Tenochtitlan

[Meg]

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: Mostly pear, I think.

Wet: I get sage and other herbs, with an aquatic tart fruity note.

Drydown: It becomes deeper and a bit spicier. There are herbs that I don't know, and I can smell amber. The pear has gone to the background, and I get a slight floral that might be the poppy. I get all kinds of unknown herbs popping up, very distinct but indescribable. The pear comes and goes with aquatic notes, and then becomes quite sweet and syrupy.

Overall: It smells... southern. I've never been to Mexico, but I have the impression of smelling old stones covered in various local herbs, with trees with overripe fruit hanging around in the background. It makes me think of a really hot climate, and it actually turns quite perfumy and rich from the amber after a while. A pretty blend, though I'm not a huge fan of the pear, that smells a bit like the BPAL lotus on me. Edited August 15, 2006 by Meg

[kraken]

In the Imp: It smells like a sweet herbal concoction. Not floral, but sort of like a fruity mint. It reminds me of something I can't put my finger on. Maybe it's the sage... okay, it reminds me of driving through the desert of Eastern Washington at night with the windows rolled down. There's a sagey smell mixed with new green fields of peppermint.

 

Initial Wet: The amber really comes out on me though there's an undertone of sweetness. The mintiness is still there, but fading.

 

Initial Dry: Amber and sage with just a hint of spice. And the floral is peeking out a bit. It's definitely a crisp, desert green scent (as opposed to a forest green scent).

 

Drier Dry: Gone. Except for the barest hint of amber. My skin ate this one in about an hour.

[QueenFae]

This is lighter and sweeter than I had envisioned it would be. On my skin, it's predominantly tulip poppy and amber, which is indeed a lovely combination. I suppose I would classify it as a floral, but the amber and prickly pear gives it a little hint of creaminess/foodiness. Very light and pretty, but may be nice on a guy as well. A very nice, yummy scent.

[steffanina]

Tenochtitlan-

 

In Bottle: Sweet and fruity; I think I smell pear.

 

Wet: Fruity again, and if there's pear it's subtle and pretty.

 

Dry: A pretty fruit-floral scent--not as fascinating as some, but nice.

 

Overall: Nice, not really exciting.

[PilotKitten]

Ugh... not sure what it is in this one that I don't like... possibly the sage, but this is just horrible on me. I can't even explain what it is about it that I don't like really. It smells plain... and what doesn't smell plain, smells slightly rancid. Teaches me to try out a scent I can't even pronounce, lol.

[supremegoddessofall]

Now this is pretty. It has a spicy feel, but there's a sweetness from the pear and the poppy, and everything is swimming in amber.

[tempestteapot]

Oh this is a definate yum! I got the prickly pear and then something that just smacks 'desert blooms' to me. Maybe it's just the prickly pear amping up but I'm liking it a lot.

[jasmine]

On the wand and on my skin, there's an immediate rush of red, slightly alcoholic fruitiness that is very appealing. The sweetness notches up sharply until it is outright candylike, but then it starts to settle back after a moment.

 

As the candy sweetness fades, which takes only a short matter of time, a low cocoa note flows in, and this becomes a subdued, slightly hollow scent. The hollowness seems like a pale musk variant, but the description denies musk, so I have no clue. The burst of red has gone away. There seems to be a flower above the fruit, but it's all very subdued, now, and so it is becoming more difficult to be certain what I detect -- particularly since I wouldn't know half the ingredients by smell if they bit me on the nose.

 

What is certain is that it's rather elegantly done. Simultaneously, it does not seem exotic to me, yet it is impossible for me to place the elements. It has a dry, healthy quality about it -- projecting an impression that is slightly aloof, yet down to earth all at the same time. It's pretty, yet still seems unisex.

 

Given time, Tenochtitlan goes from "subdued" to "incredibly subdued". It lasts well, but its presence is so slight that I would never expect anyone else to pick it up if I were wearing it. I was initially quite drawn to Tenochtitlan, and I would love it if it had retained the exuberant grace of those first few moments, but it didn't hold up to its first promise. I don't think that I am likely to wear this again.

[GlowJob]

I'm not going to do a full review on this but let me just add-blech!

Smells way too artificial...too perfume smelling,ya know what I mean?The touch of pear is the only thing keeping me from feeling sick when I smell this.If you like sophisticated old lady perfume,this is for you!A reminder why I hate anything floral...

[nancybridget]

Ah, to my sniffer this is a spicy, tropical goodness. Milky and some clove lingering there. Yum!

[maijasu]

I really love this in the imp--sweet, herbal, and beautiful. Unfortunately, something goes horribly awry once it hits my skin, and it just smells "off." Luckily, it fades within an hour.

[PirateMaggie]

I really can't say enough nice things about Tenochtitlan. Wet, it's mostly sweet prickly pear jam with bare hints of sage and amber. This is nice in and of itself, but upon drydown Tenochtitlan gets even better. The prickly pear is still predominant, still jelly-like (prickly pear jelly is a treat), the epazote, sage, and coriander give a dry green desert herbal hint to keep the prickly pear from becoming cloying while the poppy gives the blend a heady quality and the amber makes the whole thing warm and glowing. I'm picturing a summer sunset over Guadalajara, shared with a lover.

 

This blend stays interesting; it's complex and warm and comforting, sweet but not cloying. I'm reminded of Rapture in that afterglow quality, though they don't share any notes save amber, but Tenochtitlan lasts a lot longer. Another winner.

[maribouquet]

Woo! This is bubble gum sweet in the imp with a hit of something pungent that I think is coriander, and/or possibly the epazote. It calms down a bit as it dries, but it is still too cleaning-fluid sweet on me.

 

I am intrigued by the dry, spicy notes underneath though - really unique.

[The_Merf]

In the imp: Bubblegum? Maybe this is coming from the pear, which I always consider a very sweet note, but I don't really think that's the source. I admit that I'm really unfamiliar with a lot of the notes in this blend, so this review probably won't be as helpful as others.

 

Wet: It still smells almost 100% like bubblegum.

 

Drydown and wear: The bubblegum smell goes away and leaves a very light and powdery drydown of amber and something herby (sage? coriander?). I don't get much floral--perhaps it was the floral note that gave the scent its bubblegum edge? This does remind me too much of blends with lotus to keep the imp.

[filigree_shadow]

I'm not sure what most of these notes smell like, but whatever I'm smelling, I like it. It's pretty, soft, and very slightly sweet. It doesn't smell herby or floral like I thought it might, it's just a good lovely scent. It's smooth, and gently spicy in the drydown.

 

This one seems like it'll be a good scent for summer.

[lapillus]

In bottle: Fruity sweetness

 

Wet: Brown fruity sweetness.

 

Dry: Brown fruity sweetness with some herbs to make things nice and interesting. Warm, but not hot. Juicy and maybe heading towards overripe but not there yet.

 

Later: Stays pretty much the same once it hits maturity with a bit more amber coming out.

 

Summary: Nice, interesting but not really me. I may try it as a room scent as it is very evocative and I like the smell.

[Sistinas]

a review of Tenochtitlan

 

Vial ~ sweet and fruity but not cloying

 

Wet ~ the scent does not change much from what I picked up from the vial,

so far this does not bode well for me as it is too sweet. Hopefully the

amber will show up.

 

Drying ~ The sweet scent is starting to temper and I am starting to pick

up more of the coriander and sage

 

Dry ~ The amber has finally poked out and the scent has changed quite a

bit. Tenochtitlan has morphed from this sweet fruity scent to a warm,

lightly spicy scent, I am so surprised.

 

Fade ~ This is going to be a scent that I might need to slather as the

scent has faded, but at least it has not completely disappeared. I am

still picking up slight traces of the fragrance and I do like it alot.

 

Final thoughts ~ I really did not have much hope for Tenochtitlan when

I first tried it out. As it has dried and changed,it really has become

a fragrance that I could wear year round. On a scale of 1 to 5 -> 4

[ariosa]

Sweet, spicy pear, warmed by amber. It's sweet, but not cloyingly so. I don't get a lot of florals from this, though I'm not terribly familiar with the florals used in this scent, so maybe they're such that work with me, rather than against me! (ie. rose and muguet, my nemesis notes!) It doesn't last an incredibly long time on me, as my skin eats up the scent after about an hour or two, but it's one I'm going to enjoy finishing the imp of!

 

ETA, March 31, 2007: I LOVE THIS scent! It's light and sweet without being overbearing, just a touch spicy, and perfect for a sunny day. I think I'll be getting a big bottle of this for spring/summer.

Edited March 31, 2007 by ariosa

[astarinel]

In the imp, a bit sweet and fruity with a touch of warmth.

 

On, it warms up a lot (my skin also tends to amp amber). Like many other reviewers, I'm not terribly familiar with the individual scents that went into this blend other than the amber, so I can't pick out any single notes. It stays vaguely sweet, in a fruity way, but not too sweet.

 

As it dries, it blends well into this warm sweet fruity floral spicy thing that I adore. It doesn't have a lot of throw, but lasted a long time on me. Even the sweet notes, which tend to be the first to disappear into the ether, hung around for a while and stayed soft and gentle.

 

This is one of the ones I perpetually debate buying a bottle of. Do I need a bottle of it? Does it fill a niche I haven't filled? Don't I have enough perfume already, dammit?

 

But I may break down and pick it up in my next order.

[dorothy humbird]

First wear: "This smells like pear tart! Yummmmm...!"

 

Second wear: "Hm. I'm getting an air freshener vibe... maybe I'll come back to you later."

 

A few tries more, and I have resolved my qualms with the questionable air-freshenerness. Tenochtitlan is so warm, and sweet, yet with hints of spices underneath and the smoothness of amber to ground it that I can but love it. The pear is quite prominent, but it is made more interesting with the tulip poppy and the epazote to shake things up.

 

I wear Tenochtitlan when I want something a little fun, a little bright, and a little comforting.

[porcelina]

bottle: all i smell is the prickly pear. it's juicy and sweet.

 

wet: i love this. it smells like warm wind (i'm sure the amber helps with this) and flowers and yes, i still pick up on the yummy prickly pear.

 

dry: as it dries it just gets warmer and more pleasant, with sweet florals (and i don't typically enjoy florals!) and an herbal spiciness. it is dusty in a good way (not necessarily powdery). i really really love it. maaaarrrrvelous!

[violet_twilight]

I tried this at my friend's house and wow! I got a 5 mL. A deeply sweet, beautiful, ripe red prickly pear. Heady. Doesn't fade fast. At first and last sniff (from the bottle to my skin) I don't get anything but prickly pear, and prefer it that way! Up there with Bordello in my top two!

Edited May 4, 2007 by violet_twilight

[n1k1ta]

Honestly, I'm not having much luck with the South American perfumes. They die very quickly on me. Unfortunately, Tenochtitlan was no different.

 

The little time I did get to partake in Tenochtitlan was wonderful ambery tulips. I did catch an herb note from the sage, coriander and epazote.

 

If this line of South American perfumes would last on me, I'd be so happy! I've enjoyed each one. Perhaps it's time to invest in a perfume pendant...

[Naamah_Darling]

I can't pin this one down . . . green and floral, but faintly spicy.

 

Once applied, it becomes more clearly a clean, breezy sage and greenery scent, very light, with the sweetness of what I assume is the epazote. (From Wikipedia: "Epazote's fragrance is strong, but difficult to describe. It has been compared to citrus, petroleum, savory, mint, and putty.") It's a round, herbal scent with a strong sweetish mien. The spice is coriander, and grows stronger and stronger as the scent warms up.

 

This is beautiful. At once juicy and spicy, airy and earthy, it's a truly elemental scent. It is also very difficult to describe accurately. The notes are unusual enough that this doesn't smell much like anything else.

 

The amber here is a moderately strong golden amber, and it almost completely disappears between the strength of the herbs and the spice. It gives the scent its body, but isn't the dominant note. Beautiful. Rich and bright and beautiful.

[Jenesis]

I would absolutely love this if I could get the spiced pear that others get

 

On me, it's not offensive, it's not bad-smelling, it's just... meh. A pleasant scent, but it neither matches my character nor captures my imagination.

 

I'm getting a bright, yellow fruitness from this, with a green, slightly floral background.

Edited December 30, 2007 by Shollin