Tenochtitlan

[sookster]

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

straight sniff from frim this is wrigley's juicy fruit and doublemint gum

upon application this still smells like juicy fruit but with some spice....
the corriander, i believe....while this is probably a lovely blend on some this
is just not anything i desire to smell like *sigh*

[tereshkova2001]

The arid deserts of the Southwest. Warm, dry, and sunny, with the wind carrying a breath of sage and cactus. The amber provides a warm base and the flowers and herbs are deliciously complex. Reminds me of the Southwest, of northern New Mexico and everything that entails. I've never been to Mexico, but this scent is just like our desert.

[cal_steph]

This stuff is simply amazing--I think it might just be my new favorite.

 

I have to admit to having no idea what any of the specific notes smell like (except for the coriander, but I don't smell it at all in this blend), just that the result is indeed, juicy and green. Maybe the slightest bite of a pinkish floral pear lingering in the background.

 

Cozumel, Mexico is my favorite vacation spot ever. This blend reminds me of laying out on a hammock on the empty beaches there, or perhaps a lazy drive around the island in a convertible with the top down. Very evocative.

 

A tiny drop of this on my wrist has a huge throw and lasts for hours.

 

I wasn't expecting this one to be my favorite in the imp pack I ordered, let alone one of my all-time favorites. But I think it is. LOVE.

[Katinka]

Dry, sun-baked desert sweetness -- amazing! I was reminiscing of my sagebrush-filled childhood all day. A 5ml is definitely called for.

[storme]

In the imp: hmmmmm. I can smell the pear, and something like fruit chewing gum like behind it.

 

On me, wet: This really smells like juicy fruit chewing gum, and behind that is some sort of sharp, almost alcoholic note along with the pear. It's very sweet and sugary.

 

On me, dry: thankfully the chewing gum edge dies down, and now there's just some great peary-juiciness and a little bit of spiciness.

 

Verdict: This is pretty similar to Thalia, except with an added weirdness during the wet stage. I don't dislike it, but I might as well not keep it if I have Thalia already.

[Celestyna]

Weird favorite. I have no idea why I like this. It's fruity but not too sweet but still kinda strange. Most fruits don't stay on me too long.

Damn i don't understand it. I want it, though.

I want a lot of it.

I think it's the amber. My skin loves amber.

[draconix]

In the bottle: Er... bubblegum. With a hint of something slightly planty under it... but still, bubblegum?

 

On my skin: Wet, it's bubblegum still... and slightly minty. Like BubbleTape gum. Drying, the bubblegum is going away! Yay! It's not all gone, but I can only smell it if I get really close. Much softer and herbal now. There's something vaguely spiced about it.

 

Final Thoughts: I ended up enjoying this much more than I expected. I don't think I'll wear it very much, but it's not bad at all. I think I'll need a bit more testing with this.

[Medici]

In the imp: What? Cooking spice and floral?

 

Wet: Floral and... damn, what is that? My guess is I'm getting tulip and the previously mentioned coriander, because this is a really strange spiced floral... strange in a really good way though.

 

Drydown: Spices are amping up, again, you could beat me over the head and I couldn't tell you what exactly it is that's making my nose tingle but its doing so very nicely. For a second I thought I got a touch of cinnamon, but my arm's not burning, so that's not a possibility.

 

Verdict: I like it, even if I have no idea what's in it. Everything sort of fuses together on me. It's definitely a summer blend, though - for anyone who appreciates floral with a kick; two thumbs up.

[juniperus]

Bottle: The pear is foremost, wet and juicy, and sweet and fruity. Then the amber.

Wet: Still with the pear. hints of the green in the form of a slight mintyness - the hyssop I assume.

Dry: the sweetness of the pear is still right there. had no idea what epazote was so I went looking, and it's not a general-consensus scent, it's described in different ways by different people (helpful thing, that)..but it may be what's contributing to the sweet in an almost chemical-smelling way. Clearly it doesn't like me. The amber has disappeared for the most part, and no more green has surfaced. Arrgh.

Later: Now, some cilantro. With pear., and the weedy-smelling hyssop and sage bringing up the rear. All with that odd-chemical smell.

This dislikes me. Oh yes.

[pickman's model]

Wet: Cactus pears, tulips and odd herbs. Intriguing.

 

 

Dry:Bright, airy, greenish floral. I get the above things, but with the amber adding a bit of sunniness to it.

 

 

Verdict: This is gorgeous! Fesh, light and perfect for summer. I'm really getting into the wanderlust stuff.

[Zeljana]

I am not a fan of frutiy scents. But this is heavenly! I LOVE this! Pear, herbs and flowers in a perfect harmony. This is aperfect fragrance for summer. I wish everything around smelled like Tenochtitlan. This is warm summer breeze and a pear tree, a basket full of herbs somebody forgot in the flower garden. Just wonderful.

Wish it had a little bit more throw.

[astridclaire]

Imp: It's all about the sweet, sweet pear. Like a pear-flavored lollipop

 

Wet: There's some dryness to this. Like a hot dessert in the background drying out your nostrils when you breathe in. The sweet pear is still there but now there is some greenery with it... and something floral too. Sweet, fruity, herbal, floral, warm, bright... it's amazing.

 

Dry: The pear tones down alot and shares the space with the green and floral notes. Very beautiful and full, it almost smells like agave syrup and makes me want to drink tequila!

 

It doesn't last on me very long though. My skin eats it up, but maybe if I made it into a spray it would stick around longer. It's definitely worth trying.

[Aredhel]

Rating (on skin): 2/5

Summarised in a word or two: Fruity amber.

 

Preconceived notions: ...Huh. I was absolutely positive I'd reviewed this, but apparently not? Anyway, this could go either way. I love amber, and pear can be lovely, but safe and I have problems, and tulip poppy I'm unsure of.

 

In the imp: Amber and sweet pear, with a bit of sage.

 

On skin, wet: Amber and pear in equal amounts; nothing spectacular, and pretty straight-forward. Sage as well, but not such as would ruin this for me.

 

On skin, dry: Warm, fruity amber. Interesting and not at all unpleasant, but not "Wow!"-ing, either. It's a fair bit incensey. An hour or so in, the sage, while floating mostly in the background, starts to lend that odd, plastic/dirty green quality to this, which isn't good.

 

Conclusion/Notes: I love the amber in this, but the pear's a touch too fruity, and the sage a bit too strong.

[nerdcraft]

in the imp:

I don't recognize any of the notes in this, so my first thought is, "what is in this?". There are definitely florals and herbs, and I feel like they're warm and slightly smoky.

wet:

More of the same - floral with a bit of a fruit somewhere in there, some spices, some green-y herbs, with a smoky edge.

dry:

Dry, the spices are most evident (I'm pretty positive my skin amps basically every spice). I still couldn't say for sure what any of the notes were - this is really unique.

 

season: fall

office-friendly? yes

 

overall:

This is an interesting scent. Because of the spices and herbs, which are more savory than sweet to me, this feels like a really "kitchen" scent. I would definitely like this as a room scent, or even as a fancy cleaning spray for the kitchen. I think it would work well on a man, but I could also wear it. The more I sniff it, the more I like it.

[karengypsy]

In the vial: Pear.

 

On me: Pear with a hint of something spicy - maybe a bit of cocoa or chocolate. This scent is really, spectacularly beautiful!

 

Verdict: Total keeper. I want a bottle.

 

Rating: 5/5

[strawberry_star]

This smell really nice. I really love pears and this comes out a lot in this fragrance, it's very sweet but at the same time grounded. It also lasts FOREVER on me. It especially smells nice once it's really faded.

 

But there's a huge "BUT", for some reason that I cannot place, it makes my anxiety act up. I dunno what it is about this scent but even though it smells nice, I actually had a nightmare about it! It's something that I can't place but it's giving me a very bad vibe. I do live in the Southwest and this is a very Southwest sort of scent so that may be why, but this is weird as I have never has such a strange reaction to cause me to not want a scent that I actually like.

[edenssixthday]

Tenochtitlan - In the vial, this is a beautiful, warm and floral blend. On my skin, it lightens up significantly and becomes fairly subtle, but when I sniff it up close after dry-down, it is distinctly herbal and spicy and the floral notes have disappeared. It’s a really nice, warm, and very unique blend, but doesn’t show up well on my skin. I’m hoping it does better in a scent locket, and if that’s the case, I can see myself wearing it often.

[sophia_helix]

Tenochtitlan, you confuse me so.

 

First you are a perfect dupe of Sundew, which naturally has no notes listed. I have no idea what is making that creamy, planty smell in both oils, but I think it might be the opium tulip, since it's sweet and fresh. I like you now, because Sundew is a top-ten favorite.

 

Then... you are Block Buster. Yes, the same juicy, green, baking-spices deliciousness that puts that one into my top-ten favorites. And now I don't feel so crazy for insisting to people that Block Buster made me think of a wet cactus, because hah! Tenochtitlan has prickly pear in it.

 

Either way, you make me happy, although it's kind of weird to have two of my favorites in the same oil. Plus sage.

[euterpe414]

I wish I had gotten an imp of this sooner so I could have ordered a bottle for the summer! It is one of the most refreshing scents that I have tried in a long time. In the imp, it's hard to smell much of anything except an aloe smellperhaps that is because I have been testing a lot of scents lately), however, once it hits my skin, it becomes a lightly spicy scent, mostly pear and sage.

 

I will definetely get a bottle of this at some point, it is so reminiscent of the southwest and will be perfect for when I miss being there!

[luna65]

Thanks to Blood onmy hands for the imp.

 

Imp: Warm and dry. Spicy and sweet. I get more of the amber and the spices, especially the coriander, which is giving me a sort of cocoa reference.

 

Skin: The sage and the hyssop become very prominent with my chemistry. And the epazote is a sharp note as well.

 

Drydown: This is incredibly evocative of the southern desert (I actually lived in the Mojave desert for nearly a decade) in the dry sharpness that develops over time, so I am reminded of being there exactly. And sage is a fairy ubiquitous reference when it comes to that clime. I can dimly make out a hint of the prickly pear and the poppy (?); but I don't get any of the sweetness on me that I smell in the imp, so this would be a nice experiment for a scent locket.

[populuxa]

Wow! This is a scent I almost entirely looked over but I am so pleasantly surprised. It's really invigorating and watery fresh. I'm not expert enough to identify particular notes except the prickly pear that jumps up and says HI!!! Slightly herbal - perhaps even bitter, slightly fruity, resting on a background of powdery amber.

[TrailerTrashPrincess]

impsniff: somewhere between mint gum and shampoo

 

skinsniff, wet: wrigley's doublemint gum and herbal essences shampoo

 

skinsniff, dry: wrigley's doublemint gum (sweet mint) and every shampoo scent i've ever sniffed all mixed together.

 

skinsniff, several hours later: potpourri

 

i didn't think i'd like this at all, but i think i need a bottle!

[Syzygy]

Attend ye now my tale of heartbreak and woe.

 

Tenochtitlan is a marvel of a scent, the very first that showed me just how amazing and complex a perfume can be, the places it can take you. Bubblegum in the vial, it turns to succulent prickly pear on the skin. Then the prickly pear backs off a bit and the sage and florals come through, but not so strongly as to make this all about the flowers. Spicy coriander heats things up around the edges, every so often a little bit of the prickly pear resurfaces, and it's all against a background of low-key amber: the warm, beating heart of the desert in bloom.

 

I adore it. It is, hands down, my favorite BPAL. Signature scent? Holy grail? This is it. This is me. This is what I want to smell like every day. It's not a come-do-me scent by any stretch, but it always got me a lot of lovely attention from a gentleman admirer when I wore it around him, and I think it was because I always felt so good when I wore it, like I was standing in the desert in my most beloved old hiking clothes, watching the sun set over baked earth and gray-green plants with soft-petaled purple flowers, dust on my boots...just happy to be where I wanted to be, and completely comfortable in my own skin. And when you feel that good, people notice. Tenochtitlan is a masterpiece, and I hereby throw my virtual self down to place virtual kisses on Beth's virtual feet for having created it.

 

"Enough of this rhapsodizing!" you say. "You promised heartbreak and woe! Where's the heartbreak and woe?"

 

Here's the heartbreak and woe: A few months ago my doctor changed my thyroid med. It needed to be done, and I feel much better on the new med and dosage. Unfortunately, the change seems to have altered my chemistry, and Tenochtitlan hasn't smelled quite right on me since. It's still nice, but the notes don't behave as they did before (the flowers amp, the prickly pear hides, the coriander is unpredictable), and that perfect harmony is gone. There are other scents I love, but I've yet to find another that resonated with me the way Tenochtitlan did. It seems so odd to be so affected by a perfume, but I am truly unhappy with this loss.

 

Ah, but it was a glorious love while it lasted, and I'll never give up hope that it may someday return.

[fiddledragon]

On me, this is very similar to Tzadikim Nistarim -- I amp hyssop out of all proporion Luckilly, I adore hyssop! The other notes combine with it to make a spicier, sharper TN; I'm assuming that's the coriander and sage. Several times I caught a whiff of something almost smoky, which may be the sage doing something odd. The prickly pear is lost in the fruitiness of the hyssop on me, but would probably be lovely on someone whose chemistry let it come to the front.

[fairy]

For the first few minutes this scent is amazing. Has the amber I love. The warmth. But then a strange spice takes over and I don't do well with spiciness. It almost smells like cinnamon. I like it enough to keep the imp, but don't love it enough to want a bigger bottle.