Green Tree Viper

[mistressfizz]

Snake Oil with four mints, bergamot, and green tea.

Sniff: A blast of bergamont and mint!

Wet: Very much green tea with the citrus bite of bergamont. The mint is not menthol or overtly strong, it's a soft herbal peppermint, very green and fresh. I can detect the snake oil in here, through a hint of spices and earthiness. This is very bright and playful.

Dry: Tea and gentle vanilla! Fresh and lovely, the tea provides a slightly dark base upon which herbs and spices are stacked. Very yummy and light!

[OctoberGwen]

Oh, wow. This smells fresh and green and delicious, with the lovely dry spiciness of Snake Oil underneath. Absolutely wonderful.

 

Another huge winner from The Snake Pit for me!

[DahliaHayashi]

Wow this is really hard to pin down. Snake oil with some freshness to it.

Snake oil is my absolute favorite perfume but to heavy for the summer. this could be just the way how i could keep my beloved snake oil around in summer.

I just got an im of this one and I think its quite aged and so the snake oil tooks over. I am dying to smell that one fresh.

Boomslang, Green Tree Viper and Pickled Imp are already definate buys as soon as the carnival is back in town

[Evilynn]

I snagged a bottle of GTV unsniffed before the Carnaval went dark, and I think it's Summery Snake Oil to me.

 

in the bottle: slightly medicinal and generally snake oily. I think I smell spearmint of the extras.

wet on the skin: SO with spearmint and a hint of bergamot

drydown: Mostly SO.

[Vega]

Sniffed: Cold, green mint grounded upon a rich but discreet base of Snake Oil.

 

On skin: Mint doesn't play well on my skin, so I'm amazed and very delighted that the mints in Green Tree Viper are the best I've ever smelled: fresh, green and sparkling, yet playing well with the other notes. The best mints I've ever smelled! Weaving through the mints is a flash of bergamot zest, and perhaps the gentlest whisper of green tea. Snake Oil isn't contributing any scent per se, but it forms a deep, almost imperceptible base to ground the lighter notes. Over time, the bergamot and green tea show themselves more, and everything becomes so beautifully fragrant, fresh and lightly sweet. Colour impression is sparkling emerald green amidst black-brown soil.

 

This combination of Snake Oil and mints bears some resemblance to the Lab's chocolate peppermint note (as smelled in WILF and How Doth the Little Crocodile), and I've found myself comparing Green Tree Viper to those blends. Nevertheless, it has its own distinct character. Although I would've liked to smell more SO, I am also thankful that Green Tree Viper isn't at all like its parent blend -- if it were, I probably wouldn't like it so much! (After all, what can top the gorgeous SO!)

 

Verdict: After a long hunt through BPAL's mint blends, many of which were utter disasters, I have finally found my perfect mint blend in Green Tree Viper. At last, mint that smells true and fragrant, and cooperates well with the other notes! Perfection. I see a bottle coming my way at some stage.

Edited April 28, 2012 by Vega

[Honey]

I love minty scents. But I am not sure why I am not super excited about GTV.

 

It is a rich, lovely Snake Oil with, well, tea and mint. First time I tested it I was just meh about it, second time now.. it seems more rounded and awesome.

It's mostly SO with a fresh hint. I think I need to get a bottle of this anyway should it come back with the carnival!

[Caper]

I decided to put this one on today because it is a beautiful summer day. It is so amazing, I needed to write a review!

 

I wanted to love the snake pit oils, because I really like snakes and I love the labels! That didn't work out since every single one I've tried ends up powdery. I finally tried Snake Oil itself and realized that is the base that turns to powder on me.

 

However! Green Tree Viper doesn't! It is minty vanilla perfection with a light edge of green tea to keep it fresh and bright. I think it must be the SO keeping it from being too harsh, but the overall scent is bright and mellow.

 

I love this one.

[Eemia]

I love you mint. Without you I'd be forced to go fragrance-free anytime I get sick. When I'm even remotely nauseated everything smells rancid to me and I can't go near any of my bottles. When I attempt to be stoic and pick a random reliable anytime fragrance so I don't have to leave the house undone, I only end up scrubbing my arms raw in five minutes. Thankfully mint is always my friend whether I'm healthy or sick. It's gentler here than the high pitched, sharp and crisp mint I love in Twinkle, Twinkle Little Bat. It's more like the vanilla butter mint smell in Tokyo Stomp. Just the right amount of sweetness. It smells like bergamot tea dreaminess once the mint cools off a bit, all rolled up with a less alarming Snake Oil. I love SO in it's own right but only when I'm in the right mood. I used to find myself wearing it more often than I do now for whatever reason. The SO here isn't as direct or strong. It smells more unfocused, diluted, and worn smooth, less overt in every way. Still sensual though and really beautiful with that incense/dark sugar/smoke smell that "is" Snake OIl to me.

 

Very soft, bergamot heavy drydown with a lot of vanilla undercurrents. I feel like I gravitate to bergamot fragrances regardless of whether or not I'm aware that it's a note so I love that it's such a dominant presence in here. This isn't a strong scent where I have to be careful with how much I apply but it does have a sturdy backbone. Other than the stomach-healing-mint instances of wear necessity, it's one of my more adaptable fragrances and I tend to be haphazard in how I choose it.

[Mechanical Death]

I HAVE FOUND MY MINT SCENT! YES!!!!

 

Perfect and yummy and I want to drink it!

 

It's a little foody, just ever so slightly, but just enough that it's yummy and not overwhelming. The mint is not MINT!!! OMG MINT, but a nice sweet cool mint. The sweet green tee is definitely there. There is a hint of honey, even though there isn't any in the blend.

 

I LOVE this. I took a chance, on it and I'm super thrilled with this one. I need to hunt down another bottle. I'll be sad when this one is gone otherwise.

 

True on the skin as it smells in the bottle. It reminds me of Andes mint chocolate candies-- yum!

 

The SO comes out a little bit more when it dries and I can't stop sniffing my hand.

[Alethia]

Thoughts before testing: Snake Oil is one of my favorite perfumes ever, so this was a no brainer for me. I'm excited to see what this does on my skin!

 

Wet: Mint (not sweet) and lemony bergamot. Very fresh and refreshing! I can smell the vanilla and spices of SO just lurking in the background, grounding the whole thing.

 

Dry down: The vanilla and spices are more present after about half an hour and sweeten the mint. It's really lovely and refreshing.

 

Dry: Several hours later, I'm left with a bergamot-tinged Snake Oil with a hint of mint. Lovely!

 

Final thoughts: I wish the green tea was a little more evident, but on the whole this is a smashing success.

 

Verdict: Keeping the bottle.

[mermaidsdream]

This was a more than generous frimp I received with a recent purchase from Azurephoenix.

 

In the imp: I'm not quite sure what to make of this. I certainly don't get Snake Oil out of it, but I haven't gotten Snake Oil out of a lot of the Snake Pit scents. This is ... light, green, almost citrusy.

 

Applied: Oh no. My first impulse is "ugh .. .just like Dorian - lemony men's cologne!"

 

Dry down: Talk about a morpher! Within about 5 minutes, this has completely changed into something creamy, soft, almost vanilla-y, with a hint of floral. I can see why this one is so popular! It's also a good reminder not to (necessarily) judge an oil by first sniff!

[mymymai]

ITB: I can certainly smell a few varieties of mint. One is pure and green like mint liquor, while the second I detect is a duskier mint, like those in natural cough drops. The Indonesian oil and vanilla rise up to meet the mint the longer I sniff.

 

Wet: Indonesian oil, vanilla, tea, dusty mint, and bergamot with a hint of green tea. It's an intriguing scent.

 

Dry: It's warm, slightly resinous, and minty now from the vanilla, bergamot, mint, and oils. There is a light foody quality to this, but the addition of the mint makes it very palatable and interesting.

[titania]

It was very minty at the start. I noticed that there was more than one kind of mint. The Snake Oil was in the supporting role. When it settled down, the mint lost its coldness and became more candied, and it blended with the Snake Oil. I loved the combination of mint, green tea, and bergamot, and how it cut the Snake Oil's rwar to a much more manageable level for daily wear. After a while I stopped thinking about the various notes and just enjoyed how good it smelled. The minty tea aspect makes it great for most times of the year, I think. The sample I got has clearly been aged for quite a while so that may help with the level of amazingness.

[Numanoid]

Finally...got a bottle of this!!!

 

In Bottle: Yes...lovely mint, but it is soft. And I guess it is the bergamot I am smelling? Not sure I know that note!

 

On Skin: Mint first, but like all mints, it fades fast on me! Kind of odd, but after mint is gone, it almost smells like a very pale Western Diamondback on me for a bit. Then the Snake Oil comes out a bit!

 

Drydown: The mint is gone and the Snake Oil is there, but pretty much in the background. I get a slight SLIGHT hint of tea. That note worried me since I am not a real tea scent fan.

 

Overall: This is a lovely scent, and not heavy at all. Fades pretty fast on me. Wish it was staying a bit more, but still very nice, just not sure it is one I would reach for often enough!

Edited March 21, 2014 by Numanoid

[kscha2017]

The reviews for this were so generally positive that I ordered a bottle even though I couldn't imagine how the scents would fit together. I'm a new convert to SO and wasn't yet introduced to BPAL for the last Carnaval, so I was eager to see the Snake Pit offerings. My first sniff out of the bottle was pure Snake Oil. 2nd sniff was all mint. 3rd sniff was mint on top of SO.

 

I applied and it remains, both wet and dry, a gentle mint with Snake Oil peeking out. After about 30 min I can pick out the pretty bergamot and green tea. I still can't fathom all these scents working with SO, but they do and it's beautiful! It also reminds me, oddly enough, of our pool in the backyard on a hot summer day when I was a kid. I think my mom must have had a suntan lotion that smelled a bit like this. It makes me long to sit out in the sun all day and get tan, worry free, like I did back then.

 

So far, a nice medium throw and good lasting power. I'm one of those for whom a dab on each wrist is sufficient to clear a room. I'm working with a one-wrist-only application here and I give it a A+.

Edited April 23, 2016 by kscha2017

[doomsday_disco]

2016 version.

 

Note: I have not tried the previous release.

 

In the bottle: When this first arrived, I mostly smelled green tea and mint. A few hours later, I'm mainly getting mint and bergamot. I can't really smell the Snake Oil base in the bottle.

 

Wet: There is a burst of bergamot, but it doesn't take long before it calms down significantly, so that the cool mint notes get a chance to shine. The green tea note is present now, and in the background, I can smell the Snake Oil base, although it isn't nearly as strong as the aforementioned notes. But the bergamot still reigns.

 

Dry: I'm getting more of the green tea note now. The mint notes are very soft and cool, and the Snake Oil base is finally starting to gain prominence. The vanilla in the Snake Oil is one of the dominant notes on my skin, but I am still getting the mint, green tea, a bit of the bergamot, and some faint spices.

 

After a few more hours, the spices in the Snake Oil have become more prominent, making it recognizable as a Snake Oil plus scent, with the vanilla note continuing to reign, accompanied by very soft mint and green tea.

 

Verdict: I knew this would be amazing, and it didn't disappoint. I adore this. It's a Snake Oil plus scent for the spring and summer. One bottle will be not enough.

[vanilla323]

2016 version:

 

This is amazing! I always wanted a bottle of the original but never got one so when this was released I snatched it right up! It starts out all delicious Snake Oil but not too powdery. I think the other notes in this keep it from being too powdery. The mint is clean and light. The green tea and bergamot are so good. They make it a little foodie and that makes me happy. It has amazing throw and staying power. The best part is I think it'll just get better with age too!! Yay! I love this Viper!

[theredkilt]

2016 version:

 

Freshly applied, i can pick up the Snake oil and then everything disappears on my skin. After 30 minutes i detect creamy vanilla and later on the bergamot comes out and surprisingly it reminds me vaguely of a Lemon Scented Sticky Bat. Very summery and light.

[Haltija]

2016 fresh bottle compared to a old decant.

 

My decant is primarily snake oil and the mint in the bottle, same as on the skin. I smell 0 green tea and only a touch of bergamot and the way it smelled on me with the mint and snake oil being the stars is what made me fall for the blend in the first place, something about it just intrigued me and uplifted me.

 

My 2016 fresh bottle is only a touch different. In the bottle I definitely smell the green tea with the mint and the snake oil is hardly present. On the skin though it does come out but it's very blended with the green tea and the mint. The green tea kind of dominates for a while and then after about a hour the mint, snake oil completely take over and I am left with the scent I first fell in love with. But I ADORE the green tea showing up, makes it more uplifting and even more refreshing. Definitely one of my all time favorite Snakes and now I think I need more bottles. <3

[Bassmastadroog]

OMG...so awesome. This is the 2016 version:

 

I was worried initially that this would be really minty and green...too sharp and strong for my liking. The reviews were pretty plain in that it probably would be...

 

Wet and in the bottle: Slight mint, but already I can smell the green tea and bergamot.

 

On skin: Initially it is a green tea scent, pretty strongly! I can smell the bergamot too...and barely any mint at all. The mint still creeps up though, and it's almost right at the edge of the sniff. I love this!

 

Dry: About five minutes into it the Snake Oil pops out! It's awesome! Green tea and Snake Oil...so beautiful. I was really hoping that it would be this good!!!!!!

[loubric]

2015 Version

 

In the bottle it's a gorgeous clean and warm mint. So green!

On my skin the snake oil is more prominant at first until the green tea and mints mix in. It's a beautiful mix of warmth and cool greeness. The Snake Oil is a little too much though on my skin

[Casablanca]

Bottle: Mint that's soft, not too camphoraceous, and green tea.

Wet: Beautiful mint, mild but pervasive, with a little green bergamot. Plenty of green tea to drink in here, also, with the Snake Oil base under it. This is lovely.

Dry: It doesn't take long for the Snake Oil to take another step forward, becoming a little stronger; but then on me it stays in that spot, making the mint tea a little exotic, but never stealing its limelight.

 

This is gorgeous, a new one for the favorites list.

[Nyx_DevineNight]

2016 version

In the Bottle: Snake Oil and Green Tea

Wet: Very similar to in the bottle, snake oil and the green tea but with an added hint of mint thrown in there.

Dry: This is a very "Green" scent. Its mostly all just green tea now with hints of snake oil and mint. It has a smell of Springtime to me. I like this as is, but would like to see the snake oil and mint come out more with age.

[Dark Alice]

I am so annoyed. This reformulation is missing Snake oil. On my skin, it's all mint all the time with a drop of green tea and a half a drop of snake oil. I will have to pass this on.

[milo]

I believe there is no change from the previous incarnation. I just bought the new version, and if anyone was wondering, it is pretty much bang on. New version seems to be cleaner, crisper with little actual Snake Oil scent. Older is richer, smoother, but still clean and fresh. I love wearing GTV on a hot day. This is probably one of my fave snakes, and actually may prefer it fresh.