Snake Oil

[Kittyflop]

By far, our most popular scent! Magnetic, mysterious, and exceedingly sexual in nature. A blend of exotic Indonesian oils sugared with vanilla.

 

I'm finally getting around to trying this because, well, my Snake Charmer stash is dwindling, and this seems to be the popular substitute.

 

In the vial - very strong vanilla. Golden rich vanilla.

 

On - yes, a little goes a long way. Very similar to Snake Charmer, but not quite. It's dusky, earthy vanilla with a sharp edge to it - incense? It wavers between a very rich, deep gooey feel and a sharp, dry spicy feel. It's not as sweet on me as some of the other posters have noticed.

 

Not an everyday scent. It's very indulgent.

[PirateMaggie]

In the imp: Strong vanilla and musk.

 

Wet: Spicy vanilla booze and musk, like a vanilla-spiked Hell's Belle on a drinking binge. Very heady. I can see why this is the number one house favourite.

 

Dry: This is still powerful stuff. Very, very strong throw. The boozy scent fades on dry-down, the spice mingles more with vanilla, and the musk stays in the foreground without my skin turning it into "ew, I forgot deodorant." This is sexy, exotic, and gorgeous. I'm going to try aging my imp to see if it gets even better (which is hard to imagine). It's a little too rich and sweet for my tastes in everyday wear perfume, but as a special-occasion oil it definitely won't go to waste.

[VenusFlyTrap]

WHOA!

 

Snake Oil deserves all the acclaim that it gets (that is if it works on your skin chemistry )

 

But it's sexy, sweet and all around awesome. The vanilla gives it a lovely, rounded warmth that is very wearable and all the time.

 

2 THUMBS WAY UP!

[Mary Mayhem]

Spicy Vanila Dr Pepper

Then also

Boozy Vanila

 

Which isn't a seller description from me, so don't just go on that alone.

 

I was pretty sure I wouldn't like Snake Oil and refrained from getting it for a long time. I finally received it in a swap and let it sit in my imp box for a bit. Eventually I found an opportunity to try it. I had just showered, and I put a little here, here, and there.

 

Mm, this is pretty good.

 

I go to my room to get dressed. Sweat pants will not do. (I have weebits and am a sahm, sweat pants can become a staple when you do that. ) It has to be these nice tight jeans. I fretted over what color shirt to wear, and decided that I couldn't wear a t'shirt, too loose. Brown was my first thought, and then it changed to maybe red.

 

No.

 

This is a slinky black little dress scent with strappy high heels.

And keep the panties in your drawer.

 

Since I don't readily have one of those I chose a slinky spaghetti strap shirt. This is a must.

 

I'm putting on my clothes, my skin is hot, I'm sugared up and the breeze is cooling me off.

 

Then I realize that I want sex. A lot of sex. I suddenly feel sexier than I have in months, years-truely. HOLY, this is the scent of sophistication, but also the scent of tramp. It's just that crazy.

 

If my husband doesn't sex me tonight, I will.

Edited February 19, 2006 by Mary Mayhem

[telesilla]

Why I tried it: I like the notes and wanted to see why this was so popular.

 

In the bottle and wet: Spicy, sweet vanilla.

 

Drying down: It's a little sweeter than I usually like and there's a powdery noted under it that makes me wonder if there's amber in here too.

 

Dry: Still quite sweet and most of the spiciness is gone; what's left is a kind of sweet powdery vanilla, almost as if I'd dusted my wrist with vanilla sugar. I've read that guys fix on vanilla as sexy for various reasons, which may explain why this is so popular. It doesn't say Teh SeXX0rs to me, but I'm not a guy. All in all, it's nice but since I'm not over the moon about it, and I know someone who will probably like it more than I do, it's going to her.

[ovxi]

There's hardly any point reviewing Snake Oil anymore, as anyone who hasn't already tried it knows full well that they MUST. Still, I feel the need to express my allegiance.

 

Delicious incense-and-vanilla. This scent makes me feel powerful and, yes, much as I hate the word, sexy. And very much in control.

 

My boss loves it. Every time I wear it to work (which is often-- it sticks through anything espresso and steamed milk and endless dishwashing can do to it) she sniffs appreciatively and says, "mmmmm, you're wearing that Snake Oil again!" It's a bit bold to be the everyday scent (that honour is to be reserved for Tombstone), but it's for sure and certain an a-lot-of-days scent. I got an imp in my first order, and, never having been a perfume-wearer, I was smashed into the ground with bliss by how much I loved it. It has the best staying power of any BPAL oil I've yet tried, and if it wasn't their most popular I would have to entertain serious doubts about the sanity of their customers. This is my version of sex-in-a-bottle. Amazing. My 10ml isn't quite as well-aged as the imp was yet, but the only reason to doubt that it will get there, and soon, is that I may use it all before it has time. And I LOVE the bottle! Best label EVER.

[Wyndi]

While smelling the opened bottle, I couldn't help but think, "well, that's interesting but I really don't see what the big fuss is about." Kind of a spicy overhang with mild vanilla beneath. Nothing particularly thrilling or exciting. Spice and bean. How great could that be?

 

Once applied, however, a bolshy great lightbulb pops on over my head, choirs of angels begin to sing, and God Himself reaches down to pinch my cheek before bestowing an epiphany upon me. Yes, it really is that intense. Strong vanilla but it's undercut by God knows how many spices and other notes are present, none of them specifically leaping out at me to give a name to this smell. Possibly a little cinnamon and a trace of what might be juniper. But there's no one single dominating element apart from the lingering vanilla, which sort of hangs out in the wings like a bemused stage manager, making sure the play unfolds as it should.

 

And a drama it is indeed; a swirling, sensual, squirming sea of flesh and heady lust and growly need and all those things that make the human body a decadently wonderful playground. It's both the sensual slaveslut living only for physical pleasure and the captured soldier, itching to get his hands on a weapon and reclaim his honour, carving it in steel and blood. There are so many different ways this could go depending upon your chemistry, your mindset at the moment, and of course your hormone level. And we all know what my wonky hormones do to my sense of smell.

 

One of the Lab's most popular oils, I've read, and cue the damn Monkees because I'm a believer. I see a 5 ml or possibly a 10 in my future. This is too incredible to not have about me at all times. At some point I will likely combine this with a touch of either Geek, DeSade, or Jacob's Ladder to see if I can ramp up the level of menace that's hinting to surface. Because it's there. Boy howdy, is it ever there.

[czuba]

Overall I liked it and will probably by a 5ml.

 

In the Imp - Spices: cloves, cardamon with maybe some sandalwood, no vanilla (was a little worried here)

 

On Skin Wet - Spicey/Incensy

 

On Skin Dry -intially incensy as it dries, after 1.5 hrs it is more vanilla with a touch of spices

[jidabug]

Wet: Vanilla nuttiness!

Dry: Definitely sweet vanilla, a bit of cherry/almond and a hint of spice.

Final: I can certainly see why this is such a popular fragrance. It is, quite simply, sex on a stick (or in a bottle, as the case may be). I just feel so good wearing this one, and I think it would be impossible to be in a bad mood while doing so. I normally like to wear florals, but I'm definitely going to get a big bottle of this in my next order.

[AliBabble]

well, thanks to a lovely and generous frimp, i'm finally able to get in on the snake oil action, i've heard about for so long...yes, it's definitely in the snake charmer/smut family, but with a lovely sweet tinge of vanilla. and a bit more earthiness...i definitely get that snake slithering in the grass, close to the ground...

it has a dry spiciness...maybe cinnamon and pepper...and a lush richness too. very, very nice!

[nancybridget]

YUM! This is a delicious vanilla and sugar blend with just a touch of incense to take it from innocent to sexy!

[Poenari]

Just received my first ever BPAL order, and because of all the positive reviews, I had to try Snake Oil first.

In the bottle: spicy vanilla. I will wear vanilla once in a while, but am not a big fan. Let's see what this one does.

On my skin: mmmmmmgood! Hard to separate the vanilla from the spice, and I can't quite figure out exactly what it smells like, but I love it. Can't stop sniffing my wrist.

After one hour, and two-three-four... still going strong, and I really do love this! Lasts till I shower it off at the end of the day.

 

I'm definitely getting a big bottle of this one!

 

Edited 5/12/12: haha going through My Stash and rediscoverd this review, which was probably my first-ever BPAL review. Since my initial review, I have to add that Snake Oil remains one of my most favorite, go-to scents of all time. I have gone through 3 of the 10 ml. bottles, have 1/2 of one 10 ml left (aged from 2006 so it's truly decadent and I save it for special occasions only) and have also used up another 2 5 ml bottles. This scent is like nothing else I've ever encountered (outside of BPAL, I mean) and I hope that Beth is able to keep it around forever.

Edited May 12, 2012 by Poenari

[astridclaire]

I ordered an imp of this once I read all the hype about it. So needless to say, I had high expectations. Hey, if Beth herself slathers this stuff on, it must be pretty damn good. However, I was a little disapointed when I first put it on. It did that ugly thing musk usually does to me- it went all icky powdery. I was tempted to send it to the swap pile, but I remembered that Snake Oil is supposed to age extremely well.

 

Jump to one month later....

 

I decided to give Snake Oil another chance today, and OMFG!!! It's so sexy and yumm and awesome!

 

Dark and dirty sweet vanilla incense.... Mmmmmmmm.....

 

*scampers off to buy a 10ml...*

[Clare-Dragonfly]

In the bottle: Incense-y, but sweet, and kind of piny. Really yummy and not what I was expecting.

 

On me: I don’t even know how to describe this. “Sugared” is the right word. It’s lighter than I expected it to be. A little bit sour, though, in a weird way. It seems to be sugar on top of incense. It really doesn’t smell all that sexual to me.

 

I’d really like to eat something that tasted like this—I think it would be some sort of soft cake with sugar caked on top. It would be delicious, but way too much to eat more than every once in a while. That’s a lot of sugar. Oh, and liquor—the cake was cooked in liquor and it wasn’t all boiled away.

 

A few hours later: I went out with my friends, and it stayed on the whole time. The scent hasn’t changed, though it did soften a tad, and it’s just barely fading now. I figured out what the scent reminded me of: Coldstone Creamery’s Sweet Cream ice cream. Which is fantastic, because it’s my favourite. This is not an everyday scent at all, but it’s delicious, and I’m definitely keeping my imp and maybe getting a 5ml for when I want to smell edible.

 

I really expected this to be much darker, though. And more sexual. It's just yummy. Though who knows, maybe the boy I have a crush on will think it's sexual...

[Amberfishy]

Snake Oil is love!!!

 

 

This is hands down my most favourite oil that I have tried to date. It wraps you up and makes you feel loved, like you're someone special. I can curl up with a bit of snake oil on and feel very happy in my own skin, it gives me a lot of confidence and comfort.

 

It's sexy, spicey and edible at the same time. I love it so much, there is definetely going to be a big bottle of this on my next order.

[Rewth]

as much as I like this scent as it permiates elphaba's house after belly dancing, I'm not so keen of it on myself. Initially the incensey oils were fairly strong, slightly reminicient of patchouli and a number of semi spicey notes I can't quite put my finger on. but hten the vanilla comes out, which i normally like. but mixed with the other notes it begins to smell rancid, like sour milk. color me quite bummed.

[Ryvre]

This just smells like vanilla on me. It's sweet, kind of candy-like, and not at all sexy. I wore it for an entire evening to see if it would turn into something sexy, but I just smelled like I bathed in vanilla extract. I'll let this sit for a few months and come back to it. Hopefully it will age into something I like.

[mdargen]

This scent is absolutely perfect.

 

I have been to Indonesia, Snake Oil reminds me of this weird "ice cream" dessert I had while on Bali. I can almost taste it when I wear Snake Oil. It is a gritty sugary vanilla dream. That is the only way I can describe it.

[storme]

In the imp: honey, vanilla, and spices. hrm.

 

On me, wet: this is the yellowest oil I've had from bpal yet. I keep thinking I'm going to leave turmeric-style stains on my wrists. The scent smells very sweet - the honey I smelled is drowning out almost everything bar a tiny bit of vanilla. Bleah.

 

On me, dry: this is less obnoxious than other scents I've tried with any hint of honey in, but it's a bit too sweet for me.

 

Verdict: yeah, swap pile candidate. This doesn't smell especially sexy to me at all.

[Laurel the Woodfairy]

I must be losing my mind--I have no record of ever reviewing Snake Oil. Maybe it was just too obvious--I mean, Snake Oil! What hardcore BPALer doesn't love it? We have to have some on hand at all times, since it's the one blend Brian and I use equally often. There are no imitators. Smut smelled way too harsh and sharp next to Snake Oil, and other scents that remind me of it are never quite as perfect. And it only gets better with age--vanilla and musk and rich-spicy-yumminess. Foody but not, sweet but not too sweet, perfect for all seasons and genders, day or evening wear. Snake Oil just *IS* the scent that says BPAL more than any other. Heaven in a bottle.

[Miss_Trisha]

I had high, high! hopes for this one. Vanilla does wonders on me and I was excited about trying this out.

 

But yuck. Yuck yuck yuck. It smelled like Vanilla flavored urine. And went completely urine on my skin. I don't know if the spicyness didn't like my skin chemistry but ick. I had to actually wash it off. I was so disappointed.

 

I don't want to deter anyone else though. It probably works wonderfully on most everyone elses skin. Too bad my chemistry sucks though.

[batsy]

In the vial: spicy vanilla. Oh lord, my mom's going to steal this.

 

On the skin: I can almost understand why everyone ages this one. It's one of those exotic vanilla scents. I like vanilla, but it's just not me. I like Snake Oil though -- it's one of those "classics" I can see using once in a while for a change. In terms of the vanillas I've tried, this is #2, after Tombstone. Excellent!

[ariansdreams]

This oil probably doesn't need another review, because it's so awesome, but I promised myself that I wouldn't buy any more BPAL until I reviewed all the scents I currently have in my possession. We'll see how that works out. Anyway:

 

First Sniff (in imp): vanilla and incense and YUM!

 

Wet: I smell like a sexy cookie. Vanilla and spices. Seriously, this oil is...heaven.

 

Dry: I love Snake Oil. It's probably my very favorite "going out" scent. Definitely in the top three, which it shares with Dana O'Shee and O. I get compliments on this scent *every* time I wear it. When it's dry and meshed with my skin chemistry, it smells just like a sexy vanilla cookie. It was among my very first *must have 5mL OMG* orders!

[Cielamara]

It seems like everyone and their brother has reviewed this one, but I'm in a review sort of mood today, and I'm currently sampling Snake Oil for the first time.

 

I had high hopes for this one...I had been craving a vanilla punch, and this one seemed to fit the bill. Plus I'd heard good things about it.

 

Wet--it is not quite as inspiring as it had seemed it would be. It smells a bit like sugar cookies, and the spices seem heavy. No worries. I put it on.

 

Drying--I keep getting whiffs of it, and it is nice. I'm not about to weep with joy over it--in order to do that, I have to also be nuts about the concept, too. For me, BPAL is not just great perfume...it's magic, literature, history, spirituality, emotions, sexuality. So in order for something to truly work for me...the concept has to be one that resonates in me, as well as the oil needing to smell good. But this does smell good.

 

Dry down--This one dries beautifully on me. I smell like...I don't know. It reminds me of this drink my mom used to make for me to go to sleep with...warm milk, cinnamon, sugar and vanilla. That's what I smell like. It's just warm, rich pulsating vanilla, throbbing on my skin. It makes me want to lick my wrist or something. It's really very sexy. I'm probably not going to go batshit and buy six bottles of it--but I could see myself buying a 5ml. It's very warm and sensuous.

[Alchemy21599]

I've heard so much about Snake Oil that I ordered an imp in February and just got to trying it.

 

In the vial: Mexican vanilla.

 

Wet: Mexican vanilla.

 

Dry: Natural and artificial vanilla extract, the kind used for ice cream sandwiches. I didn't get any spicy deliciousness at all. I will let this age and then try again.