The Antikythera Mechanism

[heywilma]

Teakwood, oak, black vanilla, and tobacco.

Whoa. Vanilla, what vanilla? This is totally dominated by the wood and the tobacco. It actually reminds me strongly of the smell a Chinese medicine/herb shop would have. I think I need to let it age a bit before retesting – was really looking forward to that sweetness that everyone else seems to get. Edited June 30, 2010 by heywilma

[rinster]

Wow, this is incredibly dark and rich! It reminds me of Sugar Moon 2008 (without the fruit) or Miskatonic U (without the coffee). It has a strong throw, too.

[raisin]

The tobacco/vanilla combo is quite potent. I get mostly a smoky, sugary vanilla here. The woods are present, but more in the background. On the whole, this is quite a bit sweeter than I'd anticipated, but fortunately not quite foody. I really want to like this more than I actually do, so I'm hoping some aging improves that vanilla a bit for me.

It really is a nice combination of notes, and I definitely like it better than some of the other popular vanilla blends. It's just very sweet.

[Sultaana]

I had no idea what to expect with any of these notes on me. This was an extremely pleasant surprise and I'm glad I got my hands on an imp. It's so sweet and fragrant, and it's comforting that I keep finding vanillas that don't turn into diaper cream on me. This is going on the bottle list!

[Venneh]

Lots of wood and tobacco in the imp. Light application. ON my skin, oak and teak and soap. ...Yeah. This probably won't turn out well. And yep, lots of wood and tobacco and soap and man, just not for me.

Edited August 8, 2010 by Venneh

[renadams]

In the Vial: Intriguing and mysterious. Deep, rich wood paired with warm vanilla and curling tobacco leaf. Loved it.

 

Wet on the Skin: A bright, musky smell emerges that wasn't evident in the vial. The scent of wet wood is evident. Tobacco, not so much. Hint of vanilla.

 

On Skin after 5 Minutes: This is the first perfume that hasn't maintained a scent close to the vial on my skin. A weird, overly bright musky scent prevails. The description and scent in the vial made it sound dark--but on me, it went instantly bright and thin. Total transformation. Must be the teak notes that are coming across as reedy and musky.

 

Dry on Skin: Still bright and musky, with an alcohol-like chaser.

 

Dry on Skin after Several Hours: A warmed-down tone, rich in dark vanilla. The bright alcohol is gone. I liked the afterglow on my skin.

 

I had high hopes for this one--but something about it did not work well with my body chemistry. I would use this one in a scent locket, not on my skin.

[Vega]

Sniffed: Warm, deep and vanilla-creamy, with a bright note I can only define as "alcoholic" (for lack of better terms and scent recollection!).

 

On skin: WOW. This is beautiful! Dark, rich, warm wood makes a full base, with nutty vanilla mixed in to sweeten and lighten the deepness, topped with a hint of tobacco smoke. Woody, smooth and deep; very warm, almost cozy, not at all brassy or cold. It reminds me of Oblivion, which is a similar polished/dark/woody blend -- but while Oblivion was hollow and cold, The Antikythera Mechanism is very warm and grainy and so much better. Doesn't morph or change over time, but remains its beautiful self, thank goodness. Colour impression is a dark brown made rich with red, and varnished. It reminds me of Chinese lacquered redwood furniture, and really does evoke the wooden enclosure that this Antikythera Mechanism spins in. (But what of the Mechanism itself? Maybe it's the delicious vanilla?)

 

Verdict: What a gorgeous rich and well-rounded scent! Vanilla and dark woods FTW! The Antikythera Mechanism has shot onto my Top Ten list, and I'll be getting a bottle in short order.

Edited September 11, 2010 by Vega

[NaiadOreiad]

In the vial: KAKOW i can smell a well oiled machine. its sharp.

 

Wet on skin: For some reason I smell almost a sour Ouzo (licorice liqour) and its a little too powerful for my tastes

 

5minutes: ah much better the sharpness has faded into the background. Vanilla is there and the wood too.

 

For some reason i distinctly get the image of making out on a hardwood table with a dashing man. Rolling tobacco has been crushed under our bodies and the brass inkwell just barely missed being knocked over.

 

I didn't like it at first but now it has mellowed into something lovely.

[Teaotter]

Wet: We have a teak cabinet, so I recognize the teak easily. Then the sweetness of vanilla kicks in.

 

Dry: It's a bit harder for me to pull out the individual notes here. The vanilla backs off to provide a level of sweetness, while the woods and tobacco provide a dryness that I really enjoy. It smells a bit spicy to me, though there aren't any spice notes listed. I really love this!

 

ETA: On me, at least, this has incredible throw, and it lasts all day. I couldn't be happier!

Edited September 7, 2010 by TeaOtter

[esmetutu]

I tried this on my husband as I thought this would work on a man nicely. So this review is based on that perspective.

 

 

 

Wet: Delicious. Masculine vanilla, pipe tobacco, wood.

 

Dry: Play-Doh. So sad. Then it just turns to baby powder.

 

Bottom line: This had so potential. Aging it a few months might help.

[strahlend]

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm..... this smells so freakin' good it almost can't be put into words.

This scent is dark, woody, and amazingly sexy. I almost get a feeling of chocolate which I believe must be the vanilla - this has happened before where my nose identifies vanilla as chocolate - but I would never call this blend foody because of it. There's something here giving me a cologny vibe, maybe that's the oak. I would think there's musk and leather in here but no such things are listed, but this really does strike me as a musky, leathery, woody blend. I can't believe how much I love this scent. It's a strong scent and a little goes a long way, which is nice because I'll have time to get another bottle before this one runs out.

[calivianya]

In imp and wet on my skin: Citrus! I'm not sure what's giving me that impression, maybe the combination of the tobacco and woods. I smell citrus that's not quite citrus plus vanilla. It smells very, very clean. I feel like I have smelled orange-scented dish soap that smells a lot like this.

 

Drydown: More of the same. I don't know how my skin chemistry turns this into orange-scented dish soap, but it does. I had such high hopes for this one. I think I'll let it sit a while and try it again in a month or so, just in case.

[NYSE]

I got an imp in this free with my last order and it is very lovely. A big bottle is a must, I really like it.

[CitizenBree]

A really beautiful masculine blend. The vanilla is in the background but i think it's the teakwood that comes out most. the vanilla mellows it out a bit. i don't get too much tobacco, which is kinda good for me. tobacco usually doesn't work for me. I think this would be really nice on my husband.

[Mad Hattie]

I received this as an imp as my friend purchased a few scents for me. I order a 5ml of this as it had become my new favorite.

 

In the bottle - Teak with equal notes of of vanilla and hints peppery tobacco.

 

On the skin - The alluring wood combination muted a bit to balance out the spicy tobacco and vanilla. I also detected some leather in there as well.

 

Dry - I still smell the leather and tobacco but I also get a clean kind of smell, slight machine oil, and the vanilla seemed to fade into the background. It makes me think of freshly made furniture, experiments, repairs, steampunk, a nearby airship, and adventure.

 

Overall this is a very pleasant combination, it is not annoyingly spicy nor is it diabetic sweet. I debated back and forth between ordering a 5ml as thats a bit pricey for a scent in my meager opinion but being a parent I hardly treat myself to much so I eventually made the purchase. I know it will last a while and I like the way this smells on me a lot. So many scents either have one note overpower or is frankly, boring.

 

The Antikythera Mechanism is far from boring. It hints at excitement, it is muted sexuality and flirtation, as well as being a warm and hardworking scent. I would recommend this to others despite the price and hope it comes out in a slightly larger version.

[beturtlement]

I don't know if my nose has gone mad, or if I'm remembering something completely wrong, but all I get from this is something powdery from my childhood. It was from a very long time ago, so the only things that I can think of is either:

 

A.) A scent my grandmother used to wear (and DOUSE herself with, I may add). I want to say Chantilly, but I'm not completely sure, as I never was never interested in her fragrances enough to figure out their names. *giggles*

 

B.) A perfume aforementioned grandmother bought me, which would have either been Heaven Scent or of the Love's fragrances (like Baby Soft).

 

I so wish I got all the lovely notes everyone else got, but my mind can't get past the grandmotherly imagery to pick anything out. :/

 

Overall, sweet 'n soft, a li'l tobacco (only when wet), and very powdery- on me.

Edited February 20, 2011 by beturtlement

[HerbGirl]

I can't believe I haven't reviewed this yet! One of my absolute favorites. I wore this to bed last night instead of Ephemera...

 

On my skin this is Teak/Black Vanilla/Oak in that order. Delicious. The Black Vanilla is very sweet which is a nice balance to the astringent (but lovely) Oak. Teak is one of my favorite notes - if you like Teak, don't let this one pass you by. After about 25-30 minutes the Tobacco comes out and switches places with the Oak...absolutely wonderful.

 

This is a very comforting unisex perfume. Definitely a 5/5 in my book.

[Icekitten]

Untill i saw some people talk about this perfume i rememberd that i had a imp of this.

 

Wet: very heavy and strong wood

 

Dry: Seems a bit sweeter now, but still a heavy wood scent.

 

Dry after 10 min: The wood has calm down and the vanilla and tobacco are coming out, nice scentwhen i first applied it, it rememberd me of something very relaxing! if this keeps up i'm going to order a bottle

[LightLikeKnives]

My overall impression is one of honey, oak-paneled boardrooms, and hiking. When I put it on, it smells of honey (perhaps that is the black vanilla, though) and wood. It is a rich, close, complex kind of scent, but utterly masculine. It also summons up images of the outdoors.

 

The scent remains constant throughout its lifetime and it lasts and lasts -- at least 16 hours on my skin. As others have noted, it does project, but not offensively. Those around you will note that you are here, but they won't need to run for gas masks.

 

This is a keeper.

[imaginepageant]

In the Vial: It's kind of nice, but... it's like Pine Sol mixed with Mr. Clean. I have no idea what's doing that. It's quite woodsy and smoky, but there's something sharp and stringent and citrus there, too. I don't think I've ever smelled black vanilla before, but I'd definitely call this black - it's a dark and dirty but subtly sweet vanilla.

 

Wet: It's quite faint on my skin, not something I'd expect from such a strong blend. It's smelling more woodsy, the vanilla is getting sweeter, and the tobacco stronger. That phantom citrus note is fading, thankfully.

 

Dry: Mmm, this is getting much better. It's very woodsy now, and dark, but soft, and smoky, and... very nice. I know this has similar notes to Perversion, and a lot of the reviews compare it to Perversion, but I'm not really seeing the similarity at all.

 

An Hour Later: The vanilla has all but disappeared, only barely softening the blend. Otherwise, it hasn't changed. Beautifully woodsy, smoky, and toasted. It makes me think of curling up in front of the woodstove in my cottage.

 

Overall: I really like it. Probably not enough for a bottle, but I'll defintely be using the imp up. This would make a great scent for guys, or for girls who don't typically like feminine scents.

[prettybird]

This stuff is brilliant! In the imp, the wood is really strong. The vanilla starts to come out more as it dries down, but it's still really woody. The tobacco makes it kind of smoky, in a nice way. I like it quite a bit.

[kirsten]

Mmmm, I love the mix of vanilla and tobacco in this one. It wasn't until a while wearing it that the wood really started to come out, but every note was very nice. Definitely a favorite from the few I've tried.

[changeling]

This was a frimp from the lab (thank you!)

 

In the bottle: A cool, penetrating scent

Wet: Cool and masculine

Dry: This scent warms as it dries. For a few minutes, I was worried that I had chosen the wrong scent for a workday--it seemed too much like cologne. Then the scent changed. It was warm and bubbly. I smelled something I recognized. It seemed gritty or granulated, and pleasant, with a woody overtone. Hours later, I came on the forum and read the scent description. It was the tobacco. The smell of the tobacco in my grandfather's pipe, as I blew bubbles on their sun-warmed deck.

 

This scent (as you may have noticed) has a nostalgic value for me. The tobacco and vanilla blend very well (not something I thought I would ever say), and the woody note comes forward just enough to provide variety. I wouldn't say it smells of ancient Greece, but it certainly has a steampunk flavor. I like it.

[Gateau]

Imp: Smells like a woodsy candle.

 

Wet: Getting a lot of wood and those candle notes.

 

Dry: Increasingly warm, the black vanilla comes out strongly, backed by the tobacco, making it sweeter than I'd expected. Then it gets very teaky and a little drier, but the vanilla is a strong note. I'm getting a strong sense of the wood, but it's not wood in its natural state -- it's really worked and polished, so the concept is spot-on. The teak-vanilla combination isn't one that I really like, and it's got a lot of throw so it's sticking in my nose and throat. Tried wiping it off, but it's got a lot of sticking power.

 

I had really high hopes for this, especially since I'm fascinated by the Antikythera Mechanism itself, but it just didn't work for me. My 9 year old son loves it, though, and keeps asking me to put a drop on his wrist, so I'll save it for him.

[Urpflanze]

The Antikythera Mechanism is the first scent from BPAL that I tried. I was immediately sold on the concept. The first deep sea diving suits, sea worn metals, ancient science, pirates: done. I put it on and was very impressed. On me the tobacco comes out strongly and offers an edge of that raisin-prune smell. The woods have never dominated for me. They compliment but do not compete with the overall impression of tobacco-vanilla.

 

It reminded me of the very best possibilities of men's cologne. I smelled expensive. Like a Greek aristocrat with a yacht. After a time, it reminded me so much of a creme brulee with raisins (tobacco really) that I thought it was maybe too sweet for me. Undeniably delicious...but I worried it was maybe too delicious. I overthought it. I turned to the unsweetened wood and metal of ninth cage and didn't look back for awhile.

 

Then I wore it at work and realized that I really like the light sweetness this has - it is not remotely cloying and it is comforting and pleasing. I think people reach for foodie scents because smelling sweet things (i.e. vanilla) feels good. When you aren't thinking about what you are wearing and you catch a whiff of it, your pre-conceived ideas about what you ought to be wearing (for your style, personality, gender, etc.) are gone and all you get is whether or not you like it. And I like this. ALOT.

 

Antikythera Mechanism, like Dee, gives the gentleman some sweetness without too much. One day, perhaps I will realize that Dorian smells like more than lemon lavender cookies. Until then, I'll wear scents like this. Oh and women can pull this off with panache, I think, skin chemistry allowing. Nothing should ever smell powdery in this one unless something goes awry. If it works for you, it works consistently and for hours. Decent throw.

 

Edit: I want to add that I think the concept here is not the smell of the mechanism itself so much as the divers who discovered it at the turn of the 20th century. It isn't so much the scent of the victorian gentleman as the 19th century nautical gentleman-adventurer (pipe tobacco, the wood of boats, a light vanilla to evoke the sweet love affair with the sea). He's not working class, but he's seen plenty of real work.

Edited June 30, 2011 by Urpflanze