The Coiled Serpent

[rhetoricians]

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

Incense-y patchouli. Just a little too sharp for my nose, which is odd considering I love patchouli, typically. Alas. It's just a little too medicinal to be a good fit!

[milo]

Very nice, soft patchouli. It really smells a lot like Tricksy, only not as strong. I can't wait to try this meditating to see if it helps my mind from wandering.

[Urpflanze]

The first scent from the lab that reminds me of India. Patchouli, for sure, and other rich subcontinental resins. All various resin, though, nothing else. Like a great incense. My skin keeps it pretty close and doesn't throw much, but it is a wonderful, evocative scent.

[Honey]

Hmm..

 

 

Imp: Very earthy. I don't get the patchouli, but to me it smells like mosses, vetiver and.. dirt. Very tart.

 

Wet: Something like mint or menthol is getting through the dirt and moss notes. Might as well be some darker patchouli now.

 

Dry: Earthy, minty, herbal. Alas, too dark/tart for me. Ah! And after a while, I can detect dill! That's quite lovely actually!

Edited July 18, 2011 by Honey

[yewberry]

Have I never reviewed The Coiled Serpent? Well, then it's high time:

 

Strangely ethereal cedar (normally delightfully sour and grounding...is it sandalwood that's making it float?). Patchouli (decidedly earthbound). And something almost flowery.

 

I adore this fragrance. I need to wear it more often. Definitely helps get things moving in the old brainpan.

[archergrl]

Hmm I normally don't like patchouli but in the blend it totally works for me. It fades pretty quickly though so I would have to leave it in my car to reapply if I wanted the scent to last all day. Bf approved though "yum"

[elfnwitch]

I purchased an imp of this on the name and description. The patchouli-definitely the dominating note-is much richer and cleaner than most I've sniffed. And the dry-down had some sweet and mossy notes. It reminded me of an ancient forest--not of decay but fully alive. If Fangorn could have a scent, it is this to me.

 

That said, I'm an Aries with a lot of earth elements in my birthchart. Overly fruity, floral-y, and watery scents tend to give me migraines, and I wanted an earthy scent that wasn't too pungent and setttled nicely on the skin. This one feels like home to me, and I love the way I feel when I wear it. Now on to get a bottle of this...

[joyfulgirl]

dark, incense-y woods. i am picking up cedar and perhaps rosewood? i'm not good at identifying wood notes, but this smells a lot like my rosewood knitting needles when i first got them...a lovely wafting scent, earthy but polished. the woods are very solid feeling without being masculine (although this is definitely unisex). also picking up some patchouli, as others have mentioned, which is very grounded feeling.

 

when i close my eyes and inhale deeply, i imagine stumbling across an ancient temple in a humid jungle...forgotten by the world but lovingly cared for by monks and pilgrims...ornately carved polished woods, offerings of herbs and incense, the earthy heat of the jungle creeping in at the edges. what a beautiful image!

 

overall a very centering and calming blend...in my mind, this goes right along with namaste as an excellent meditative scent (minus namaste's lemongrass bite). i like this quite a bit and am looking forward to heating it up on my skin when i do yoga this evening.

[sabrebabe]

In the bottle: dark, dirt, dust. Something dry and sandy with a splash of musk. This has promise.

Wet: It has become grassy green, with a little bit of loamy dirt. Not nearly as dry and dusty now. Picking up some incense and sandalwood. A smidge of warm air and sunshine. More wood.

Dry: Less “green” and more wood: oak and pine, I think. More oak than pine. Like walking through a lumberyard. Still sunny, maybe a smidge of lemon? I’m enjoying this very much.

Summer in the woods out back. Very nice. Definitely a keeper.

[whitsunweddings]

In the imp: The PATCHOULI serpent.

Wet: Yep. Patchouli, all up in my nostrils.

Dry: I kinda get some incense notes every now and again, but on me this is almost entirely patchouli.

[mymymai]

In the Imp (ITI): I smell patchouli and a bit of soil (similar to the same patchouli smell of #occupywallstreet). There is also a bit of faint sweetness, like a drop of honey, in the background.

 

Wet: I get patchouli, a bit of moss, and a woodsy incense-based note hidden in there. It’s dark and mysterious and reminds me of being deep in the redwood forests after a brief rain.

 

Dry: Musky dark patchouli with a little woodiness. This is lovely and I would certainly reach for it again.

[calivianya]

There is definitely patchouli in here, and maybe some of the grassy vetiver. Beyond that, I can't tell what's in this. It's too sharp for my liking, so I will be passing it on.

[Ghost of a Rose]

In the imp: Oil is clear and a light yellow color. I smell patchouli, and not just any patchouli, but the one I loved so much and remember so vividly from high school back in the 70's and have been searching for ever since. I've tried many other patchouli oils since, and they just aren't the same. But this one is. I wish the description listed the ingredients and specified what kind of patchouli it is so I could look for it in other blends as well. There are other things in this too, less obvious, that I can't identify. I just know that it's more complex than a single-note patchouli.

 

On me, wet: Still mostly (by far) that specific type of patchouli that I love so much. With some other incenses or resins. And just a touch a something bright, almost lemony. And an even softer touch of florals? I totally love this! It's patchouli the way I remember it, but ratcheted up to a whole new level of elegance and complexity.

 

After 10 minutes: The lemony top note wafted away quickly. And the scent is becoming more woody (perhaps sandalwood?) as it dries. And I'm starting to pick up the faintest hint of pine or fir. Those aren't usually my favorite notes, but here they are too subtle to be sharp like they usually are. Very lovely with the wood and patchouli. The patchouli, alas, is already losing some strength, but it's still around. I have hopes that it will stay - patchouli usually is quite long-lasting. It's getting a little smoky, too - could there be a bit of vetiver in this? I can relate to the earth note that some reviewers have mentioned - I think it comes from the patchouli and/or vetiver.

 

After 20 minutes: There's still a trace of floral, but it's receding even farther into the background as the smoke and woods take over. They've become equal to the patchouli.

 

After 30 minutes: This is now less of a patchouli scent and more of a wood-and-smoke one, with a bit of incensey spiciness. I'm having memories of a cedar hope chest, so cedar must the one of the woods. I'm still thinking sandalwood is another.

 

After 1 hour: The smokiness has lightened up considerably, allowing the patchouli to come out more. Now the patchouli, wood, and incense notes are about equal.

 

After 2 1/2 hours: I think there may be a bit of amber or some such incensey resin coming out to sweeten the scent a little now. Otherwise, it's the same as above, but softer. Quite lovely.

 

After 4 1/2 hours: It's soft and subtle, but I can still clearly smell incense and amber. The patchouli is almost gone.

 

After 5 hours: Surprisingly, the pachouli is a major contender again - I guess the other notes faded out enough to let it take one last bow before the final curtain.

 

After 16 1/2 hours: I can still smell a faint but beautiful scent - mostly amber, I think, with just a little pachouli.

 

 

Verdict: I'm normally more of a flower person, but I MUST have a bottle of this! It's gorgeous and long-lasting on my skin, but I think I'd love it even more in the perfume locket in order to retain to top notes longer, since the first several minutes was my absolute favorite stage of this.

 

My rating: 5 stars

[PumpkinGuts]

Patchouli and cedar, neither of which I am a fan. Kind of sour.

I wanted to like this because of the cool name, but it's not for me.

[Quillifer]

Ooooh yes! I was sent this as a gift in a swap and I LOVE it This is very, very me.

I get patchouli - a smooth, glossy type. Possibly also sandalwood? Oh I'm in love, can't take nose off wrist!

It feels a rather private scent - no great throw, stays close, more to wear for yourself or as a signature that becomes part of you.

Still only wet on me - will add more to this if it changes much.

 

ETA - something just a little sweeter is creeping out, a creamy orangey scent which I catch a little away from my hand rather than right up close. My only reservation is I'm not sure how long this one's going to last...

Edited November 5, 2013 by Quillifer

[Minh Scent]

Ah...beautiful....ah reminds me of a slightly lighter Lush Karma...beloved patchouli!

[Veronica]

Sandalwood and frankincense. Very ritualistic smelling, not something I would use as a perfume.

[freyasfae]

Well, patchouli is a no for me. Worse, it gets medicinal on me which could be due to maybe some benzoin or vetiver...I haven't quite figured it out. It's just not something my skin chemistry likes. It does have a light, dry quality to it that is appealing, except when on me.

[LizziesLuck]

Wet: Patchouli, of the dark, dry, really woody variety. I like patch, but I usually like it with something sweet, and I'm not getting that here, just dry, earthy, woody patch.

 

 

Dry: Pretty much patchouli single note on me, dry, earthy, woody. Pleasant, but I prefer a little something else with my patch. Glad to have gotten to try it though!

[joopjoop]

This was a frimp from the lab.

 

Patchouli, sandalwood and gentle spice. It smells like really nice, good quality incense - the kind you buy in a sundry shop in Little India. I like it a lot, but in terms of a fragrance to wear, it is not really how I roll.

 

However, the Joop-man tried it tonight and it smells sooooo good on him! Definitely a keeper.

[roseus]

Patchouli and cedar. Really well blended, just warm and earthy.

[Jupita]

This one has been sitting in a drawer for over a year now... totally forgotten by me.

Today, as I was cleaning out said cupboard to move to my bf, I suddenly found it, with a few others.

I remember tossing it in said drawer, with the rest, because it had smelled "wrong".

 

This has aged marvelously.

It's woodsy in a way Cathedral was, but with less cedar and more of the frankincense (or something of the kind).

People write about patchouli, but seeing as I usually amp it and smell like a dirty, grimmy pirate, I sort of doubt it's even there... either it's a blend that simulates patchouli on others, or it has mellowed down so much in said year, I can't catch a whiff of it.

 

There is one thing though, that I must say - my nose itched really bad, when I first applied the perfume on my wrist. Almost the same way, it would itch, if you touched some ground black pepper, and then touched the insides of your nose with the same finger.

Not itchy in a scratchy type of way, but more in a sneezing one.

 

Once the first few minutes had passed, said itchiness went away.

What I was left with, was a wonderful woodsy, dry scent - perfect for summer, when you want something that won't make you drowsy, but still avoid the classical - citrus/aquatic combo.

 

It's a very pleasant surprise, and I sort of regret now, that it's only an imp.

[Casablanca]

Freshly applied: Woodsy patchouli. Almost single note patchouli, but I seem to get a little something that smells green and maybe a little incense with it.

I can't do most patchouli, making this, for me, a vile little vial.

No.

[Spaztic]

I love love love this one

It smells earthy, but not in a "dirt" way.

I for sure get a wonderful patchouli, maybe some neroli, champa and rosewood.

 

I find it beautiful and calming

I will be getting a full bottle of this

[Lucchesa]

Yep, this smells like a yoga studio. Woodsy patchouli with a side of patchouli and a patchouli chaser. Gorgeous if you love patchouli. Not my thing.

 

ETA November 2020.  So, somehow I became a patchouli hoor.  I love this very much.  And today, after wearing it for a tough yoga session, I got, under the patchouli and sandalwood, something that smells an awful lot like Egyptian musk.  Don't know if it's really there or if it's some weird symbiosis with my sweaty skin chemistry, but I like it.  

Edited November 26, 2020 by Lucchesa