Carved Wooden Alchemical Laboratory

[Failmingo]

I love the more woody or incense-y Snake Oil variants but there are still like a million ways in which this might not work for me.

 

In the bottle I wasn't entirely convinced -- I could detect the familiar Snake Oil scent kind of straining to break through or sneak past the heavier intrusion of these wood notes, which to my nose smell like actual boards, or some kind of varnished surface. Not bad but I was hoping for more harmony between the old and new aspects of the blend. 

 

On the skin, however, it immediately became clear that I'm dealing with a boosted patchouli presence, and THAT got my attention. Possibly sandalwood also, or cedar, or incense components I can't trace. There's a dry raspiness to it, which really does harmonize very beautifully with the classic blend's gleaming oily-slippery-muskiness. It also smells darker and rootier to me than regular Snake Oil.

 

It's quite different than the impression I got in the bottle. That dry sharpness definitely sells the idea of tiny wooden bottles and cardboard packaging. I'm trying to recall the most patch-forward Snake Oil variants, because possibly this is the one? Before long it stabilizes and settles into this modestly restrained mellow, rooty crackle accompanied by a faint gasp of vanilla, which did remind me a bit of sarsaparilla from time to time -- but then when I leaned in for a deeper sniff, that sweetness gave way to darker, woodier aspects. It has a pleasantly old-fashioned vibe for sure; if they made it as a Beard Oil, I might grow a beard!

 

I found that I could still smell it after several hours. 

 

 

[Jenjin]

The Lab isn’t open to the public, but you can smell it from the street:
hundreds of tiny wooden bottles of Snake Oil, marked with wee paper labels and packed off in tiny cardboard boxes.

 

Edited December 24, 2023 by Jenjin

[lilacea]

Wet, this starts off with a blast of Virginian cedar, patchouli and a subtle papyrus-like sweetness.

 

As it dries down, musk peaks in, but I can’t quite put my finger on it, it’s like a black and red musk hybrid. The further it dries I’m getting a dark sweetness, maybe molasses. Possibly it’s just the vanilla from SO, that mingled with the other notes, gives it this a dry sweetness. 

 

It’s a lovely Snake Oil variant, I think this is one that will age very nicely.

[doomsday_disco]

I didn't try this year's Snow Snake (although reviews are swaying me to do so, even though I destashed last year's version...), but I really didn't enjoy this one, which surprised me, because I had high hopes after Snake Oil Hot Toddy and Gingerbread Snek. It's not that it's a musk bomb, like some Snake Oil variants have been over the past few years -- but the way the cardboard, paper, and wood notes combine with the patch and musk of this Snake Oil variant was really musty and mulchy, and my nose was really offended whenever I smelled it.

 

Eventually, those notes fade away, and I'm left with a fresh, patch-forward Snake Oil, but going through that musty phase is not worth it for me. And I don't feel like aging the decant to see if it gets better when there are two other sneks I know I want bottles of from this release.

 

I'll stick with Kapitelplatz Chess Match for a woody Snake Oil variant.

Edited January 24 by doomsday_disco

[LavenderCoffee]

My initial notes on this were "too musty/dusty, can't find snakes," and honestly, that still holds.

After having the bottle for a month, I gave it a full day's wear, and I'm still perplexed: I can't find the snake oil in this one, and it has very little throw besides. Did not even have the sneaky next-day snake that typically happens for me the day after wearing a snake oil blend. I can only assume that one or more of the other notes added here is colluding with my skin chemistry to de-snake the scent - or perhaps, as is written in the description, the bottles are too tiny to be detected, or too well-packed in cardboard. 

It's an interesting atmospheric blend, but it is neither what I was expecting nor something that has grown on me.  

[OxfordComma]

Fresh bottle! This smells just like opening a package with loads of Imps in it. Red musk is definitely in there, kinda peeking in and out. It might stand out more to be because I'm not a huge fan of it lol but the overall effect is well, what I'd expect walking past BPAL would smell like. Musky, dry, hints of sweet musks. Nothing I could ID as snake oil or patch, but I think they're all kinda contributing to the ~BPAL Aura™~ Throw seems mid (excepting the red musk ofc 😅) but it's currently competing with To a Wreath which seems to be throwing stronk.

 

ETA: Two weeks later this has settled into a surprise like for me. My experience now vibes with d_d's. It starts out very red/black sweetish musks (Streets of Detroit?) with a fizzy cola edge, then melds into the dry, almost musty realistic cardboard scent. After a bit it goes on a weird journey of sweet musks, mysterious clean notes,  and woody hints before settling into a distinctly Snake Oil sugared patch zone. It's very much out of my normal wheelhouse, at least until the end, but I find myself thinking about and reaching for it more then expected. Throw seems to have increased as well, but that might be the difference in weather. 

Edited February 20 by OxfordComma