Vanilla05/30/2025
ClaireV
731 Reviews
ClaireV
1
Loveable, baby-powdered vanilla tonka-glazed doughnut hole
Snake Oil is the best known of all the BPAL oils. Essentially a reworking of the Shalimar theme, it revolves around a spicy vanilla thickened with earthy patchouli, tonka bean, benzoin, dragon’s blood resin, and cinnamon. I would not call it ‘exceedingly sexual’ though: it is a thick, comfy vanilla-tonka affair built for comfort, not speed. But hey, perfume is fifty percent what you bring to the table, so if you are already hell bent on seduction, Snake Oil won’t put a halt in your gallop.
At first glance, it is purely vanilla and patchouli, a bodacious fudgsicle sprinkled with nutmeg or cinnamon. Further along down the path, it takes on a waxen or even doughy almond tonality, making me think of the creamy hay-like properties of tonka bean, or the fresher, floral girlishness of heliotrope.
With a blurred bouquet of musks and resins in the base, the vanilla takes a late turn towards golden powder. Powder trigger warning: if you do not like the oft-cited ‘baby powder’ aspect of Shalimar and Tabu, then the drydown of Snake Oil may cause some PTSD. On the flipside, if you love deep-bosomed, powdery orientals, then Snake Oil is a great way to get it in oil form. This ages well, so buy in a few bottles and let them sit for a year or two to get your return on investment.
At first glance, it is purely vanilla and patchouli, a bodacious fudgsicle sprinkled with nutmeg or cinnamon. Further along down the path, it takes on a waxen or even doughy almond tonality, making me think of the creamy hay-like properties of tonka bean, or the fresher, floral girlishness of heliotrope.
With a blurred bouquet of musks and resins in the base, the vanilla takes a late turn towards golden powder. Powder trigger warning: if you do not like the oft-cited ‘baby powder’ aspect of Shalimar and Tabu, then the drydown of Snake Oil may cause some PTSD. On the flipside, if you love deep-bosomed, powdery orientals, then Snake Oil is a great way to get it in oil form. This ages well, so buy in a few bottles and let them sit for a year or two to get your return on investment.
