Tenochtitlan

[fairnymph]

The greatest of all Aztec cities, and capital of their empire. Amber, hyssop, coriander, epazote, Mexican sage, prickly pear and Mexican tulip poppy.

In the bottle: Honey coloured oil. Sweet, slightly fruity, floral and herbal. Prickly pear for sure, and a touch of warmth from amber.

Wet: Much the same, perhaps a bit spicier - coriander, yup - it gives it a citrusy-herbal-kick. The amber and prickly pear combo is sticky, syrupy sweet. The herbs are light, the poppy is maybe a bit smoky as well as heady.

Dry: Still quite sweet, but spicier, almost foody combined with the candyish prickly pear. It's also quite smoky and hot; the amber really provides warmth and is only a touch powdery.

Later: Sweetness fades, amber gets a bit more powdery, floral amps back up again. Only minor morphing, overall, though.

Summary: Fruity, syrupy prickly pear and sweet, mildly powdery amber with spicy coriander and heady, smoky poppy over faint herbs. Hot, spicy, rich. Great throw, good lasting power. Unisex to feminine.

Very FITTING and well blended, but too sweet and warm and spicy for me. Edited June 20, 2008 by Shollin

[mgrazulis]

In the imp: crispy green herbs, prickly pear cactus

 

Wet on the skin: coriander, sage, hyssop. None seem to dominate--they just sing together in a layer of dusty poppy.

 

Drydown: Juicy and natural--like agave nectar spiced up awith a light hit of mint, the resinous epazote weed creeping in the backdrop adds a layer similar to anise.

 

Verdict: This is such a beautiful natural aroma. The scent itself if beautiful with the herbs, cactus and poppy. An extremely light, herbal floral on my skin. Softens very nicely. Reminds me of a beautiful red flower perched atop a succulent cactus pod, blooming in the dry arid Sonora desert washed in grey green sages. Honestly, this smells like nothing I have ever experienced, but has the feel of the desert Southwest. I would definitely use this as a daytime fragrance here in hot humid Texas. I have a lot of affection for this wonderful creation of Beth's!!! I can see a full bottle coming on!

[innocent]

I was hoping to get some of the green herbs that other reviewers got, but on me Tenochtitlan remains aggressively fruity / floral and quite sweet. It's still very pretty - but it does rather remind me of chewing gum (not something I want my perfume to smell like!). That, combined with the fact that it seems to be making me sneeze, means it will probably be swapped or given to a friend.

 

I guess I'll have to stick with actually eating prickly pear fruit, rather than wearing it.

[AEris]

Herbal, fruity, green, juicy, and dry. I'm kind of stumped. It's okay, but rather ordinary.

 

This blend doesn't really appeal to me.

 

2.5 out of 5

[Seismogenic]

First review from my first order! Woo!

So many of the contents of that box were begging to be tried first, but Tenochtitlan won, since I had plans to go to a concert of Mexican music tonight.

 

In the imp: The very first sniff is bright and fruity - the predominant note is, I assume, the prickly pear. It's almost fruit gum, by how sweet it is. But on a second sniff, the herbier/spicer notes become more evident. It's very warm, and I like it so far.

 

Wet on skin: The herbs become much more prominent, though the fruit is still there. It's still warm and sweet, but not gummy anymore.

 

Drydown: I'm definitely recognizing the sage among the spices now, and I think the coriander, too. Pear is still there, as more of a sweet backdrop. Interestingly, I think the whole scent is a little stronger dry than wet. I am admittedly not entirely sure what amber smells like on its own, so I can't tell if it's there or not.

 

Five hours later: It's practically gone. The fading went in stages. At first, the pear became more prominent again, but what's left behind last of all is more dry and herbal. I don't think it's entirely fair of me to say this always fades fast, though, since I was wearing it outside in southern California in July. That's heat enough to stifle anything!

 

End of the day: It's at pretty much the same stage of "practically" gone as it was on the five hour mark. It hasn't really faded any more than that, nor has it changed character.

 

Overall: This is very very nice - I couldn't stop sniffing my wrists all day! The fruit and herbs combination seems absolutely natural and fresh. The combination of herbs smells very much like the desert to me (there was tons of sage in one of my mapping areas in the Mojave!), and the fruit contributes the heat, but also the breeze. This scent also did go quite well with the son jarocho music of the concert I went to - warm and bright, with plenty of spice.

Edited July 17, 2008 by Seismogenic

[brsis]

Initial thoughts: I'm a sucker for the Aztec scents, and hopeful for this since Xiuhtecuhtli turned out to be seven kinds of awesomeness and win. I can't really tell what to expect from this - there are resins, there are spices, there are herbs, fruits and florals. All I know is I'm looking forward to it.

 

In the imp: This is a tricky one - it's very complex. There's a wet freshness underneath which I'm assuming is the prickly pear, a hint of sage, a hint of a floral, something more solid bodied and low-key. Hmm.

 

On the wrist, wet: Hmm... not quite spicy, not quite herbal, but in that ball park. We're definately talking aromatic leaves, with a tingle of coriander. The fruit and floral isn't so pronounced now, except for a slightly sweet almost vanilla-ness. A little bit of warm amber underneath, maybe. Hmm.

 

Twenty minutes later: This is a warm, juicy tropical fruit/floral, backed up by aromatic (but not pungent) herbs and resins. I really, REALLY like this - it's exactly the kind of hot, sweet fruit scent I like - it almost smells like baking fruit.

 

Verdict: Bottle me!

 

Tl;Dr: Hot cooking fruit, sweet tulip poppy and aromatic Mexican herbs.

[forspecial_plate]

I'm not a huge fan of sweet and fruity scents (there are exceptions), so imagine my surprise when I loved this scent. It's funny because I was perusing the reviews, thinking 'that sounds rather nice, I can't believe I haven't tried it yet'. The very next day, I recieved my pending lab order, and this was among the free samples!

 

It does have a major sweet/fruity/almost bubblegum feeling going on, but somehow it manages to also be warm and slightly spicy, I guess because of the herbs and amber. Whatever is going on, I really like it. I could wear this in warm weather but I think it would be extra-scrumptious in the fall. Maybe a bottle candidate? I'll try it a few more times and decide.

[hkhm]

imp: amber and sage with a nice hint of something sweet and fruity (pickly pear perhaps?)

 

wet: this is all sweet fruity amber once applied. far prettier than i would have expected.

 

dry: very sweet fruity scent with a spicy amber backdrop. i'll be getting a bottle of this one.

[Delirium1009]

In bottle/imp: Sweet fruitiness and spices.

 

Immediately on skin: This is an interesting scent. It’s a mix of sweet prickly pear and poppy with earthy spices over that. It has this odd rubbery type of note in it… not in a bad way really, but almost like it’s a thick paste laid over the pear and poppy. This is a warm blend with a lot of amber as well.

 

After a little while: This blend is so warm now. It has a base of golden amber with the coriander and sage blending in and then the sweetness of the prickly pear and poppy over that. This isn’t a fruity blend, but more of a sweetened, smooth and spiced amber blend with touches of poppy.

 

Overall Impressions: This is a very nice amber blend. This blend actually reminds me of Pumpkin IV 2007, which is pumpkin with cactus blossom, sage, and sweetgrass. It has a similar sort of feel, except the amber here replaces the pumpkin which gives the blend a softer type of feel. This is very pretty, with soft spices and touches of the prickly pear and tulip poppy. A very nice golden blend for sure.

[zankoku_zen]

This was a soft, gentle tropical blend with a slight amber/powdery base. I get hints of coriander here and there.

Edited February 10, 2009 by zankoku_zen

[sqwook]

Wet: Smells like a candystore - sugary/fruity/sweet

 

Dry: A warm scent. Sweeter than I'd have thought given the notes.

On my own, I'd hang on to this one but unfortunately my SO seems to be allergic - perhaps the tulip/poppy?

[cherryontop]

I'm mystified. This isn't fruity at all to me. Extremely sweet and WHOA FLORAL! I don't do big-time florals well, so I'll be passing this one off.

[femmefatale]

At first this is sweet and juicy, very tropical feeling. As it starts to dry down something warm and slightly peppery comes out. Surprisingly the amber isn't drowning everything else out. It very well balanced. Not too sweet, too floral, too fruity, or too spicy. This is the scent for floral or fruit haters who still want something summery and tropical.

I like this a lot more than I expected to and I have a feeling it will get worn a lot this summer.

[Saya]

In the Imp

The pear immediately jumps out at me. This is a very dry scent so far, it must be due to the herbal notes in the oil. Wet it’s a bit too sweet for my tastes so I hope it changes a bit once it dries.

 

On My Skin

This reminds me of the pear lotion that Victoria’s Secret carries. It’s a bright, sweet scent but fortunately something about my skin chemistry has dampened the sweet element.

 

After a Bit

Three hours later and this blend is close to my skin and seems to be fading a bit. It’s still a dry, light blend and now none of the notes is taking center stage. It’s herbal with a touch of sweet pear which is blending together beautifully.

 

Rating 1-5 (5 being the best)

Scent - 3.5 Throw - 2 Longevity – 2.5

Overall (not an average) – 3.3

 

Final thoughts

I think I’ll give this one a full wear to see if it’s bottle worthy. I like that it’s light enough that I can wear it to work without worrying and it doesn’t have any smells that others typically find offensive. So far I like it, but I’ll use my imp up before I purchase a bottle just to make sure.

[undream]

wow, this is gorgeous. i can smell the pear right out of the imp; it's a very light, fruity scent. once on, it warms up and becomes spicier. the first thing my boyfriend said when i had him sniff me was mmmmm. you smell like christmas! and he is absolutely right!! it is that very trademark spicy christmas scent, spot on, and it is so so beautiful. i am happy i waited until the holidays to try this.

[ouch!]

This is a really unusual blend and smells nothing like what I thought it would. First off this is sweeeeet. Really sweet like bubblegum. It smells like it might have lotus or something in it. It's a very sweet floral, and there's lots of fruit here too.

 

Once the sweetness dies down a bit this is where the green side of the scent comes forward, it smells dry and green. I'm guessing this is the sage/herb element.

This is almost a complete 180 on how it started out.

Not sure I like the dry stage as much, Its similar to the drydown of Pumpkin IV from 2007..the sage and cactus is predominent when it's dry.

[FallDaze]

Initial thoughts -> I'm expecting something spicy/smokey with some desert bloom-ish qualities going on.

 

imp-> The poppy is quite pronounced, but mixes gorgeously with the prickly pear and an undercurrent of sage.

 

wet-> On it smells exactly like it smelled in the imp. Mainly poppy and sage with the prickly pear swirling about. No amber to mess everything up! yay! Rich, warm and exotic.

 

after a while -> It's very soft and exotic, but it starts going dusty...

[rayvn1]

Hello tropical flowers and fruit. I was a bit worried when I firt put this on that it would be the scent of fruit flavored gum like some reviews have mentioned. It's already changing though, and I get a peppery note coming through. It's cooling down and becoming a watery juice blend with some spice. Strange.

Finally it turns into a light, pale celadon green smell. Very strange and airy. Can't say it's really a keeper.

[septima_pica]

::Finds imp of Tenochtitlan labeled "2006"::

Internal monologue: "Hmm. Interesting. I wonder why I've still got this around, I guess I never managed to swap it. I should try it and see if it's aged into anything interesting. It had, like, tuna-fruit and epazote, right?"

::applies, generously::

"Hmm, sweet and sagey. I wonder what else is in here?"

::reads notes online::

"Oh no...!"

 

Amber is a sneaky bastard. It smells like nothing much at first, just a faint golden resinousness, but then as it reacts with my skin it gradually escalates into rancid sour-milk foulness over the course of about 15 minutes. And indeed, there it goes...aaaaargh...aging won't save you now...

 

ETA: Kalirren's review will be up here soon as well, and may be substantially more positive. Just for the record.

Edited January 26, 2009 by septima_pica

[Ajila]

In the bottle – Something sweet and sickly. Does prickly pear smell like pears? Because, if so, that’s what I think it is

 

Wet on me – Again that almost fruity sweetness, but tempered by something floral and something bitter

 

Dry on me – It settles to a sweet, but not foody, dry musk

 

Overall – Actually, I like this a lot more than I anticipated. I don’t think I’ll need a bottle, but I’ll certainly hold on to my imp

 

[Bluestocking]

In the imp: Sweeter and more fruity/floral than I expected, as I'm mostly getting the amber what I assume are prickly pear and tulip poppy. I get a little bit of sharpness from the hyssop, but the other herbs are far in the background. It's a lively, sweet, warm fragrance, possibly a bit golden.

On, wet: Still a resinous, fruity combination of amber and prickly pear, but now the sage and hyssop and coriander are rising up, green and herbal, adding a lot of crisp freshness, like they've just been crushed underfoot. This smells like a desert, with scrubby, spiny plants and dust and hot sun. The tulip poppy has backed off a bit, but I still smell it in the background, sweet and lightly floral.

On, dry: The scent of dry desert breezes, carrying the aromas of juicy prickly pear and sweet wildflowers and distant fresh green herbs. The amber is beneath and surprisingly subdued; it's just giving everything a sweet, warm, golden glow. This has a lightness and freshness that amber scents don't always have.

Later: The herbs are gone, but the amber, prickly pear and tulip are perfectly blended into a fruity-sweet-floral. It smells like honeyed pear nectar!

Overall: I probably never would have picked this one on my own, but I got it as a frimp and I'm very happy with it. I expected something herbal and dry, but the combination of the prickly pear and tulip poppy makes this actually quite juicy and vibrant. It's a fruity, bright, hot weather scent, sweet but not heavy, and it's perfect for summer.

 

 

[kjirstiben]

This goes on a little herbal and floral -- I'm pretty sure I'm smelling the prickly pear at this point because it smells resoundingly familiar to me, like desert vegetation (I lived in Tucson, AZ for a year, and this is like that). It's an herbal but tangy scent.

 

After an hour, the fruity scent has turned candy-sweet, now -- as seems to be normal on my skin, the candy-fruit scent is amping like crazy and taking over everything else.

 

However, after a while longer, the candy scent does tone down, and the scent becomes a warm amber with some unusual spices. Then the fruit disappears completely. I love this final stage, but I'm not sure if it's worth it to me to make it through the watermelon Jolly Ranger-amping stage in order to get here. Hmmm.

 

Recaplet: Desert vegetation, a candy stage, then spiced amber--quite a morpher!

My rating: 3 of 5 (Nice enough.)

Color impression: Pink and sage green.

[Eutectic]

The lab has me buying another bottle with a frimp. Go lab!

 

In the bottle--I get the bubblegum reference with the bottle sniff but there is more beyond this top note that caught my attention. A richness perhaps, the amber maybe?

 

Wet--Oh my, the pear is wet, juicy and fresh. Not too cloying and settling down fast. The herbs are coming out more making the pear less strident and setting the ground for the amber which is picking up more strength as it dires.

 

Dry--amber and herbs but not herby. The herbs give the amber and distant pear a bit of a backbone so this scent isn't just sweet. The pear is still there but subtle and beautiful. This is going to be a bottle purchase for certain. I love falling for GC's!!!

[bubblefish]

In the imp it smells slightly sour, though I can't pinpoint what sort of sour thing it is that I'm smelling. On my skin the smell opens up into sour citrus, before the sourness completely fades and it's this pleasant blend of scents with a definite bit of that prickly pear in there. Just as I'm starting to enjoy it, it fades out on me and I don't really smell anything anymore.

[blacklacestatic]

In the Imp: Sweet, yet spicy with something kind of odd smelling in the background. I'm not sure what it it, or if I like it.

 

Wet On Skin: Dusty herbs and a slight whiff of something baking. A hint of flowers. It gets a bit creamier, sweet. I like it a lot. Soft fruits with spice. Definitely sweet.

 

Drydown: Spicy pears. It's soft though. It reminds me of a much softer Frumious Bandersnatch. MUCH softer. It's very pretty. I think I might be in love.

 

Overall: I wasn't sure what to expect here. I don't know what most of the notes smell like individually, but together they are heavenly. I'm very pleasantly surprised.