No. 93 Engine

[Jupita]

Balm of Gilead, benzoin, frankincense, balsam of peru, beeswax, saffron, galbanum, calamus, hyssop, mastic, lemon balm, and white sage.

I was a 100% sure I had posted a review of this one...
Apparently not...

A year ago, when I received my imp, it stank of paint solvent and just made me gag...
Had to wash it off pretty fast, it gave me a severe head-ache...

One year later, my little imp aged... and though in the imp it still smells of paint solvent, on my skin it morphs into something gorgeous...
Sweet, subtle, slightly metallic, like licking an electric pill... It stays close to the skin on me, but from time to time, whafts around to scent the air around me...
It's a very beautiful scent... I wish there wasn't a need to wait for a year for the scent to age enough for to be able to wear it...

[Laurel the Woodfairy]

My imp is pale gold in color. I admit the notes make me nervous, so I'll be testing just a tiny bit! In the vial, the balsam is strong and I smell pine trees and herbs. On me, for some reason none of those notes are very apparent--I smell like incense, sage, and saffron. It's nice and not "scary", much more mellow than I thought it would be. I think it's more of a room scent than a perfume to me: a smooth spicy gender-neutral blend.

[Aether]

I really like this scent, I am new to reviewing fragrances but everyone has to start somewhere. No. 93 Engine smells a little like cola does to me with a beautiful incense bouquet. It's hard for me to pick out individual notes but I don't get any honey or lemon that's for sure

[ofthegood]

I mostly wanted this for the beeswax, since that's been a recently-discovered note for me... and it never really popped up for me in this blend. This is a strong, cloying oil for me, both in the imp and on my skin. I'm glad that I only applied it to my arms, and not closer to my face!

 

I thought I was smelling amber in here, but it must be all of the other incense/resin/spiciness going on. It's bold, a little sweet, very warm, very golden and... gleaming? Not at all the sort of thing that I would wear, but I can appreciate the uniqueness of the blend!

[Altaira]

I wasn't sure about this one at first as it smelled strongly of a woodshop: shavings, gears, and polish. I liked it, but couldn't see wearing it very often.

 

Then I left it on for a while and decided I needed a bottle!

 

No. 93 Engine is a really comforting scent. The wood shavings retreat to the background and incense comes out, mixed with furniture wax and oils. Reminds me of what a really clean mechanic would smell like. I agree with the poster above who mentioned that there is a sweetness reminiscent of cola.

 

(As a side note, layered with Tinagel it smells like spiced cookies)

Edited December 29, 2010 by Altaira

[pandorasmuse]

In the imp: Dark and warm.

 

Wet: Still warm, gently spicy. A bit too dudelike for my taste, at least in the wet stage. Must make a note to try it on the Mr.

 

Drydown: Smelling resins, but there’s a distinctive medicinal quality, which is not as nice. This makes me think of old-timey engineers, their clothes spattered with oil or grease, working on some sort of machinery… in a hospital. Hmm. Don’t think this is working for me. Definitely must try on husband.

 

Nope, doesn’t work on this. Afraid the Engine is a miss.

[captainecchi]

I've had this imp for a while, though I can't remember where it came from--maybe a frimp from the Lab. Anyway, I dug it out yesterday when I was looking for sage smells, as it was recommended to me as having a very strong sage note.

 

This is a golden-colored oil, and when I open the vial, the first impression I get is of cedar (the balsam, I assume) and… yep, there's the sage, peeking out. It blends very well with the balsam, so I don't think I'd notice it unless I was specifically looking for sage.

 

As it dries down on my skin, I start to notice a sort of sweet-but-medicinal scent, that makes me think of eucalyptus, but isn't. Looking at my older notes about certain scents, I also noticed this in Kathmandu, which shares a few ingredients (namely saffron and cedar/balsam), so I'm assuming that's some sort of wood in drydown, or that's how saffron smells. Dunno. Sage is becoming less evident here. Aww.

 

Finally, dry, this smells like church incense on my skin - so I'm assuming that's the frankincense. Unfortunately, I'm not getting any sage any more.

 

Verdict: 3 out of 5. It's evocative of a steam locomotive cutting through virgin forests, which is pretty cool. And hey, it's got sage, too. Alas, it's not quite what I was looking for. I'll hold onto it--maybe compare it to Kathmandu--but I'll continue my search for the sagiest sage.

[Ishtar]

In the imp, the first thing I notice is a nice citrussy note (more specifically, sweet orange) rising above a bright, fresh, sweet beeswax base.

 

On the skin, the beeswax, benzoin and mastic take charge. I am particularly happy to see that mastic is such a recognizable note, as I used to love it - and cook with it - back when I was in the Middle East. Its aroma is pretty unmistakable, and I think this is the first time I smell it out of context, so to speak.

 

As the metallic notes come out, the scent becomes less comforting, more distant, and altogether harder, if that makes any sense. Ultimately, it proves to be too much aloof polished metal for me to wear, but regardless, what an interesting scent this is!

[Floria]

I really liked it. On me, this was pleasantly strong, not particularly sweet, and very spicy, with a sort of gingery aspect to it despite the lack of ginger. Maybe this was the calamus? Despite all the resins, it was more "spice" than "incense" to my nose. My mom thought it smelled like gingerbread.

[a_llb]

In vial: An immediate coppery sensation. Not sharp like a new penny is, but rather like a finely burnished copper kettle.

Wet: Delicate white sage with the barest hint of saffron, a seamless background of resins. Pleasantly metallic, smooth and charged with power.

Dry: Lovely warm and low base of frankincense with the lemon balm sparking every so often. Fascinatingly deep.

 

Verdict: Fresher and more feminine than I had envisioned, though it would be splendid on a man as well. This would be the scent Amelia Earhart would wear. Classic, free, pretty without being frilly, & with just enough spunk to liven things up.

 

As it's aged, it has gotten hotter by degrees. Sexily scalding, positively hissing with spices & herbed resins. This Engine is worth warming up.

Edited November 1, 2011 by braybrigade

[invisible iris]

I ordered an imp of this in my first BPAL order ever, and this is the second scent (after The Last Unicorn) that has really put me in awe of the lab’s abilities. I tried it on my husband first, and we both agreed that on him it smelled like a cheap "autumn spice" candle, so I was wary when putting it on myself. But after testing it a few times to make sure, I discovered that I really, absolutely, love this scent, so much that I had to come write a review.

 

In the imp: resiny balsam & lemon balm

 

Wet on skin: At first the resins dominate for me, with an herbal sizzle.

 

Dry: Beautiful beeswax comes out from behind the resins & herbs to make this into a warm, comforting, golden incensey beeswax that (as I said) I love so, so much. It is not overly metallic on me at all, no no, though the figurative color of it is brassy and golden. The balsam, saffron, lemon balm, & maybe hyssop(?) keep it fresh, and even energized, but I keep receiving wafts of true, golden, soft & malleable, beeswaxy beeswax. I’m not sure I can detect the mastic, or a number of other notes. But it wafts amazing resiny beeswax, with just the perfect amount of sweetness. It makes me feel both cozy and curiously industrious, and I'll wear it both at work and at home, for my own pleasure, on a chilly or rainy day. It’s not sexy, and it’s not especially pretty, but for me, it’s simultaneously warm, evocative, comforting, stirring, and altogether very, very good. It is a happy-making scent.

 

It doesn’t last extremely long (maybe 3-4 hours until it grows faint), but it has good throw, and it's definitely worth reapplying. Also worthy of a bottle.

[imaginepageant]

In the vial: I don't know what half of the notes in the blend are supposed to smell like so I'm not going to try to pick them out! I'm getting a dark smokiness that reminds me of brimstone (but is likely the frankincense), something very herbal and medicinal (probably the balsam), and something zingy and metallic. This is a sharp scent!

 

Wet: That sharpness immediately mellows out and the blend becomes more smoky, dry, and woodsy. But it's still very bright - I think that's the lemon balm I'm smelling. The benzoin is also sneaking out to sweeten it all up a bit. This smells much nicer on than it did in the imp!

 

Dry: I can smell the beeswax now, but thankfully no honey - honey and I do not get along. This blend makes me think of church - smoky incense paired with the sharp bite of lemon cleanser and freshly waxed pews. As time goes on, it's getting pleasantly warmer.

 

An hour later: Oh, wow! This has gotten so lovely! It's very warm, soft, and sweet now. And very comforting. The beeswax is much more prominent, and I'm finally smelling a bit of honey... and it's beautiful! This may be the first time a honey note has ever worked on me!

 

Overall: I love the end result, but I'm not quite sure yet that I want to put up with the sharp, zingy beginning in order to wear this very often.

[calivianya]

I had high hopes for this one. I love frankincense, beeswax, sage, and balsam... but something in this is making it smell very peppery. I can't stand pepper in my perfumes most of the time, and this is no exception. Maybe waiting for the drydown would make it awesome, but I don't think I can wait to make it there. Sadly, I'm going to have to wash it off.

[biocarolyn]

This is not copper, this is brass. I've never gotten such a strong impression of a specific metal before! Yes balsam and beeswax. Clearly the wax, not honey. I get a strong impression of more, well blended and unidentifiable.

 

Sorry this is so nonspecific...but all I can say is buy this. No matter what you think you like, at least try an imp. It is just ridiculous. That good.

[Urpflanze]

Woah. So I tried this months ago, maybe the 2nd BPAL I tried. And I didn't like it then. It reminded me of halloween potpurri scented candles at crafts stores, autumn themed scented things. Maybe I am better at smelling or something like that. But this scent is awesome. I get strong wax and heady incense. The sage was more pronounced wet than dry, as were the machine smells and oils. Dry, it is really comforting. Admittedly, I would personally like a little more metal and machine oil in the drydown (like I get in Robotic Scarab). That would make it less wearable for most, though. If you like beeswax at all, get this.

[Vega]

Sniffed: Like no BPAL I've smelled before! A light herbal-resinous scent: dry and warm, solemn and deep.

 

On skin: An unusual scent, fascinatingly so! I can't make any olfactory associations with No. 93 Engine, so I'll try to describe it. It's a mix of brown herbs and light resins, warm, dry, a bit gritty. Something vaguely resembles "cooking spices", probably the combination of sage, saffron and lemon balm. All the notes blend together to form a straightforward scent; masculine, but not typically so; solemn and deep. Colour impression is bronze with a green verdigris.

 

Verdict: No. 93 Engine is quintessential masculine steampunk. I can imagine it as an older gentleman-inventor-adventurer, well-bred and educated, yet rugged and individualistic. Yes, a bit too masculine for me! Even so, it's a fascinating scent like no other, and I'm glad I got to try it.

[KindKit]

In the bottle, incense and bronze. On first application, the incense really leaps out, but there's also a kind of dustiness, like metal shavings and concrete, but with sweetness underneath and the beeswax melding everything. After about an hour, the metallic notes are fading a bit, with the underlying benzoin (deep smoky vanilla) and beeswax sweetness more prominent. Much later there's a patchouli-like remnant that I do not like at all. Won't be buying this one because of that, although I'll keep the imp.

[Honey]

Wow, unexpected!

 

 

Imp: Lemon, sage, honey and resins. This is very fruity and fragrant.

 

Wet: Honey, lemon and sage. Reminds me of a mixture I drink in winter when I have a cold, when I mix hot lemon with sage tea and add some honey for my throat.

 

Dry: Heavy on the honey and beeswax. Lovely with the balms and resins, very spicy. Best honey note from BPAL so far!

[maoric]

I do not know why this wasn't on my radar, but thankfully I got it as a frimp because it has quickly jumped high on my favorites.

 

In the vial: Resins and citrus.

 

Freshly applied: Very Faintly citrusy, sweet resins.

 

Drying: Galbanum! I think. I smell something that reminds me a lot of Aperotos Eros, which is probably the Galbanum since Benzoin is supposed to be sweet/vanilla. There's something faintly like ginger coming in, but for the most part it's a deeply spiced, slightly citrus-ish resin scent.

 

Later: The citrus stays just on the edge of perception, and what's left is this amazing resin cocktail with a slight ginger vibe. I normally don't like ginger that much (if it's strong), but it's light enough in here that my brain wants to go between describing what I smell of it as ginger ale, or a ginger spice muffin when taking into account the mixing from the other notes (though this isn't exactly setting off a FOOD vibe in my brain).

 

This is great. It's the second citrusy Steamworks scent I've tried, and I love both of them. Aelopile is much more strongly orange+spice to me, whereas No. 93 Engine is definitely showcasing resins/beeswax with the citrus hanging around in the background.

[fiddlehead]

Awwww Yeaahhhh

 

Honey and beeswax and frankincense. Lots of other notes as well, but this is dries down into a melted beeswax and frankincense scent on me. Something really smells like lubricating oil in the beginning...amazing. This is definitely in bottle contention.

 

It reminds me a bit of Arcana but I think that's the frankincense and lemon balm. This is much more complex and rich.

[WidgetAlley]

Imp: Sharp, almost alcoholic resins with a sweet waxy undertone and some citrus. There's also a note or two that all the Steamworks seem to share-- kind of a, uh, oily or metallic note?

 

Wet: Saffron, trying to be one of those saffrons, the kind that just take over and turn my skin into a battleground, but it's held in check by a holycrapthat'sgood honey and beeswax and benzoin and sage and balsam and who knows what else. Up close this is all fierce, spiced warm resin, which I love, but the throw is this unbelievable light honey and resin and spice and citrus that combines to almost smell sort of floral but not, in fact, like flowers. Cool and warm at the same time. It's frakkin' incredible, is what I'm trying to say!

 

Dry: Hot mothertruckin' damn. I want to smell like this every day for the rest of my life. It's warm, rich resin and dry, woody herbs with that incredible beeswax and honey. There's a sexy musk in the background too! INSTANT 5mL purchase for sure. I am beyond smitten.

Edited November 18, 2011 by WidgetAlley

[Caper]

aelopile was my first GC bottle purchase and i LOVE it, so i had high hopes for this no. 93.

 

imp: starts off sharp and bitter and astringent. like the inside of a crushed bitter seed and i'm having a hard time putting it on my skin. (i have no idea why i'm getting that impression but it reminds me of something icky).

 

wet: oh ewwww.... so sharp and just tickling something at the back of my mind. i want to wash it off but i'm holding out hope.

 

dry: there's the beeswax!!! it mellows and loses it's pungency into a nice resiny beeswax. i love beeswax! this seems similar to what other people are saying but i don't know why my initial impression is so different?

 

i don't know if i can make it through the initial twenty minutes of eww before it gets to this yummy stage. i think that there are too many that i love from wet to dry to keep this one. likely into the swap pile but i'm not completely convinced, i may try again.

[ProfessorXH]

This is a really lovely spicy benzoin scent! I can see how some people may get the creeps as benzoin is sometimes used in surgery, but I grow Lindera benzoin shrubs in my yard as native plants and I find the smell delicious and invigorating!

 

On drydown I notice the complex spice blend and it is very energizing. I would love for a man to wear this scent for me! OOOH, laaaa laaaaa aaahhhhhh....

[mymymai]

In the Imp (ITI):It smells like teak, but I'm assuming that's the balsam. It's rather complex, but I think I pick up the lemon, sage, frankincense, and a bit of the benzoin. It's lovely in the bottle.

 

Wet: Lots of mentholy woods oiled with the greatest care in lemon and frankincense. This smells like a wonderful and richly adored teak check that one gets from exotic lands.

 

Dry: No. 93 Engine has lightened up considerable. Its soft, slightly exotic and woodsy like frankincense infused rare wood offerings purified by sage and surrounded by pure beeswax candles. While I realize this scent is supposed to be evocative of brass and mechanical workings, I do not get any of the coldness of metal. Instead, it's warmth and beauty to my nose.

 

This may be bottle worthy

Edited January 10, 2012 by mymymai

[karykeion]

I review this very sadly, as I loved it so much but I had to throw out my imp prematurely. I crossed the streams this morning and accidentally put Arkham's wand cap into 93 Engine and vice versa, and now they both smell terrible.

 

 

In the imp: Very pretty and golden, and...I don't know, shiny? It really does bring to mind some kind of golden metal. And beeswax. It's kind of like studying in a steampunk boiler room.

 

On me, wet: I swear to god this smells like a library. I don't know how. The components do not say "library" in any way, shape, or form, but it just smells like pretty golden candles in an old library to me. Maybe it's the beeswax that makes me think of candlelight, combined with the association of machines with knowledge (of how they work)? I don't know, but I love it.

 

On me, dry: Yep, engines and beeswax, and I get that grounded balsam of peru. Aside from one brief phase near the end where it smells like, of all things, fried chicken, I all kinds of adore this and it's totally going on my Need-A-Bottle list with Caliban and Arkham.