Tenochtitlan

[yakiguri]

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

If you were to mix orchid with a generic Christmas spice candle, you would get Tenochtitlan...or at least that's how it goes on my skin. :/ The juicy fruits and lush florals at the beginning burn off pretty quickly (less than half an hour) and now I'm left with a flat Mrs. Grose minus the interesting bits.

[milo]

Very fruity and spicy at first. I'm wondering what the spice is, kind of like cinnamon, but not really. The oil is a reddish orange color, too, quite pretty. I like this, it's fun, kind of sexy. I could imagine wearing this for a night on the town. It reminds me also of dbr blends, bold and commanding. I think I'll make good use of this imp..

[OneEyeAskew]

In the bottle, it conjured an open-air herb market with dusty spices and stalls full of scarves with bells and bright thread.

 

On my skin, it quickly turned to potpourri. Very pungent potpourri.

 

Oh well. Not for me, then.

[SophieCedar]

How have I not reviewed this yet?

 

On me, this is a beautiful perfect subtle clean-burning Japanese incense. Sweet, not overpowering. Nice warm resin base, wafts of cactus green and a touch of floral.

[DiesMali]

In the imp: OMG! Prickly pear fruit! It actually smells like prickly pear fruit!

 

Wet on my skin: Prickly pear with poppy and glittery spices.

 

Dry: This is a light, somewhat faint blend on me, but oh so pretty. It doesn't change a whole lot, and remains mostly sweet cactus fruit and poppy with those glittery spices. It's orange-red and gold in colour, and literally glittery. I'm a fan of prickly pear fruit (I gather them off the cacti in my garden every year), so wearing it is actually pretty nice since it does smell like the real thing. The spices are almost cinnamon-like, but not quite. Actually, they're nicer than cinnamon, and not as overpowering as that note can sometimes be. Very pretty! I'm not sure about a bottle since it is fairly light and I prefer stronger scents, but I may just go for more imps.

[Veronica]

This is delicious and tropical. Sweet pear over a creamy base with a hint of spices.

[elinox]

First Sniff: Jungle flowers and fresh lime.

 

Initial Wet Application: Jasmine and heady flowers.

 

Dry Down (first 15 minutes): The first sniff was interesting, but the wet application leaves something to be desired. It’s already seems to be fading fast!

 

My Reaction: I thought the scent was fading, but it came back to the flowers. The amber is strong and makes this seem ‘thick’ as a scent. I’m still getting strong jungle flowers too which I don’t particularly care for.

 

Rating: 1

[Naomi Kelsey]

The first scent I've gotten a compliment on (from a stranger!). She asked "is that essential oils you're wearing?"

 

In the bottle: a fresh, slightly green, slightly bitter scent with a sweet edge.

On skin initially: oh dear, it smells like A&D ointment (must be the Epazote). It varies wildly between A&D ointment and aloe type scent, finally drying down to a soft, greenish gold amber scent with a sweet edge.

Complete dry down: soft, pear scented amber with a slight cottony smell. Just lovely. That A&D period can be offputting but once it passes through that stage, it's just lovely.

[freyasfae]

Oh, definitely a summer spice - a little sharp, but still light and herby with a touch of floral.

[Casablanca]

I feel like I'm following freyasfae around in my reviews, hehe.

 

Bottle: This one has more notes I've never smelled than ones I have. But mostly I get a sense of dry sage and wet cactus pulp. This is different.
Wet: Prettier on my skin. There's coriander, and what seems like the cactus pear and a floral, and possibly the same amber note as in Machu Picchu. This makes me think of the Sonoran desert.
Dry: More coriander, like out of a Mexican hot cocoa, but otherwise... a curious scent from which I can identify nothing.

Fun place to visit. Haven't worked out if I want to live here.

[LizziesLuck]

I'm expecting (almost hoping) for this to be a really unusual, unique scent, based on the listed notes.

 

 

Wet: Cough syrup! Uhhh...? No, cinnamon! Bubble gum? What the heck is that epazote? That's the only note in this I have never smelled before. Google says it's a tea that is an "acquired taste", and some say it tastes like gasoline or kerosene. That's not what I am getting here. I'm getting lots of sweetness, from the amber. some fruitiness now from the pear, I guess. Something almost spicy/minty?? This is interesting, for sure. Not what I was expecting. It does smell very tropical though now, at this point.

 

 

Dry: Sweet, fruity, spicy. DIFFERENT. I don't get any of the sage (which I am fine with), just this unusual, lush, tropical scent. I guess it might fit into the category of fruity-floral. It's hard to describe. Not sure if I could ever see wearing it, but really glad to have tried it!

[Mermaid-on-Land]

Sniffing the imp, this smells cool, with a very desert-like vibe, I definitely get the impression of the Sonoran desert, or perhaps New Mexico. On application, at first it didn't really stand out to me. It was pear-like, but very very faint. Barely there pear lol. But the longer I wore it, the more the distinct qualities of this scent came out. In about an hour, it was quite a bit stronger and the notes were all there. Odd since its usually the opposite on me, it starts strong and loses throw over wear time. I really liked the coriander, which added a lovely savory bite! I got a tiny bit of the poppy when I knew to look for it. Hyssop has been quite faint on scents in the past so I didn't notice that really. And I'm not familiar with epazote but I think that might have given the scent it's particular southwestern, Sonora desert vibe. The scent picture is a vibrant fuchsia and orange sunset over a desert, saguaro cactuses and mesas in the distance. I liked it and will wear it once or twice again to see if I think it's "me". I live in a desert and am generally not a huge fan (120 degree weather ) but I really quite liked this scent!

[torikitty]

Imp straight from the lab.

In the tube:something is making this obnoxiously sweet and cloying. I would have initially passed over it.

Wet:grassy, bright, happy, little spicy, sweet without being overpowering. I can smell a bit of the hyssop.

Drydown: the dry deserty grasses coming out, sweetness is going away

Dry: minty, sweet becomes slightly powdery, like hanging out in a sunny, dry field during sundown

[Lucchesa]

This is quite lovely, nicely balanced between fruit, floral and herbal. Wet the fruit and floral notes are strongest, and the herbs start to emerge on dry down. It doesn't last long on me, though. Very pleasant but not a home run.

[donkehpoo]

Wet: There's a lot going on here, and it's hard to pick out certain notes. A mix of... herbal, floral, and spice.

 

Dry: My skin has mostly eaten this. There's something warm and floral going on, but no particular note is standing out.

Decent, just not for me.

Edited June 16, 2018 by donkehpoo

[achildoftime]

The prickly pear note seems to be standing out the most, which I'm both surprised and excited by. I love the note in general, and it's so rarely used ever that I'm very happy to pick it up. I get a lot of hyssop, too, and a bit of sage greenery. This is a very juicy and fresh scent for me, which I enjoy.

[doomsday_disco]

In the imp: Herbs and flowers. I'm not familiar with a lot of these notes, so I won't be able to pinpoint exactly what I'm smelling. The only note I'm sure I'm smelling in the imp is the hyssop.

 

Wet: Ah, there's the amber! I wasn't smelling it in the imp, but it was the first note to leap out at me once applied, backed by the hyssop, and the other herbs and flowers. The amber in this is a light, golden variety. Then, there ends up being a spicy quality to this (but not cinnamon) and a bit of a fruity vibe (is that the prickly pear)? And the floral aspect is beginning to become more prominent.

 

Dry: Amber, spice, florals, herbs, and a bit of prickly pear. By this point, the scent is rather light.

 

Verdict: This one is pleasant, probably the most pleasant of all of the scents I've tested today, but... it still didn't really grab me. So while it's nice, I doubt I'd ever reach for it.

[TrailerTrashPrincess]

i dunno if this was discontinued or if it is just out of stock.

 

another one i held on to for years because it almost worked. but just not quite.

 

on me it settles into something halfway between Penny Dreadful and "craft store" ... you know that kinda generic craft store smell, that's part unfinished wood, paper, artificial flowers, hints of potpourri, and whatever it is that makes those stores tend to smell faintly similar no matter if they're chain stores or not?

 

it is a lot nicer than i'm probably making it out to be. a little warm, a lot like balsa wood, and something my brain wants to call sugared dirt, which might sound gross to you but it smells amazing to me.

[monocainsheresy]

Well this is a lot of notes I've never encountered before  My comparison would be generic craft store honey + apple candle. There's something in the background that's almost aquatic/medicinal, which I'm going to say is the poppy because it smells an awful lot like opium.

[niffler]

In the imp: Sweet, fruity, a bit spicy. The prickly pear is incredibly juicy, while the other flowers and herbs blend seamlessly together and hide behind it. Maybe someone with a more precise nose could pick out notes, but all I get is prickly pear. 

On my skin: Initially, all prickly pear, bubblegum sweet. Then suddenly coriander and sage join the party just before it dries… whoops, and they’re gone. The result is prickly pear potpourri on me. Sadness, because I adore the smells of coriander and epazote. Oh well. 

[deadlyves]

I don't care that we aren't even through round one of the Tournament of Underdogs, this is my pick for the winner. I love this blend, it's one of my go to summer scents, though I love it year round.

 

The main note on me is a soft, sweet prickly pear that lasts from the bottle to dry down. Sage and amber come in to add an herby, warm, full scent to it. There's a slight floral sweetness added to the fruit, but it never gets overly sweet. The other notes are present wrapping it all up, but I can't pick them out individually except maybe some of the poppy adding some density.

 

This is finding shade and a refreshing bit of fruit on a hot, dry day. It is the first step out into a desert summer, when the heat still feels like a refreshing break from a chilly interior, before becoming worn out from the heat. 

[Zorra]

This is a strange one on me. From the imp I don't smell much, just something fruity kind of fresh. On my skin at first I smelled nothing, so I applied more. Then it was the same fresh fruitiness that I got from the imp. And then the fruitiness seemed to decide to a soft cinnamon apple? Well it must be the prickly pear, but why is my mind translating it to soft cinnamon apple? I can't blame it on any of the other notes, it must be my weird nose or mind. Or perhaps it's the age of my imp?

 

It is a nice scent, I would take the imp with me on vacation. But I don't expect I would want a bottle of it once I finish the imp.

[VetchVesper]

I swear, this one just smells like apples and cinnamon to me at first. 

 

Ok, now it's pears and cinnamon, with a teeensy hint of something floral.  (The oil is bright red, which is fun.   )  It's continuing to morph, and now the pears and the poppy have blended to a bright, fruity floral and I can tell the spice isn't quite cinnamon.  It's got a sharp, dry bite to it though.  Perhaps that's the epazote?  I can't really separate the herbal notes.  I think the amber is just lending a touch of arid warmth to the whole.

 

This isn't really in my wheelhouse as something I'd wear much, but it is pretty.  The dry, spicy bite mixing with the bright juiciness makes for an interesting combo.  Glad I revisited it, but my vote's for Paramatman!  #tournamentofunderdogs

[IoPan]

Tenochtitlan:

 

Wet: A lush, fruity fragrance with just a hint of spicy-woodsy undertones. I’m assuming the fruity impression comes from the hyssop and prickly pear merging. As it moves toward drydown, the amber comes through.

 

Dry: Settles into a very juicy yet floral fragrance. I suppose this must be the prickly pear taking center stage. There is just enough warmth from the amber and bitterness from the sage and epazote to keep it from becoming a one-note fragrance.

 

After 30 minutes: Fades pretty quickly on me, barely detectable even with my nose pressed against my skin. It’s still pleasant, but very faint.

[skyturtles]

Not what I was expecting - this is nice!

Wet, I get herby spices held together by a floral sweetness. I swear it makes sense and blends beautifully. I keep sniffing my wrist because everytime I do, I get something different.I agree with others' opinions on it being juicy, and also potpourri-esque. It is dry brush meets winter candle meets some herbs you just snipped from the garden. I think one of the reasons that I'm enjoying it so much is that there are a lot of notes here that you don't see very often. It's unique and different and fun. Yay!

I do think this qualifies as a winter scent - not a snowy winter, but festive nonetheless. I'll want a bottle for next year methinks.