The Antikythera Mechanism

[tativa]

Teakwood, oak, black vanilla, and tobacco.

I am not a fan of the wet stage of this... but dry... it took me a while to place it, but it puts me in the same mind set of Piercing, a brazilian perfume I have not been able to get shipped to the US (from way back when before BPAL). I think AKM has more of a base not than that one though.

Its so well blended that 15 mins into dry down, the only note I can pick out is the wood. Warm spicy delicious wood. I want to cuddle with my arm. I had to order a bottle after two times of wearing it... even though I shouldn't have.

This one's popularity is not undeserved. Its a beautiful, very evocative scent. Not something I really see as being part of a steamworks line, it feels older, like old wood rather than mechanical.

[theal8r]

In the bottle: Deep and dark. Suspiciously like something that is not going to work well with my skin. The teak is lovely and inviting.

 

Wet: sweetish, but not too badly. Dark and woody with something bright sparking in the background. I love this.

 

Dry down: Wow -- this is the scent that just won't quit! I put a dab of this on after I came home from work and woke up this morning still wapped up in the lovely, golden, glowy smell. It is like highly polished blond wood, aged and left to sit before a old, wavy glass window as the owner sits, smoking fine tobacco watching the world.

 

This is my new favorite.

 

 

Today I added a drop of Antique Lace over it -- I was huffing my wrists all day. REALLY embarassing in the middle of Wal-Mart!

[Pendragon]

This begins with quite a sharp, bitter edge to it - both in the vial and wet on the skin. It starts as a fairly masculine scent, then as it dries it changes.

 

This is beautiful. As it dries it gets better, more smokey vanilla and subtle woods. Warm and enveloping, I think I would actually say that this is a sensuous scent. It has definately become one of my favourites. The initial scent can be a bit off-putting, but if you are a smokey vanilla lover then stick with it - I think you will love it also.

 

The scent does dissipate rather quickly, but I didn't apply much, so it may just be that I need to put more on.

[veronicafranco]

well, that's crushing. almost everyone else gets to smell sexy and sophisticated, while i smell like a classy old man.

 

on the plus side, if not for this blend i might never have heard of the antikythera mechanism, which is amazing.

 

ADDED Aug. 4:

 

[separate review, this time about what it smells like on the bpal-resistant prince who received a lil imp stash for his birthday, like a month ago. i separated out antikythera mechanism and aelopile and recommended he try those first]

 

me (admiringly): what are you wearing?

prince: ...the machine?

me: that smells good on you. (encouragingly) do you like it?

prince: yeah, but it smells like... food.

 

heh. boy, do the delicious woods come out on his skin. wayyyy nicer on him than on me. i'm a little pouty that it doesn't smell like that on me, but ... interestingly, after the baby fell asleep on his chest, she smelled like yummy teak and oak too. like once it's developed on someone's skin, the developed smell is what will rub off on other people. will keep this in mind for some other kind of evening.

 

so i told him that aelopile also has a nice wood fragrance and that i like those. puerile double entendres re me liking wood ensued...

 

eta - i keep making my husband sound like a big lug. he is actually a complete and utter genius, just not about fragrance and not when it involves foreign words.

Edited August 5, 2008 by Shollin

[kakiphony]

In the imp: More sharply woody than I was expecting. It's sharp and polished. This is what Buffy's stakes smell like.

 

Wet on skin: There is more vanilla than in the imp. There is also a cologny, pungent scent that I was not expecting. At this stage it almost seems as if this has some unrevealed ozone or perhaps mosses in it. It's making me sniffle a bit. This is kind of reminding me of my grandpa (a classic Aqua-Velva man) at this stage. I'm anxious to see how it dries down as others have remarked that it improves dramatically from wet to dry.

 

Early dry down (10 minutes): Hmm. This is starting to turn powdery on my already. It's a kind of musky powder, with a hint of vanilla tobacco in the background.

 

Half hour mark: It's almost completely gone at this point, so I doubt I'll check back in at the 1 hour mark. It's powder on both wrists. Straight-up baby powder.

 

Edited after several hours to add: My wrists still smell like powder when I hold them to my nose, but I keep getting random whiffs of old man/grandpa cologne. Something amping oddly -- I suspect the teak. I'm very sad because out of all the Steamworks this was the only one I suspected would be good on me. It's not, so that's one more whole catalog section eliminated. Boo.

Edited June 3, 2008 by kakiphony

[ifinena]

It really does smell like the male counterpart of Glowing Vulva.

Quite similar, sans the cloying/sweet begining of GV. In its place there's something almost metallic, but not quite, it irritates me up in my nose a little.

This smells like a distinguished old-er gentleman, to me. I am reminded, again and again, of a brand of soaps (English?) that used to be available a long time ago : Imperial Leather, in a polygon shape, with red and white paper wrapping. I haven't smelled this for ages now, but it keeps popping up into my mind.

I like this scent a lot, the drydown is fabulous, woody and just a little sweet, but all this for a (middle-aged? older? classic?) man.

I am glad to have some Glowing Vulva because I want to smell like a female, most of the time.

 

ETA: I think I am going to be buying this as present for male friends, because it's the effing Antikythera Mechanism people!!!!! How much closer can it get to home?

Edited June 3, 2008 by ifinena

[dixiehellcat]

I really wasn't expecting to like this one. I only got an imp for the name, because I begged for it back when I first joined the forum.

 

In imp--interesting, hard to define.

 

On--I tried it with some other things, and kept getting this lovely warm smell when I typed, and finally realized it was this! Woodsy vanilla are the main things I get.

 

Now I come here & see folks saying it's very guy? I don't think it is on me, but will other people think so if they smell it on me? Maybe I shouldn't wear it after all.

 

ETA...I put it on again last night...and decided I lovesss it.

Edited June 8, 2008 by dixiehellcat

[waternight]

In the imp: Deep, glowing woods overlying tobacoo. Just a hint of vanilla.

Wet: Lovely deep woods - almost chocolatey...glowing, burnished, dark brown...now a thick, creamy vanilla come into play, but it's a supporting character... vanilla amps a bit and tobacco shows up, somewhat heady. This is really quite delicious... the woods dry out a bit and become woodier, and the vanilla becomes creamy-vanilla-er. The tobacco is gentle and lends a slight headiness.

Dry: This is smooooooth. Creamy vanilla, deep dark smooth woods, and a wisp of tobacco, all blending seamlessly together. Definitely a winner.

[GingerGunlock]

Wet, the scent is deep and rich, mostly comprised of the tobacco wafting up off of my skin. It's rather sharp if you huff the wrist directly, as we are sometimes known to do, and there's a hint of the wood notes, with broad sweepings of the vanilla.

 

Dry, I can no longer pick out individual notes, but instead have a wonderful pervasive (in the good way) wooden-vanilla-dry tobacco-y scent that seems to have a decent throw and really just surrounds me with a cloud of wonderfulness.

[cuervosueno]

This sounds gorgeous, like something I would really love. Teak, vanilla, how can I not love it?

 

But let's just say that the review I quoted below entirely sums up my experience with it:

 

 

well, that's crushing. almost everyone else gets to smell sexy and sophisticated, while i smell like a classy old man.

 

Yup, classy old man on me. No vanilla, do get the tobacco, and then something vaguely aquatic, which I identify with men's cologne. Maybe it is the oak, though it reminds me more of oakmoss which always screams "men's cologne" to me.

 

It SO does not work on me. And smells nothing like Glowing Vulva on me....luckily.

[Aredhel]

Rating (on skin): 5/5

Summarised in a few words/smilie: Gorgeous!

 

Preconceived notions/pre-review thoughts: The listed notes are all ones I adore separately, so here's hoping they play nicely together!

 

In the imp: Cold and sharp. Teakwood and tobacco are the prominent notes.

 

On skin, wet: As soon as it touches my skin, the vanilla begins to appear, and the teak hangs back. Wet, this is a fantastic, dark oaken vanilla. It's surprisingly smooth, and distinctly smoky.

 

On skin, dry: I can't seem to stop sniffing this. No, really: it's taking me ages to type this out because I hate taking my wrist away from my nose. Oak/vanilla is probably my favourite combination lately, and this is the perfect example of how wonderful a combination it is.

 

Conclusion: The Anikythera Mechanism is smoky, oaken vanillic love. On days when I want the vanilla a smidge stronger, I'll break out one of my many (many) vanilla layering note oils. It doesn't strike me as masculine at all, but seems perfectly androgynous. I need a 5ml of this.

[mybrainhurts]

First whiff and wet on skin: Boy smell. There is a cologne note in this that I'm not too sure that I'm going to want to wear. It doesn't stink, exactly, but it's not girlie. I wonder what the husband would smell like with this on.

 

later: This scent is dead sexy and very male now that it's had time to settle into my skin. I -need- to have my husband try this one. Rowr!

 

While I think it's a sexy scent, I don't think that I'm the one that will be wearing it.

[DARKBEAUTY28]

This one was a bit off-putting at first...must be the teak? It slowly develops into something much nicer as the sweet dark vanilla comes out. Finally upon drydown I catch something familiar in this scent. It is a note that was in my beloved gone forever Escada Collection and it even smells like the original Lolita Lempicka (which has the tonka & vanilla). Yummmmmyyyyyy! This scent is very rich, sexy, velvety, and yes, like others have described, smells "Victorian". Two shades of color that could describe this scent would be amber gold and deep burgandy. I like this!

Edited June 15, 2008 by DARKBEAUTY28

[yeahbutnobut]

The Antikythera Mechanism

 

In the imp: mmm, like Glowing Vulva, but with vanilla instead of amber! Creamy teak and smoke! The oil is the most intense shade of crimson-maroon I’ve seen.

Wet on skin: sweet vanilla against deep woods and tobacco.

Dry on skin: oh yeah, that’s the stuff! Very similar to Glowing Vulva, the teak and creamy vanilla notes are similar, but this is darker, a bit less creamy, and with a bit more wood and also some tobacco adding a smoky richness. The vanilla is sweet and almost buttercreamy but not cloying or overly gourmand. The teak is a deep dark wood with a hint of patchouli-like earthiness to it. The oak is a paler, slightly more barky/green wood. This to me is a bit like Haloes as well, slightly less sweet though. The tobacco, for now at least, is perfectly smoky but not burnt-smelling like in Black Lace.

After a while: the vanilla wood scent this has wafts like crazy, and I love it! it smells more vanilla-y at a distance, when close up I smell more of the woods, especially the greenish oak note. The tobacco here is really lovely, I think it’s like the one in Pinched, really smooth and smoky and rich, not too masculine. It really reminds me of elements of Haloes and Vulva at times, with a hint of Pinched. And dare I say this is a more mature version of Underpants?

Verdict: this is, of course, so wonderful. I had high hopes since I love the idea of scent named after this remarkable contraption built far ahead of its time, and it smells fantastic. This is the lovechild of Underpants and Glowing Vulva with a bit of Haloes thrown in. It’s got the terrific teak note I loved from Vulva, and a gorgeous rich vanilla which is a cross between creamy and gourmand and rich and sensual. The tobacco in here is just right-smoky and smooth, and the oak adds a lighter wood aspect. This is what I was hoping to smell in Black Lace and Tombstone, it’s a grown up woodsy vanilla with a hint of the richness of fine chocolate to it (but it doesn’t smell like chocolate). I adore this one and I’m so glad I went for a bottle straight away!

Emoticon rating:

Is it a keeper? Oh hell yeah.

If you like this, try: Haloes, Glowing Vulva, Velvet, Black Lace, Tombstone

[hackess]

I wish I could say that I loved this one as much as most others did, but it's just teakwood on me. I wanted sweet heady tobacco to take center stage with vanilla adding a nice creaminess. Sadly, teakwood is making my arm smell like I just robbed the men's cologne department at Macy's.

[grashopper8]

Ridiculously attractive!!!

 

I have to review this scent in respect to Glowing Vulva at Ryogoku Bridge due to my less-experienced nose, so please accept my apologies for the constant comparisons in the following review:

 

Antikythera Mechanism has similarities to Glowing Vulva, but it definitely stands alone. The combination of notes in AM gives the teak an almost citrusy quality, like a zing in the note. It does start out smelling a little masculine, but I am betting that it will mellow out into something creamier and more feminine as it dries down. (I couldn't wait until that point to start gushing!)

 

The woods dominate more in this scent than they do in Glowing Vulva. The Vanilla doesn't cream up Antikythera the way the Amber and Cream smoothed out Glowing Vulva. Also, I keep getting wafts of a citrusy/aquatic quality that is not in Glowing Vulva.

 

The teak note is definitely the tie that binds these scents together, with AM being sharper and woodsier, and GV being smoother and creamier. I can understand how people are saying that AM smells masculine, but I think the ladies can pull it off just as well, and would call it a unisex blend.

 

I was undecided as to whether I want a 5mL, because I have one of Glowing Vulva already, and I'm thinking that I like GV better on me because it is more feminine. I don't know if I'd wear Antikythera Mechanism if I already have something I like just a little bit more, ya know? However, I am in love with the idea of the Antikythera Mechanism itself, and this scent embodies it fabulously! Also, it just smells better and better the longer I have it on, and I genuinely love it. I think it's worth getting, because not only is it delightful, this is also the kind of scent that ages into Orgasmic Mode.

 

5mL purchase for meeee!

 

4.8 out of 5 (I predict this rating will increase with aging)

[Blood onmy hands]

I was afraid to try this, because Glowing Vulva didn't work for me at all. I can definitely see the comparisons to Glowing Vulva, but Antikythera Mechanism seems to do everything right on my skin, where GV turned to rotting leaves and disgusting powdered milk.

 

I figured that this wouldn't work on me, because GV was awful on me, and I especially tend to hate blends with tobacco in them. I don't get anything like tobacco from this blend at all though. It goes on with the teak actually smelling rather attractive on my skin, reminding me of driving through the forests of Missouri in summer, on the way to the creek. It smells very much of tall trees, thickly clustered around the cliffsides overlooking the river.

 

Anyhoo, a fantastic woods smell and then the black vanilla is just wonderful. It threatens to go powdery on my skin, but never really turns enough that I start to dislike it. It goes very sweet and almost buttercream-frosting-like on me. The Antikythera Mechanism actually smells rather similar to a couple of my favorite Heaven & Earth Essentials Blends (I kept thinking I was wearing "Black Cat" or "Harmony Vintage" which is probably the mix of a similar wood and sweetness amped on my skin).

 

Surprisingly, I actually really like this. Add me to its list of fans I definitely see myself getting a full bottle in the future.

[septima_pica]

Finally -- a vanilla I can wear! I guess it's all that heavy wood and sweet tobacco that keeps it in check and not smelling like yucky fake dessert, and finally I know what all the vanilla fuss is about. Very seamless sort of blend, extremely classy and androgynous. This may be the first hideously popular GC that is really a total win on me. Rather exciting really. Will edit further when I get to try it under non-Will-Call circumstances.

 

Edit: OK, got my imp pack, now I can evaluate it properly. I think I got a pretty accurate bead on it the first time: this is vanilla for people who can't wear vanilla. If Dorian and Antique Lace and Snake Oil and all their vanilla buddies smell like cheap vanilla soap or canned frosting, this may be better. The wood keeps it from getting too sweet, and the tobacco gives it a dark edge that keeps soap from threatening. Really awesome. Classy, dark, almost sexy but not overt about it. Reminds me of Dee a little bit, which is definitely a good thing, but it's out of the library and all dressed up, possibly for a night at the theater. I'll have to see how much I wear the imp, but I'm glad this one is GC because I suspect I'll want more of it at some point.

Edited July 7, 2008 by septima_pica

[myth]

This to me smells exactly like Black Lace minus the cotton note. Which is kinda bad, because I really did not like Black Lace; it gave me a headache. And I was so certain I'd love AM that I bought a whole bottle right off the bat.

 

Weeeelllll.... maybe.

 

Most of my problem with BL was the cotton note, so this is already far better on me that it was. It's a bit thick... there's an almost powdery aspect to it that makes it feel very heavy, and that's coming from someone who usually loves the heavier/darker scents. It's not exactly what I was expecting or hoping for, but since I got a whole bottle I've tried it several times and it's growing on me I think.

 

But if you're one of those folk who adored Black Lace, definitely give this one a try.

[mooncityminx]

In the bottle: Something I have smelled before that I'm having trouble placing. I think it's similar to an incense that was custom made for me when I was 12 a the medieval fair. It smells dark but just a little bit sweet like decaying woods.

 

Wet: Tobacco and dry woods and the sweetness which is still reminding me of decay. Well, that makes sense. And it smells a little bit like bonfire or fireplace woodsmoke too. Niiiice!

 

Dry: Ohhh! It got more gentle. Now I almost smell a tiny hint of coconut among the woods and tobacco. I think this is like Samhainphobia's little sister. I think I'm going to score another bottle of this and use it to fragrance my apartment. Don't get me wrong, it's wondeful as a perfume or cologne, but I just would love for my livingroom to smell this way. It's very exotic and grounding, sort of mysterious. This is what a wizard's house would smell like. I think it could work well for a man or a woman.

 

Wonderful!

[galahad]

In The Bottle

Rich wood and eucalyptus

 

On Application

Very dry and sweet - the woods and the vanilla.

 

Dry Down

Smokey, woody and sweet. This is so unsual but the whole thing reminds me of something at the edge of my memory - incense and the afterglow of sex, perhaps? Yes, love it!

 

Rating (0-5)

4.5

[carrickfergus]

I get sugar and musk.... bakery in a sex shop. Interesting but not very pleasant as a perfume.

[sofaking6]

I tried this on my bf and me at the same time, and we both loved it on ourselves and each other (I know that sounds dirty but really we're talking dabs on wrists while watching CNN)....on wet it definitely has a metallic kind of tang to it, and the woods, vanilla and tobacco are so finely blended and so strong that I can't think of anything (having never tried Glowing Vulva) to compare it to. It's gorgeous and very sexy with a lot of personality. As it tries the notes stay really blended and I love the tobacco that isn't burnt. It's dark and sweet and heavy and light without having any conflicts between the notes. Love it!

[Dark Alice]

Wow...this is my first review??? I hope this is going in the right place. What can I say about this wonderful perfume??

 

In Bottle: Vanilla, teak, and oak

 

Wet: Vanilla Life created in a wooden oak box!

 

Dry Down: Black Vanilla and Teak. The latter note I was always afraid of until now! Similar teak to what I found in GV but w/out the cream note! I only need reapply twice today! Yea!

[innocent]

The woods, tobacco, and vanilla is this scent blend wonderfully. It's not too sweet - not too masculine. I put a little bit in my hair (since my skin eats scent so quickly) and was smiling all night. If the notes sound good to you - give this one a try, they're beautifully realized.

Edited June 30, 2008 by Shollin