The Antikythera Mechanism

[catalyst]

Teakwood, oak, black vanilla, and tobacco.

"Wow, I really like this, except for there's something... what is that..."

"I still like it, but that sweetness just won't go away. What's that annoying sweetness?"

"Now it's mostly that sweet note. It would be perfect otherwise. What..."

"Oh. Vanilla."

...

Dammit.

[SlySionnach]

My boyfriend bought this for himself, along with a couple of bottles for me... so of course I tried it.

 

And wow! I get mostly teak and oak, but the vanilla really rounds it out into a sweet woodsy scent. I can smell the tobacco, but for some reason (oddly enough with my chemistry), it plays second fiddle to the other notes and just gives it a really nice base for the others to play on.

 

I'll be sad to hand this over to him but I think it may be better if he wears it

[becca_s]

This is a sweet, woodsy scent on me. I get alot of oak and teakwood, it smells pretty authentic too - like opening the drawer of an oak desk that has been full of vanilla and tobacco. This could definitely be a unisex scent. I like this scent but I'm not really sure it's my thing, I generally don't wear woodsy scents - but other people who do would probably like Antikythera Mechanism.

Edited July 19, 2012 by becca_s

[kawaiiferreto]

Oh. My. God.

 

(I could really end it at just that, but I'll try!)

 

I've had 1 or 2 imps of this laying around for quite a while, and for some reason was in no rush to test this. WHY DID I WAIT SO LONG?!

 

This is definitely related to Snake Oil on my skin, but if you take the stuff (I think patchouli and red musk?? maybe?) that sometimes goes funky on me in SN (especially fresh SN) and replaced it with delicious delicious wood and tobacco. This is RICH but so so so so good. I can't see me wearing this until it the weather cools down, because it is also POWERFUL, but OMG!!!! I think this also would be delicious slathered on a sexy sexy man. (Although sadly I don't see this being something MY sexy sexy man would be into. DAMMIT!!) Sooo gooooood!!!

[Alethia]

Thoughts before trying: Woods never work for me and since AM has two listed, I don't have high hopes for this one despite the vanilla and tobacco (which are always win notes for me).

 

Wet: Sharp, sharp woods. Yowza.

 

Dry down: The woods are replaced entirely by the tobacco and vanilla. It smells deep and rich and sweet and chewy (if that makes any sense ). It's beautiful and I can only imagine how much better this would smell on a man

 

Dry: This mellows out into a beatiful slightly sweet vanilla tobacco. This is crazy good.

 

Final thoughts: This is maybe just a tad too masculine for me, but I don't even care. This is stunning and I can't believe I waited this long to try it.

 

Verdict: Keeping the imp, definite bottle purchase.

[zeldaZ4]

REALLY HIGH HOPES!!! Wet - Wood & men's cologne. Not as much throw as I'd hoped.

 

Waiting… As it dries, the golden teak is starting to emerge. Still very light. Lovely, but light. Don't like it as much as Dee or Cathedral yet…

 

Getting lighter, and lighter. Meh. I am beginning to think the Lab's vanilla disappears on me. I don't smell it in the Fabled Snake Oil, and I don't smell it in this. Wish I did! Cuz I LOVES me some vanilla. This is going in the aging box with the Snake Oil to see what happens...

 

An hour and a half later - there's the vanilla! And it is fabu! Rather like Guerlain's Spiriteuse Double Vanilla, which I MELT for. Slightly smokey with only a touch of wood. Yep, aging box! This could be REALLY good!

 

ETA: Slathered on some more, before tucking it away in the Age Box. The Vanilla Finale was so wonderful I thought, why not?

 

Now that I know that the vanilla smells like, I can actually detect it wet. I guess that's what this Education of the Nose is all about! The vanilla is not strong, but it is hiding in there.

 

These BPALS are a continuously unraveling mystery...

Edited September 9, 2012 by zeldaZ4

[yakiguri]

Now that I have both I can definitely smell the strong similarity between the Antikythera Mechanism and White Peacock. So similar in fact I'd say they're fraternal twins. Both share the same sweet tobacco woods heart but where White Peacock has a syrupy, thick quality to it The Antikythera Mechanism is much drier, with tobacco much further in the forefront. I wouldn't dare say one is a dupe for the other, but unless you're a hardcore collector I don't think you need both. If you missed out on White Peacock though, The Antikythera Mechanism has a similar enough base that it works as a decent replacement.

 

I'll keep my imp of The Antikythera Mechanism but I'll wait until my bottle of White Peacock runs low to upgrade to a bottle.

[BoneBone24]

Wet: Vanilla and smooth woods.

 

Drydown: Warm, sweet, and rustic. Smooth woods over a soft and delicate vanilla. Straightforward but very comforting.

 

Dry: The same but with a touch of tobacco folded in. Smooth, sweet, and cozy. Like being wrapped in your favorite blanket.

 

 

 

 

6.5 out of 10 bones

Edited November 22, 2013 by BoneBone24

[fiddlehead]

When this is still wet it reminds me strongly of Oak Moon. The effect is almost identical to me. But underneath it is something a little different. Either the tobacco or the teakwood is making this better for me than Oak Moon. It's a complex vanilla/wood scent. The tobacco is coming out stronger the longer I have it on. I really like this so far but I'll have to give it an all day test to be sure. It doesn't strike me as a masculine scent yet, the way Oak Moon eventually did.

[Fuhrankie]

This was something I originally ordered for my ex. He ended up having a reaction to something in it, but it smelled amazing on him.

 

In the imp: Something bitter behind a fragrance I can't pin down. Very masculine.

 

Wet on skin: Goodness, I'm really bad at scents lately! Not morphing at all from imp.

 

Drydown: Hints of vanilla, a tang of sharp woods; something slightly medicinal, like tiger balm.

 

Dry: A sweet honey base with that medicinal woody tang, possibly liquorice somewhere? Still quite masculine, but I think I can work it.

 

I'll definitely replace the imp when it runs out, but I don't think I'll upgrade to a bottle any time soon.

 

 

Edit, 12 hours later: OMG this smells amazing, and has since about half an hour after drying. Okay I may have to rethink the bottle thing. I only applied it to my wrists, but it seems to have permeated my clothes, which is just beautiful.

Edited December 5, 2012 by Fuhrankie

[chicorymist]

Weirdly, this smells like flat cola in the bottle. In a good way.

 

On me, this is like Dee but softer: less dry, less masculine (more gender-neutral, could easily be feminine with a feminine outfit), less throw. This is still really good - I REALLY LIKE Dee. Antikythera Mechanism is soft round warm vanilla-y polished wood that stays close to my skin like a favorite old shirt worn to flannel softness.

 

Lasts 9-10 hours.

 

Will def finish this imp, but I don't feel like I need a bottle right now.

 

4/5

 

------------------------------------------------

 

Update, 1/4: I've now gotten two separate compliments on Antikythera Mechanism, both saying this smells like spice or incense. I guess it has more throw than I thought! That has to be the tobacco.

 

This has grown on me! I really like it for days I don't feel butch enough for Dee, lol. Changed my mind - I'm totally getting a bottle of this when I have a few bucks.

 

5/5

Edited January 4, 2013 by chicorymist

[Cimorene]

Wet: VANILLAAAAAAAA!

Drydown: My sister just sniffed me and said it smells rather nutty, which is curious because there aren't any nuts in this one. But still, this is the best experience with BPAL's oils I've had so far ^^

 

There's only a bit left in my sister's imp, and she's getting a big bottle when it runs out. I'm lucky her reactions to certain oils are so similar to mine

 

EDIT: Formatting

Edited January 14, 2013 by Cimorene

[ladymeag]

I can't believe I haven't written this review yet. This is my go-to scent - it's just dark enough for me to feel comfortable, just light enough for others to not be overwhelmed with my dark, heavy perfume.

 

In the botttle: Teakwood, tobacco, and aftershave

On Me: Wet this has a general sharp men's aftershave kind of scent - the tobacco keeps it from sweetening up too much in the beginning before the woods can come out some. As it dries down, it picks up more of the warm, deep, non-food vanilla - I don't know what black vanilla is but I'd love a single-note bottle of it. As it gets to full dry-down, it gets warmer with the woods and I can start to pick up the teakwood and oak finally. Additionally, it kind of seems to pick up a leather note. At full dry-down, it's a warm, woody vanilla.

 

On Spouse: Wet, it's green Gillette after shave, according to spouse. It gets sweeter as it dries and goes full-sweet vanilla with a little oak in the end. Not quite as complex.

[mermaidsdream]

In the imp: Woodsy, with just a hint of vanilla

 

Wet, on wrist: I get a little of the burn on my wrist I normally associate with cinnamon oil. The smell is still woodsy, a little smokey.

 

Dry: It turns into a smokey, woodsy vanilla that is just *to die* for; I can't even begin to do a review that does it justice. It's a comforting smell, warm & heady, deep & sultry. I can't stop smelling my wrists.

 

I will be getting a bottle (or three) of this. YUM.

 

ETA: Just as a side note, I'm highly allergic to cigarette smoke (pipe smoke is actually the worst, that raw, pure tobacco & nicotine), but I've had NO issues with the tobacco notes in the BPAL scents I've tried. Seriously, I could keep smelling this perfume all day.

Edited January 24, 2013 by mermaidsdream

[turtlecookie]

My first review! Wee!!

 

At first, it was sharp and woody, but it quickly went powdery sweet. For the first 15 minutes, it kind of went back and forth, but settled into something nice in between. I liked it!

[White_rabbit334]

I'm going to start by saying this has to be one of the most satisfying reviews I've ever had the pleasure of doing. Why this isn't in the general collection as a permanent staple is mystifying to me; with the fervor after it, it seems to me that the Lab is doing itself a great disservice not taking all my money, limbs, and first-born children, because yeah, this scent is THAT GOOD.

EDIT: Apparently it is, much to my delight/my bank's horror.

 

In the bottle: At first whiff, it ALMOST smells like cheap cologne. Almost. The tobacco is in the backround, urging me forward; I bought a half bottle off the forums, so obviously I'm going to try it regardless. All the notes were winners for me.... I knew it couldn't go wrong.

 

First ten minutes: Oh my goodness, my chemistry turns everything super sweet and spicy! I swear to the good gods there MUST be sandalwood in here as a hidden note; I can smell the teak, and DEFINITELY the oak (good Dagda it's BEAUTIFUL ), but even together it shouldn't smell this much like sandalwood.... should it? My nose is convinced, but it may be that I work really well with woody notes

 

Half hour later: It smells like rich, sweet, sandalwood incense being burned inside a tobacco shop. You head in, buy yourself a big bag of vanilla pipe tobacco, chat with the owner for a few minutes and head back to your car. You then proceed to take a drive up to the national forest, already chomping on a pipe, the sweet smell filling the car, mingling with the scent of sandalwood incense that permeated your clothes. You park, step out, and the intense smell of damp oak leaves and bark joins the clouds of sweet, incense-like smoke billowing from your lips.

 

It's a lot like that.

 

I have a feeling a certain handsome redhead I know would enjoy this immensely..! This would smell amazing on him, as he actually DOES smoke vanilla pipe tobacco, and enjoy sandalwood or woody/spicy scents. I have a feeling he would amp the oak more than I did; on me, however, this is tobacco dominating with vanilla, his right-hand-man so to speak, while sitting atop a throne made of oak and teak.

Edited February 20, 2013 by White_rabbit334

[JazzieCazzie]

Acquired from the Lovely Labbies as a frimp in my recent Impapalooza order (I got 24 imps and they frimped me -- now in verb form -- with several intriguing additions!)

 

IMP: Wow. Really interesting and unusual and complex to my nose. I try to write down the images if I can't get notes (and despite 9 years of BPAL-dom I'm still a notesy novice for the most part). Sweet wood ... definitely quite masculine to me, but not to the degree of some of the "fougeres" where I can't imagine even giving them a skin-based test run (and no booze, luckily).

 

Dabbed gently on my wrists out of caution. Smart move because ...

 

WET: This is REALLY strong on me. Interestingly, though it is sweet to me in the imp, once on my skin it gets quite salty. And now I definitely recognize the tobacco ... it smells like sweet pipe tobacco. And while others have been able to pick out the vanilla very easily, to me I would never have picked out "vanilla" per se, but can see it as "vanilla pipe tobacco." It's very pleasant but probably not me ... but I wanted to wait for drydown to make a decision.

 

DRY: Yup. Powdery pipe tobacco. More powdery and tobacco. It reminds me a little of my late grandmother's bathroom -- no, not in an icky way. She had a few old-school powders and bath oils and this is reminiscent of that. It's not what I'd call my "comfort" scent but yet is ineffably comforting because of those vague sensory memories.

 

OVERALL: I really do like the scent a LOT. I don't really like it on me as a perfume. It's NOT a washoff, I'm more than content to wear it for the rest of the day. I wouldn't wear it again and it will land in my swap pile (which will eventually be big enough, I think, to finally put together a legit swap/sale page but I'm waiting until I've gone through EVERYTHING in my box, both new and old, to have a complete list).

 

I would LOVE this, however, as a candle, tart or scent diffuser.

 

Out of 5, I give it a strong 3. Big like.

[ajansuz]

I have no idea why this sat so long untested in my frimp pile. It came with an order a couple of months ago. In the imp, it's rich tobacco, smooth oak, and just a touch of teak. I can't catch any vanilla at all. It's dry and smooth, a very masculine scent. Still, I love tobacco and wood, so I eagerly put it on.

 

Oh. My. GAWD. Instant love. Every note behaves itself while wet. It's like sticking your nose in a well tended cabinet where someone has taken meticulous care of their papers and possibly left a tobacco pouch lying around. It's exactly the right amount of dry, and the teak and oak compliment one another like well mannered gentlemen. The tobacco is the same gorgeous, delicious tobacco of the single note French Tobacco Accord.

 

Dry down is when I can finally smell some of the vanilla. It's so woody it's really more like tonka, not in the slightest sweet or foodie. By this time it's more unisex than strictly masculine, and I am head over heels in love with this. It has just enough throw that I keep catching whiffs of myself, thinking, "What's that wonderful smell?" Then I realize, "Oh, it's me!" Got two random compliments while out and about, both to the effect of, "Something around here smells really good. What is that? That's your perfume? What is that??"

 

It lasted all day, at last fading down to a soft, woody skin scent with just the smallest touch of tobacco.

 

5/5 on me. I'll be picking up a bottle the order after I finish out my Lupes, or possibly with them if I get impatient.

 

HOWEVER.

 

This just goes to show what body chemistry can do when it comes to BPAL. I thought this would be amazing on my husband. NOT AT ALL. One small dab, and it was loud, horrible generic men's cologne. He amped something in it to headache inducing levels for both of us within five minutes of applying. It was bad enough it sent both of our cats fleeing the room. It was also hard to get off of him. This is one we won't be sharing.

[kythe]

Initially, this had a strong undertone of men's bodywash/shaving cream that I hated. When I came back and tried it again it was the darkest, spiciest vanilla bean imaginable, beautifully blended with tobacco. There is a warm fragrance similar to freshly cut/planed wood in a machine shop, but without any of the wood dust or machine oil smells. Just that woody smell. It sort of hints at smoky without actually being smoky, if that makes sense. Perhaps I just expect smoke to accompany tobacco and wood shavings. It's unisex with masculine associations, but does not actually make me smell manly.

 

My first and still favorite BPAL scent. Whenever I put it on I unconsciously hyperventilate to inhale more. It's extremely cozy; almost sultry but not in a sexual way. Not great for concentration because it smells so damn wonderful and relaxing.

Edited May 9, 2013 by kythe

[Missy_killer]

To my nose: I...Uh.. don't really know what the eff is going on here.. I smell manly lemons with vanilla and tobacco. Yes, you read it. Manly lemons. They're real, believe me.

 

On: The tobacco is strong in this one. But so is the vanilla. I don't really know why, but I have this weird imagination that I like tobacco in my scents, even though I know that it will make me smell an ashtray or a burning campfire. And of course I'm right about it once again. The tobacco in Antikythera Mechanism doesn't do what I want it to do. I want it to add a little something, you know? Provide a smoothness that helps blending all the notes together without loosing their egde, or tone down the sweetness of some notes. But no, it doesn't work.

 

It smells like a sweet and woody ashtray on me. I can totally see this being rocked by powerful men and women, people who can take that smokyness and turn it into something beautiful that works just right. Sadly, I'm not one of them.

 

After about an hour: Hm.. While it still has "ashtray" written all over it there is now some creamyness coming from the vanilla. But the ashtray is just too much

[kaberett]

Imp: suncream! Woodsy vanilla with just a hint of tobacco.

 

Wet: Rich honeyed vanilla. Wow, this is sweet and dark and smoky and woody and beautiful.

 

Dry: Warm, round, well=supported, sweet and dark. This is exactly what I need for days when I want warm scents. A hint of engine grease under buttery-gleaming metal. Gorgeous.

[elka_knits]

At C2E2 they had this on little cards set out on table so of course I picked one up, my husband picked one up for me, and the labbies threw one into a bag. I took this to mean must try immediately. Which I did before leaving con and sent the husband back to buy me a bottle. It is just that awesome and if you loved Fr Tobacco just get it already. It is sweet, dark and smoky and gorgeous. Hurled into my top scents already... and I literally have hundreds

 

and yes I have sent out the multiple on card imps I received cus well I have a bottle

[hexnut]

THE ANTIKYTHERA MECHANISM

 

Not really a blind test because of the distinctive logo on the label reverse, but I didn't know in advance which Steamworks scent it was.

 

 

In Vitro Sweet, maybe citrus.

 

Wet Spicy and wonderful. It was slightly sweet and I guessed at tobacco.

 

Drying Dry, warm, and sort of masculine-sweet. Half an hour after application there was a hint of the "annoying" quality I got from Centzon Totochtin and Smokestack. Luckily that note never grew very strong, and eventually faded out. At the hour and a half mark the scent was faint and exhibited a vanilla-ish top over a tobacco-ish base.

 

 

I really liked The Antikythera Mechanism, but I need to test it some more before I spring for a bottle. Besides the weird note that threatens my enjoyment, there's the tantalizing possibility that the vanilla in this blend did not, in fact, morph into rubber.

 

 

77

[ivyblossom]

I ordered this one because I am a technology librarian, and the Antikythera Mechanism is the oldest known computer (3000 years old). Who doesn't want to smell like an ancient Greek computer? You can dig your nose into this one and find each of of the listed notes if you want to, but I think what's more interesting is to just take the whole thing in. When you do, this does genuinely smell like an old, expensive, precious wooden box with metal gears mounted inside. It smells like a tool of an intellectual, a centrepiece of the study of a learned, wealthy scholar. It's incredibly true to the concept.

 

Once in a while I find myself looking at a bottle of something from BPAL and knowing that while I love the way it smells, it says something about me that just isn't true, so I don't feel comfortable wearing it. I suppose it's that "it's not me" kind of feeling, which is interesting in and of itself. The Antikythera Mechanism is so interesting that I feel as though it's challenging me to be interesting enough to wear it in good conscience. It makes me wonder if my wardrobe is good enough. Have I read enough books lately? Are my conversational skills up to snuff? Am I thinking about things carefully enough? It's sophisticated, intelligent, and creative. It's complex and no-nonsense. It's not whimsical or cute in the slightest. It's a force to be reckoned with. It's ancient knowledge, and knowing how to use it.

 

I will strive to be worthy of this perfume oil.

[Atrous]

A frimp from the lab; I waited until I had nothing new to test to try this one. I was hesitant to try AM because of the teakwood and tobacco notes. Never tried anything with teak and was afraid it would make the blend too masculine. Tobacco is hit-or-miss, sometimes it can be a bit much and run masculine.

Honestly didn't expect to like it but, OMG, is it AMAZING! It's more of a unisex scent, thank goodness.

 

This scent smells like someone smoking vanilla flavored pipe or cigarillo in an old, Victorian-type study. The scent of heavy,

wood furniture and cloying, smokey vanilla hang in an atmosphere surrounded by books, papers, and antiques. It's sexy, smart, and sophisticated.

 

I must have a bottle of this!