Snakes in the Lemon Tree

[boomtownrat]

Snake Oil draped over lemon bark and vetiver, dotted with lemon peel.

 

I opened up the bottle and my eyes rolled back in my head. This was destined to be a dream scent for me! Snake Oil is my favourite GC. I love lemons, both to eat and to smell. Vetiver is in many of my favourite scents, and it gives this a solid base, smoothing out the sweet and the sour.

 

ETA 4/16/2019: Now that it's had some time to settle, it's changed so much that I had to delete part of what I wrote above, because I don't want to mislead anyone who might only skim reviews. The lemon is barely detectable now and it's more of the tree itself, with what might be a snake hiding up there in the branches. I'm less sure that I'm going to need any backups, but I'll certainly keep wearing what I have. It's not like any of the many other Snake Oil blends I've tried. I'm going to layer it with Lemon-Scented Sticky Bat to see if I can recreate that lemon-forward scent that it had for the first several days.

Edited April 16, 2019 by boomtownrat
The scent changed a lot after a few weeks

[Nepthys]

I was really looking forward to this, but the vetiver drowns everything else out. There's no lemon and barely any Snake Oil. If I layer it with pure Snake Oil, it's just sort of woody Snake Oil. Not bad, just not what I was hoping for.

[torikitty]

For me, the vetiver is far in the background. This smells like Lemon Sugar Cookies to me. Sweet and yummy!

[Itsafacade]

This is a lovely vetiver and lemon blend with Snake Oil just supporting from underneath. I think with time the Snake Oil will probably come out more. The vetiver here is woody and dry to me, and the lemon is fresh but not bitter or cleaner-ish.  I really love it!

[DrunkForestNymph]

Definitely smells like lemon sugar cookies. boozy lemon sugar cookies warm out of the oven. 

As it dries it gets more lemony. I dig it

[Casablanca]

Mild lemon and dry, woody vetiver on a Snek background.

 

Spring in dry woods.

[Lucchesa]

Snakes in the Lemon Tree went on as a bright, realistic lemon, something I love but which has been elusive for me in BPAL  And still is, because that fresh lemon smell did not last long.  First the Snake Oil came out and then the vetiver, and the lemon receded to the background.  So full drydown on me was a really beautiful vetiver over a slightly lemony Snake Oil.  Even more lemon would be amazing, but this is pretty great as it is.

[milo]

I love citrus and Snake Oil, but couldn't imagine how the two could pair together to make something lovely.  At first, lemon and vetiver.  It's almost like a fougre, I'm digging it at this point.  More vanilla is coming out from the Snake Oil, and it's like lemon cookies fougre.  I like this, but not enough to upgrade, it is a tad too masculine for me anyways.  In a way, it reminds me of Dorian too.

[zankoku_zen]

Snake Oil and Lemon Scented Sticky Bat had a baby.  A lemony snake baby. Lemon over snake oil. Medium throw and wear length.

[artisjok]

I was aching to get my hands on this one, hoping for a bright woodsy lemon & Snake Oil. My partial bottle goes on like a spiced lemon cookie, maybe sprinkled with nuts, oddly enough. Then, as it dries the lemon mostly fades, the gourmand sense goes away and it’s strongly vetiver-laced Snake oil. Mostly the vetiver. 

I am a bit disappointed by the first stage, wishing it less dessert-like and longer lemon life. I really like vetiver, so I’m cool with the drydown. 

[Zorra]

As with the other Spring Serpents, there is no Snake Oil in this blend that I can smell. There is a note that is in all of the spring serpents, it just doesn't smell like snake oil. The blends do not look as if there is snake oil in them either, they are all transparent and lack the dark snake oil color.

 

However, this is a gorgeous scent, and until I change my mind it is my favorite of the spring serpents. The vetiver makes the spring 'snake oil' note a lot better and the lemon, which in this blend is more woody than citrusy (but not a herbal lemon! It does seem to be a real lemon lemon) makes it a gorgeous, warm woody lemon scent. It makes me feel as if I am resting in a grove of lemon trees on a warm summer afternoon. 

[RoseThornAndOak]

I don't get lemon cleaner but I do get pencil shavings for a bit. Dries down to a bright but turning sour woody blend. Like when oud/agarwood has an acrid scent, but not as bad. Meh. I'll let it age and see.

[DizzyGinger]

This is basically pure sugared vanilla on me, with a bit of a woody foundation from the bark and the barest hint of lemon. On the drydown the lemon disappears completely, and it becomes more wood-forward, but is still primarily a strong vanilla. I don't really pick up the vetiver at all. I was hoping for something a little sharper, with deeper woodiness and less sugar, but though it's not something I'd normally wear it's pleasant enough to throw on once in awhile. Unfortunately the staying power is not great either. 

Edited September 29, 2020 by DizzyGinger

[Permanent.Black.Ink.]

So far this has really bummed me out.  When I got it in the mail, I made the mistake of smelling it right away (don't do that) and it had this sharp, resinous quality I wasn't prepared for at all.  I let it sit a few days, a week, and it mellows out--the lemon filters up.  So ok, it's time for a skin test.

Wet on skin: The lemon is sitting on top of the vetiver, and the snake oil is just globbed at the bottom. It's the aromatic equivalent of those barometric thermometers.

Dry on skin: The lemon has gone, and it smells like a vintage men's cologne.  

 

I am going to let this one sit for about six months before I try it again.