The Coiled Serpent

[Cali]

A potent yogic oil that stimulates the kundalini, provokes spiritual awakening, and releases the energy seated in your root chakra.

 

Soft but dry and masculine. Calming indeed. Reminds me of a dance studio with insence alight. A 'lil too herbal for me but i'm willing to be, this is exactly what you'd expect from this.

[achildoftime]

I get quite a bit of patchouli in here, but also a lot of other resins. It's very warm and grounding, but there seems to me a bit of a tangy note to it. My nose tells me it's mustard seeds, but I don't think I believe it. I'd wager it's some vegetation mixing with one of the resins and it just reminds me of making sweet pickles. Weird, and not for me.

[Teamama]

The Patchouli Imp Pack was one my first Lab purchases, & I have loved The Coiled Serpent ever since. I agree that it evokes incense. It's dry, bittersweet, woody, & earthy as all get out. The patch in this blend is not armpitty; it smells of wood, not people. It dominates the other wood(s.) I'm pretty confident there is sandalwood in the mix. I can't pick out other woods.

I like this blend a lot. It starts out pretty strong, but dries down into a subtle patchouli incense.

[doomsday_disco]

In the imp: Whoa, that’s some patchouli! And I think it’s accompanied by a variety of sandalwood (not a white or golden variety… maybe red).

 

Wet: Patchouli and sandalwood are the notes I get on my skin as well. There’s a smokiness to this that reminds me of beef jerky… vetiver, is that you, or is it a type of smoked wood doing that here? I think there might be a bit of a lemon-y herb as well. Alas, it just keeps getting smokier and more jerky-like over time.

 

Dry: This smells like I just took several sticks of jerky and rubbed them all over myself after having anointed myself with some sandalwood earlier in the day.

 

I see some reviews mentioning cedar, and I could see this being a cedar woodsmoke with some patchouli and sandalwood.

 

Verdict: Naw. This one is not getting near my skin again. As a vegetarian, I just can’t deal with the jerky smell. Buuuuut if smelling like smoke-flavored dehydrated meats is your jam, have at it. I am going to go attempt to scrub this one off now.

[artisjok]

Echoing the other reviews... Patchouli! And I could see sandalwood, and even cedar seems present further down the wear. A strong woodsy patchouli that would be right at home in a meditation studio, or dancing at a festival. 

[donkehpoo]

Wet: Patchouli. Dry, chewy patchouli. Straightforward.

 

Dry: Sandalwood (red, I think?) and that same dry patchouli. Overall a very "dry" earthy and woody scent.

 

I do enjoy patchouli from time to time, but this isn't the scent for me.

[supreme_c0rt]

I have a shortlist of GCs that I adore and this is at the very top. I don't know precisely what's in it, but whatever it is it's made for me. On me, I pick up cedar, sandalwood, frankincense, and mellow aged patchouli, in that order. There's likely other things in there balancing everything out (there might be a type of amber or another resin?), but that's the lineup I can identify. It's like the smell of a cedar chest that only ever held incense. 

 

Nothing screeches, nothing shouts. Everything is in perfect balance and creates a reassuring, kind aura of peaceful groundedness. I just adore it. If you love anything earthy, if you like incense at all, you must try this. I would bathe in it if I could.

 

It also blends nicely with sweeter notes (vanilla is a hit) if you're in that type of mood. Not even remotely sweet on its own, though, which I am pleased about (a lot of BPAL blends veer sweet on me).

Edited July 25, 2020 by supreme_c0rt

[mymymai]

The Coiled Serpent is deeply earthy, chewy, almost tobacco-like in its darkness and I'm here for it.  As a deeply woody, warm patchouli blend, The Coiled Serpent  wins for my nose in #tournamentofunderdogs #underdogs.

[starbrow]

"Biting woods" was absolutely what I got, blind, from The Coiled Serpent. Cedar and raw pine, like a haunted walk through the woods or the Home Depot aisle at midnight while chased by chainsaw-wielding serial killers. Seeing the notes suggested by others, I can definitely see patchouli and red sandalwood being in the mix. Even a more masculine Anne Bonny. The pirate lady is the incarnation I feel much more at home with, but if you like your resins with a bite, The Coiled Serpent could be the winner.

[BorealBacchante]

Very woodsy patchouli! I love it! Smells very hippie. I know other have said this isn’t sweet at all, but there is some sweetness on me that gives sort of an incense impression. So I get a really lovely combo of patch, cedar, and a little background of sweet incense. 
 

I’m at a loss to write the long stuff I usually do. This smells like dancing through incense over raw new boards. I really adore it, definitely will be seeking a bottle. 

[Zorra]

I know I have tried The Coiled Serpent before and for some reason in my memory it was a herbal lemon scent. I don't know how it got tagged like that because it isn't at all. 

 

The first thing I smell when I put it on is not the patchouli that everybody seems to get at once, it's vetiver! Perhaps I mistook vetiver for herbal lemon when the imp was fresher and I less experienced, I don't know. What I now smell is vetiver, followed by indeed the patchouli that everybody smells. They are a good team. They are a wonderful team. Together they are woody, sweet in a resiny way, sweet wood. Goodness, I think I need a bottle of this!

[Dancing Raven]

I wouldn't know my chakras from a hole in the ground, but I wanted to try this because I have a fondness for underdogs.

Wet: There is something menthol/camphorous that shoots straight into my sinuses. Eucalyptus or birch, maybe? I am also getting some grittiness that I associate with vetiver. I swear there is some pepper in here as well as something herbal like basil. So far I am not getting any patchouli. It's bracing and herbal. It reminds me of a men's cologne. This usually means aquatic notes, although black musk can initially smell like that on me. It's definitely much more complex than I expected, given other reviews. 

Drydown: Lemony/herbal. I am still leaning toward black musk and vetiver. There is just a hint of something woody beneath. Red sandalwood? Holy cleared sinuses, Batman! 

About 90 minutes in: I wonder if it's sage, not vetiver. Still herbal/gritty with a touch of non powdery sandalwood. I'm getting something slightly floral under all of the more earthy notes - almost like a lily. Champaca? Still no patchouli unless that's the grittiness.

2 hours in: I finally smell the patchouli that everyone else is getting! I was afraid my nose wasn't working. Patchouli, red sandalwood, and I think champaca. Cedar is adding a bit of sharpness. I still feel like there is black musk lurking in there. Also, I am still getting the mentholyptus cooling effect when I inhale. There has to be birch or mint in this. Very dry and woody/herbal. I like my patchouli with darker or contrasting notes. This isn't bad, it's just not my type of scent. The lab has so many beautiful patchouli blends that I love, so I'm not too broken up that this isn't working for me. More for those who adore it!

[Almond Blossom]

I really love this one. It was one of my first bottles years ago, and I'm still just as much in love with it, and wear a drop for every (online) pilates and yoga class I do. Perhaps it's just the name and/or description, but I do find it very grounding and calming. Very patchouli-forward, which is perfect for a patchouli fiend like me; haters might want to stay away, although I think the patchouli in this is a very nice and woodsy one; there's sandalwood in here too, and I'm not sure what else, but all of the notes blend beautifully together. A little sweet, quite strong but not overwhelmingly so. Just right. Really lovely.

[Permanent.Black.Ink.]

I got this as an imp and tried it on my wrists, so maybe I am doing it wrong, but I got a raw, has no chill patchouli. Getting whiffs of myself as I was walking around it was nice as a deep note, but pretty overwhelming trying to sniff closer to the wrists.

[IoPan]

In the imp: a lovely, balanced floral with neroli and/or orange blossom as the most prominent note.

 

Wet: An earthy, assertive patchouli quickly comes to the fore with the floral note receding but still faintly detectable.

 

Dry: A well-balanced interplay between patchouli, cedar, and sandalwood. The neroli-like floral note comes back and finds a perfect harmony with the woods.

 

This is exactly how I like to smell: earthy/woody/resiny with just a hint of floral. This is a great unisex scent leaning toward the masculine, as the florals do not lead, but follow the wood notes. Plus, coiled serpents have a special significance for me, so this one is a keeper for sure!

[Nick]

This was the first imp I fell in love with and when I got my first bottle I was really disappointed as it had none of the complexity of the imp. However, after a year of aging, it is just as good as it was in the imp. Strong woods and wood esters that remind me a little of wooden fence panels and creosote but really nice.

 

I was likely enough to get a frimp of New Orleans with my first order too and found that if I add just the tiniest dab of New Orleans to my arm after the Coiled Serpent it creates the most wonderful combination. Hard to describe but there is a cassis bark element that comes out on my skin along with a pepper note and the coiled serpent is tamed by the jasmine(or ylang ylang?) and vice versa. If you have these two imps I would love to know what you think of the combination.

Edited March 5, 2021 by Nick

[skyturtles]

Out of the imp, this reminded me of Vixen for a brief moment, which got me excited. Unfortunately, this sentiment did not last... Wet and dry on my skin, all I get is a bunch of sandalwood with a bit of dry patchouli. Not my style to smell just like incense without any complexity. I think I'll pass this on as a freebie to someone else.

I'm not very familiar with chakras so I will refrain from that discussion.

[Myrrha]

Lab-fresh imp. On me it is sweeter than what others are describing. I smell the patchouli and perhaps sandalwood and cedar but there is also more than a hint of almost fruity sweetness similar to a red musk note. There might be a flower petal way down in the mix as well, perhaps champaca.  

 

Apparently with recent life cycle and dietary changes patchouli is now my friend. This is really lovely but a bit too incensy-headshoppy for my tastes.

 

 

Edited January 27, 2022 by Myrrha

[AbbyNormal]

This was the imp I drew today, and I opened it before I could check my phone for a scent description. Based on the name along I thought it was going to be some kind of Snek, and I can’t believe how wrong I was. In the imp it’s straight up patchouli. I’m getting better with patch, but it needs to be blended with something else to smooth it out, and this one didn’t have that for me. When I was closing the imp a little splashed on me so I was able to give it a bit of a wet sniff without technically applying any, and I was getting dark, grimy patch mixed with a floral that took a few minutes to identify. Jasmine! A much darker jasmine than I’m used to, but enough that I kept asking myself “who put patchouli in my green tea???” 
 

I know I committed to trying everything out, but I think that little splash was enough to let me know that this isn’t for me. If I applied it like I normally do I would end up washing it off. So I think I’ll sit this one out today. 
 

*edit*
 

I couldn’t sit it out, I had to try it. At first I was really regretting my decision as it was pure patchouli and jasmine, and my brain just couldn’t grok the combo, plus it is way more patch than I’m used to. Luckily it dries down to something much softer and the patch is only very obvious when I shove my nose to my wrist. But it’s throwing the jasmine like nobody’s business, and it’s turning my stomach just a tad. Don’t get me wrong, I like jasmine but this is a bit of an overkill for my taste. Swap pile it is, but at least I really did test it to make sure. 

Edited February 28, 2023 by AbbyNormal

[Joyleaf_]

After a long break from the world of bpal I'm trying to go through my collection and mark my reviews down for my posterity!

 

The Coiled Serpent is one of my favorites. I'm a huge patch fan anyway and this oil has a version of patch that feels uniquely dry. Beneath the very loud patch are some resins, and cedar, so it sort of ends up smelling a bit like a a yoga studio with the windows open in a summery cedar forest.  I wear it when I need to feel calm and focused.