Machu Picchu

[edenssixthday]

Sweet tropical fruits burst through deep, wet rainforest boughs, enormous steamy blossoms, over thin mountaintop breezes, mingled with the soft, rich golden scent of Peruvian amber.

Machu Picchu - Sniffed in the vial, it doesn’t smell interesting at all – like a light tea at best. However, as soon as it warms up on my skin, it becomes abundant in scent. It’s bright and tropical, full of tropical flowers and plants, and something bright and slightly lemon that reminds me a lot of Thunderbird. The level of throw is fair to moderate, and the lasting power is about average on my skin. I was delighted to have discovered another tropical scent since they’re rare in the BPAL collection, but one of my favorite genres of scent; however, I am deeply saddened to have to report that this scent, while I love everything else about it, it makes my chest constrict and gives me asthma-like symptoms (and I don’t have asthma). I’m going to have to pass it along, and that makes me very, very sad because it’s a really bright, fun, and carefree scent.

[TrailerTrashPrincess]

wow, this one is just chock full of notes that i tend to avoid.... but it was a frimp, so i shall try it.

 

sniffed from the impstick: Hawaiian Punch.

 

on me: this becomes a tropical punch sort of Kool-Aid scent. big creamy-orange flowers and shiny green leaves, and sweet like an orange melon.

 

very faint, no throw.

 

to those inclined towards the notes in this blend, it should be a winner.

as for me, i'm putting this one up for adoption.

[indicolite]

In the vial - sweet note i do not like.

 

On me - oh, this is fantastic! So clear, so refreshing, just the thing for a hot day. I can see the big blossoms in the mountain breeze now. This better stay as good when it dries.

 

TrailerTrashPrincess, thanks for the adoption!

[Meg]

In the bottle: Fresh woody and fruity tropical air.

 

Wet: Humid breezes and mists, indistinct tart fruits - reminds me of physalis fruits, citrusy but sweet.

 

Drydown: The tartness of the fruits dies down, just leaving a discreet tropical fruit scent that I can't really pinpoint. There's citrus in here too. I keep on getting wafts of air, and a slightly woody scent - moist tropical wood.

 

Overall: It reminds me slightly of Enraged Orangutang Musk, without the musk but with the unmistakeable tropical forest scent. This is very airy, though, fresh and majestic, I can just see the snowy peaks of a mountain, with tropical forests just below. It reminds me of the Mysterious Cities of Gold, a childhood favourite animated series set in Peru, so it's rather perfect, actually.

[Diana]

(This is a picture of Machu Picchu I took on 8 June 2006.)

 

I got a few imps of this to wear for my then-approaching trip to Peru. I wanted to mentally prepare myself for the trip by wearing a scent that I could associate with that time & place.

 

Wet: It's bright floral-fruity. It's almost lemony. Sweet, sunshiney, very yellow in my mind.

 

Drydown: The lemony aspect dries down a lot, leaving a sweetened ambery scent. Not the usual heavier, powdery amber, but a lighter, softer one, layered with a soft-breathy floral/fruit note. I've tried this both as an atomizer spray & as straight oil; neither formulation lasts more than about 2-3 hours on me.

 

Throw: the throw is good while it is still wet, and in early dry-down stages, but it tends to fade after a short time.

 

Verdict: I really enjoy this scent. While the actual Machu Picchu didn't really smell like much at all, wearing this scent now brings me back to standing on the huge site, and climbing up Waynapicchu (the hulking mountain next to the site), sweating off much of the scent in the process. It also reminds me of the gorgeous orchids in some of the gardens in Machu Picchu. Though the gardens didn't have a discernable smell, I tried to pretend it smelled like the oil. Heh. This oil also reminds me of insane near-death bus rides in the Andes, hikes in the middle of nowhere, and how happy & lucky I was to be able to experience such a beautiful and amazing place. This is truly my "happy scent."

Edited August 15, 2006 by Diana

[seamor]

Erk! Not quite what I had expected.

 

First on: A heavy hothouse floral.

 

A moment later ... uh-oh!

 

It's that (damask rose?) scent that I love but am miserably allergic to! and then ... aaaackkk! the dreaded violet! A double whammy! My head is spinning, and not in a good way!

 

Oh sh*t, oh dear, I really can't wear this. Must wash off right now.

 

 

Gosh, what's left after I did my level best to wash it all off is really quite pleasant. Kind of spicy and flowery. Still, that first effect was decidedly unappealing. I guess some things are just not meant to be ....

 

 

Edited August 16, 2006 by celtimor

[tracey]

It's very sweet, surprisingly so, but doesn't have that sharp undertone which most sweet scents have. It's not chemical or even floral to me. I don't think it smells fruity either, at least not any fruit I'm aware of just very sweet. I love amber and I think it fits this scent very well. To me it adds a deep layer underneath which tempers the sweetness of the scent. It doesn't make it overpowering. When it's wet it's VERY ripe/sweet but settles down and it's one of those scents that whispers to you all day long if you move your arm a certain way and it's just a happy scent. I can't possibly be as eloquent as others when describing it but to use some of their terminology, on my skin, it's got great throw.

[Clementine]

Mmm, this is what I expected The Hanging Gardens to be: wet, lush, fruity, sweet. Its dry-down is a tiny bit powdery on me, but it still smells lovely and comforting. A great scent for me!

[forspecial_plate]

Hmmm....this sounded like a fun scent. However, when I put it on I could barely smell anything at all. Warming up on my skin, it did put out a little bit of nice, fresh sweetness... but it's barely there at all. I have to put my nose right up to my wrist to smell it. Wonder what gives. It's possible my skin is just really dry today, so I may try this one more time, another day...or might just swap it!

 

ETA: After a couple hours, the throw has increased, so it's detectable now...unless my nose just opened up or something. It's still so subtle as to be not worth it for me to hold onto though, I think.

Edited September 12, 2006 by Forspecial Plate

[Jia]

Fruity, flowery, green. A little tropical, but notable because it actually has a darned decent throw on me. Yay!

Although, read most of the other reviews, I seem to be in the minority. If your skin hates honey and amps jasmine, then perhaps it's similar to mine and you should give Machu Picchu a try.

[buzz23666]

My kingdom to know what note it is that smells like vomit to me.

 

Wet - this is vomit and lemon pledge furniture polish

 

Dry - well at least the vomit smell goes away but all I am left with is very sharp lemon and lime zest.

 

can't win 'em all!

[thecaitycat]

In the bottle: This is GORGEOUS. This is fruity without being sweet, a little bit floral, and a little bit ambery. I can't pick anything out specifically besides a faint bit of amber.

 

Wet on skin: Still gorgeous. "Tropical" is the best word I can think of to describe it. It's light and feminine and lovely.

 

Dry on skin: Still gorgeous!

 

Verdict: Love love love love! This is such a pretty scent. I'm so glad I have a bottle of it all to myself!

[Eros]

Frimp from a lovely forumite =)

 

In the imp it's a strong, almostbutnotquitesharp herbal.

On skin...Best way to describe it is, light, honeyed coconut. Not a syrupy sweet honey, very light with a touch of tartness. Reminds me a bit of Eden but rounder... Due to the amber, maybe?

It's very light on me but evokes the feeling of a waterfall in a lush, tropical forest(duh, right? lol). However, not much in the way of tropical fruits. Lovely blend, though

[SmileCat]

In the imp: Wow, fruits! Bright, juicy, tropical fruits.

 

On skin: Fruits are fading and a high floral is present. It's not unpleasant, but it's definately there. Is that plumeria I smell? This reminds me of Hawai'i. I get the smell, sense, and feel of being in a tropical rainforest where the very air you breathe is moist and laden with pungent discoveries. At arms length this is very nice, a real hot house smell. Close up I get a cleaner-ish astringentcy.

 

Overall: Potent and pretty. Unfortunately I associate humid rainforests with a slight difficulty to breathe.

[steffanina]

Machu Picchu-

 

In Bottle: Floral-fruit sweet.

 

Wet: Ooh, sharp lemon verbena scent.

 

Dry: This loses the sharp lemon as soon as it's past the wet stage, and leaves a pretty hint of amber, but that sort of fades into the background. The soft fruit-floral left just isn't very remarkable to me.

 

Overall: Unremarkable.

[supremegoddessofall]

Tropical Pledge with a hint of tampon. Ick. Swap pile, and quickly.

 

My kingdom to know what note it is that smells like vomit to me.

 

Wet - this is vomit and lemon pledge furniture polish

 

Dry - well at least the vomit smell goes away but all I am left with is very sharp lemon and lime zest.

 

can't win 'em all!

 

I think your "vomit" is my "tampon" - ick either way.

[PilotKitten]

Hot tropical blooms with a faint fruity sugar sweetness overtone. Not bad at all. I'm also getting a faint ozone note that's blended together into this wonderfully. A wonderfully "tropical" scent that isn't overpowered with fruits. (Not that that would be a bad thing... I happen to love the fruits!)

[tmcm]

Oh, this is yymmy. In the bottle, it has a very bubblegum fruity scent, hardly any amber or spiciness. When on, even while still wet, it changes into a sophisticated smelling fruit scent. These are really hard to come by (at least for me!) and while amber can be too intense on my skin, this one blends nicely. Definitely a keeper!

[jasmine]

Wet: tropical fruit! Neat! Banana, citrus, maybe starfruit... oh, it’s all tasty and good. There’s a wisp of something floral veiling the fruit, but the fruit is so lovely and juicy and clear... I’m delighted by this scent.

 

As it settles, the banana blends in, and now I can’t be certain what the primary fruit is that I’m detecting -- it just says “fruit” to my nose. The sweetness has tapered off, but it’s still simply gorgeous. I want my hair to smell like this -- just a wash of orangey-red fruit scent flowing around me when I toss my head.

 

After a bit, I realize that I probably thought of shampoo because the scent is becoming cleaner. It isn’t outright soapy right now, but it is very clean. It’s rainwashed -- not a steamy, sultry, sweaty rain, but a brisk, cool rain that leaves everything glistening and wet. Delicious.

 

Unfortunately, it’s fading into my skin. If I try wearing this, I may have to use it as a hair or clothing scent specifically to keep it from vanishing on me. As impressive as it was at the outset, it’s becoming a muted blend, much to my puzzlement. I was so happy with this scent! Darn darn darn.

 

After another two hours, it has developed into something faded and plasticky. What a disappointment! Nevertheless, I see no reason why I shouldn’t wear this -- I’ll just have to reapply often when I do.

[tempestteapot]

Oh wow yum. I love the fruit with the green that holds it down from being oversweet or cloying.

[zankoku_zen]

Being a Peruvian, I had to try this scent even when I didn't think it would work out for me.

 

It's a very tropical, lush, green scent. At the beginning, I get more of the green, foresty, fresh sort of smell. Somewhere in the middle it turns into a rainforest, damp, flowery, with a hint of rain and a bright citrus background, which reminds me of sunlight filtering through the green.

 

Verdict: This is a very tropical, bright scent. It's very beautiful, but unfortunately on me there is something that gives it a "baby powder" smell, which I occasionally get whiffs of when I'm standing in the jungle.

[maribouquet]

I'm really digging this Peruvian amber note - it is the palest of golds, and glints. Overall this is a very light, bright scent full of fresh, high air, fruit (wish I could place those! Papaya?) and a soft floral.

 

I like this. I don't know if I would wear it, but I want to get a bottle for my friend Lorena, with whom I went to Machu Picchu a few years ago. I think it would smell superb on her.

[BlackWingedRoses]

i got this as a frimp. Always thought Maccu Piccu was such a magical place. If this is what it smells like, I want to go there!

 

It's a strong one so sniff with caution. It's green and spikey at first. tart. But there's an undercurrant of green bananas that must come from the leaves.

It so intoxicating. humid smelling. It's flowery and wet and there is definitely some citrus going on. lemon-lime?

yummy.

 

Wear this if you are yearning for summer vacations or on a boat picnic.

[concrescence]

wet this is very fruity and juicy with a bit of floral. in the drydown, citrus takes over and that's pretty much all i smell. after a while, though, (an hour or two) a sort of rainy scent starts to come out... interesting. i'm not sure that i can put up with the citrus assault for so long, though, so it's probably not a bottle purchase for me.

[marietta]

My lands, do I like a fruit scent?

 

This is very nice, the amber is a definite basenote (not at all powdery), the jasminey flowers are muted, and the fruit smells yummy. If I was a fruity/flowery person, this would be perfect, but alas I am not.

 

It's pretty, but not very distinctive in the end.