Antique

[suki]

Fossilized amber, juniper berry, wild musk, oudh, vetiver, white cedar, black currant, oakmoss, and leather.

I want to preface this review by saying this has at least one death note for me and one or two other ones that can be kinda iffy, but I'm really intrigued by it all the same, so I'm going to be open-minded about this review and hope for the best.

In the Bottle: Cedar, juniper, oakmoss and black currant. They all slip over each other, not actually mixing, but just taking turns at being the fore-front note.

Wet On Skin: The cedar is still in the mix, though, to my relief, this variety is (so far) NOT becoming hamster cage on me- hurray! In fact, the white cedar and the amber are combining to make something very similar to the beautiful desert-sweetness of Tombstone. This is starting to really come together.

Dry Down: This has turned into a slightly sweeter (because of a teeny, tiny bit of juniper coming through) version of Tombstone. Which is great, because I really appreciate the warmth of a good desert scent, and this will fill that space in my collection.

In All: Low throw. A nice daytime scent that will bring a lovely warmth through the rest of the blustery winter months and then be welcome again come high summer.

[joyfulgirl]

in the bottle: wow, gorgeous. i can pick up on everything except the amber, and the leather is subdued. it smells very masculine to me.

 

wet on skin: juniper and cedar are in the forefront. it's nice and sweet without being cloying.

 

dry on skin: something about this makes me think of catholic incense. o.O not sure where that came from!

 

bottom line: i'm not sure this is something i will wear frequently because it smells so masculine, but i have a feeling my sweetie will really like this one - and that i will like it on him.

[Balame]

This makes me think of a satyr, but a civilized one. If anyone knows Mr. Tumnus from the Chronicles of Narnia, that's who I imagine smelling like this.

 

It's wild but refreshing, very realistic woods. The cedar and juniper are bright but not sharp in any way. There's a background of earthy vetiver and leather grounding things, and perhaps something of a dusty quality.

 

Fresh but dusty. Sounds unusual, but think of a well looked after attic with wood floors, and a big window overlooking an evergreen forest outside. Somewhere to get away from the world and think up new stories.

 

Like walking along a quiet path covered with snow in the winter, wearing a pair of sturdy leather boots, surrounded by cedar trees. Nice.

Edited February 14, 2013 by Balame

[livingdead71]

This one is just gorgeous! It's definitely a little masculine in the bottle, but the type of scent that just blooms on my skin. It gets softer and prettier as it dries down and I can really pick out the amber, juniper, and currant. The leather and oakmoss are pretty subtle...and I actually completely forgot it had vetiver in it, which is often a death note for me. I think this is the type of scent that will age beautifully as well. I'm very glad to have a bottle of this one! :wub2:

[Lycanthrope]

I admit I was a bit grabby and impulse ordered a lot of the Lupercalia scents. This is mostly because Beth's takes on Lupercalia (passionate, sweeping, and a bit on the dirty side) appeals to my inner fragrance hound. That said I think I got this because I really liked Bezoar, that polished wood scent, and the name 'Antique' brought that to my mind.

 

It's very weird in the bottle, almost sweet and softly musky. Definitely feel that amber glow. On the skin, initially, I'm pretty hesitant, this is weird and kind of a mishmash. Given a little time, it really starts to transform into a beautifully -polished- scent, that smells old. How? What? Whales?

 

The woodsy notes all play together very well to give the impression of a fine cedar chest. I definitely get a cedar as the predominant wood note, and it is strong enough to make me think briefly of hamster bedding - however, it's supported and softened by the amber and oudh/vetiver just enough that it's not dry and biting. I'm getting a very soft, soft leather here - this is not the cold, bracing leather of Iago or of Brom Bones, but a warm, snuggly leather. The musk is not terribly apparent, and I can't feel the black currant though I'm sure it's adding a little sweetness.

 

Overall it turns into a very interesting, warm/sweet balsamy cedar. I will probably not use this too much in warm months. I'm tempted to put this on some old cedar closet balls and throw this into my closet drawers!

[malibusunny]

Out of the bottle, this smells like pencils being sharpened in a glass of champagne.

 

The cedar mellows and the whole thing changes. An hour later, this has changed to a musky leathery amber, which is pretty masculine. It really does smell "antique." I'd call this sort of bronzey.

[theseagrows]

ooh sexy! is my first thought upon trying this. thanks to the amber, musk and leather, which are all notes i like. especially together in the same blend. this scent is beautiful, as all of the notes are balanced perfectly. thankfully the black currant is subtle and doesn't turn plasticky on me, and the vetiver is not strong at all. something in this almost reminds me of tobacco, but i'm not sure why. it is a bit masculine, but not too much so. it seems actually quite unisex to me. i may have to get a bottle of this one.

[stellamaris]

Sort of gentle and very gorgeous. It's like a lovely sepia toned photograph. Filled with win.

Soft and quiet, and it does feel "Antique" to me.

I realized today that this is the only "Amber" perfume that I have smelled that really evoked amber resin for me.

No nasty leather either, phew.

Edited March 2, 2013 by stellamaris

[tziporra]

All those lovely notes and this is just WHOA LEATHER on me.

 

I had really been hoping for a Clockwork Couture: Male vibe, but even though this looks way more complex on paper, CCM is much more interesting on my skin.

 

I like the dood fragrances (which explains why my luper order contains exactly zero flowers), so that this reads masculine is not really a problem for me. And I do adore this particular leather note, I just wish it wasn't so one dimensional and that I got some of the lovely depth other reviewers did. I am going to try layering it with my chunk of amber resin to see if that helps.

 

Will update.

 

Tzi

[crebbsgirl]

I was pleasantly surprised by this. Normally I have trouble with leather blends, but this stayed quite nice on my skin. It was soft and a little fuzzy from the moss. I think it reminded me a little bit of Mole from The Wind in the Willows series awhile back. It's leaning a little masculine on my skin, but not so much that it's unwearable. I quite like it, it's soft and cozy feeling.

[Katlyntje]

In the decant I can definitely pick out the juniper berry, amber, a trace of leather and ouhd, and just the barest waft of black current. Wet on my skin the juniper berry is still the strongest note. As it dries the black current comes through with the leather and the amber. Unfortunately the currant fades away quickly. This is certainly more subtle than The Jersey Devil or Thanatopsis, it might be just the right juniper blend to wear in the summer when I'm looking for something lighter.

[surlygurl]

In the decant, I smell juniper and amber. A little scary, but I give it a try.

 

On my skin, it blooms. It's amazing. It does smell antique, warm, slippery, polished. Old amber, a little juniper (not much). No obvious musk or leather. It smells..... not like a perfume, but like an aura. The throw is subtle, the scent is gentle. Damn. I need a job. (Bottle buy)

[zankoku_zen]

Amber, leather, cedar.

 

This is dark, golden and leathery.

 

Not for me.

[SophieCedar]

I'm actually impressed by the close resemblance to the smell of antiques. There's tons of antique dealers in Maine.. and this is a romantic perfumed version of walking into one of the finer stores and taking in the smell. the juniper berry and currant encapsulates the nostalgia part, for me. Amber, leather, vetiver, oudh, and oakmoss, that damp dusty ancient feel. Wonderful combination. Well blended. Debating a bottle.

[ljaylh]

Gah. Can I please get a bottle of this without the juniper berry and white cedar? Those two together on my skin make a smell that brings to mind a pile of pencil shavings with a pine-scented Magic Tree air freshener hidden inside it.

 

What a shame, because there's so much else in here that I like.. and after about an hour they're all there - beautiful soft amber, a hearty musk, dark and smoky oudh and vetiver, warm snuggly leather and a nice woodsy tone from the oakmoss. I'm not really picking up the blackberry at all.

 

Oh well - it was worth a try, but I kinda knew the cedar and juniper berry would ruin this for me

[claudia6913]

I was really hoping the juniper berry would not overpower this blend, but I should've known. I amp anything evergreen and it's turned into juniper berry SN. I'll try again later when it's had longer to sit.

 

Edit: Ok, 24-ish hours since I've left it alone, and while the juniper berry is prominent when wet, it dies down fairly quickly and turns into a very nice antique-y smell. It's woodsy, and resiny and very nice.

Edited March 10, 2013 by claudia6913

[brilliantcat]

Imp: Cologne-y and medicinal. A bit overwhelming.

 

Wet: MUCH nicer on my skin! I get a delightful evergreen scent from the juniper berries along with fresh cedar and a snap of leather. I can see the comparison to Tombstone. It's Tombstone with evergreens.

 

Dry: The amber has insinuated itself and it's a fuzzy, warm amber with a bit of musk and green notes. It's actually rather pretty but I don't think I need a bottle.

[Monday]

Well this smells antique as in polished antique wooden dresser. It softens up after a while but the polish is still around. I'm really wishing I didn't own a furniture polish that smells just like this. The soft wood notes in Antique remind me of Whose List to Hunt.

[Blood onmy hands]

Antique is mostly a sour, sharp pine/evergreen scent on my skin. It smells a little artificial (like the pine tree shaped air fresheners for cars) and starts to give me a headache after a while. There's a little hint of dry, woody oakmoss that reminds me of the oakmoss in the original version of Luperci, but otherwise it's all evergreen on my skin. It's bitter and slightly medicinal smelling on me. Not a keeper.

[fufu_berry]

On wet, this was a really nice blend of vetiver, oakmoss, and a delicate leather. After a couple minutes, I got a little bit of sweetness and the faintest hint of powderiness from the amber. Unfortunately, as the scent got warmer on my skin, I started smelling something really strong and acrid, like ammonia. Not a winner.

[strahlend]

Sniffing the decant – this reminds me of a softer, smoother Odin. Warm, woody, musky with a hint of the juniper and leather. I'm really liking it.

 

Skin testing – it's almost striking me as having a turpentine vibe to it. Like paint products... stain, thinner, chemicals. It's sharp. I think it's the juniper and leather.

 

OH CRAZY. … now it's totally different. This has a really sensual warmth to it and the juniper is just a teeny-tiny little spark of interestingness in the background. Someone upthread compared it to Tombstone, and I can relate to that. This has turned out to be fantastic. It's a little bit wild, a little bit polished, a little bit wood, a little bit leather. I guess this would usually be described as a sort of manly smell.... but I'm really enjoying it.

 

After testing last night I have a bottle on the way. Testing again today, I'm so glad. It reminds me now of a cross between Antikeytheria Mechanism and Tombstone... there's a rich woodiness and leather that reminds me of AM (but minus the almost syrupy sweetness) but an almost airy cedar that reminds me of Tombstone.

[milo]

Amber is my friend, so I was looking forward to trying this. Unfortuneately, cedar loves me, and it's a one way love affair. From wet to dry, it is tromping all over everything nice, which I can't smell anyways. Oh well.

[mistressfizz]

This smells like a man who once frequented sophisticated circles, but has retired from that scene to a quiet life in the woods. On the surface, he seems reflective and wise, but underneath there's a glint of mystery and an exciting youth. I get a distinct aftershave note, the oudh and cedar are sharp when initially applied, with notes of moss and leather lurking beneath, and an earthy vetiver base. Oudh is usually a death note for me, but the heavier elements here seem to soften it. As this dries, it develops a pleasant warm musk, the juniper and currant lend an herbal quality which becomes stronger. Overall, this is complex and leans masculine, although I think a woman could pull it off too.

[tinyvulture]

A lovely wintry blend, with the cool sharpness of juniper berry and the sweetness of blackcurrant against a backdrop of warm amber and musk. Like racing up the cold, frozen driveway and entering into a home full of holiday revelry. The white cedar and leather are noticeable if I try really hard to pick them out. Happily, vetiver, usually overpowering on my skin, is taking a break from this one. A unisex blend - it smells feminine on me, slightly powdery from the amber, yet when my husband wears it, he brings out the more masculine side of it and amps the leather note.

[mymymai]

ITB: It's woodsy, smoky, and a bit feral with the musk and the leather. I'm intrigued.

 

Wet: I can pick up the vetiver, which paired with the oudh, lends the blend a sweet smokiness along with warm, creamy amber, woodsy cedar, supple leather, and heady musk.

 

Dry: This is much more pleasant than I had anticipated, especially with my hit and miss history with amber notes. The amber here is slightly spiced and inviting when paired with the leather, oudh, and musk. There is a hint of vetiver, but most of the green notes has disappeared on my skin, leaving behind a combination of notes that is warm and sumptuous.