Just a big new batch of BPAL imps... ordered twelve and got three for free! Although one of them is intended for a friend, I think. I'll have to ask Beth about the rules regarding Yggdrasil. But hey, in the meantime there are still plenty more! Like the Antikythera Mechanism.
So what the heck is an Antikythera Mechanism anyway, and why would they make a scent of it? I didn't recognize the name at first, but anyone who's ever watched a documentary on sophisticated classical-era technology has almost certainly heard of it. It was a strange machine
discovered in a shipwreck by the Greek island of Antikythera in 1900 which has been deemed the world's first known "analog computer," specifically made as an astronomical clock... which is to say that it tracked celestial objects, like planets. The sophistication, according to someone out there, was about equal to the work of a 19th-century Swiss clockmaker's. Which would be a lot less impressive if it were made in the 19th century... but no, it's dated to around 100-150BC, and there is some fair speculation that it probably wasn't the first machine of its kind, either.
But wait! 150BC isn't Steampunk at all! That's like... Roman-punk. And yet there it is! A overly complex mechanical contraption made of gears and other pre-computer technology to perform tasks which should be entirely outside the capabilities of pre-computer technology, overcoming these barriers through a combination of genius and willpower to create a device which, from a modern perspective, is entirely anachronistic and ahead of its time, yet falls within the theoretical capabilities of Victorian-era inventors. All right, that last bit probably should have been three sentences, and I hope that I'm not leaving out any important aspects of Steampunk (I don't have the patience to look it up right now)... but the point is that the Greeks basically invented Steampunk. Which is awesome. This scent seems to aim for a more classical interpretation of Steampunk (har har, did you notice my confusing use of the word "classical?" I'm proud of that...) and while that may seem to make the Antikythera Mechanism anachronistic... well, it already IS anachronistic! So there!
...okay, onto the point...
According to the official description:
Bronze gears spin inside a polished wooden case, and an entire universe dances within.
Teakwood, oak, black vanilla, and tobacco.
In the bottle... it's kind of a wood smell. Don't ask me what kinds of wood... I'm not the sort of cultured, well-traveled person who could tell you that. It's a refined wood smell, though, not a forest-like wood or a lumber mill's. I feel like I'm just copying the website here, but polished wood really is the best term. Not like wood polish at all, but a smooth, refined wood. There's a hint of something vanilla-like, although not really a sweetened vanilla. The site mentions "black vanilla," which I've never heard of... but it does incite a mental connection with dark-colored vanilla extract, which is basically what I'm getting here. The vanilla has a natural sweetness of its own, but not a sugary or honey-like sweetness.
When I put it on my arm, it started to seem a little more smoky, probably at least in part due to a hint of tobacco which developed more as it dried. This was not, however, the cigar-like and creosote type of smoke scent like from yesterday's Smokestack. This was pleasant and earthy... I'm not a smoker, but it's what I've assumed is the smell of tobacco itself (and since tobacco is one of the smells, I guess I assumed right). If only the lingering odor of smoked tobacco actually smelled like this....
Still smelled the same refined wood smells mixed with vanilla. As it dried, though, the vanilla and wood scents began to meld together until I found the vanilla itself had almost vanished. I began to notice a new scent, though, which bore a suspicious resemblance to the vanilla: a metallic scent. A sweet, smooth metal... and a sweet metal doesn't even make sense to me, but the smell was metallic. It wasn't like iron or steel... the official description suggests bronze, but I think brass might be closer. Whatever it is, though, it's smooth... just an ideal metal.
I also get the feeling of motion. It's supposed to be a machine smell, obviously, and I think it does that well... but when I smell the fragrance it really does come across as an active machine, not an idle one sitting on a desk, waiting to be wound up or used. My best guess is that the slight sweetness of the vanilla brings a sense of excitement. But that's just a guess. I'm really fascinated that a smell can manage to imply action and movement, and actually a little skeptical of it too, but it does!
As it ages, the tobacco and smoky sensations fade, and eventually the metallic scent weakens leaving a sweet, woody scent. A nice finish. The only I don't like about the scent is that it starts fading too quickly... both times I put it on (I usually try to experience it twice: once just before 8:00am and then reapply it just after noon before leaving for work) I stopped smelling it in the air at all about three hours after applying it, whereas most of the BPAL scents seem to last for about four hours on me. It does last, however faintly, on the skin itself for a long while, though, and I could still smell it about ten hours later.
Final thoughts? This is my favorite scent yet. Just plain smells great. The description may not sound like the most exciting BPAL creation, but there's a surprising level of charm to it. And strangely masculine, too, for perfume oil. (which is basically what cologne is, too... so shut up, it's totally manly!)
Looking forward to trying out more Steampunk scents....
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