Tezcatlipoca

[tempete]

Lord of the Smoking Mirror, god of sorcery, nighttime, darkness, beauty, war, heroic men, beautiful women, and all material concerns. Tezcatlipoca is the Master Magician, a trickster god and shapeshifter, governing all worldly matters, and is also the Great Tempter, seducing men into evil acts and subsequently punishing them for their transgressions. Deep cocoa laced with patchouli, leather armor, ritual incense, and a touch of Xochiquetzal’s flowers.

Tezcatlipoca starts out as a rush of dark, unsweetened cocoa. Slowly, the patchouli and incense peek through and mingle with the cocoa, making the scent both earthier and more mysterious. I can also detect very light florals wafting on top of the deeper notes. At this point, Tezcatlipoca is gorgeous and it's amazing how Beth layered and balanced these disparate elements.

I was worried about the mention of leather in the description, because Beth's leather note and I don't get along usually, but it only emerges in the final drydown very faintly after all the other notes have made their appearance. Still, I would have been happier without it in the blend, as it seems to be drowning out the florals and making Tezcatlipoca more masculine than I'd like. I'll have to live with my imp a little while before I decide on whether this is a bottle-worthy scent.

(As a side note: If I had a boyfriend, I'd make him wear Tezcatlipoca all the time. He'd probably be able to seduce me into evil acts and I'd willingly accept the punishment for my transgressions.... )

[amrita]

Wet, Tezcatlipoca smells predominantly of the sweet, thin chocolate in Bliss. I might smell a floral note (I don't recognize it). I might smell cinnamon.

 

As this dries down, it turns sweet, dark, and incensey. I wouldn't even have guessed there were florals in this, but that may be what's adding to the sweetness.

 

This is reaaaally sexy. It is a little like Sin and Scherezade, with a super sexy leather note blended seamlessly into the background. I don't really smell the cocoa at all anymore.

 

Depending on where on my arm I put the oil, I detect a spicy note, but it's so well blended I honestly can't tell if it's cinnamon or sandalwood. Maybe it's both... or neither. This is sweet, dark, spicy, resiny, woody, smoky, and incensey all at once-- but it's not overpowering and doesn't make my nose itch.

 

I wish I could say something more coherent about this blend, since it's now in my top 10. Basically, I want to take the imp home, dump it in a bottle of carrier oil, and spend a few hours engaged in oiled indecent acts with as many people as can fit in my bedroom.

[wickedgoddess]

Origin - imp, fresh from the lab.

 

Wet - cocoa!

 

Dry - I can already tell this is another yummy one. It's cocoa but it's a spiced cocoa. As it dries the patchouli and incense blend with the cocoa to produce something delicious. I get a whiff of leather too, but it's quite subtle at first. As time goes on the leather becomes more pronounced but the light touch of floral prevents this from becoming too masculine. This is Velvet's sexy older brother. This one puts off a moderate amount of throw, but it's never overpowering. I like this a lot, but will have to try it a few more times before I decide whether I need a big bottle of it. It's certainly a contender.

 

On the wickedgoddess scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being best, this rates a 4.

[Galen]

I had forgotten all the notes except cocoa when I put this on. Yes, it starts out with that rush of chocolate a la Bliss for the first few minutes, but it quickly settles down to something more woody, and more like Velvet, although Velvet goes very dry sandalwood on me, and this doesn't.

 

After that, I don't know what I'm smelling but it's warm, and sweet, with hints of resin and some soft floral.

 

:checks description:

 

leather and incense and patchouli - that would explain it. Apart from the cocoa, the patchouli and floral notes are possibly the most distinct, but this really is a shape-shifter, and it's impossible to pin down the notes.

 

not masculine at all on me, just fabulously blended, warm and sweet. This is a new favourite

[fallow deer]

Oooh this is heavenly: rich, deep and dark. In terms of chocolate, it's like Green & Blacks' compared to Bliss' Cadbury's Dairy Milk.

 

The most striking note is powdery cocoa, the same note from Velvet. Behind the cocoa, linking their arms together as back-up, are patchouli and leather; a decadent, sultry and gorgeous combination.

 

I'm not usually keen on leather, but here it just adds extra oomph and sexiness.

 

The flowers remind me of Kali's and add lightness, stopping this blend becoming overly masculine for me. The incense may or may not be there, to be honest - my nose isn't sensitive enough to pick it up or differentiate it from the Patchouli.

 

This is a blend, for sure!

 

I'm very glad I got a 5ml unsniffed and may even go for a 10ml in future.

[ChupaChup]

I've had my imp of Tezcatlipoca for a while now, I tried it once when I first got it and then again a couple of days ago. I didn't quite get it the first time I tried it but now I think I do. It's pretty much a chocolate version of Snake Oil. Snake Oil took a while for me to get used to and I suspect this would as well. I get the dry cocoa at first, as others have mentioned, this makes it rather woody and I can see the comparisons to Velvet or Sin. At this stage, it's not sweet enough for me, whereas Snake Oil has the chewy vanilla note right away. But as this dries down, it keeps getting sweeter and the cocoa goes away until it ends up smelling exactly like Snake Oil, spices and all. I never got any leather from this. I'm not sure I need this oil though, since Snake Oil is lovely right away and this has to dry down quite a bit before I like it.

[blaqpearl]

I got this imp with my last order. I love incense so I had to get it right away. In the imp I could smell the patchouli and the leather. I love patchouli so I was excited to slather...but with all new scents, I have to dab just a little. Wet I could smell the pathcouli and the leather. Still no incense. During dry down is when things got a little funky on my skin. Only a couple of scents have done this to me. Just weird. So off to the swap pile. I was so looking forward to loving this.

[Yagathai]

In the bottle: In the bottle, I got a dominant note of buttery cocoa. As I continue to sniff, I can smell something spicy and complex underneath. Patchouli, yes, but also something different. It's amazingly deep and complex.

 

On my skin: Tezcatlipoca starts out smelling very, very sweet on me. For about five minutes or so, sweet chocolate and a mysterious floral note that I didn't get in the bottle predominate. Then, slowly, the sweetness fades. It never goes away completely, but the patchouli and what I assume is the incense slowly take center stage. For a while, I can smell what I assume to be the leather note, but it fades quickly. After a couple of hours, all that's left is rich, spicy, masculine patchouli, backed by leather and that same mysterious floral note.

 

Final verdict: I like it. Definitely not an every day wear, but ideal for when I'm feeling spicy, suave and adventuresome. This is something to wear to a dark, smoky restaurant on a first date, to make a strong first impression.

[baygirl]

I picked this up at the Black Broom, having no idea what the scent notes were, but loving it after I had the chance to give it a whiff!

 

In the bottle it smells like expensive dark chocolates, with a hint of nutiness. It's slightly woodsy & a very very *very* faint herby/floral thing going on.

 

On my skin it's still dark chocolate, but the woodsy patchouli notes start to come forward. There's a bit of sweetness there too.

 

Once dry, it really retains that woodsy scent, with chocolate sweetening things up a tad. To me, this is such a unique blend and one that I truly think is unisex. I'm loving it!

[cuervosueno]

Tezcatlipoca starts out as a rush of dark, unsweetened cocoa.  Slowly, the patchouli and incense peek through and mingle with the cocoa, making the scent both earthier and more mysterious.  I can also detect very light florals wafting on top of the deeper notes.  At this point, Tezcatlipoca is gorgeous and it's amazing how Beth layered and balanced these disparate elements.

 

I was worried about the mention of leather in the description, because Beth's leather note and I don't get along usually, but it only emerges in the final drydown very faintly after all the other notes have made their appearance.  Still, I would have been happier without it in the blend, as it seems to be drowning out the florals and making Tezcatlipoca more masculine than I'd like.  I'll have to live with my imp a little while before I decide on whether this is a bottle-worthy scent. 

 

(As a side note: If I had a boyfriend, I'd make him wear Tezcatlipoca all the time.  He'd probably be able to seduce me into evil acts and I'd willingly accept the punishment for my transgressions....  )

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I had to quote completely because I just loved that review...esp the note about willing accepting punishment....

 

And truthfully, my review is very similiar. I love the warm cocoa note I get at first--how lovely! I bought this in a 5 ml. unsniffed, first because how could I note buy a perfume for the lord of the smoking mirror, and also because I love all those notes.

I was worried about the leather as well. I love the leather note in Beth's blends, but the fact is, my skin amps it up so its all leather.

Sadly, that's what happened with this one too.

I wanted this to be the sexy older brother to Centzon T....and in the bottle, it smelled that way with its cocoa notes....

But on, the cocoa disappears to quickly and I'm left with Iago or Loviatar...or any other leather blend. They end up all the same on me...lovely but pure leather. Its not a scent that wears well on me.

I'm afraid this will, sadly, not be a keeper.

[Dark Sparkle]

Oh, Tezcatlipoca, how I have looked forward to thee!

The first wiff from the bottle was not too promising however:

 

In the vial: Smells like, uh, a dog's carpet! It actually smells exactly like our old dog's carpet, make me miss that dog terribly but it is not anything I want to smell like. Do I dare test it? Why, of course!

 

On wet: Now we are talking... Sweet cocoa powder mixed with florals, oh this is lovely and exotic, so lovely and unusual. My boyfriend's comment was "it smells like woody incense". I do not get any incense, however.

 

On the dry down: Ah, there is the incense - this is turning slightly headshop, but I like headshop and this is a gourmet incense for sure. The flowers are in the forefront, patchouli backing it up with a more prominent leather note. Oh, the leather is...incredible. Eventually, I am left with more or less leather and incense - this is pure gold, ladies and gentlemen.

 

Overall: A big bottle, no questions asked! I only hope this will still behave as perfectly on my skin when I am not under the influence of, ahem, the dredded PMS .

[joseybird]

Chocolate! Incense! Leather! How could I resist?? The only reason why I didn't immediately spring for a big bottle was the mention of flowers (which all-too-often go all evil on me). So I just got an imp.

 

Right out of the imp this is unsweetened dark cocoa, like the cocoa in Velvet, with something slightly woodsy in the background. The leather and incensey resins come out pretty quickly--they blend *beautifully* with the dark cocoa There's a little hot sweetness here coming from the resins here, and the resins and leather take charge as the dark cocoa fades away (nooo! come bacckkkk! ). There seems to be something slightly grassy in the background...the florals, maybe?

 

This is a temple warrior's scent--sexy and masculine and dark and mysterious. I love it, but sadly, it's way too butch for me (far more so than, say, King of Clubs or Villain, both of which I love and can wear).

[zenvodunista]

i'm in love. in love with Tezcatlipoca.

 

i was worried. but i ordered an imp. i love chocolate, but in particular spiced chocolate. chocolate with cayenne is my thing. i hoped that this would do the trick.

 

and boy does it! i was especially worried about the leather in the blend. i mean, i'd gotten an imp of De Sade and it made me smell like a slaughterhouse. its the only BPAL i've had to wash off, so i was worried.

 

and patchouli? reminds me of the worst of my days as a deadhead/phishhead. so i was very worried. but i could not resist the lure.

 

a little bit on the skin and its all chocolate and soft leather -- and then as it dries there's incense and florals. now it's been an hour and i smell mysterious florals and a changing background of cacao, smoke and incense. i feel sexy and mysterious. i want to eat my wrists.

 

i liked the Centzon Totochtin too. but this? hoo boy!

 

n.

[olympia301]

 

A rush of cocoa with attendent floral/incense, Tezcatlipoca entered my nose like a proper Aztec God. It remided me of my fling with Centzon Totochin though. The cocoa just floundered around and disappeared on my skin, the florals and incense lasted but malingered. It was just like meeting the real Tezcatlipoca, getting all excited and then realizing you had nothing to say to each other...I don't speak Aztec and he didn't speak English. Oh well, shake hands and wish each other luck. Off to the swaps, m'lord, hope you find your heaven.

[Little Bird]

Tezcatlipoca was one of the very first fragrances that intrigued me on my first venture to the BPAL website. I read the description and fell instantly in lust. I knew in my heart that I would fall in love with it... but I still only got an imp of it. How stupid of me >_<.

 

I can't even begin to explain how perfectly gorgeous and amazing this is. It's so good that I am at a loss to explain it. I could never do it justice.

 

I was most excited about a blend of cocoa and patchouli (two favorites of mine)... and a little worried that the florals in this would 'mess it up' somehow. They don't mess it up at all.

 

It's a perfect blend of every note. There's not too much cocoa, not too much patchouli, not too much leather, and not too much floral. Nothing overpowers anything else. They just meld into one glorious smooth scent. If I had to say this is anything, I would say that it is earthy incense (but not in that smoky harsh way that makes me ill, and it has a rich sweetness from the cocoa). Elegant and earthy. This would probably be excellent on my boyfriend, but I'm definitely not sharing to find out, lol.

 

Tezcatlipoca is a 10 ml purchase in my next BPAL order.

[Scylla]

I got a freebie imp of Tezcatlipoca in my 13 order. Thanks, Lab! It's not something I would normally have ordered, because Centzon Totochtin didn't work on me, but this one's definitely a keeper!

 

In the vial: Patchouli and leather

 

Wet, on my skin: Patchouli, leather, something incensy/woody and spices. Interesting. I'm not getting any cocoa, though.

 

On drydown: Wow! I love this once it has dried down and the patchouli has stopped trying to elbow all of the other notes out of the way. Once it dries down it is a beautifully balanced blend of leather, incense, patchouli, dry cocoa and spices (cloves?) It reminds me of Christmas, for some reason.

 

Tezcatlipoca definitely seems gender neutral, but I can't wait to try it on my husband!

[shelldoo]

Deep cocoa laced with patchouli, leather armor, ritual incense, and a touch of Xochiquetzal’s flowers.

 

in the vial :cocoa reminds me a bit of cerberus

 

wet: patchouli, leather, incense the chocolate is mia

 

 

dry: omg this is sexy, the chcolate is back, the patchouli dries it amd makes it deep, the leather makes it sexy and the insence just makes this one irresistable

 

 

this is such a turn on. i would say i will make my dh wear it but i actually think it is sexy on *me* and i won't go into details w/ that

[gdogs]

in the imp this was a hard shot of chocolate. too much, and it made me afraid. .

 

on my skin, however, it loses the overwelming chocolate scent, and becomes a sweet, sweet amberish scent. with a sexy background. i've avoided most the the leather scents, because i tried one or two early in my bpal days and didn't like them. but the sexy background was definitely leather.

 

as it dries, it mellows out, not quite so sweet. more smokey. and rich. it has the same mouthwatering, without being foody or fruity, scent that tenochtitlan has for me. fresh. whereas tenochtitlan is a bright daytime scent, i think tezcatlipoca is a dark, sultry nighttime scent.

 

there is also a woody componant to it. i would say cedar/sandalwood. . .

 

the chocolate is pretty much gone after 15 minutes. but i think its mixed with whatever that leather scent is to make it a hit-me-at-the-back-of-my-throat sexiness.

 

damn. how do they DO this?? i would definitely buy a big bottle of this.

[voodoobaby]

In the bottle: Cocoa! I can definitely smell the leather and a little patchouli, but it's mostly a powdery cocoa scent.

 

Wearing: Yup, still cocoa. The patchouli comes out quite a bit. It's an odd combination, and I'm not entirely sure that's meant in a good way. It just doesn't seem like the kind of notes that should be blended together.

 

Later: I smell the incense now on top of the patchouli. Smells like frankincense, for sure. This smells like Velvet and Anne Bonny layered in this stage. I can also just barely detect an astringent sweetness that has to be the mystery florals. There could possibly be just a very small drop of lavender here, but thankfully it doesn't develop well. Darn it, where is the leather? I miss it.

 

Overall: Eh. It seems a bit generic, nothing too special. I will try it once more to see if it does something different or if it grows on me, but if not, it will be swapped off.

[sarada]

I got this a week ago but only just now got around to testing it...in the imp it smelled a lot like Centzon Totochtin and with the weather being all hot and humid I didn't think I could handle that kind of heavy chocolate.

 

Heavy chocolate indeed, on first sniff, but I signed up for the patchouli and incense notes...

 

AHhhh, there it is! I am eating a box of chocolate bon-bons in a hippie crash pad. Thick clouds of incense hang in the air and are infused into the elaborate tapestries hanging on the walls. I'm getting a strong whiff of the kind of incense that was in Urd, so I'm guessing that some of my beloved nag champa might be in here with patchouli.

 

It dries down to a wonderful rich earthy incense smell with the memory of chocolate. A bunch of hippies got the munchies and decided to chow down on some candy bars, mmm mmm. This is much more wearable for me than some of the other chocolatey scents, because that cocoa scent becomes only a vague hint after the incense takes over. And I loooove the incense. Don't think I need a whole bottle but I'll love the imp!

[empi girl]

On, wet, it smelled very chocolatey-deep dark cocoa powder, with a hint of incense behind it.

 

Then it dries, the cocoa dissappears, and the patchouli and the incense take over. This stage lasts for a few hours, and then the patchouli softens, soft flowers do emerge slightly, and a hint of cocoa returns. It is also super light by this point, but very nice.

 

Overall, I wish the cocoa would last longer, the patchouli were less strong, and the flowers a little earlier. So for me, it isn't a keeper, but I'm sure others will love it!

[k00kaburra]

In bottle: Chocolate dusted on leather with incense slithering through the air above. This perfume oil is a complex presence that instantly sets a mood. There are hints of tropical blooms in the background.

 

On me: The chocolate is not as prominant as in other blends, but it's still strong. Instead the leather and patchouli are dominant, giving this a smoky sensation. It reminds me of drinking hot chocolate around a campfire; the sweetness of the chocolate mingling with the smoke from the blaze is captured beautifully. A sweetness that I would attribute to the presence of flowers is detectable, although I can't really smell the individual floral notes.

Edited August 6, 2005 by k00kaburra

[girl-zone broker]

I first tried Tezcatlipoca a couple months ago, and I wrote this in my journal the day I got it: What they call "deep cocoa" is the absolute best chocolate-type smell I've ever had from BPAL. Chocolate and leather, holy crap. I get a hint of the incense once it's on my skin. I want to force every person around me to wear this scent just so I can smell it ALL THE TIME.

 

Sometimes I find that a scent isn't quite as great on me as I think it's going to be at first, but this one is just as good as when I wrote that review. The chocolate is the first thing that leaps out at you, but there is the dusty, earthy scent of leather and incense beneath it that stays strong but doesn't overpower.

 

It's also a scent that gets a lot of compliments, which I also love.

Edited August 7, 2005 by girl-zone broker

[Celogrl]

Whoa! Chocolate, patchouli and incense all mingled together in an ultra sexy deep, delicious mixture. Wet, it's pure deep cocoa goodness. As it dries, the incense and a faint whiff of patchouli peeks out. I also swear there are spices in there as well. This is gorgeous, and definitely big bottle worthy! Amazing, just amazing.

[Julilla Regina]

In the imp and when first applied, I couldn't believe how fantastic this smelled. Cocoa powder and leather? Heaven! Unfortunately, the patchouli flamed out all crazy and wild and freaky on me and the cocoa powder and leather was no more. If the cocoa and only hung around, I know this would be one of my fave BPAL scents ever. Damnit, patchouli, I curse you!