Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab • Snake Oil • Fragrances

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BreakfastFace on 12/14/2012 4:49:00 PM more reviews by BreakfastFace

Age: 25-29   Skin: Sensitive, Fair, Warm   Hair: Black, Wavy, Fine   Eyes: Green    

I thought I really liked this, although there is a sort of bitter medicinal quality, and a powder play-dough quality to it, I still enjoyed its sweet pungency. Unfortunately no one else around me seemed to enjoy it. The boyfriend said I smelled like a grandma and begged me to wash it off immediately. My sister wouldn't let me into her car because she said I smelled like baby powder and it gave her a head ache. My bff wondered why I smelled like hippie play-dough and said it was making her nauseous. :( I guess I'll only wear it during alone time.

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*TOP REVIEWER* BuffyDaLipGlossEater on 11/28/2012 1:16:00 PM more reviews by BuffyDaLipGlossEater

Age: 30-35   Skin: Combination   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Blue    

Of all the oils that I've had a chance to try, Snake Oil is one of my favorites. It's not just the vanilla factor that appeals to me, but it's the extra spices that make this vanilla blend so interesting. As one YouTube user put it, it's basically "sex in a bottle."

Like a majority of the BPAL blends that I've tried, they tend to be very off-putting when first applied - they just need a chance to dry down. This is no different for Snake Oil, which needs time to settle on the skin before "shedding it's skin" so to speak.

When it's first applied, it smells very medicinal, close to Vick's vapor rub - the spices dominate any vanilla there. After a while, the vanilla starts to make an appeareance and balances out the sharpness of the other spices. The spices, on the other hand keep the vanilla from completely bordering into the "foody" category (which I will admit, I love). The end result is like a creamy, herb-infused vanilla matched with incense smoke.

If you're worried about the medicinal scent, you can always let it sit for a while. Aged, the scent becomes even more complex, creamy, and just plain lovely!

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Spocklobster on 5/21/2012 3:02:00 PM more reviews by Spocklobster

Age: 25-29   Skin: Other, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Blue    

I was completely obsessed with BPAL... that is until I smelled their oils.
I spent a year carefully reading every description and review and watching all of the videos, finally choosing the "perfect oils". In the end I chose 18 of what I thought would be ideal scents.
Snake Oil smells like the cheapest vanilla incence available. I've been wearing essential oils and perfume for years, so I know what to expect. This had nothing to do with chemistry, it's just poorly made perfume. If you're looking to overpay for incense, this is your perfume house. The positives? Sure: I received my order in record time... Only seven days. Perhaps the fast TAT accounts for the mess they churn out. The website is lovely and the descriptions are completely captivating for a Librarian and book nerd like myself. Overall, I won't be ordering from the again. Sorry, Beth, I love your style and the idea you are creating; but I don't pay for ideas... That's what libraries are for.

5 out of 7 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

*TOP REVIEWER* slippingbeauty on 3/10/2012 1:21:00 AM more reviews by slippingbeauty

Age: 30-35   Skin: Combination, Fair, Neutral   Hair: Red, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Blue    

Prior to Snake Oil, I can't say that I was a fan of vanilla-type scents. A lot of vanilla things have an undercurrent of coconut in them to keep them smelling liked baked goods, and that usually isn't my thing. Snake Oil is pretty different than most of the vanilla scents you'll smell in mass retailers, and that is a good thing. It has a nice balance of creamy (but not too sweet) vanilla and smoky spices. It is sexy and unassuming and never in-your-face. Snake Oil also lasts amazingly well in my hair and on my skin. I can still smell it after 24 hours. If you layer it over a not-too-sweet vanilla body lotion (ie LUSH Sympathy for the Skin), you will smell so delicious that other people will probably try to taste you. It is seductive without being skanky, it is delicious without being cloyingly sweet, it is a little bit whimsical without being juvenile, and it is just plain awesome. There's a reason this is the star of BPAL's catalog. Smell it for yourself.

3 out of 4 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

AmyAngel96 on 5/8/2011 10:24:00 PM more reviews by AmyAngel96

Age: 36-43   Skin: Oily, Fair, Cool   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Blue    

This scent is noted as BPAL's best seller for a reason - it's gorgeous! It's a very sexy pretty vanilla with spice and depth. I like it more in winter than in summer, but it is the one scent I keep in my office at work in case what I'm wearing fades or I didn't put any scent on in the morning.

I will say I can NOT wear this fresh... the older it is the better it smells on me. No big problem, I just traded for an older imp, set the one I had aside (pencil the date you got it on the back of the imp label for this one!) to age, and bought a bottle or two to put away for future use (with the date marked on a sticker on the lid). This is strong enough that a tiny dab is all I need to wear, so it lasts a good long time. There are several BPAL scents that are horrid on me when new but are my top favorites once they're a year or more old, and Snake Oil is one of them. I mourn the fact my imp from 2004 is nearly empty - it's scent is heavenly and the oil is thick and dark like molasses.

If this smells like play-doh on you, or otherwise doesn't work, put it away in a dark cool place for 6-24 months and see if it doesn't improve drastically. If it still doesn't work, you'll have highly desirable already-aged Snake Oil to trade!

3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

Animae on 2/4/2011 1:34:00 PM more reviews by Animae

Age: 25-29   Skin: Normal, Fair   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Hazel    

Snake oil is an amazingly sensual scent. It is smoky and sweet at the same time. This is a go to for me, for going out and flirting perfume. I feel amazingly sexy wearing this, and have gotten many complements on it.

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GypsyRoseRed on 12/13/2010 6:22:00 PM more reviews by GypsyRoseRed

Age: 30-35   Skin: Sensitive, Fair   Hair: Red   Eyes: Brown    

I'm not usually a fan of this type of scent - I like my vanillas to be sugared and sweet, but Snake Oil has too much in the way of incense/herbal notes to fall into that category. I bought a bottle, didn't love it and kept it for about a year. When I tried it again, it was beautiful! I can't stress enough that this company's scents don't always smell at their best in the bottle. It's the way they blossom on the skin that really makes them exceptional for me. In any case, Snake Oil is one of those scents that I always get comments on when I wear it. :) To me, it's a comforting, sexy scent and one I'll probably always keep on hand.

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Panther4011 on 6/17/2010 5:19:00 PM more reviews by Panther4011

Age: 25-29   Skin: Oily, Tan   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Brown    

This was a frimp of BPAL's signature scent which for some reason I just never bothered to try even though I've been to a few of the will-call events. Anyway, it smelled very medicinal both in the bottle and on me. It did have an underlying sweetness to it, but overall I just prefer super sweet, candy scents over resinous, inscensy scents even if they do smell a bit sweet.

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emochick on 4/5/2010 11:02:00 PM more reviews by emochick

Age: 19-24   Skin: Sensitive, Fair, Cool   Hair: Blond, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Green    

Snake Oil is the only fragrance I've liked from BPAL. I bought six samples of what I thought were unique fragrances. All but one (a fresh and aquatic scent that didn't last 30 minutes) smelled heady and incense-y. This was the only one I ever reached for again. It's very warm, gourmand, and comforting. I love vanilla and amber, which is what I pick up the most in this frag, but I think those notes could have been brightened by another fresher and crisper note. That's my only complaint -- it can be a bit cloaking and a little goes a long way. Use with caution!

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argolis on 3/17/2010 10:52:00 AM more reviews by argolis

Age: 25-29   Skin: Dry, Olive   Hair: Black   Eyes: Brown    

Smells like kerosene and play-doh. Wretched.

To top it off, it burned my skin, leaving a big red splotch on my wrist.

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TheShyBookworm on 12/4/2009 4:36:00 AM more reviews by TheShyBookworm

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Fair   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Brown    

I am a vanilla fiend and I can honestly say that Snake Oil only gets better with age--I've had my bottle for over a year now. It's a rich, creamy, spicy vanilla that is sexy and sophisticated.

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EmilyH on 11/14/2009 1:50:00 AM more reviews by EmilyH

Age: Unknown   Skin: Other   Hair: Other   Eyes: Other    

To me it smells like stale cat urine and play dough. Really gross. I can't figure out why so many people love this.

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summon_the_rain on 7/11/2009 2:51:00 PM more reviews by summon_the_rain

Age: 25-29   Skin: Very Oily, Fair, Neutral   Hair: Black   Eyes: Green    

This is my BPAL HG oil. Beth wasn't lying when she said it's a feel-sexy scent ! In the bottle, a bittersweet bouquet of notes waft up my nose, and I suspect that it's the Indonesian oil notes. But, there's something else, something dark and sweet lingering in the background. It might be the sugary note. Once applied, the Indonesian oil notes become more obvious, and the musky notes blend with this to create a truly one-of-a-kind fragrance that has earned a permanent spot in my BPAL collection. I WILL be buying back-ups of this scent, believe me. On dry-down, the spices calm down, and the musks resurface and the vanilla holds down the fort. This is truly an intoxicating scent. If you have any doubts as to why this is BPAL's most popular scent, just go buy a bottle of this stuff !!

4 out of 5 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

sparkybish on 5/30/2009 9:19:00 PM more reviews by sparkybish

Age: 30-35   Skin: Normal, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Brown    

I bought a bottle of this without smelling an imp about a year ago. I hate it with the fiery passion of one thousand white hot suns. On me, it smells like spicy vanilla ass on wheels. It burns my nostrils when I smell it. I pull it out every three months, hoping that aging has turned it into something wonderful, but it is still ass on wheels. I love scents like Shalimar and Obsession, and thought it would be a sure fire win, but it is FAIL personified. Fortunately, I have discovered my love of the BPAL rose, so this fail doesn't wound me. But it tried. In my sleep. I saw it. *looks suspiciously at the bottle of Snake Oil*

8 out of 8 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

*TOP REVIEWER* leah2412 on 5/3/2009 6:43:00 PM more reviews by leah2412

Age: 19-24   Skin: Dry, Fair-Medium, Warm   Hair: Blond, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Hazel    

I was so excited about getting into this brand, I just got my swaps in the mail today and was so very disappointed in almost all of the scents. So sad :( Anyways, this particular scent really offended me. It smells like I walked into a hippie lair or one of those shops that sells glass pipes that are supposed to be used for "tobacco". Gag! This may smell great on others but not for me!! I am so glad I didn't buy all of the other snake pit series because I was just about to!!

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

*TOP REVIEWER* ianastar on 3/6/2009 9:41:00 AM more reviews by ianastar

Age: 36-43   Skin: Oily   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Blue    

A sweet and incensy intoxicating blend. Very sex scent, like sex and candy

Always a fave of mine.

4 out of 5 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

Marina3 on 11/21/2008 1:22:00 PM more reviews by Marina3

Age: 30-35   Skin: Normal, Fair   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Blue    

I once got my palm read in a voodoo shop off duval street in NOLA and this is exactly what that place smelled like. Actually, this smells like any hippy/voodoo shop I've ever been in. This is not an everyday scent for me, but would be perfect for a night out at the local goth bar or an outdoor concert of the black crowes, lenny kravitz or even if they have another woodstock! It's got amazing lasting power and the little apothecary vial looks authentic and cute. Don't know if I could use this much in a lifetime but overall I'm happy with this un-sniffed full-size purchase. I smell patch, nag champa, vanilla, cherry and heliotrope.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

*TOP REVIEWER* tessture on 9/20/2008 9:13:00 AM more reviews by tessture

Age: 36-43   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Brown    

"Indonesian oils sugared by vanilla". Well, I do get the Indonesian oils, but they smell suspiciously like the import kind carried in head shops. They smell great, rich, sweet, balsamic, but they don't smell expensive. And in the end, a sharp, powder note creeps in and smells exactly like mentholated foot powder. So I'm not on board with this one either. It definitely works for some and not others, but oils can be like that.

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darkhoney on 8/15/2008 10:33:00 PM more reviews by darkhoney

Age: 30-35   Skin: Combination, Fair   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Brown    

I am a bigtime BPAL-er (you can read my reviews over on their forum if you like!), so I don't want to repeat myself overhere...BUT....after hundreds of imps (and other niche and designer brands of frag) Snake Oil is my #1 hands down. If I could only have one, it would be her. I just ordered my 4th...or 5th(?) bottle. It is the only scent that lasts and lasts on me, has great sillage, and seems like ME just applified. To me, it is a skin scent, quite like Shalimar is on some (I often get asked if it is Shalimar I am wearing): deep, sweet, earthy, and powdery clean. I am in the minority, I think, when I say I prefer it "fresh" rather than "aged". I like the sharp almond note at the top. I usually do not like top notes, but this gives the deep vanilla, Siberian musk, patchouli, and chai spices a nice lift. I wear it everywhere and feel beautiful and mysterious. It is sweet enough to be a crowd pleaser (men and children love it), sexy enough to be confident, and complex enough to be interesting. There is nothing quite like it on the planet!

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

*TOP REVIEWER* thelaurenator on 6/19/2008 1:31:00 PM more reviews by thelaurenator

Age: 19-24   Skin: Very Oily, Fair, Warm   Hair: Brown, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Green    

I HATE this scent. It smells like an ash tray on me and almost everyone I know, with a little bit of old lady and cat pee thrown in there. I love BPAL, but this is one of my least favorites. I can't imagine how this is their best-seller.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No