Snake Oil

[enchantedblack]

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

This was picked on a whim and because I had heard great things about it.

Imp: Spicy sweet and dark

Wet on skin: Spicy, musky with a faint undertone of something wickedly sweet

Dry on skin: Maintained its wet on skin smell just with a bit of the musk becoming more prominent as the day went on.

My favorite little imp (besides my precious Sed Non Satiata), I plan on investing in at least 10 bottles of Snake Oil. Gotta have enough to keep me happy.

[500ml]

Smells nice, of vanilla and spices. It's quite a dark and mysterious scent which somehow doesn't work for me. It retains a sharp note which I don't like. Still, I'm glad I had a chance to try this out!

[naeelah]

I'm not usually such a fan of vanilla scents. I don't hate vanilla, it's just not quite my bag, for every-day sort of scents. A little bit *too* sweet. So I wasn't sure how I'd like Snake Oil, but actually, I love the vanilla in this!

 

It doesn't really morph, on me. It's a combination of warm, resinous oils that have a slightly exotic and powdery character, and are, yes, sugared by vanilla! The effect is very rich and sultry. I definitely see why this has such wide appeal! It's not smoky, not spicy, just rich, a bit like myrrh.

 

As everyone else has said, a little goes a long way, and I see this lasting all night. As someone who often finds many bpal scents a little too weak in throw, it's wonderful! I think it well lives up to all the hype.

 

Not sure if I'll be getting 5ml, but I'll definitely find enough occasions to finish off the imp. It's a close call. Generally prefer scents with a bit of a sharper, spicier, or smoky edge. So I can't way to try the snake pit, because I think I will find several hoarders in it! I would love this scent as the soap, so I will definitely give that a try.

 

ETA: After about 2 months, the imp was noticeably thicker. The scent of aged snake oil isn't drastically different from fresh SO, to my nose, but it is definitely a lot smoother and richer.

Edited August 6, 2007 by naeelah

[willowtreeling]

I love Snake Oil. At first, I didn't think much of it--I just sniffed it and though "Oh, vanilla incense," much like I thought "Oh, strawberry incense" when I smelled Hollywood Babylon.

 

But on, Snake Oil is the yummiest, sexiest, most wonderful vanilla incense imaginable. It is one of the few bpals that lasts a long time on me....one of the few I can actually smell on me without burrowing my nose in the crook of my arm (which I do constantly--I think my students and co-workers must think there is something wrong with me).

For those who are not vanilla lovers--this isn't candy sweet sugary vanilla--this is dirty smoky smutty vanilla plus something more.

 

Must buy big bottle asap. This and Dragon's Milk are my best friends;)

[KikuPeach]

Just got my first ever batch of imps from the Lab. Suffice it to say, I am smitten.

 

On first imp-sniffing, this seemed knock-you-over sweet, mostly vanilla. Wet on skin, it was like amped-up vanilla cake, with just a tiny hint of somehing else, almost a dusting of lemon peel?

 

The drydown brought out the voluptuous, sexy spices. Not regular cinnamon/nutmeg, either - I have no idea what they are, but these spices smell precious, transported in small, locked boxes alongside a caravan of courtesans from the farthest East.

 

Definately a keeper!

 

(First review, nose still very much in training.)

Edited July 1, 2007 by KikuPeach

[PurpleHeather]

In the bottle: Spicy, incensey warmth - can't pin the spices down, but this is still nice.

Wet: Spices are warming up, there's something faint behind them.

Dry: Rich, warm spices, delicious vanilla sweetness. I want to buy a bottle now to pack away for aging.

 

Yum!

[JennyGardener]

Snake oil is attractive, but slightly cool. It slithers across your skin, more viscous in texture than many perfumes. As it coils itself around your wrist, it fascinates with its hint of danger. There is definitely something of the snake to its smell. My daughter and I both recognized the unique smell of reptile scaliness in this oil. Very mysterious. Very, very serpentine. Not my favorite sensual blend, because I guess deep down I don't really want to smell like a reptile. But it's tricksy, and I think I'll keep it around for a while.

Edited July 3, 2007 by JennyGardener

[frozendish]

The first time I tried Snake Oil, all I got out of it was a really nasty, air-freshener cherry. It made me want to puke.

 

I gave it another try about a week later and was amazed... it smelled completely different. A bit like baby powder, but spicy and naughty (and no cherries to be found). I feel unbelievably sexy when I wear this, and am so happy I have a big bottle!

[darlingarmadillo]

When I first got Snake Oil, about a year or more ago, it was pleasant, but nothing special, and I wondered what all the fuss was about. It was a slightly dry vanilla, with incense/ hippy clothes shop over the top.

 

Now, though, it's fantastic. The vanilla isn't dry anymore, it's smooth and warm and inviting; the incense has mellowed out, and it's just a beautiful fragrance. It's not too heavy, but it has a decent throw. You only need a tiny bit, and it lasts for hours.

 

The oil itself is rather thick and dark, and leaves a slight stain on very fair skin. Nothing that would really be noticeable if you weren't looking.

[tanyak]

THIS is love...pure and simple.

 

The strongest of scents dont seem to stay strong on me...but this one actually sticks with me for a while. Unlike others, I have to slather it on though. Its fine by me becuase the end result is SO worth it. It is so rich and yummy! I can totally see why this is a best seller.

 

I also use this one as a bottom layer for other things. Its wonderful with bloodkiss!

 

A bottle of this one is a must for me.

[coconutkitten]

So this is the infamous snake oil. It's also my first review...

 

Ok in bottle, smells like ginger, and something sweet..

 

Wet on my skin it's just ginger with a hint of sweetness...

 

Lucky that disappears rather quickly then it turns into yellow cake batter. O.O

 

After about an hour it's just buttercream frosting. Which is nice, and I do love foody smells it's just very, very sweet.

 

After a few hours it turns into well.. I smell like I have been in a room with sweet vanilla incense burning.. but it's not just smoke it's ashes.. it's like I took the ashes of the incense and rubbed it on my arm. It's odd. I like the vanilla phase and I think it would mix well with other smell. But on it's own the end result for me is ashes...

[oddment]

This is an oil that reveals how limited my vocabulary and acquaintance with perfume oils really is--I think it smells like cookies. Or more exactly, like dough for spice cookies--raw vanilla and random amounts of nutmeg, cloves, and cinnamon. I can recognize the patchouli now though I couldn't at first--it's a much finer and smoother scent than the one I associate with hippy shops and don't really enjoy. It's very heady compared to the things I usually like, but unlike mainstream perfumes that have a lot of throw, this doesn't bother me at all; it's both comforting and very appealing.

 

This has an amazing amount of staying power on my skin, but I like the scent best after the spices seem to have calmed and softened and the vanilla comes up.

[DifferentDances]

I was frimped a small amount of very aged Snake Oil by a generous forumite. I've finally decided to try it.

 

Imp: New age shop. Vanilla and incense.

Wet: New age shop. Vanilla and incense.

Drydown: The incense is falling back, leaving vanilla in its stead.

Dry: Mild vanilla perfume with acrid incense edge.

 

...I don't think I'm one of its fans. Between this and my lack of success with Black Phoenix, I think I'm SOL with the Lab's signature scents. *wince* My rating is 1/5, and I'm kind of saddened by that, because there is so much hype about this scent that I was hoping it would be delicious on me.

[funkmoppet]

Oh, a wonderful frimp from the awesome djnevermore!

 

I'd been so scared to try Snake Oil, fearing the crushing disappointment of my skin chemistry rejecting it (too many "baby powder" reviews for me not to be nervous). But I knew I had to. It's Snake Oil.

 

Oh MY FUCKING GOD this is divine. I have no idea how old/new this imp is. The oil is so thick, like runny caramel. Sweet, lazy vanilla oozing with spicy, smutty warmth. I am *willing* my skin not to reject this, because it is SO good.

 

As it dries, it takes on a slightly smoky edge - like lying in a dimly lit boudoir strewn with cushions and naked manflesh, high on some nameless aphrodisiac. And best of all - NO SIGN OF DOOM POWDER! I am ELATED! It's been on for a while now, and it's just awesome.

 

Oh yes. I am feeling this one in the pants.

 

Bottles will be purchased.

[Mixxi]

I'm reviewing this for lab fresh Snake Oil.

 

In the bottle: Spicy sweet vanilla with a little musky undertone.

 

Wet on skin: The vanilla creamyness stays in the background while musky spices come to the foreground. I'm really liking this & I think it is like a Smut's lighter, sweeter little sister.

 

Dry on skin: The vanilla comes out a bit more now and the musky spicyness comes back a bit. The vanilla is definately dominant but it's a sexy, gorgeous vanilla with the sensual musk & spice underneath. This does smell great on me & i think it's going to definately become a favorite of mine.

 

I'm going to get another bottle of this I think to age as well while I use this one to see what it smells like aged.

[stasha]

Talk about a sexy scent!

 

I'm not sure how old this is because I got a decant in a swap, but if it just gets better with age then I certainly have a signature scent.

 

In the bottle there's the musky, dusty smell of walking into the incense section of a new age store. It's fierce but not over powering.

 

Wet on skin the vanilla merges with the spicy incense to create a sultry, creamy blend. The dry down continues the merge as it moves in waves between the innocence of vanilla and the sultriness of the spice.

 

Overall this is sex in a bottle, folks. So glad this has been one of my first BPAL tries.

[LadyBug]

I can definately smell a sugared vanilla scent...but a darker spicy scent lingers in the background. I like it but to tell the truth I don't know what all the hype is about it. I think people should be going crazy about Fairy Market! haha

 

I will use up my imp but I don't think I'll buy a bottle.

[Arcy]

In the bottle and on me : Amaretto and Pepsi. Dark, liquid, spicy, sexy. Strong, but clings to the skin. Very little outward throw, nice for a cloud of your own private scent. Lasts. And lasts. And lasts. Very little change on me with the drydown, it goes from being "wet" smelling to "dry" smelling, if that makes sense at all. For some reason I really don't get huge vanilla out of this, more like a vanilla in chocolate scent.

[Bamels]

Another major fan here! My first buy under high recommendation for my Lushforum friends. I was after a sexy scent, and boy did I get it! At first sniff I can smell a deep and spicy scent, almost slighlty herbal. Once I put it on the vanilla comes out and mixes in with the spices. It's a strong, deep, and warm smell that makes you feel very womanly and sexy. It makes me feel like swanning around in a long velvet dress while men drop at my feet (if only!). It does mellow and fade a bit towards the evening, but is my favourite scent

[n3m3sis42]

In the imp:

Pine or maybe patchouli with a vanilla-y undertone.

 

Wet:

Hmmm, smells sorta fruity or maybe bubblegummy on me. Strange. Doesn't really change much on drydown, either.

 

Dry:

Sort of fruity or bubblegummy. Not sure I am impressed. However, it's not unpleasant, so perhaps I will try slathering it all over myself sometime when I go out and decide how I feel about it then.

[backwards8]

I know it's the best seller and honestly, it was the imp I was most looking forward to receiving when I placed my order, but the smell is not what I thought it would be.

 

In the imp and on, it smells smoky with a hint of vanilla, like a campfire infused with vanilla or the smoke trail of a vanilla incense stick. When it first dries, the incense smell is very strong but by the end of the day, only a hint of vanilla is left.

 

It has long-lasting power and I think I'll try to put on a bit more next time. I'm still undecided about the smell but maybe a few more tries will convince me.

[bryghtrose]

My switch witch gave me three different ages of Snake Oil, so I was able to see how they all age.

 

June 2007

Wet: High, alcoholic vanilla. It smells like vanilla extract.

Drying: The spices come out, it's almost resinous. There's a bit of powder in the background

Dry: Smoky incense with a hint of vanilla

 

June 2006

Wet: Still the alcoholic vanilla extract, but mellower

Drying: Warm vanilla. Much smoother than wet or the 07.

Dry: Incense/resin with warm vanilla.

 

January 2005

Wet: Mellow, aged vanilla. The same aged quality you get from very good whiskey.

Dry: Beautiful, rich, spicy languid vanilla. Sweet and rich.

 

It's a very close-to-the-skin scent, it has no throw. It's intimate, which is good.

 

My favorite age is the January 2005, which is 2 years, 8 months old. So I should get a bottle or two now and just horde them.

 

It's a gorgeous scent, but I love Cottonmouth more. The florals add a dimension that just works so well for me.

[argylexsoul]

Fresh from the lab, Snake Oil smells exactly like Satyr + vanilla on me. Very musky, a wee bit resinous, and some sweet vanilla. Not exactly what I had expected. I also get a synthetic, plasticy smell at some points, that I think others have mentioned. I will definitely be keeping this to age, though, and I'll revisit it in a year or so.

[jaeyne]

I got this imp with a few others and so I have no idea how old it is. Wish I did. Because for me, this lives up to the hype. Not so much in the imp, all I could smell was patchoulish with an undertone of vanilla. Not so impressed. On wet it started to bloom into lovely dark vanilla and amber and incense that smooths out as it drys. long lasting and good throw. Love it!!

[kopper]

 

Snake Oil, how I love thee!

 

Ok, I have to admit, I was almost all set and ready to NOT like this because of the hype. But dear LORDY now I know why the hype exists. At first, I wasn't impressed. I smelled the bottle and felt, meh, it's not all that everyone claims it to be.

 

BUT THEN...

 

Wet: meh. My weird nose picks up cherry at first...then vanilly-goodness. I know there isn't cherry in here...why, nose, why?

 

On skin: YEY!!! Within 5 minutes, it fades a bit to a vanilla spicey musky goodness....sharp but mellow. Patchouli is smelled on my skin...

 

Drydown: Didn't have strong throw, didn't last long on me, but no matter, as I will re apply!!!! Oh, definitely big bottle of this!!!