Banded Sea Snake (2016)

[Little Bird]

Snake Oil with oakmoss, sea moss, white moss, and olive leaf.

The original Banded Sea Snake had a bright, smooth, non-soapy aquatic, earthy moss and lots of Snake Oil vanilla sweetness. Aged, it's a sweet, dark vanilla with clear, clean aspects to it (but not soapy).

 

This new version veers into being soapy on my skin, and isn't very sweet at all. It has a light, clean laundry sort of smell with a hint of green moss. As it dries down, it's clean laundry, a nondescript green and cool feel (almost minty smelling on my skin, like mint plants mixed with moss), and the smokiness of Snake Oil rather than the vanilla aspect is amping up on me. After a couple hours, it's clean, soapy laundry smell with a hint of vanilla and smokiness.

I don't like this as much as the original, but I do sometimes enjoy clean/soapy fragrances on my husband, so I'm going to try this out on him.

[lizardqueen]

In the bottle: huh--what I believe is the olive leaf stands out the most

 

On me, wet: soapy, green, fresh--so much so that as Little Bird mentioned, it almost seems like mint.

 

As it dries down, it starts to mellow out, and I think the Snake Oil starts to peek out at the bottom.

 

Dry: my skin seems to swallow a lot of it up (though it's also possible my nose is getting tired), but overall it seems to stay put in the mossy aquatic zone with just a hint of snakiness--so, basically, does what it says on the label. It's not really my jam, but I didn't buy it for me, so that's okay.

[Haltija]

I smelled 0 snake oil in this and I get the same thing that Little Bird got. A very clean laundry sort of smell with just a hint of oakmoss. It's a okay scent, but I really wish it was more. I won't give up though, will keep trying.

[zankoku_zen]

A ton of moss and oakmoss, and a swiff of Snake Oil. This is a very clean smelling scent. Great throw and wear length.

[ziggystardust13]

Banded Sea Snake is sooo good!!!

 

This is one of the snakes where I can definitely pick up on the snake oil. Which is great considering some of the others I could hardly detect it. I was afraid after reading some reviews that this would turn soapy or to dryer sheets. Not at all! This reminds me very much of Lyonesse, but sexier (I credit the snake oil for that!) So far of all the snakes I've tried, this is the one I have to order a bottle of.

 

Bonus: husband loves this one also! Win/win

Edited May 14, 2016 by ziggystardust13

[marilyn eyre]

*gasp*

 

this is my beloved Smite All Thy Borders with Frogges! With a lovely tinge of Snake Oil underneath!

[theredkilt]

This feels like straight out of the shower SO. It's that type of clean (not soapy clean) smell accompanied by a smidge of SO. Basically, SO took a mossy bath and emerged all clean and shiny and with some snakiness clinging on to him.

[Casablanca]

It's so soft and snuggy! For a snake.

This is like Snake Oil rolled in skin-cooling moss, showered in soft mint, and came out squeaky clean. I really like it, which is good since I just spilled some on my forearms. Oops.

Wet on my skin, I can smell the spiced vanilla of the Snake Oil under the mossy, foggy, minty softness. I get primarily vanilla mint at this stage, with some moss and hints of spice. Vanilla mint lovers, this seems to me like a softer, breezier cousin to Green Tree Viper.

I can pick out olive leaf, I think, as this dries, hanging like a subtle backdrop for a sea snake portrait. It's faint and almost seems that I imagine its presence sometimes.

This is lovely. It goes to a subtle skin scent after a couple hours on me.

Edited June 24, 2016 by Casablanca

[milo]

I wasn't as fond of the original BSS as I was the other snakes, I found it too masculine. This is kind of soapy, but in a good way, like a clean man just out of the shower. I found the original a bit too aquatic for my liking, but this one is softer, kind of powdery, but in a good way. I think the half bottle will do me just find for when I'm in the mood for something clean smelling.

[alyelle]

In the imp: Oak-laden Snake Oil with hints of moist green moss

 

Wet: Vanilla, the tiniest sliver of olive leaf, and sweet - almost rosy - moss. I love it.

 

Dry: Vanilla-dominant, with sweet fruit-floral top notes. It lingers very close to the skin but has a decent enough throw, and a good solid life of 10 hours. I almost bought a bottle after my 2016 decant circle, but at the time had an unwieldy stash and decided against enlarging it.

 

Stars: ★★★★

[BoneBone24]

Wet: Alluring. A bit of spicy creaminess paired with dark aquatic notes.

 

Drydown: Deep, dark waters sexed up with resins and spice. A melange of greens and browns. It's gender neutral and a tad Christmas-y.

 

Dry: Even more Christmas-y as it dries, thanks to a menthol-type note has become prominent. It's refreshing and quite different from where it began. Cool, ozone-y greens grounded by sweet resins. Atmospheric.

 

 

8 out of 10 bones