Cottonmouth

[QueenFae]

Snake Oil with linden blossom, calla lily, passion flower, and narcissus.

I don't smell much of the Snake Oil part of this, but it certainly does smell lovely!! It's a very clean scent, like fresh linens in the springtime, sort of like B&BW's Cotton Blossom fragrance. There is a slight hint of vanilla sweetness in the background, but I really have to search for it to pick it up. Very pretty scent, clean yet a little creamy at the same time, unique.

This has medium throw and lasting power. A very nice scent, but not quite enough 'snake oily' for me.

[samarablackcat]

Oh my, where have you been all my life?

 

Sniffing from the bottle, I smell a wonderful aroma of warmth and sweetness. Maybe vanilla? I don't really get the floral, per se, but floral to me is rose, honeysuckle, lilac and such. As the oil dries, I am not able to pick out any individual notes, probably because I am not familar with linden blossom and can't remember what passion flower smells like. The scent stays true on my skin, just like out of the bottle. Nice, I think, and I can't stop smelling myself. It wafts around me like incense, always right under my nose. I put more on, because I am smitten. A few hours later, it is still going strong. Before I go to sleep, I put more on. I dab on my wrists, inside of my elbows and my shoulders. I drift off to sleep in a cloud of sensory delight. When I awaken in the morning, the first thing I do is smell my wrists. And yes, I can still smell my beautiful Cottonmouth; not strongly, but it's still there.

 

There are many scents I adore; they give me peace, comfort, boost my ego, help me to face the day, help me go to sleep, make my car smell wonderful, scent my home and give me attitude. But this is the first time I have reapplied three times in the span of eight hours because I want more. Something in this blend raises me up on high, rings a note somewhere in my memory, taking me to a place of joy. Oh yes, I will have multiples before the Carnaval leaves.

[nekogrrl]

I didn't hold out any hope for this because of the lily note, and sadly, I was right. I amp lily like mad, and this time was no different. And also, that tends to be the only thing I smell, so boo.

 

This goes on the swap pile.

[Saya]

In the Bottle

I can smell the snake oil – this has a tart floral scent to it. It instantly grabbed my attention!

 

On My Skin

Very fresh and clean smelling. It’s lighter than Snake Oil and the lily is really starting to come through now. The tart smell has been replaced by a nice, light, floral scent.

 

After a Bit

I love this! Florals notes are mixing well with the snake oil, it a great blend. Hasn't changed a whole lot from the wet phase.

 

Rating 1-5 (5 being the best)

Scent – 4 Throw – 4 Longevity – 5

Over all – 4.5

 

Final Thoughts

I applied this almost 12 hours ago and I can still smell it. I love the scent, it’s sexy, in a light and playful way. It’s also got amazing throw. I feel very confident wearing this blend. I’ve got to get a bottle.

[Schmoozy]

First Sniff: Calla Lily and Snake Oil

 

On Skin: Mainly wet calla lilies and muted Snake Oil. It is fresh, clean and sweet.

 

Drydown: This doesn't really morph. The florals all blend together to produce a sweet, clean, spring scent. Lilies and linden blossom are the dominant florals and unfortunately snake oil is barely detectable. However, there is still the sexiness and spiciness aspect of snake oil mixed with the florals.

 

Final thoughts: Fresh, floral, clean and playfully sweet. A different and muted, but still extremely comforting snake oil. Reminds me of Dirty, Antique Lace and Wensleydale.

Edited August 23, 2008 by Schmoozy

[hlinspjalda]

In the vial: Tangy floral, just a little sweet.

 

Wet: Warm and sweet (the Snake Oil?) with tangy floral. It's got some of the aromatic elements of linden blossom but isn't as sweet.

 

Half an hour: Tangy floral still, over warm and sweet. It's almost citrusy in its tang.

 

Two hours: Less tangy, but a little more of the linden is peeking through. Very subtle, reassuring; I'd wear this near a baby.

 

Three hours: Still sweet and gently linden. Possibly the most understated floral I've tried so far.

 

Six hours: Still lindenish. That's amazing, that it could be so low-key yet so persistent. I may have to keep this imp after all.

[jizatt]

Much cleaner than I expected, very sweet, with just a hint of the SO tradition. So far, I like this one quite a bit. I'm shocked by how many of the Snake Pit I like, when I didn't enjoy SO itself all that much.

[femmefatale]

I agree with the other posters who said that this is a very clean and gentle floral. It's very pretty and feminine without being too girly or womanly. The snake oil in this is very understated, but I'm still able to pick it out.

I wish the narcissus came out a little more, but I really like this and I'm glad I picked some up.

[Yoginispirit]

Wow- my first review!!!

 

I wish I could say that I knew what this smelled like fresh- my bottle was recieved from someone who already had it for 2 years.

 

In the bottle: It smells sharp and clean but with a hint of spice beneath.

 

Wet: Still clean but the spices are starting to pick up and I smell snake oil!

 

Dry: A spicy vanilla throw.

 

I love this scent!!! It's very classy! I am a snake oil hater (ducks) but I love the spiciness I get from this. I'll have to do an experiment by buying a new bottle and comparing before the carnival leaves

[caitilarkin]

In the vial: Snake Oil spices with light, clean florals.

 

Wet on skin: A softened, sweetened Snake Oil

 

Dry on skin: Spicier, with florals so well-blended that I can't discern the separate notes. I don't detect any of Snake Oil's vanilla until after 3-4 hours of wear. My brain registers the blend as very innocent and youthful, but judging from the compliments I got today (including a creepy one from a dude on the El ) it is apparently pretty sexy. Huh.

 

I was afraid I would fall in love with Cottonmouth, and sure enough, I have. It's probably a leetle too sexy for work but will be perfect everywhere else. This one's going on the bottle list!

[donnatron]

Imp: Primarily linden blossom. I can't even smell the Snake Oil.

 

Wet: The Snake Oil comes out but the linden still dominates. This smells very sweet and clean. It reminds me of laundry but only in a conceptual way.

 

Dry: I can definitely smell the sweetness of the Snake Oil and a hint of the darker, more resinous aspects of it. It's veiled by a crush of white florals, led by the linden. It's probably the most interesting Snake Pit scent I've tried so far, since it's the one where I smell the new additions to the scent more strongly than the original SO.

 

Throw: Faint. Very skin-close.

 

Overall: It's pretty. I know that sounds boring and simple, but it's a good way to describe Cottonmouth. Snake Oil is a pretty commanding scent and it kind of grabs a hold of you. Cottonmouth is more demure and it has a bit of the Snake Oil allure but is more a wallflower. Shy, pretty and very feminine. Definitely considering a bottle before the Carnival leaves town.

[maika]

In the imp, all I see is thick, viscous syrupy goodness. Like my Death Adder sniffie, this has aged for a year, and I'm almost scared to take the lid off for fear of what it might do to my bank balance. Anyway...back on track. In the imp, this is pure incense-y floral, with a little fruity lift - the passionflower? Probably.

 

Wet, it's dried out a lot. My mind might be playing tricks on me, but this really smells cotton-y. Whatever it is it's not a bad thing. The fruitiness has settled down too, which is good, because I'm really not good at smelling fruity. I can't find the Snake Oil though, so what I have now is a fairly straight forward mixed floral. But that in itself isn't a bad thing, just not what I was expecting.

 

Dry, Hasn't really morphed at all...just a straight out incensey floral. It's one I will consider for a bottle, but if it doesn't happen it won't be the end of the world.

[lucyintheSkywithDemons]

A very generous forumite send me a partial bottle of this one,

and I had it for about 6 month now - and WOW, it is !!

 

In the bottle, I smell a clean and sweet ..something... ?

There is definitely snake oil and a whiff of linen and ..cotton .. ?

 

On skin,

this one smells a lot like on of my all time favorite BPALs..

The oval portrait.

 

they are not alike, but Cottonmouth is Oval Portraits evil scent twin.

Its darker, where the portrait is bright and shiny.

Its spicier, where portrait is sweeter.

Its not very floral on me, but creamy and milky and delicious.

 

They are not the same, but pretty much similar ( does that make sense ? )

 

I love it.

I will definitely get myself at least 2 bottles of this,

as my actual bottle has just about 1 imp left in it.

 

The snake oil and all the other ingredients blend wonderfully and

strange enough I would have never ever tested this,

if I wouldn´t have been gifted with it.

Thank you so much, Spark... *hugs*

 

 

 

[asciident]

Wet: Calla lily.

 

First on: Sour narcissus.

 

Dry: All passion flower and nothing else.

[TrailerTrashPrincess]

i bought this with such high hopes - Linden Blossom! Calla Lily!

but by the time it settles in on me, it is all narcissus and passion flower. boo!

[fairnymph]

In the bottle: Light, softly sweet floral. I definitely get the citrusy linden, some calla lily, and maybe a hint of green narcissus. Also, I smell *pear*. White pear.

 

Wet: Richer, headier, soapier. Jasmine? Way more lily, less linden, but still a fair bit of pear. Narcissus a little sharper and stronger. Hint of snake oil in the distance.

 

Dry: Increasingly powdery, surely due to the calla lily. This will shortly be ALL powder. Also, too heady and the edge of narcissus isn't working for me. Sink.

 

[GardenCat]

I also bought this one with such high hopes - a snakey floral! Very clean smelling, must be the calla lilies. There doesn't seem to be any snake oil edge in in though. Overall - a nice floral, but not dark enough to evoke much else than a springy floral bouquet. Which is nice, but not what I thought the scent would turn out to be.

[TheOneTheyCallLuna]

Smells like clean linen, soft and unobtrusive white florals, over a background of snake oil. Not really my bag in the beginning, but lovely nonetheless! Like most of the other snakes, the SO elements emerge more and more the longer it stays on the skin. I'm happiest with the later drydown period of mostly snake oil with a dusting of crisp floral top notes! Good stuff for sure, and I'm glad to have this!

[devilot]

Just a disclaimer-- my sniffer isn't at its best right now-- definitely stuffed up from allergies. Ugh.

 

In the Vial: Sweet, a hint of the vanilla of Snake Oil but not nearly so dark.

 

Wet: Mm, yes, there is definitely some of that classic SO vanilla sweetness but it's so much lighter here! I'm also getting something else sweet (is passion flower sweet?). I'm not really familiar w/ any of the florals listed, but if one or any of them tend to smell sweet, then yes, I smell 'em.

 

Drydown: How intriguing... a sticky sweet flower. Definitely floral but sweeter than a blossom that exists naturally in the wild. Delicious.

 

Verdict: I wasn't sure I'd want a bottle, but I think I might get one before CD leaves forever. This isn't my favorite blend ever, but it's oddly attractive. Must. Keep. Smelling. That tangible "stickiness" is so weird. A good weird, but weird nonetheless. I can also see how others smell "clean linen" but to me, I get more of a sticky sweet floral.

 

ETA: It's had a bit more time and now it really has lost the sticky sweetness I liked. It's all clean linens like others mentioned. Guess I will be more than happy w/ my decant and not want a bottle after all.

Edited May 22, 2009 by devilot

[lucy gray]

Cottonmouth is one of those scents that absolutely shouldn't work on me. Snake Oil? Lily? Narcissus? Ugh, no thanks. But I guess Beth really does work magic, because I loooooooove it. Everything blends together into a beautiful clean, fresh cottony scent. (Note: there's little difference between the scent in-bottle and on my skin.)

[apinchofsugar]

Snake Oil can be a little heavy on me - I have to be in the mood for it, but Cottonmouth is a nice compromise between Snake Oil and the clean light florals to which I usually gravitate. (And can I say how much I love the snake pit labels? So cool.)

 

In the bottle: This is so hard to describe with my neophyte nose. On top, there's a bright clear floral, but not very strong. Slightly... fruity! Just adds a little something sweet on top of the spice and vanilla of the Snake Oil.

 

Applied, wet: Doesn't smell much different than in the bottle. The spice and vanilla comes much more to the forefront, though, but there's still that counterbalance of sweet florals.

 

Dried down: Haha, I can detect that little bit of powder coming alive from the Snake Oil base. Although, my imp of Snake Oil (aged about 6 months) lost all powder and is spicy and lovely, so I expect the powder aspect of this to go away with time as well. (And it's nowhere near as powdery as fresh Snake Oil -- on me, that is. Just a hint.)

 

Verdict: I enjoy it! Like I expected, it's a less "heavy" alternative to Snake Oil. You still get that nice spice and vanilla, with something bright layered on top.

[Lyrical]

 

In imp: *SWOONS WITH PLEASURE* Wow - this reminds me of Tamamo-No-Mae - one of my favourite LEs! I didn't expect that from the notes. The musk from the Snake Oil must be combining with the gentle flowers to make this. It's sooooooo goooood! I hardly dare to try it on my skin in case it turns to shit!

 

Wet on skin: sweet and pale and musky. Far more vanilla than I've ever got from Snake Oil, even though vanilla isn't listed separately. I don't think I've smelled linden blossom before, but it's lovely! It's also quite fruity in a gentle, peachy, melon-y way. Beautiful!

 

Dry on skin: ah - the fruitiness is giving way to floral now, but in a nice way and still with lots of vanilla and musk. Oh ... uh-oh ... It's not the Snake Oil causing problems, but the florals are going really quite sour. Still very vanilla-y. Ah - the sourness was only temporary, although it's definitely more floral now in a lily-of-the-valley-ish kind of way. *breathes a sigh of relief* It's all kind of white and powdery and it's perfectly balanced between vanilla and fresh flowers. I'm not sure about it and will wear it a few more times before making up my mind.

 

Second wearing: still a very golden, musky vanilla, but the creamy floral makes it kind of sickly.

[hlemonds]

I am absolutely in with Cottonmouth! While wet the florals put me in mind of clean, crisp cotton sheets. One floral note does not seem to overpower any other on my skin. Immediately upon application i definitely get the clean white florals, and dancing amonst them is the refreshing zing of Snake Oil spices. Absolutely gorgeous! And it only gets more beautiful as it dries down. For anyone wondering, this does not dry down to plain ole snake oil (at least on me it doesn't). The dry down is soft, cotton-y white blossoms over the smooth creaminess of Snake Oil's vanilla, with just the softest hint of spices wafting through the silky smooth florals. And on me this one lasts a VERY long time. I put it on last night before bed and i can still (12 hours later) smell it on my wrists. I'd say the throw is moderate, not in the least overpowering. This is for sure top ten material for me. I will definitely be buying back-up bottles!

Edited August 11, 2009 by Hillary

[Gin]

Cottonmouth is so light at first, I feel like I can't smell anything at all. I give it a few minutes and when I return, it's still fresh and light but also sweet. There's florals, certainly, but not any that I'd be able to name. Eventually, the Snake Oil shows up, but it's light, too. This is a beautiful take on Snake Oil.

Edited August 15, 2009 by Gin

[angelicruin]

Inside the imp, mostly floral, particularly Lily.

 

On my skin, this is pretty much just floral. Sadly, I get no Snake Oil out of this blend. Just lots and lots of floral.