[hadaverde]

This oil starts off as a floral with a slightly musky undertone. It is all well-blended, it has a very unique scent, and is nearly impossible to pick out and identify the individual floral notes. It is not an overly feminine floral, I would think this oil would work equally well for a man or woman.

As it dries down it remains very much teh same as it started out -- not detecting a great deal of change in the notes. About an hour after application, the vanilla really begins to bloom, and somewhat overshadows the floral notes. The florals are still present but the vanilla lends them a previously-missing sweetness, though not one so sweet as to remove the oil's gender-neutral quality.

This blend is nice, but it doesn't seem to really "grab" me...it smells fine on me, but it doesn't smell *amazing* on me, so I don't think it will be seeing much use if it remains in my possession.

This post has been edited by hadaverde: 21 November 2005 - 05:37 PM

[Northernminx]

Lots of vanilla in this, and despite the sweetness of the floral, this remains a lot like snake oil on me. Musky, golden, glowing and with a faint floral violet tone that seems to last and last and last. Lovely but in the end it's not so much different on me as Snake oil for it to be added to the keeper list.

[Miggins]

I really hoped I would love Le Serpent Qui Danse. In the bottle, it smelt like beautifully warm Parma violets, yummy and inviting. However, on my skin, Le Serpent became very masculine which I think was the violet. The more I left it, the more masculine it became. Such a shame, but I loved the gardenia and vanilla notes which were just peeking through.

[NoirRosaleen]

Oh, ICK. I don*t know why, but this scent does NOT work at all!!

First wearing: Smells a little like Sacred Whore, but up close it smells like perfume alcohol...like a typical perfumery tried to imitate Beth.

Drydown...Very Sacred Whore-ish, but with something else that maks my stomach turn. Up close, there*s a pickle-y scent. YUCK!

Going away to swaps, for sure...here*s hoping I can scrub it off!

[JazzieCazzie]

IN THE BOTTLE: Sugary and violet but no gardenia, as far as I can tell ...

Applied to wrists.

WET: Candied violets is the best way I can describe it. I can't place the vanilla on its own but it's definitely what is sweetening the violet scent to sugar on me ... but still no gardenia. It's a tiny bit little-old-ladyish and powdery but not in a bad way ... more in an austere, lacey parlorish way. Old fashioned.

DRYDOWN: I thought my nose was deceiving me when I smelled pepper ... but JJ-J's post about violet being peppery made me realize that is simply the drydown scent of the violet.

Not something I would wear much and will probably be regifted, but not something I'll be washing off in a hurry either.

[ivyandpeony]

Le Serpent Qui Danse is near the top of my favorites list these days. At first, in the bottle and on my skin, it's just wild, bright violets. But not the icky, sweet, little old lady violet scent I associate with my childhood Sunday school teachers - this is a really intense, smiling bright purple floral, like violets with their leafy green stems in the morning sun. It took a while for the violets to dry down, and I never really got a whiff of gardenia - but once the violets had faded somewhat, this scent became a deep, spicy vanilla melange, like Snake Oil with a deep herbal undertone and occasional reminders of its violet beginnings. From wet to dry it had a little bit of a split personality, but I liken it to the excitement of getting ready to go to a party, and your first hour or two there as you greet old friends you haven't seen in ages and sip champagne. As the night goes on, you are more and more comfortable and cozy, you settle into the couches and kick your high heels off and reminisce, maybe you have a big goblet of wine, you still look fabulous but you are a little more mellow and relaxed.

[magikfanfic]

In the bottle: Now, I have problems with gardenia, but if anyone could make it palatable for me it would be the lab so I'm willing to take the chance. I am violets, lots of violets. I am violets, who could ask for anything more! I love violets. We lived at this one house and violets grew in the backyard like crazy esp. the white ones. Those are my favorite. They remind of van Gogh and his iris painting. What it's like to be the white iris in the sea of purple or the white violet.

Wet: No, evil, jealous gardenia. Go away. The violet smell is still there but the gardenia is competing and the vanilla is just lurking underneath, waiting. I love vanilla, too. I don't know. Everybody is fighting in this blend. They don't seem to like each other or my skin at all. It just smells...bad. Like the flowers are wilting and turning brown. There are dying flowers on my wrist. This is sad. Oh, my, what is that? It's not gardenia or violet or vanilla. It must be them blended together and very unhappy with me.

Dry down: This reminds me of a floral candle. One of the ones that gives me a headache. Gardenia always gives me a headache. I was hoping that the violets and vanilla would make it bearable but, unfortunately, this is something I have to stay away from. Dying flowers.

Dry: It just stinks on me. Brown, dead flowers. And it's making my head hurt. I think the gardenia and vanilla are too cloying. Or my skin hates them or something. Washing off. I'm sure this is quite lovely on other people but I cannot wear it. Oh well. :P

[Macha]

In the bottle: I smelled gardenia, with some other underlying notes of sweetness. I really love gardenia, reminds me of this large plant of the stuff in my garden as a child.
Wet, on skin: The gardenia vanish, to be replaced by a very strong smell of violets. It smells a bit like violet-scented talcum powder. Not terribly happy about that.
1.5 Hours on skin: Still smells like talcum powder. Ouch.
Drydown: Yay! The talcum scent has gone back to violets with a vanilla-sweet gardenia undercurrent. Just lovely and heady. Intoxicatingly sweet and joyous.
Conclusion: Once it calmed down and passed through the baby powder phase, this is a very nice scent on me. As a bonus, it has tremendous staying power. I put some on at 7 am, and it was still good at 5pm with no reapplication.

[malanna]

After application, this is sweet violets. In the second hour, this has become a bit of a foody scent with a violet edge, sort of like baklava—the filo pastry with the brown sugar and a hint of nuts. Hmm, yum. In the fourth hour, this is even sweeter, but still very nice.

[UltraViolet]

Le Serpent Qui Danse

Wet
This is a lovely sweet yet strong violet. Reminds me of those candied violets that you can get for decorating cakes.
It also reminds me a lot of the Lush shampoo called DaddyO, which also contains violet. There is a smell in violet that my nose can twist around to be yukky; kind of metallic almost, and it’s in everything I try that is primarily violet, and this blend is no exception. I know I am in the minority with this bizarre metallic thing so I think folks who are looking for violet should try this one first.
10 minutes
This scent has held up for 10 minutes without diminishing.
If you like florals, you will more than likely love Le Serpent Qui Danse.
I would like it more if it had even more vanilla.
I’ve smelled quite a few BPAL violet scents and this is the violet-y-est of the lot and it’s not a shy violet either lol.
20 minutes
As it dries that metallic scent I smell diminishes and what’s left is rounder and nicer and now I can smell the vanilla and gardenia a bit more.
Nice. I think I would buy more of this but it wouldn't be primary on my "Buy more" list.

[Lit Chick]

Just got around to trying this one. Normally I'm mad for new imps, but Queen Mab and Magdalene were being jealous.

First sniff. Hmmm. Reminds me of Lady of Shallot. I thought it was a dark aquatic smell. Looking at the notes, it's the gardenia that the two oils share.

First wet - Blooming gardenia, but darkened. I could not place the scent, so it must be the violet that gives it such a mysterious air.

Initial dry - Very lovely shadowy floral,. I'm intrigued.

Full dry - There's the vanilla. I'm thrilled. It's so well blended that it does not go foody or over sweet. I'm really liking this one. It's going into regular rotation, and just may be a candidate for a bottle.

[thespring]

I don't know why I didn't discover this before!
To me, this is pure sexy. This is my idea of sexy

I'm just going to go on the "on me" part coz the rest has been covered extensively.
On me, its sugared edible voilets, (y'know like candied voilets) incensey, initially sharp and way too sweet but the drydown is more vanilla and gardenia added to the beautiful voilets that thankfully do not disappear :P

I keep trying to deny the fact that I simply like dark scents and try to appreciate lighter ones (Mind you I have) but the truth is I'm just a dark girl who likes dark things... The scorpio thing... One tries to be a softer version of self but cannot deny ones nature... :D

Amazing scent, there are no words to thank you enough for making this!

[tempete]

Thanks to a freebie imp of Ultraviolet from the Lab, I have realized that I like violets, so I swapped for this (wave to kithrobyn!). Wet, Le Serpent Qui Danse is all violets - yay! Unfortunately, as the scent dries down, the violet note recedes into the background, and the gardenia note takes over. I have tried a few BPALs with gardenias in them, and I have come to the conclusion that my body chemistry makes that particular note... screech (I can't think of a better term). On the plus side, the vanilla note just adds a lovely subtle sweetness to this scent and isn't overpowering.

I would love this scent without the gardenia note. Oh well, off to swaps.

[isyche]

Hmm, this is really strong on the gardenia, very similar to how Sacred Whore of Babylon smelled on me. Vanilla + gardenia = really sweet and heady floral, and gardenia tends to go slightly “off” on me in a way I don't like. I can't really smell the violet in this. It's all humid strong Southern-belle gardenia, threatening to give me a headache. Off to swap.

This post has been edited by isyche: 15 February 2005 - 02:35 AM

[pkwench]

Le Serpent Qui Danse

Sniff: There’s a hyper-sweet bit of something naughty first off. Something like a floral note and karo syrup, maybe.

Wet: Even sweeter. And definitely an open ended floral note over that sweetness. Now I’m thinking that it’s something like a sweet pea?

After 10: Something closer to carnation now. The sweetness is giving way a tiny bit. There’s a definate creamy blitz going on too. It’s very pleasing and pretty. Feminine and sweet, but with a little swish in the hips. I think it’s a positive determination now - I like! And, lo, now that the cable is back up-VIOLET! Creamy violet, that’s what it is. It’s brilliant!

[wolfie13]

In the vial: mostly violets

Wearing: Violets and vanilla, not much gardenia (but my skin tends to amp up violet).

I'm not much of a vanilla floral fan, and after how poorly Regan and I got on, I was
even more skeptical, but something about this blend has intrigued me since I made my first order and I finally swapped for it just recently.

It's a lot less sweet than I would have expected, and something that I can't put a finger on is giving it a slightly darker, deeper edge than I normally get with this type of fragrance.

I'm really liking it and will definitely use up the imp.

[Gin]

The violet and the gardenia are both very apparent in this blend. I don't really smell the vanilla, but I suspect it's lending some sweetness, and this is very sweet. Boiled-candy sweet. This is very nice, considering I don't particularly care for violets or gardenia. I'm glad I got a chance to try this.

[byrdie]

Note ~ I got two imps of this in two different swaps. One went to a friend who loves violet scents. The other, which I swapped for accidentally, I'm using at least for purposes of review. Waitaminute, this has violets in it ... and it's based on a poem written by Charles Baudelaire. Violet Baudelaire. d'oh! my brain hurts!

Vial ~ Sugared violets. Somewhat like Lush's Bathos bubble bar, really.

Wet ~ Strong and curling, appropriately enough. It's trying to become a powdery violet, or a violet incense on me.

Drying ~ My skin is starting to prickle. Hrm. Maybe I shouldn't have put this on so soon after washing my hands, as my pores may not have completely closed yet. whups. But mmmmm, the scents are blending. The sugar is becoming vanilla that's merging well with the violets. There's a sharper note that's probably the gardenia. While I'm not normally fond of gardenia, it maybe helping to ground this scent and keep it from becoming super-sweet.

Drydown ~ Soap. Violet scented Ivory soap. Which is impressive, considering that the soap I used about an hour ago doesn't produce that scent anywhere else on my hands. *cough*

Dry ~ I'm getting stronger wafts of violet, now; but the gardenia underneath isn't making me happy. It's kinda plasticy smelling, but also something else. After another half out, it's starting to turn into anise/black licorice. oh, yippie skippy.

Fade ~ Light violet dusting powder.

Final Thoughts ~ either I'd have to keep this oil at the drying stage perhaps in a lotion) or give it a miss. The transition from soap to anise just wasn't fun for me.

[rainbow]

In the bottle and wet on skin- clean, almost acquatic. This scent flows. The sweet vanilla pokes through. Mmmmm...this is nice.

As I'm wearing- the violet scent develops, leaving me with a lovely, well-balanced vanilla- violet. This is really, really nice. For those who might find some of the other violet scents too earthy or too strong (Saturnalia, Bluebeard, etc.) this is a really nice, sweet version of violet.

I love violet scents and I love this; it's got a lovely creamy-purple vibe. :P

[shadowsong]

very vanilla, and i think the floral scent i'm getting is the violets, rather than the gardenia. it's a very sugary floral (which is interesting - usually i think of things as either sugar-sweet or floral-sweet, not both).

on the drydown it gets a little powdery and a little less vanilla, and stops throwing itself around the room quite as much.

a very nice scent... unfortunately i don't like sweet florals, so into the swap pile it goes.

[EvilKitten]

Vanilla, violet, and gardenia.

They blend together to make a light, sweet, heavenly scent. I do like this, I'm not sure if it'll get a big bottle, but I will keep the imp and sniff occasionally. :P

I am continually amazed at how such different scents blend so well together!

[Tesseljoan]

Le serpent qui danse is all gardenia and violet when it's wet. Whe I put it on, it turns into a juicy violet. The vanilla is more prominant away from the skin, while the juicy violet clings close to my wrists and neck. Beautiful sweet floral.

[shelldoo]

i love this one, it is true vial, wet, and dry, it is a very well balanced blend between violet, vanilla, and gardenia...simply gorgeous, somewhat cold hearted, but i can live w/ that :P

[ChupaChup]

Le Serpent Qui Danse is not one I would ever expect to work on me because of the violet and gardenia and it didn't, so I wasn't disappointed :P . The vanilla in it is very nice and if you like those florals, this is a good one to try.

[loveandprozak]

In the bottle: Wow, the violet certainly is dominating this scent. There's something sweetening it, though, which must be what the blend description is naming as vanilla. It's an unusual vanilla, though -- it's very 'back stage', serving as a sweetener more than an independent note.

Wet: Sweet violet is still in the center here. It's similar to the bottle scent, but the violet seems to be getting stronger and wilder. This scent is overwhelmingly strong on me.

10 minutes: Something very green has emerged that is what was fueling the ever-wilder violet. It's interesting, because somehow the violet has managed to be simultaneously sweet /and/ edgy; I see this as an uncontrolled and rambling flower rather than something restrained or elegant. Green notes aren't my nose's specialty, but I want to say that it's the very green and somewhat bitter scent of violet leaf. If someone told me there was a very small bit of vetiver in the oil, I wouldn't be surprised.

40 minutes: The unruly violet has finally begun to subdue, and consequently is finally registering somewhat pleasant to my nose.

1 Hour through Dry Down: The fragrance has morphed from a screaming, bright, sweet violet to a subtle, sweet powder scent on me that is laced with a kiss of violet. I'm guessing that this is from the type of vanilla that is being used, or perhaps the oils that are simulating gardenia. Fortunately, the bitter green scent has completely passed.


This was definitely an interesting and evocative scent for me. To be honest, it's the type of scent that I can admire in concept, but don't think I'd particularly appreciate smelling on myself or anyone close to me. The violet is just too wild, and too untamed for someone like me who tends to like more subdued, elegant, and dusky scents. For someone who wants a no-apologies bright type of violet, though this is a perfect choice (atleast until the drydown that is somewhat evocative of violet baby powder.) Incidentally, this remiinds me a fair bit of a louder, more extreme version of Caron's Violette Precieuse. (Caron's has a sparkley olfactory aspect that this is missing, however.)