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The Antikythera Mechanism

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Teakwood, oak, black vanilla, and tobacco.

 

Well, this is interesting.

 

Wet: tobacco flower and mint. The mint is just hinting around the edges to make it appear more cool.

 

Drydown: tobacco and vanilla.The teakwood or oak seem to morph into a sarsaparilla note on me. It smells more like a microbrew root beer, heavy on the root.

 

Dry: tobacco comes out a bit more. The vanilla backs off a bit. The woods are still making me think of rootbeer, although less sweet now.

 

Overall: it's nice. I don't know that I'd recommend it for tobacco lovers since I think the woods take precedence, but that could be just my chemistry. I do think it's unisex enough that men or women could wear it.

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Elegant and intelligent, this is the scent of a Victorian gentleman inventor's study stocked with leatherbound journals, cigars and brandy. The vanilla isn't foody in the slightest, just a tinge of sweetness around the edges of a gloriously refined and woody scent.

 

On me this doesn't morph very much, but it seems to become stronger with wear, with an increasing throw.

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I was gifted a bit of this to try as I am slowly being introduced to this new rabbit hole. I am unfamiliar with the majority of scents here so I can not give any comparisons I'm afraid.

 

With that being said, I love this more than I think I should. When I initially sniffed the vial, I was afraid this was going to be more of a scent for the hubby. But, as I'm sure we all do even when we're unsure, I skin tested it anyway! In the opening, I was still leaning to perhaps a -bit- too masculine for my tastes, but as it begun to settle in and latch onto my chemistry...oh wow. This is such a warm and comforting scent once it melds, this is the sweater scent you're looking for. I can say my first impression of BPAL is a winner. I'll be back for a bottle of this beauty, especially for cooler months.

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My chemistry just makes this a vanilla coated vanilla with vanilla wood and vanilla tobacco and vanilla smoke. Did I mention the vanilla? I'm not sure I did. I smell like I was doused with a very expensive vanilla extract. Someone might be super excited about this prospect, but that someone is not me.

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I mostly smell an oak note that reminds me of Black Annis. Another wood, similar to the dryest aspects of Ouija, comes through as well. The farther drydown reveals the dark tobacco sweetened by vanilla. I dk, need to test again. It was very masculine for me. One of the woods is so light it's almost citrusy...

I think my chemistry was off the first test day, because the second try was much nicer. The tobacco was smoky and heavy and the vanilla was rich and sweetened it nicely. The woods gave the effect of the box holding the mechanism. Beautiful woods and the heavy darker sweetness and depth of tobacco and vanilla. THIS is what I had expected the first time I tried. The wood notes lend an image of an old desk in a Victorian study. After a couple of wearings I really love this one!

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My skin apparently loves the vanilla, because that was boosted right away. Slowly, the woods began to bloom out of it, and it turned into a rich vanilla woody mix. I can't smell the tobacco at all, which is a plus for me but might not be for others. I love vanilla scents so this was perfect for me - the woods really gave it a depth that I miss in more gourmand vanilla scents.

 

This is one of my first BPAL scents - now I'm hooked.

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Date: November 15.2016

 

In the bottle: A gentle wet/moist tobacco scent, with a grounding wood smell. My brain recognizes the vanilla, but it isn't sweet like candy. It reminds me of a tobacco shop cabinet Right before the exhale, an incense like scent comes up front. More like a tobacco cabinet opened in a pagan shop/new age shop with unburned incense.

 

Wet on Skin: A strong tobacco (raw) scent. Cedar scent and vanilla are indistinguishable from the others. It reminds me of a lumberyard. It is very woody, but not living wood. More like a wooden pipe filled with tobacco before being lit. This is almost too masculine for me to wear, I want it on my husband (he has since refused).

 

Worn 30+ mins: The vanilla is coming out and is mixing well with the wood scent. It's creating a leather like scent.

 

Worn 3+ hours: The wood scents are dominate here, the vanilla follows with a deep note that drags into my lungs. The tobacco scent is nearly faint. Now the smell reminds me of the wood shops at the Ren Faire. This is a wonderful scent. I love it but it's almost too masculine for me. There doesn't appear to be any musk. Maybe my husband will like it. (He likes it... on me. He refuses to wear it, but loves it when I do.)

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in the imp: tobacco... like sniffing a fresh marlboro, I haven't had a cigarette in 6+ years but this is what i remember opening a fresh pack to smell like. then the woods and the faintest whiff of vanilla follow. this feels more masculine than feminine to me, but i don't dislike it.

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dark, bitter smoky. Remains bitter throughout, almost a burning rubber smell. I was very disappointed in this one.

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This is one of those scents that, to and on me, is not even remotely similar to the descriptors (or other reviews I read beforehand here.)

 

In the bottle: This...smells like those coca cola bottle cap candies

 

Wet: Coca cola bottle caps and now...licorice. Black licorice.

 

Drydown: The cola is fading, but the licorice just will not quit. There’s spice coming up in the background now...so spicy black licorice. Or maybe ouzo prepared with sugar cubes and some pfeffernusse as a snack on the side. Ok yea, I like that comparison. Ouzo and Pfeffernusse.

 

Last/throw: Lasts all day, and has decent throw.

 

How I ended up with Pfeffernusse and Ouzo I don’t know. I had a few other people try it (in my family and friends.)
My mother also got Ouzo, cola bottle caps, and Pfeffernusse (she refused to put it on, this was from the bottle.)
My sister got spice and tobacco (she wore it.) Her friend declared that on my sister it smelled like 'a really good smelling head shop.'
On said friend, it went 'antique shop' which was actually really nice and what I had been hoping for. Like old furniture and a touch of vanilla tobacco.
My room mate
got Ouza and Flaming Dr Pepper (the shots.)

 

Ultimately I gave this to my sister and her friend. It worked much better with their chemistry...and something with the anise smell was making me sneeze. Also I hate black licorice with a passion. But it was interesting to see how it worked so differently on a few of us, and at least I was able to find someone it worked really well on to give it to!

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