smelled this!

 

Edited to add: Squeee! I got a full size bottle and oh, the cute label! It's now decorated with a Carnaval Noir label, so perfect. I think it's a great idea, I love that Snake Oil is spiffed up like that! Having a bottle is great. I finished the imp up in record time, but I definitely miss it's agedness- the new Snakey is good, but the old one was even better.

Edited March 10, 2006 by LittleGreyKitten

[jazlyn]

I mainly tried Snake Oil because it's one of the most popular BPAL scents; I think that it's too sweet/spicy for me. I'll agree with what other people said though, that it's unique and magnetic... mysterious too, but yeah, not for me.

Edited January 15, 2006 by jazlyn

[angharad]

*gulp* Wow.

 

From the imp, I wasn't too crazy about this. It seemed too spicy without much vanilla to sweeten it up. Then I tried it on, and immediately the vanilla came out and blended so well with the spices. It didn't change at all throughout the day; this doesn't have a very strong throw, but dear Lord it lasts forever. I put it on before work, and now, 10.5 hours later, I can still smell it just fine. Snake Oil is going on my bottle wishlist.

[fiddlehead]

When I first put this on I get a big hit of unfamiliar spices and vanilla. After an hour or so it becomes a very rich smelling vanilla. And it lasted alllll day on me. My main complaint with other vanilla scents I've tried over the years is that they don't last very long so I'm really happy with this one

[purplegirl]

Snake Oil. yowza! why oh why do i only have an imp of this?? *adding this to wishlist and placing it pretty close to the top*

 

i think that Beth should just call it the name it screams out - SEX OIL!!

 

i wore it to work and i got very little work actually done, as i had people continually asking what i was wearing. i had the imp on me and everyone had a dab of it on their wrists. thank goodness it was friday because i don't think anyone got any work done - all i saw was a whole lotta wrist-to-face action!!!

 

i get throbbing, hot vanilla-on-spicy-goodness-on-musk vibes. it smelled sooo different in the vial, i'm glad i gave it a shot, sooo worth it!! the proof was in the pudding - my husband couldn't stay away

[populuxa]

There's probably not much I can say about the nuances of this scent that hasn't been explained already in this thread, but I can voice an echo of "Mmm! I can see why this is the most popular scent!" It's just that good! Sweet & exotic, very warm and slightly smoky. If you are reading this and don't have a bottle, for goodness sake, do yourself a favor and order some!

[Nightgaunt]

The name of this oil has raised some eyebrows ("Wow, I love your perfume, what's it called?Oh...uh..interesting.") but I find it appropriate because Snake Oil reminds me of nagas. I imagine a jeweled palace under a lake. Inside, a princess of astounding beauty reclines on silken cushions. She stirs, and yards of glittering tail uncoil from beneath her sari. She smiles, and a forked tongue flickers between her lips.

[Hawke]

I finally try one of the lab "classics"!

 

In the vial: Something vaguely sweet, though not pure sugar. Something sharp, almost alcoholic. Really, smelling this in the vial, I thought I got patchouli which apparently translates as dirt to me. I didn't like it.

 

Wet: Now the sweetness clarifies. This smells like brown sugar, caramelized sugar at the very least. Vanilla pops up and the alcohol seems to be gone. Maybe that's what it was -- vanilla -- in the first place.

 

Drydown: Oh wow. This, as I was told by the person I got it from, was an imp straight from the lab. If this thick, rich, sticky scent gets more potant with age, it will be big bottle material for sure.

[Phaedra]

After being on my wishlist for over a year, I finally got an imp of this a couple of days ago (thanks RHM!). Wet this is strong musk and patchouli. When first on it's a sharp patchouli, almost metallic, with some warmth underneath. Very quickly I can smell the vanilla developing. This blossoms into a hypnotic blend of patchouli, vanilla and spices. These are exotic spices though, not cinnamon spice. This dries down to a creamy soft vanilla. This lasts very long on me- over 12 hours. Absolutely stunning!! I can see the comparisons to Snake Charmer (without the plum note). It also reminds me of Dragon's Milk in that they both have a very warm, sexy, red feel to them. This wears much warmer and creamier than it smells in the imp. I can see why this is a legend in the BPAL catalog!!! I am definitely ordering a bottle of this very soon and will experiment with aging it. Simply wonderful

[pale]

Hmm, teh Snake Oil!

 

Wet: spicy musk, some vanilla, some smoke.

 

After some drying time: a lot of incense.

 

This smells exactly like my loctician's house; she burns a lot of incense. This scent is middling on me but i will give it to her, she will love it.

[Rock Geisha]

In the bottle: Something spicy like patchouli. A little vanilla.

Wet: Mmm, spicy.

Drydown: The vanilla is more present.

 

The vanilla in this isn't the sweet vanilla sugar I'm used to--this is a grownup vanilla. It works well to sweeten the exotic spice and in turn, the Indonesian oils give the vanilla weight. This is a grownup scent and I don't mean as in old lady perfume (the bane of my existence!). It's very art of seduction, the scent of someone who regrets nothing.

 

Would I buy it in the bottle?: Yes, most likely.

[Mountaingrrl00]

I received a decant of this from Astburygrrl at a Meet & Sniff recently. This is an aged version.

 

I already like it because of the color, which is like a good cognac. The scent smells much as it looks. Though not boozy per se, it is intoxicating, warm and luminous. I detect patchouli, dark musk (similar to the musk in Sed No Satiata)and a hint of vanilla richness.

 

On the drydown, the sweetness comes out, along with a sweet, slightly peppery spice -- cardamom? Maybe just a dusting of cinnamon's there, too. I think there's another musk that shows up now, a lighter one, like the one in Morocco.

 

For me, this is not an everyday scent, but one for moments when I have time to savor its luxury.

[Ayln]

I don't really understand the popularity of this scent, but maybe I'm just not mature enough to fully appreciate it It's a little sweet but far too heavy for me, and anything that has "spices" in its description usually gets a blind eye turned to it.

[PrettyPenny]

This is really really sweet on me. Strong vanilla and sugar. I put the tiniest dab on the inside of my wrist, and I asked my boyfriend to smell it. He said it was like walking past a bakery or sweet pastry shop. I like it, but you really don't have to use much in order to get the full effect.

[Lizzie]

In The Bottle smells very boozy, and like candy, rich yummy candy.

 

Wet On Spicy sweet vanilla, rich and thick and warm and golden. Sweet but not too sweet. Very sexy. However there's a faint touch of something...almost medicinal...that's throwing me off.

 

Dry Very appealing. It reminds me of something but I'm not sure what. I'm only wearing it on my wrists, I think I'll have to do a full slather to get the full effect. As it's drying more and more, it's smelling more like spice and less like vanilla, but it's still retaining it's seductive sweetness. There's still a weirdness I can't get past thought. I can see why this would be the most popular blend, though I have to admit it's not my own personal fave and I don't think I'll be getting a bottle. I will however, thoroughly enjoy the imp.

[theling]

Rating: 9/10

 

In the bottle:

Now, I dont usually like ANY BPAL with a musk or incense note but I HAD to try this as it seems to be the overwhelming favorite. In the bottle it smelled very musky and only a little vanillay.

 

Initial Scent (on skin):

Initially very strong musk and incense notes with a hint of creamy vanilla.

 

Staying Power:

Dries down to almost no musk (YES!!!) and the vanilla def. amps up. Smells liek a complex deep vanilla scent. Lasts about 3 hours on me!

[mandragora]

I must admit that Snake Oil has me intrigued since day one. Having seen this oil recommended left and right as the penultimate Sexeh scent of BPAL, I must see what the fuss is all about.

 

In the vial: It is smokey, musky and lightly intoxicating.

On me: it turns to a gorgeous boozy, vanilla.

Drydown: the vanilla softens and the smokey, spicyness returns. Very seductive smell.

20 mins later: Alas, the musk turns into a powdery smell.

 

Verdict: Like the most other reviews, I think Snake Oil needs to be aged before it could be fully appreciated. I'll come back and report a month from now.