Snake Oil

[Chrysantza]

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

 

 

In the bottle: Holy moly, I uncork the imp and am almost knocked backward by the smell. This is VERY VERY VERY strong and sweet - spicy/incense sweet, not floral sweet.

 

On me: Well, this one lasts and lasts and lasts without fading. And it smells really good - another scent in the Opium family, very rich and spicy and there is that vanilla note.

 

However, Snake Oil is a very in-your-face (in-your-nose?) scent. I would not wear it for casual occasions or work. It smells good on me, but it's so very assertive that I feel overwhelmed by it. It's a special-occasion scent, or for a hot date with someone wonderful whom you want to allure.

 

This also lasted and lasted AND LASTED on me which is rare. Twelve hours later, I still smelled good. But on the downside, I put one tiny dab on each wrist and one on my neck - and those three little dabs managed to permeate just about everything they touched. My whole bedroom smelled of Snake Oil for hours and when I put my dirty clothes in the hamper that night, so did my clothes hamper! Snake Oil is "a little dab'll do ya," definitely.

 

I'm keeping the imp, but breaking it out judiciously. For every day/work, I would wear a spicy but less assertive scent. Snake oil is, "HELLO! MY NAME IS SNAKE OIL! NOTICE MEEEEE!" It wore me not the other way around.

Edited October 27, 2005 by Chrysantza

[LunaDances]

I wanted to like this. Really, I did. Unfortunately, it didn't work out that way.

 

A very incensey smell, and strong. I think I would have liked it in small quantities... except that there's some scent found in lots of incenses that gives me headaches (I haven't been able to figure out which scent it is yet...) and it's in snake oil, big time. Had to wash this off my wrists after about an hour. Off to the swap pile...

Edited October 28, 2005 by LunaDances

[Fefferbella]

I love Perversion, so I thought Snake Oil would be another gem in my BPAL collection.

First impression: too sweet. Not my style, but I tried a drop anyway. After a few minutes, Snake Oil proved my first impressions wrong and matured into a deliciously softer version of my beloved Perversion. Yumm...

 

Deffinately a keeper!

[sarada]

I think it's a rite of passage to write a review of Snake Oil and I've been slacking in my duties for some time, so here we are on Page 12, finally getting around to it!

 

I had a bottle of Snake Oil, liked it well enough but never wore it, passed it on and then after having a wonderful experience with Snake Charmer decided to try it again. Happily, a freebie showed up just when I needed it the most.

 

Now that I've become a devout fan of Snake Charmer I can see its resemblanace to the almighty Oil but I still think that I prefer Charmer's slightly lighter touch...and its touch of plum and, well, whatever it is in there that works so well on me.

 

The vanilla is still a little too heavy in Snake Oil, though at first this reminds me a bit of Haunted, with vanilla. This changes over about an hour, and it strengthens a bit...whatever the amber-ish note is comes out warmer and spicier. It is definitely a blend that comes to life on the skin.

 

Snake Oil really doesn't smell like anything else in the world (in my experience), so I have no frame of reference to put this in. I don't think it smells like incense, because to me incense is always something very gritty, earthy and woody...and this is much more of a sweet, ambery and lightly spiced scent. It's not exactly "foody" but my boyfriend said it smelled like vanilla cookies. He pretty much says that about everything though.

 

It does last on me -- Snake Charmer did too, and I'd put it in my hair at night so I could smell it the next day. These are comforting nighttime scents for me, to curl up with when I go to bed. I imagine that some day I'll get a bottle of Snake Oil again to try to age it and see if I can get a deeper, more incensy note out of it but until then I have a fresh imp to play with.

[harmonyfb]

In the bottle: Luscious vanilla, like getting a whiff of cookie dough.

 

Wet: The vanilla disappeared beneath some sheer spiciness that I just couldn't place. The scent was a little aggressive, but I figured it would mellow.

 

Dry: I was right. Once dry, it's a dark, spicy vanilla. I love this. I could wear this - well, not everyday, but on a regular basis, anyway. It has a little throw to it, as well (most of the ones I've tried don't travel much beyond my personal bubble.)

 

::writing it on the 'I need a 5 ml' list::

[Musamea]

In the bottle: a sweet, incensey sort of smell, no hint of vanilla

Wet: very, very strong, nearly medicinal spicy sweetness

Dry: the vanilla warms up very quickly and mixes with the spice nicely – the Indonesian oils keep the vanilla from being too "foody" and the vanilla adds a touch of warmth and comfort to a blend that might otherwise be too exotic

Overall: the twelve pages of reviews for Snake Oil sort of speak for themselves, don't they? This sexy, complex scent has fantastic lasting power (I can put it on in the morning and still smell vanilla in my hair when I step into the shower the *next day*) and really grows on you – I find I like it more and more each time I use it.

[CapricornSister]

I had been ignoring Snake Oil for awhile (). Some of the other popular scents didn't work well on me so I figured it would be the same with this one.

Boy was I wrong! I got this in a swap and it's gorgeous! It's a slightly spicy vanilla. Not too sweet on me and very well rounded. It has great staying power too! I agree with the reviewer who said it reminded them of 'Haunted' with vanilla.

 

Another one to the big bottle list!

[salamandrina]

My first review (and my first yummy smell)

 

In the imp - It was strong and indistinct, but yummy.

 

Wet - My initial impression was of the scent of an Indian clothing store. Spicy, a little dusty, and not a whole lot of vanilla. It was nostalgic for me, and comforting. I'm not getting sexy, although it is exotic.

 

Somewhere at about an hour, a close up sniff made me go "Hmm....bandaids?" It was a weird, medicinal, iodiny smell that I've occasionally gotten from red wines that want to breathe before you drink them. It wasn't disturbing, but it also made me realize that I was very, very cold.

 

After about 2 hours, and a snuggle with the kitties, it was warm, smooth, spicy vanilla. Yum. The hubby said "Yum"

 

It smells wonderful, although I get comfortable and warm, not sexy from it....its safely exotic to me. I think I'll be getting a bottle of this - it just seems to meld into me without being overwhelming.

[jjean]

Oh my goodness! What a delightful smell! This compelled me to finally sign up on the boards and comment.

 

I put it on, and five minutes later it was delicious. Sweet, but with something darker and thicker underneath. I usually don't like vanilla, but this is amazing.

 

I'm in college, and my dorm room does tend to have a certain funk to it (not my fault, I completely blame my roomie and her old yogurt). Every time my friend comes to visit, she walks in my room and starts berating me for the smell. Today, however, she barged in, stopped, and said in disbelief, "Oh my God, your room smells so good!" I let her sniff my wrist and now she wants me to buy her a bottle for Christmas.

 

Walking down the hall, another girl noticed the oil saying, "Mm! Smells like incense but better." I don't get the incense as much, but I do love the smell.

 

Of course, my boyfriend liked it as well.

 

Usually no one noticed when I would wear another BPAL scent, Old Morocco. When I finally mixed that with Tum, my boyfriend said I smelled like tea (which he admittedly is fond of). This is the first time I've gotten such admiring comments on a scent. And the best thing is, my room still smells like it.

[Anadira]

In the imp: It smells strongly of alcohol. Not at all what I expected.

 

Wet: Just as strong, and I only swiped it once across my wrist. Still really boozy, though I'm getting a bit of the vanilla, too, and what I think are some of the spices. Hmm. Starting to get a headache.

 

On drydown: Took a bit for it to dry completely, and when it did, the alcohol part was /still/ there, though the vanilla was starting to take over.

 

After a bit: Alcohol smell finally gone, and with it, the reeling sensation in my head. It's just very sweet now, with just the slightest hint of those spices, but it's really faint. Pity.

 

I tried it a second time a few days later, as some other people suggested in the forums, but I had to wash it off soon after because the boozy scent just increased, if anything. I really wanted this to work, since it seems wonderful, but it ended up working better on my roommate, so I may just pass it along to her instead. Guess it's not for me, though.

[Limelight]

Sweet, simple seduction...

 

I had the same initial reaction as many posters on here - strong tobacco, almost medicinal overtones, with some cloying sweetness underneath. I am happy to report that the second try deal did work out for me tho. Less tobaccy, more musky, and pleasantly sweet. Just be careful where you put it, I burned myself a bit under the arms

 

The mood it's putting me in is that of a (mostly) innocent seductress who blesses all with her pretty presence. My best illustration of that is having a sudden urge to listen to (and sing along with) Mama Cass doing "Dream a Little Dream." So a real Old-Timey feeling for me as well.

 

Everybody who isn't having great luck with it, I say as has been said before, don't give up just yet! Love-on ya!

[Leda]

It took me a while, but I finally succumbed to the delicious delight that is Snake Oil.

 

First try it was an agressively sweet vanilla and a bit of my grandfather's cologne and pipe tobacco.

 

After putting the imp away for a while and getting it back out for another spin, I'm thoroughly hooked. Indonesian spices? Yes, I smell those. Incense and vanilla? Yes, that too. Reminds me a little of nag champa incense. No grandpa anywhere. ETA: Something different appears each time I wear this. Sometimes I get more woods (patchouli? cedar?) and today I am getting some amber as well. Even a little cherryish camphor scent right after applied. Very complex. A staple in my BPAL collection.

Edited January 19, 2006 by Leda

[Victory]

I had such high hopes for Snake Oil. The first time I tried it, I smelled exactly like a stick of incense for five hours, then the most gorgeous vanilla in the world came out. In all of the many subsequent tries, I've just gotten incense. Real, true, honest to goodness stick of cheap incense. Unfortunately, I really dislike incense. So this is a no go for me. I could see how, if the vanilla was out all of the time, this could be a spectacular blend.

[Rhowan]

SNAKE OIL

I was really worried about trying this because of the "Indonesian Oils" - I didn't want to smell like an unwashed hippie woman of patchouli and incense - my tastes don't run that way. I decided to try this because of some of the rave reviews I have read.....

 

In the bottle: Really incense-y but I can catch the whiff of sweet vanilla

 

Wet: the first couple of seconds on my skin, I catch a very acrid smell. I can't quite place my finger on what it is, but it quickly passes. Very strong incense smell - not patchouli at all but a blend of incenses with a hint of vanilla

 

Dry Down : the more that time passed the more the vanilla came to the foreground. It is a very sugary vanilla that tempers the incense. This scent to me is not the blended scents I am used to, where after awhile you can't pick out the notes - this you can definitely pick up the vanilla. Like I said, the vanilla is so sugary - just like I had hoped Dorian would be. Hmmm, wonder how this would be with Dorian layered with it?

 

Hours later : Wow! Snake Oil has staying power! Great throw also, enough that people passing closely to you would sniff in your direction with lust!

My 22 yr old son describes it as "unwholesome" in a positive and very naughty way.

 

Conclusion: I NEED A BIG BOTTLE NOW! Snake oil rocks my world. If you are looking for a good sugary vanilla with staying power - this is it!

Edited November 30, 2005 by Rhowan

[oceangirl]

Unfortunately, my skin ate this. It smelled so GOOD in the imp, but once my skin grabbed it, I smelled like vanilla and playdough. I am very disappointed, and might keep this to try again in a few weeks.

[DeliberateAngel]

This is an unusual and beautiful scent. When first applied it smelled ever so faintly of vanilla and lots of sultry, exotic spices.

The first thought when I smelled my wrist was sexy yet somehow dirty or wicked. There is some underlying scent that just adds a cruel tone which I love.

3 hours later that faded into a smell that I can best describe as reminiscent of Nag Champa (my dad told me I spelled like a head shop).

I have a small bottle (not an imp, 5 ml) and will be wearing this often.

 

ADDED May 21:

 

Snake Oil smelled rather sweet maybe vanilla (O Vanilla not

Antique Lace Vanilla) with a hoard of exotic spices.

 

Inital Application: The spices are strong and I almost smell Nag Champa somewhere in there! I swear.

 

2-3 Hours Later: I smell like a head shop.

 

4+ Hours: Powdery like O becomes on me after the same amount of time.

Then nothing. Then later I kept smelling MILK CHOCOLATE. I finally figured out the smell was coming from my wrists.

 

This really didnt work well with my body chemisty. My Dad actually asked me what the hell I was wearing and told me I smelled like I had been in a headshop all day. This was not a compliment.

 

Snake Oil was put up for grabs on Ebay.

[parrot_suspect]

Here's a fragrance that truly lives up to its hype. Snake Oil deserves its position as the most popular BPAL scent. It's sexy, vanillic, spicy, smoky -- a gothic vanilla, if you will. Sweet and smoldering at the same time. It lasts forever and has great sillage. A classic, and one of Beth's masterpieces.

[hangingfire]

In the imp: Primarily woody and spicy. Not getting any vanilla at all, but that's okay; I like that sort of thing.

 

On, wet: Now there's a touch of something slightly waxy? resiny? It's also taking on a mellow aspect, possibly from the vanilla. It's interesting in smell it in a blend like this, rather than in the more explicitly foody-sweet blends I usually find it in.

 

Drydown: Very strong on the wood-resin, a bit sharp and harsh, and not so much on the vanilla, really. I wonder how it will change with age? It seems like it may need some time to mellow out. So I'll put this in the box and check back later.

Edited December 6, 2005 by hangingfire

[sihaya09]

I've already posted a review, but I have to say that the first bottle I got was aged. It was dark and spicy.

 

When I got a new bottle, I just mixed the new with the dregs (about 1 imps' worth) of my old bottle to condense space. I wish I hadn't. The newer bottle is much lighter on the vanilla, with a cherry/plummy note that distinctly makes me think of Snake Charmer. It's not unpleasant, but it doesn't allow the spices to take center stage. I think I'll try to age the newer bottle and see if my dark resiny goodness returns.

[allikat]

In the bottle: Sweet, vanilla, a hint of spice. YUM! I can see why this is such a popular scent.

 

Wet: A bit more spice than vanilla. Still very yummy, though I hope the vanilla comes back.

 

Drydown: The vanilla's back, and the spice has receeded into the background. This has suddenly gotten *very* sweet and foody. Still yummy, though I'm not fond of the sweetness/foodyness. I think I'd want to layer this with something a bit spicier for wearing.

 

And twelve hours later, this scent is still going strong.

 

 

---

 

I just tried this a second time, and this time, the sweetness isn't nearly as bad. It's still sweet, but not to the point of cloying. I'm supposed to be studying for my Latin final, but I'm having a hell of a time detatching my wrist from my nose. This scent is definitely growing on me.

[StormtrooperPrincess]

Comforting, yet exotic.

 

Overdosed on Snake Oil yesterday morning. Mom and I pick out the spices, while my Dad and one of my best friends apparently only notice the vanilla (must be a guy thing). And Todd didn't sniff it until several hours later, an attestment to how much throw and staying power this has on me when I use more than just two or three drops. The mix of the two---vanilla and spices---is kind of like a bakery, an Indonesian bakery. Not that I've ever been in one. ;-) The vanilla is the comforting note, and the spices are the exotic notes.

 

Overall, I'm really glad I got a Big Bottle of this. A nice, sexy scent that doesn't feel like it has only one purpose (Pink Moon only gets worn with pink clothing, Somnus gets worn at night, etc).

[aedes]

Wow! This scent has a well-deserved popularity. I had put it off for a long time, well, partly because I didn't WANT to like it. Everyone loves vanilla, damn it, I want to be something else.

 

But this stuff is just too beautiful. My boyfriend didn't want to stop smelling my hand. He described it, aptly, as "The best smell ever."

 

I don't get too much in the way of spiciness or incense, but a whole heaping ton of vanilla. It's warmer, more complex, and snugglier than, say, smearing yourself with vanilla extract, but it's clear in this vintage that vanilla is the Diana Ross to the spices' Supremes.

 

Oh lordy. I guess I'll have to buy a big bottle of this, huh? Well, I'll get some Hades, Pele, and Masabakes, too to give me some personality.

[des]

I got this in an imp pack today and I put it on first thing, because I wanted to see what the fuss was about. Oh, boy, is it delicious.

 

Vanilla is definitely the main scent that comes through for me, tempered with some amazing warm spicyness. I've been sniffing my wrists all day--I can't believe how good I smell! Ha. If it smells this good on everyone, no wonder it's so popular. I'll be buying a bottle.

[crescentwench]

this is another one that so many people love that i just wasn't sure about. it was so faint on me and faded to nothing. i wonder if it's the vanilla the lab uses, as several of the fadey scents have had vanilla. ::shrug:: i think i'll try it again and attempt to slather a little more. i tend to skimp incase i end up allergic to something, so it's easier to wash off. i really want to love this one darnnit!

[terrierhead]

Darn! This was the imp that I tried first when my order arrived today. It instantly goes to pennyroyal-scented play-doh on my skin. Oh, I am annoyed. After a few hours of wear, it turns to a nice stick of vanilla incense. It has no throw whatsoever in either its play-doh or incense iterations.

 

I'll try this again in a week or two.

Edited December 27, 2005 by terrierhead