Xiuhtecuhtli

[Juushika]

Patron of the Aztec pantheon, he is the personification of light within darkness, warmth in the cold, and life in, and after, death. He is a creative and destructive God of Fire and Light, and is appeased only by sacrifice, trial, and the slaughter of his people's enemies. Copal, plumeria and sweet orange and the smoke of South American incense and crushed jungle blooms.

I purchased an imp of this on the basis that it's similar to the commercial fragrance "Angel"—I figured I'd try it, and if it didn't work, pass it on to my sister, who likes Angel.

In vial: It smells like the orange in a chocolate orange—a citrus, rounded rather than sharp, well sweetened.

On me: Jungle flowers blossom over the orange, almost concealing it. The smell is distinctly tropical and unlike anything that I've tried to describe. It's the shadows beneath a jungle canopy, where the vines and leaves overhead form a bower that traps scent below, heavy with florals which seem to thicken the air, spiked by the barest breath of citrus, heavy with tropical humidity. It's just on the safe side of cloying, but is still very rich and sweet. There is something of cocoa in here, rich brown sweetened by the tropical air, which rounds out the scent. Along with the copal, the scent is well rounded at the base notes but creeps outwards in the top notes in whiffs of heavy-blossomed florals that can't be constrained by the resin.

Verdict: I'm not a fan of strong florals (and on me, this is one) or tropical scents, but Xiuhtecuhtli took me by surprise. The blossoms are heavy, the scent in humid, but it is undeniably lovely. The florals are so well mixed that they don't compete but rather flow together in a cloud of scent, and that specific, indescribable tropical characteristic makes me breathe deep, trying to understand and describe it. This scent makes me feel like I am somewhere else—a world away, a place I'll never see in person. I like it. However—it's so out of character for me that I can't imagine ever wearing it. I'm an amber and cocoa girl, a musk and parchment girl, not one for tropical canopies. I'd love to smell this on someone else, but I don't think I can keep it for myself. It makes me feel like a different person in a different place.

[Electric Maenad]

I'll second Juushika's review - this is a gorgeous, heady, tropical scent that feels like an offering to an ancient jungle god. Unfortunately, it completely fails to work on me - another case of the perfume wearing me. For tropical scents, I prefer something a little sweeter and more fun, like Elegba (or possibly one of the new Atomic Luau scents... ). On the plus side, I've got a friend who loves Angel and has the sort of expansive, "steamy" personality to carry this off fantastically. Also, she has not yet experienced the glory that is BPAL...

 

 

Another recruit for the BPAL corps!

[Kelism]

I'm not usually a floral person, but I really liked this. I put it on then read the description and it really seemed to fit. I find it to be totally orange and crushed jungle blooms. But not orange juice orange - more like a floral orange. It's a happy, light scent that just screams exotic and sunshine all at once. It's a good pick me up when it's gloomy outside. Plus, I got a very random "wow you smell GOOD" from a guy who doesn't usually notice things like that.

[CrazyPretzel]

Oh, I *wanted* to like this one.

 

At first it's all orange and resinous copal - pretty much as I anticipated - but as it dries the orange fades and the smoky scent becomes dominant. I do like bonfire-smoke scents, but this one's quite moist and earthy, and combined with the copal it just doesn't quite do it for me.

 

I never got any plumeria from this one.

[Christine Daae]

In the imp, this is all orange and resiny, but it's a sweet orange rather than a tart orange. I don't really know what copal smells like. I got this imp after seeing an awful lot of squeeing about it on the forums, even though from the notes, it doesn't sound like something I'd like.

 

Wet on my skin, this...smells a lot like the early stages of Lucy Westenra to me. Lucy is one of my all-time favorites. Hmm...

 

As it dries, the plumeria comes out a bit more, still playing second-fiddle to the sweet sweet orange, with hints of resin and incense behind it. This is sort of clean-heady, dirty-sweet...it's a dichotomy in a perfume, and I really like that. Now that I re-read the description, I can see where the dichotomy comes in (light within darkness, warmth in the cold...). This is...this is something I'd like to wear in hot weather when I want to smell pretty but different. This is something that I sort of wish I'd had when I went to Hawaii.

 

After an hour +, this dries down to something lovely and incensey and sweet, with the tropical blooms blending in to just make it even more gorgeous.

 

I...may have to put this on my list of bottle purchases, if my fiance likes it half as much as I do.

[cranberry]

I can’t believe I haven’t tried this one yet. Well I’m glad that I finally did.

 

On the skin the first thing I smell is something bright and citrus, what may be patchouli, a faint floral in the background. The citrus is so bright and it melds beautifully with the darker notes. When first applied all I can think is that this is familiar and I could swear this is Ravenous that I’m smelling.

 

Testing them out on opposite hands, this is a brighter, lighter version of Ravenous. Looking at the notes, I see that copal is here, and that combined with the incense is probably what is coming across as a lighter, brighter patchouli. Other than that, they smell practically identical. There could be a touch of vanilla in here too.

 

This scent is just fantastic and I need to get a bottle.

[djsiberia]

in the imp: smells sweet and floral and orange.

wet: oh dear it's sour orange like push up pops and yuck...baby aspirin with some florals and woodsy scents.

 

 

i really loved this in the imp..i put it on and WOW i really dislike it and had to remove it...it morphed into something just disgusting on me, almost bitter like orange rind and not in a pleasant way.

[FandF]

pretty when wet, orangina with sweet incense. Limey. Interesting.

 

Dry down is an explosion of interesting complex orangey scents with indescribable undertones. Complex like Lush's Olive Branch...you like it but it's hard to describe!

[SarahScent44]

In the imp, I get plumeria and incense - mostly incense.

 

On my skin, it's definitely strongly incense - I'm not getting much else. It's a different incense than typical "church"-y incense, though - there's a higher, sharper note to it (not citrusy, but it reminds me of citrus - I suppose it could be that sweet orange).

 

When it's dry, the tropical flowers have come way out - the incense gives it a dry, spicy tone in the background. Definitely unqiue, but not a wow for me.

[Nimthiriel]

Initial impression:

Orange and something floral. With an almost soapy afterscent.

 

First on:

Orange and flowers of some kind. It's very refreshing, very... regal somehow.

 

Dry:

After about 10 mins, it's citrus and florals – a refreshing burst of the jungle!

 

Another 20 mins later, it's a lot more subtle, and the copal and incense are coming out more.

 

Finally:

Fantastic and fun to try, but I'll swap it, methinks. Nice though! (And I'm not even a major fan of citrus.)

[ravenfeathers]

it's mad sweeney all over again.

 

in the bottle sharp and sour.

wet on skin vomit and mildew?

dry on skin it becomes more vomit-like the longer i wear it. how charming.

 

i scrubbed and scrubbed and scrubbed to get this off. it had superior wearlength. the spot on my skin where i tested it still had a slight eau-de-puke the next day after loofah, three soaps, and a nail brush.

[naeelah]

This is a lovely tropical scent. Wet, it's fresh oranges with greenery, plumeria, and a hint of smokiness.

 

As it dries, it remains much the same, but with a greater floral sense. Very much gives you the sense of being in a tropical forest. The orange evaporates, so dry it's not so fruity. Mostly just like a rainforest with a hint of incense. There's a slight soapiness (or something) initially, but as it wears, this goes away and the florals are just lush, creamy, and sweet. The smokiness is VERY faint so far. Incense notes tend to amp as they wear, for me, but that isn't happening here.

[fireflower]

If Lush's Karma and Thierry Mugler's Angel were to have a child, this would be it. I smell woods, spices, and citrus. Somehow it manages to be sharp yet subdued and delicate at the same time. I don't think I'll keep the imp, though, because I have both Karma and Angel if I ever want to experiment with mixing the two.

[fairnymph]

In the bottle: Copal, plumeria, orange. Sweet, floral, resiny and a little smoky.

 

Wet: Smokier. Incense. Copal also much stronger, almost sharply so. Plumeria and other flowers below, and last a tiny touch of orange.

 

Dry: A very 'hot' scent and a little humid too - totally tropical. The same as wet, though the incense has taken on a spicy note.

 

Later: All the orange and most of the plumeria dissipates, taking much of the sweetness away. It becomes a bit darker and more masculine as a result.

 

Summary: Smoky, spicy incense and resiny copal over a bouquet of mixed florals. Steamy! Great throw and lasting power.

 

Not my style, but highly recommended for copal lovers (and I'd probably love this as a room scent).

[TereFaerie]

In the imp I smell straight up orange zest and what must be the copal.

On the skin wet the orange flames up, but the smoky incense smell and flowers come out to play as well.

Once it dries, the plumeria and the flowers vie for attention over the orange, but never quite make it.

I should try this one in my scent locket since the orange overpowers everything.

 

I did use about half an imp in the bath with half a Lush Sunnyside bubble bar and had a bath I didn't want to get out of. Once I did, my husband kept telling me I smelled like fresh laundry.

I don't know if I would ever want a bottle just to wear, but I wouldn't say no to a bottle just for the bath!

Edited June 2, 2008 by TereFaerie

[TooMuchTemptation]

This is one of the most unique things I have ever smelled. I got an imp of this in a swap. When I looked at the description in the catalog, It didn't speak to me, so I passed it by, and probably wouldn't have noticed it at all. Lately however, I've noticed that my tastes in fragrance have shifted slightly, so whenever I get an imp that I haven't tried, or don't remember trying, I test it out. So glad I did!

 

In the imp, it's all citrusy-sharp orange. That's not a bad thing. It reminds me of peeling clementines, sugar-sweet but astringent. Underneath the sweet orange smell is something perfume-y and nice.

 

Wet on my skin, the sourness of the citrus dies down. It smells almost creamy, like an orange creamsicle. I think it must be the copal that gives this creaminess. The smell of this both in the imp and on the skin gives me a feeling in my mouth, which I think is interesting. As I sniff it, my brain is giving me the same response as if I had bitten into a very juicy sweet-sour tropical fruit. My mouth is watering. I've never had this response to a scent before, but it's awesome.

 

As this dries, it becomes less "juicy" and citrusy and more resinous and smoky. The resin is creamy, and the smoke is soft and sweet. There's a slight musky undertone to this, but it might be the perfume I applied this morning. The floral underpinning of this keeps everything sweet and fresh. Despite the resin and smoke, this scent isn't dark at all. It's light and bright. In my mind it's a bright clear orangey-yellow color, like sunshine. I'm definitely getting a bottle of this. I can see it being a serious mood lifter for me.

Edited July 1, 2008 by Shollin
Removed Lab description --Shollin

[rococo]

This is my first review on this forum ... excuse my clunkiness!

 

I picked up an Imp of this scent as part of a swap a while ago, and have only really had the chance to wear it a couple of times, but have used it since in other ways, so I hope this is at least remotely useful!

 

In the bottle: It's not often that I sniff something and am so blown away by it that I go into several seconds of shock ... this was one of those moments. WOW! It actually left me light-headed and short for breath with how much sniffing it lured in! Very strong orange, a slight hint of chocolatiness at the same time, followed a few seconds later by florals ... not fresh, white florals, but thick and engulfing, utterly captivating! Along with the incense, I also pick up what seems to be a slight hint of copperiness (not sure whether this is one of the florals) ... it feels beyond warm, completely HOT! I can picture the "appeased only by sacrifice, trial, and the slaughter of his people's enemies" through this scent without having read the meaning first. It feels almost violently sexy ... a warm, sticky summer evening scent.

 

On the skin: Now, here's where my disappointment with this started. I was convinced that this was going to become a new favourite ... however, after getting the same reaction as from in the bottle when first applying it to my skin, I very, very quickly noticed the oranginess, increasingly more and more as it warmed up. Not a fresh, tangy oranginess, but a clawing, sweeeeet orange ... like a dried and roasted, pot pourri orange. As excited as I was about this in the bottle, sweet orange and I have never gotten on ... I couldn't smell anything else of it aside from this. Within five minutes it had given me a headache ... in its defense, it clearly must be long-lasting, as it took several good scrubs to get off! Damn my skin!

 

Elsewhere: ... hehe. As I say, I love the scent in the bottle, but not at all on my skin ... it also works rather nicely in an oil-burner. It's sort of like a very warm, almost wet incense ... as I thought for it in the bottle, it's warm, sticky and summery evening scent, works perfectly when well diluted at sunset. Maybe with burning candles and dark red flowers beside the burner. You can really appreciate the orange and the floral scents like this. Yummy!

 

I'd give it a 5/5 if it weren't for the terrible reaction on my skin! Retrospective 5/5!

[brsis]

Initial thoughts: ... AKA The God Of Difficult Names! I was so chuffed with myself when I learnt how to pronounce this. I'd have wanted this no matter what (I have a doll by this name) but I'm quite taken by the idea of an incense and tropical florals, as they're both high in my list of favourite notes.

 

In the imp: I'm getting lots of sweet orange and a little cold floral and not a lot else. So far, not so good. I'm not an orange person (Hate the things, actually)

 

On the wrist, wet: Well, less orange, which is good. It's still there being sweet and orangy in the background, but I might be able to live with this. There's also some weird jungle florals doing their thing - this isn't heady, hothouse stuff, this is hot and sharp and astringent. Not much incense yet, but this definately has the dry wafting quality of smoke. The words 'cold fury' are springing to mind.

 

Twenty minutes later: Wow. This was really not what I was expecting. The sweet orange is still there - and it is a little sweet for my liking - but this is a hot, haughty, airy blend of tropical flowers and stinging bitter incense - not the thick, resinous kind I'm used to, but an incense none-the-less. It's quite light in touch but powerful - I can smell it's delicate sharpness from quite a distance and although it's very much a hot day scent, I'm rather taken by it even today in the pouring rain.

 

Verdict: Keeper, and I think there's a bottle of this one day.

 

Tl;Dr: Haughty, sharp tropical flowers, sweet dry orange and bitter incense. Light but pervasive.

[marared]

Now this is an interesting light fruit-floral. It sort of reminds me a bit of Fae, but where Fae sparkles, this kinda ... sashays. It starts out more fruit than floral, but it morphs quite a bit as it dries to incense. I like it a lot - it's very well blended and is reminiscent of something you'd find in an actual perfumery.

 

I'm not reeeally certain I'd want a bottle of this, but I'm definitely going to revisit it in a few weeks and see how the aging process affects it.

 

ADDED Nov. 29:

 

I got a well-aged bottle of this today (cobalt), and wow, this has some serious throw and lasting power. The throw isn't as bad after an hour, but I dabbed my wrists twelve hours ago and the scent is still very noticeable. The scent doesn't really change from the lab-fresh version I originally reviewed - sweet incense with a little floral and a lot of citrus - but it's gotten much louder and stronger with age.

[eatingthesea]

first off, let me state that i dislike citrus perfumes. REALLY dislike, with much intensity. this may be the first orange-based scent that i actually enjoy. i wasn't terribly impressed with what i got out of the imp when i first received it, but it's been aging for a few months and i just retried it and... at first, this is a very sweet orange scent. i seem to perceive it as the orange's peel, though, as there's just a sliver of bitterness. this combined with the incense smoke gently wafting through makes the opening of xiuhtecuhtli a bit sour. though i'm surprised that i'm even enjoying a citrusy oil, i'm still thankful that the sweet orange peel phase is a short one. and this is where the scent gets interesting. i've always liked the scent of plumeria, though i realize it's notoriously difficult to get a good replication of the flower's scent. and since i never spent much time in hawaii, i don't know what true plumeria smells like. but, what i perceive to be the "real thing" has always been a much-cherished scent. it's just hard for me to wear. i love heady, warm tropical flowers but sometimes they end up smelling poopy on me. not here. i'm charging the copal with keeping the scent together in a really fascinating way. i know nothing about copal, but i'm willing to bet she's the star here. this scent ends up an incredibly gorgeous, smoky/sweet scent that is like the best of beth's incense blends plus a few drops of precious oils, gifts to the gods. it sort of reminds me of the newish CD scent, aeronwen (and now, looking at the notes, i know why: there's that sweet orange!). so, for those of you who love aeronwen and are lamenting her rapidly approaching departure, xiuhtecuhtli is a great alternative...i can't wait to get a bottle of this one. absolutely sparkling underneath the brooding, slightly malevolent smoke.

 

ETA: co-worker verdict: men's cologne. DABNAMNIT. :*(

Edited July 25, 2008 by eatingthesea

[Iceblink]

Orange rind, plumeria...something bitter about this that I don't like. That smoky quality is making me think of burnt orange peel. Never get involved with an imp whose name you can't spell is my new philosophy.

[taramarie]

On me, Xiuhtecuhtli is straight orange creamsicle. I love it.

[crebbsgirl]

Unfortunately, this one didn't work on me at all. In the bottle it was a very light, but complex scent. A smoky floral, with just a hint of orange. On me, however, all I can smell is the sweet orange and some sort of flower, I can only assume this is the plumeria. I smell like fruity flowers. Not something I typically enjoy. There really isn't any depth of the scent on me. Off to swaps!

[sqwook]

Wet: Orange. LOVE.

 

Dry: Sweet ... orange, I guess, but there's so much more than that going on, and it's not overly hai-i-am-orange. Really nice. It might be slightly too sweet for me, but I'm willing to try it dozens more times to try to figure that out.

 

Actually, I got into BPAL because I was in love with Angel perfume by Thierry Mugler, yet it made my SO's sinuses act up. I was looking for an alternative (being an allegy for your S.O. is NOT GOOD) and discovered BPAL through friends. Now I'm thoroughly addicted. Many compare Xiu to Angel. It's definitely similar. I'm glad I have it -- and glad it got me into BPAL.

[gris gris]

I bought this because of the reviews saying it was like Angel, which I like. Turns out that it does smell like Angel but is pretty much an *exact* dupe of MAC perfume MV3, the one with a black lid. I had that perfume years ago and really liked it, but found it a little too overbearing. Xiuhtecuhtli is much more mellow. To me, this smells like a sexy, murky, creamy, mysterious dark vanillla blend, with a similar feel to Black Opal. Quite "commercial perfumey" yet sultry. I love it!!

Edited October 24, 2008 by gris gris