The Antikythera Mechanism

[fairnymph]

Teakwood, oak, black vanilla, and tobacco.

In the bottle: Bright light orange coloured oil. Sweet teak and a little vanilla, with the astringent tang of tobacco and some warm, slightly dry oak. Quite rich, and sweet.

Wet: A bit softer, more rounded. The vanilla takes on a creaminess, and the teak is more exotic, less sweet. The tobacco is VERY strong, a bit sharp.

Dry: Oh god, the teak is amping like crazy! And it reminds me sort of lotus. Sweet and heady. The vanilla is stronger and sweeter, more foody, too. Oak has faded.

Later: Unbearable amping of teak and vanilla. SINK.

Summary: Crazy strong teak - very rich, cloying, and sweet - with creamy, intense vanilla, and edge of dark tobacco. Whisper of warm, dry oak. Insane throw & longevity. Edited September 24, 2009 by Shollin

[tapestry]

I think MisterShrapnel summed The Antikythera Mechanism up perfectly with Kate Beaton's comic (<3 beatonna!), and ephemera nailed it with "warm but not soft". I <3 steampunk and tobacco and vanilla in small doses and wood besides, so this perfume is magic to me. And thanks a million to my Winter Switch Witch for the gift of a bottle! <333

 

In the bottle and wet, The Antikythera Mechanism reminds me of something I made with a perfume kit as a child. It's mostly woods, teak and oak, with the barest hint of tobacco and no real vanilla to speak of. It's interesting. Captivating, actually, because in writing this paragraph alone I have opened, closed and opened my bottle again and again to catch another whiff of the perfume. This is well-oiled wood furniture in the perfect library with a warm fire burning in the background and the evening outside at bay. It is the glow of light off of smooth wood surfaces, bright and light and full of life.

 

Applied it doesn't so much morph as bloom for me. The tobacco comes further into play and everything is sweetened by vanilla. And oh, the vanilla! It's magical -- I amp the Lab's vanilla notes beyond 11, but that's not the case here. With this perfume the vanilla doesn't leap out and scream for attention so much as wind through and wrap itself around the remaining notes, making the whole thing come together in a heady, blissful mix.

 

Drydown is similar, and damn but this lasts for hours upon hours. In my mind, this is a man's cologne. It's burnished brass and polished wood, leather chairs and a pipe in front of the fire, as well as the unspoken possibility of sex on top of that carefully polished desk. I could wear for a very long time and not get tired of it.

[theseagrows]

wow, this smells amazing! it's fairly basic- warm and vanilla-y with a nice tobacco background. i could see that some would see this as masculine, but i quite like it on me. it's very warm and comforting but sexy at the same time. i kind of want a bottle of this.

[Babette]

I bought a bottle from a lovely forumite and frankly, I think this has been the best decision I have made in this month. I know that one of the listed notes is black vanilla but I am not getting any of that, sadly. But -- but! -- to compensate, I am getting glorious whiffs of wood (I can smell the teakwood, which is probably the only wood scent I can identify) and tobacco, which is fantastic for me because I have finally identified my first few scent notes all on my own. Yay! This reminds me of my childhood memories of spending time with my dad exploring old Chinese furniture shops and the homes/warehouses of fellow antique-collecting enthusiasts in Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong and China... and wow, okay, thanks a lot, AM, I really miss my dad now and we don't have that sort of close father-daughter relationship to begin with!

 

This has been the perfect scent to wear today because it has been rainy, gloomy and cold. It somehow seems to complement Wanda pretty well.

 

'Cos I am a mighty slatherer, I'll need a backup bottle, STAT! And must remember to sign up for furniture-making classes!

 

ETA: Getting the vanilla now. Yay! It's not very dominant, which is good because too much vanilla makes me sick. The teakwood is still around and has morphed into a very clean scent. I am really loving this!

Edited April 24, 2009 by Babette

[AnArtfuldodger]

In the bottle: very cologne-y.

 

Wet on wrist: this bears a sharp resemblance to Shadwell on my skin -- I love Shadwell, but I don't think they share any elements...maybe it's just the cologne aspect?

 

On the drydown: This is quite soft and masculine. It fades on me rather quickly, though a tiny hint still lingers hours later (just stops being strong very quickly, I guess is what I mean to say). I bought this for my boyfriend for when we go out to do nice things, so I think this will suit him better than it suits me anyway! I don't dislike it, but I prefer Shadwell.

[Lucretia]

This is gooorgeous, and going into my top 10 for sure. I get soft vanilla mixed with something mellow and very grounding (I guess the tobacco or oak?). This reminds me of something from my childhood (some type of baby powder? some smell my mother had? lotion?) and I adore it for that. This is very wearable and I could see myself wearing this around the house or to work as a comfort scent. Loving this one way more than I expected to.

[angelicruin]

Inside the bottle, tobacco and vanilla.

 

Wet on the skin, I'm getting mostly tobacco, oak, and a little bit of vanilla. I agree with previous reviews that this scent does remind me a bit of Black Lace, although Black Lace is a sweeter blend on my skin with the sugar and cognac notes.

 

And while the Antikythera Mechanism not really blowing me away right now, I believe this will be much like Black Lace and age into something magnificent.

 

 

[bellis]

So I tried this on before I went to bed last night, and it is GORGEOUS at first. A lovely warm mix of teak, dark non-foody vanilla, and drying tobacco leaves. I'm a little in love.

 

...Then I wake up this morning and it is straight up sawdust. I'm going to keep the imp around and see if aging helps, because the first stages of this are so lovely. I think it's the oak that's causing me problems, usually only cedar turns to sawdust this badly on me.

[earlgreyellie]

this scent reminds me a lot of my grandfather. i think it's from the tobacco and oak. it's a very warm scent and quite masculine. i don't get much of the vanilla, which maybe would've helped it to smell less manly, but i don't know. my boyfriend says it reminds him of the really weird eighty-something man in his his college theatre class. i don't think i'll be wearing it again anytime soon.

Edited July 15, 2009 by earlgreyellie

[spoilsofwar]

I'm usually not a fan of woody scents, but this one is simply gorgeous. Black vanilla isn't as sweet as regular and the tobacco gives it an edge. All around, this scent swooped in and made me LOVE it from first whiff in the bottle until now, hours later. Highly recommended!

[melindrha]

I need to buy a large bottle of this to age while I use up the imp. It may replace Hellcat as my signature scent. Who would have thought that wood would smell so good on me?

[aquazoo]

Starts a little dirty. Stays dirty. And not a good kind of dirty, not on me.

[devilot]

In the Bottle: Yes, I bought a bottle from the lab, unsniffed because I'm desperate to find "my" tobacco blend. This smells like wood. Super strong, slap you around wood. And vanilla. Mmm. Vanilla.

 

Wet: So it softens a tiny bit, but overall? Still very woody on me. Polished, shiny wood. With a hint of vanilla. Ooh, a little spiciness. Methinks tobacco is saying hello!

 

Drydown: Balderdash. The tobacco is way too fleeting, or just too delicate to compete with the WOOOOOOD.

 

Verdict: I wanted so badly to love this. Love vanilla, love tobacco, and can hang w/ wood, but in this blend? The wood is just too much. Maybe if this were aged? But alas, I'm too broke to hang onto a full bottle of something that's not working for me right now.

[donnatron]

Imp: Strong and dark. Lots of tobacco and oak.

 

Wet: The tobacco is definitely the dominant note but I'm getting some of that lovely and distinctive teak note. The vanilla is warming up but isn't noticeably VANILLA!

 

Dry: Wow. I think the trick with this one was aging it. I bought my imp right when the Steampunks came out, was not wowed by AM but now am kinda smitten. Very dark, sultry and sexy. Strong and commanding and definitely a power sort of scent. The oak and teak form an amazing, solid base with the vanilla swirling up with the tobacco in a smoky sort of way. Definitely not a coy scent.

 

Throw: Strong.

 

Overall: Gorgeous. I definitely understand all the love for this scent.

[gwynethr]

Oh! I like this one! I kind of expected I might, but after having so much luck with so many different woods, the past year has seen one blend after another with woods in it turn hideous on my menopausal skin. But this one is still pretty soft with none of the bitter bite. It's not quite the new Be-All Blend I hoped for, but it's definitely lovely.

[stardreamer]

In the imp and fresh on: Ooh, this is nice! Masculine but not heavily so -- it'll work for me very well.

 

Drydown: It sweetens a little as my skin does the normal vanilla amp-up. Oddly, the throw fades in about half an hour, although it's still very present on my skin. I touched it up after a couple of hours to see if the throw would improve, but it did the same thing. At various points I was more aware of the woods, then the vanilla would come back again; the tobacco remains firmly in the background.

 

Bottom line: I'd be happier if the throw weren't so short-lived, but overall this is still a very nice blend, and there are times when I don't want a lot of throw. No estimate of staying power because of the touch-up. Definite keeper.

 

Note: Ladies, if your guy likes scents at all, try this on him. I wish my guy did!

[ClareDeLune]

This smells to me like spilling Dorian over yummy polished wood. I don't know how else to describe it, I love it. =)

[lookingglass]

Oooh, this is fantastic! DH commented that it smells "fresh" on me, which I could see a bit...in a fresh wood way. It reminded me a bit of Theiry Mugeler's Angel first off...like a clean, sweet, earthy scent. On the drydown it reminds me of Haloes without the sour apricot note that kept me from keeping her..plus it dries out way darker. SCORE! The woods and tobacco smell very much like patchouli, and it stays creamy with just enought vanilla. It is not as uber sweet as I expected, and the woods are not "splitery". I am so pleased! I think this is truly gender neutral, and a nice dark skin scent. This is going on my bottle list right away!

Edited August 15, 2009 by lookingglass

[Muppetk]

in the imp: wood polish and slightly masculine cologne. Huh. Not quite what I was expecting.

 

wet on me: The sharper notes back off a bit but the cologne doesn't. Maybe this is "black vanilla" I'm getting?

 

drying: a bit sweeter, and the man's cologne is backing off a bit.

 

Dry: OH! I get it! This is like a darker, slightly more masculine version of Dorian. Huh. Not sure how I feel about this. I know that teak likes me - it's in a favorite of mine. But there's that pinch of "just a little too masculine" that I usually associate with rosewood but I think might be the oak note in this. OTOH, dorian layers beautifully with a number of things, so maybe this will be too. This is one for experimenting with. Ooh, or getting my swetie to try!

[ouch!]

TEAK!! Gosh..now I've smelled it in Glowing Vulva & this I'm realising how magical it is! It's such a unique smelling wood. Usually I'm iffy with woods but this one works.

 

Together with the vanilla and tobacco this scent it gorgeous. It's a thick luscious liquid and the scent is very deep and think too. Kind of reminds me of a distant relative of Snake Oil (Call me crazy).

 

The vanilla is gorgeous and doesn't ever take over, the teak remains strong and the whole thing stays beautifully balanced.

This oil is one of those oils that to me...smells expensive. It's a like a sweet, old peice of furniture made of teak that was bought in a headshop. Lovely!!

 

This could easily go onto my bottle list!

 

 

 

 

[Graphica]

in the bottle: Dry wood and vanilla -- a very warm, smooth, non-sweet, non-foody vanilla. Luscious. I want to pour it over my head, let it run over my whole body, then drink the last dregs. Yum!

 

on wet: The vanilla really stands out now. It has changed to something that reminds me of dry cocoa, but still definitely not sweet. Something in this is modifying the vanilla and giving it a powdery effect.

 

drydown: Powder, faintly vanilla-y. This has gone from "yum" to "after-bath powder" in ten minutes flat. I can see how this might work on someone else, but unless this does some kind of miracle morph, I think the experiment's over.

 

one hour later: After an hour of powder, I decided to force the issue. I layered "No. 93 Engine" over the top. Now that five minutes has gone by, I can say with certainty that this move was a mistake. Something about the combination smells almost rancid, and all the nice warm notes have gone all jumbled and icky. Oof. Time to scrub.

 

end of day: Didn't make it.

 

compared to official description: I wasn't picking up the tobacco outright, but I'm sure it was modifying the whole. I think I'd prefer to pick out the tobacco as a separate and distinct scent.

 

notes: I'm really disappointed -- not in the scent, but in my skin's reaction to it. I had high hopes for this when I smelled it in the bottle.

Edited October 3, 2009 by Graphica

[Janegodzilla]

The Antikythera Mechanism smelled incredibly masculine to me in the imp, although not in an unpleasant way. Rather, the strong vanilla, tobacco, and teakwood notes made me think of the kind of cologne a distinguished Victorian gentleman might wear. I don't know many (okay, ANY) distinguished Victorian gentleman, but if I did, the in-the-imp Antikythera Mechanism is how I think they'd smell.

 

The cologne aspect pretty much disappeared once the oil was on my skin. Wet, I mostly got vanilla, and as it dried the tobacco started to re-emerge. There was a deeper note below the tobacco, which I assume was wood of some sort (aside from picking out cedar, I'm still not that good at distinguishing wood notes from each other). On me, vanilla is definitely in the forefront, but the tobacco and wood keep it from being too strong and sweet. I'm a big fan of sweet vanilla, but the more mellow vanilla of the Antikythera Mechanism is just lovely. It's warm and comforting, like vanilla pipesmoke.

 

This is also one of those oils where a little goes a long way, especially if your skin amps vanilla the way mine does. The first time I tested it, I put on too much and was bowled over by how strong it was, to the point where I got a little headachey. This morning, I split one drop between both wrists and another behind my ears, and that seems to be the perfect amount. It hasn't faded a bit and I smell fantastic.

 

Final verdict:

I'm in love. As masculine as this is in the bottle, the vanilla sweetens it considerably once it's on and the result is a scent that's warm and layered and comforting. Folks who love vanilla should do well with this one.

[Argentwolf]

Dark wood, seasoned with a splash of manly vanilla. (Do you doubt that there is such a thing as manly vanilla?) It hugs fairly close to the skin, and seemed to evaporate after a while...didn't last the whole day on me.

[saralaughs]

This starts out really very sharp on me. It calms down really very fast, with the woods overwhelming. I don't get much vanilla at all and the tobacco is a side player at all times. This really is very manly on me. The vanilla (what is there) is more of a herbal vanilla rather than a creamy vanilla. It'd smell lovely on a man (and I may try it on my SO ) but not a scent I'd pick out for myself.

[Juushika]

I am exceptionally wary of tobacco, but reviews of this scent convinced me to try it despite my doubts.

 

In the vial: Dirty, smoky vanilla layered over cheaply lacquered wood, but there's another note here that I can't pin down. The scent is tolerable but a bit unpleasant—but it has the potential to develop into something lovely.

 

On me: Hello there tobacco. Immediately after application this is everything I feared about the scent: stale old cigarettes against cheap, dirty wood. Luckily the harshness of the tobacco fades within a few minutes, but something of it remains, dark and dirty. The heart of the scent is vanilla which reminds me distinctly of Snake Oil: thick, very dark, and not too sweet. As Snake Oil does on my skin, it also pulls a bit of a disappearing act, a savory-sweet elusive scent that haunts the throw. But even if it's faint, this reminds me very much of vanilla extract left so long in the cupboard that it's thickened and gone grungy at the cap and is accompanied by a hint of cheap, peeling wood.

 

Verdict: This is a dark, savory vanilla with a lot of potential, but I can't move beyond the mental image of too-old vanilla extract in a peeling cupboard. Perhaps without the tobacco or with richer, deeper woods, this would work for me. As it is, it's not quite offputting but I'm not won over. I suspect that aging will help this scent deepen and develop, so I'll hang onto my imp for a bit—but I won't be wearing it as it is now. (And for what it's worth, it smells absolutely nothing like Glowing Vulva to me.)

 

ETA: Five months later, and aging has done The Antikythera Mechanism some good. It's worse wet than it was before, dark and dirty and sharp, really just gross. But the drydown has grown better rounded and more robust: a smooth, time-worn, dark wood with aromatic vanilla pod, and the tobacco adding a dark haze. I'm still not in love with the tobacco—I like its darkness but it smells dirty to my nose (and not in a good way), so this isn't a blend that I'll wear often. But the rest of it is lovely, a dark and intimate scent, so this is worth keeping around.

Edited March 8, 2010 by Juushika