Machu Picchu

[oceangirl]

Sweet tropical fruits burst through deep, wet rainforest boughs, enormous steamy blossoms, over thin mountaintop breezes, mingled with the soft, rich golden scent of Peruvian amber.

In the imp: Woodsy, with a wet overtone. Like a, dare I say it? Rainforest.

Wet: Fruity, but with no definite type. Still a hint of green in the background too.

Dry: A scent sort of like fabric softener comes out. I shall call it the breeze smell. It adds nicely to the overall tropical sense. Still green, but now with added florals, too!

If you've ever wondered what a perfect rainforest smelled like, get this. It's like how a commercial for a eco-vacation should smell. If that makes sense. I like it, but I'm not in love it. We shall see.

[girlmadasbirds]

fruity & breezy! great summer scent

[Blood onmy hands]

First on, Machu Picchu is fruity like sno-cones and fresh like dryer sheets. It's an odd combination, and the clean smell is just a bit too harsh and soapy for my liking.

 

After 15 minutes, the dryer sheet smell has softened and this is more floral and aquatic on me. The flowery smell is sweet and not perfumey at all, it's a floral that's actually not giving me a headache.

 

An hour into wearing and this is a very lovely and not too specific scent. It's more of a clean fragrance than it is anything else, but I can definitely smell florals, aquatics, and fruits here as well. I don't like that it smells fruity, but I can't think of any fruit that it actually smells like. It's anonymously floral and fruity.

 

Machu Picchu is a nice scent, but it's just not me. It smells clean and bland on me. It doesn't remind me of a rainforest so much as it reminds me of doing laundry.

[LiberAmoris]

I love the first twenty minutes of Machu Picchu, but then it goes bananas. Literally. After twenty minutes it smells just like bananas, which is not one of my favorite notes. I'm so sad, as the outset is so fruity and tropical with a touch of ozone and is perfect for summertime.

[madelf]

This is very breezy and fresh. There is a wetness to the scent that is very pleasant. I didn't get much fruit, but there is an underlying sweetness that hints at it. Overall, this is a pretty, clean scent.

[maewitch]

This was too strong out of the bottle and wet on my skin; I could smell the amber and nothing else. Drying down, I can pick up something else in here, something just a touch verdant and tropical. I really don't get fruit from this, except perhaps as an overall sweetness.

 

Further on the dry down, I get more of the 'breezy' factor - the strong amber smell settles and fades, and the overall scent softens into, yes, a fabric softener sort of sweet perfume. If one did their laundry in the tropics anyway.

 

It's nicer dry than wet, but I don't see myself wearing this very often.

[QueenFae]

Whoa! Talk about sweet! This reminds me of the Simpsons episode where Homer is at a bar in Brazil and asks for a drink made of all their sweetest fruit. He takes a sip and yells, "sweet, Sweet, SWEET!!!" And then rinses his mouth out with sand. While Machu Picchu might be a bit overly sweet, it's still an enchanting scent, and the background notes of amber and mountain breezes makes it quite complex. I shall ponder my imp awhile to see if I need more...

[Lori]

Sniffing the imp: Nice, sharp mango! Yum!

 

Wet on wrist: Mmmm…the amber is coming through, and something smells almost like coconut in the background.

 

Drier: Some blossoms are coming through now, tropical and breezy. This feels like being on a warm, fragrant beach in Hawaii. I have always wanted to visit Machu Picchu (as I want to visit all of the sacred sites in the world). I didn’t picture it smelling Hawaiian but you never know!

 

Dry: Beautiful! Warm, gorgeous, golden fruits and florals, with earthy amber permeating them and making this feel old and wise. I close my eyes and dream I am on top of this mountain, gathering up its metaphysical knowledge and energy. I love this one!

[Monster]

Mmmm. This is all citrus on me, a very sweet, yummy citrus with a splash of pineapple.

I'm not getting any amber from this blend, its pretty much all fruit on me.

I think this may smell a little bit too much like lemon Pledge or dish soap.

 

The dry down is a lot less "cleaner like" It's definilty a fresh, summery blend, not so sure I'd like to wear too much though.

[slugbait]

An imp from modesty_blaise. Thank you dear!

 

In the imp this smells fruity , or like the peels of fruit with a fleshy green plant in this as well. This is very light cool, and tropical. It makes me think of a rainforest on a mountain top, very airy. I’m detecting a bit of floral, but it blends nicely with the ozone, fruit and the greenness. I think I smell a bit of amber, its barely there, but still smells nice.

 

As this dries it gets lighter and is harder to detect. I either have to slather or apply frequently. It lasts about 1-2 hours on my skin. This would be a great springtime/summertime fragrance. I just wish Machu Picchu lasted longer. I don’t think I will buy a bottle, but I will enjoy the rest of my imp.

[Brianne]

In the bottle:

Sweet and green

 

On me:

This is a very green, tropical scent - it's not the kind of green you get from something herbally, it's the kind of wet, steamy green that is perfect for a tropical scent. I swear I smell just a tiny little hint of banana though, and a tiny little wisp of floral.

 

Final note:

It's a pleasant scent, it reminds me a lot of Manila though, and the greens are a it too "wet" smelling for my tastes

[loveandprozak]

Wet: Heady and citrusy. Definiely a 'rain forest' feel here.

 

5 - 20 minutes: There's not much change. The citrus has faded somewhat, and blended to create a really heavyy, wet, lush scent that seems to be a mix of citrus, floral, and woods. The notes are fairly indistinguishable, though.

 

20 minutes - drydown: Hmm.. this has suddenly become a nicer version of Manila. I smell the same tropical banana-like note in this as I do in Manila, but the the woods aren't so dry in this. This is a vibrant, bright, tropical feeling Manila.

 

I actually really like Machu Picchu. It isn't going to be replacing any of my top ten, and I don't feel the need to run out and buy a huge bottle, but I can see sometime in the future a 5ml ending up in my BPAL cart.

[Abbie]

In the bottle: Okay, have officially gone nuts. This smells to me like Strawberry Shortcake dolls used to when I was a kid. Not that that is a bad thing. It's a nice sweet scent, and for me, sweet usually translates to "Gag me" so that is a definite plus. There's a bananary scent in here but I can't pick up any other notes.

 

First on: Oooh, citrus! I love citrus! This to me sez "bergamot" and sugar, since the spicy citrus and the sweet banana seem to be distinct notes.

 

Dry: This faded fast and smells... plasticky? The citrus went bye-bye, leaving only the faintest hint of spice, and I am once again reminded of a Strawberry Shortcake doll... the plastic just enhances the resemblance.

 

Overall: Sigh. Why can't my skin keep citrus going? This is still very nice but yet another citrus-related hope is crushed. Not a top pick but one I might well put on again.

[jewelbug]

Imp: Fresh grapefruit? And sorta aquatic. Clean and fresh.

Wet: Tart citrus and a slight powdery floral. Definitely aquatic--hubby compared it to cool water. It's very fresh and clean and light. Mostly its just fresh wet fruits and some powder (maybe that’s amber?).

Drying: VERY citrusy. Lime, grapefruit. Pale bright tart citrus, with a floral/powder tinge underneath. Clean, sweet and a little grassy with that rainy aquatic.

An hour later, its still clean, watery, fresh, with citrus (much lighter on the fruit now, though). There also seems to be a slight spice to this. Mostly its white/green, herbal, clean and refreshing.

 

Overall: This is a lovely light refreshing clean scent. I would consider it for spring, but I’m in an autumn/winter mood, so I’m passing it along. I may be interested in trying it again in a few seasons.

[cupide430]

Fresh and wet and green with a hint of fruitiness and some florals. There is a slightly sharp green note. There's a definite tropical bent to the floral in this and just a hint of fruit.

[wingedcorset]

It's satsuma season here in SF. Wet, this remind me of satsumas. It's a bit citrusy, but in a really sweet flowery way. There was something green in the vial, but it seems to have run away now that this is on my skin. As this is drying, it's amping up the amber which I LOVE!!!

 

This is beautiful and juicy and wonderful, a great daytime scent. Sunny and bright.

[malanna]

This reminds me of Pele, except with less creamy lotion, and instead of a few floral notes that stand out, this is a big ol' parade of fruits and blossoms. I really don't like amber, but it's okay here. The amber is what makes me think of an ancient civilization rather than just a tropical scent. It makes Machu Picchu have more depth than it would otherwise. Machu Picchu's quite nice. I'm still undecided about whether or not I like the amber note in this, though.

[Katinka]

Sweet and creamy, with a tropical twist. I get a hint of coconut now and then, but I can't really detect the amber (my poor newbie nose!). I don't know that I'd use it for everyday wear, but it would be great in spring and summer when the "tropical" mood strikes.

[volant]

Picky picky me, I have found another winner that rises above my growing collection of "almost-there"s. I hesitated to get a tropical scent because I didn't want to smell like the air freshener in the office bathroom, but I have more trust in BPAL by now, and I don't regret taking Machu Picchu for a spin.

 

Overall: tangy citrus, humid freshness, and big rainforest florals. All very good things! A touch of amber - not my favorite scent, but I think a good element here.

Wearing it dry: I don't smell very much amber, but I suspect that it must be what balances this scent to keep it on the personal fragrance side of the dangerously room-freshener-heavy tropical scent spectrum. I think of the scent of plumeria in Hawaiian rains whenever I smell my skin, and the crispness (reminiscent of satsuma peels) keeps my nose searching for more while the subtle warmth allows me to feel like I wear it rather than just emit the scent.

The boy: This one was being muddled with some other perfumes when he evaluated it, but when he said he liked parts of the scent quite a bit, I think he was refering to the Machu Picchu parts, as it has several elements in common with his favorite of my hair conditioners.

[undream]

Wow! Citrus citrus citrus. I love fruity scents, and this is no exception. Right out of the imp, Machu Picchu is alllll citrus for me. Very grapefruity, zesty. On, after about ten minutes, it becomes a much creamier scent - still citrusy, and very wet and fresh, but warmed & softened by something else in it? Like eating fruit & cream. On the front porch. Surrounded by lush greenery and lovely flowers. In a warm, light rain.

 

Over time, it somewhat fades into a powdery sort of scent on me, which makes me sad as it is less a scent that I love - too sweet - but up until that point, I love it!

[Mountaingrrl00]

I'm envious of those who get the fruits and flowers - they sound lovely! All I got was an overpowering fog that gave me an instant headache. Oh, if only the ozone smell weren't there .... But I'm surely in a small minority, and was able to swap this immediately.

[niter]

Imp

There is a certain degree of floral sweetness when I first sniff the imp. This is the first imp that I can pick out almost all the notes directly...it does smell slightly tropical, slightly breezy, and very golden. This has to be the most beautiful directly out of the imp scent I have tried.

 

Wet

Wow. I feel refreshed and outside on a glorious day. There are very exotic, gorgeous florals coming off of my wrist...nothing that seems familiar beyond being a flower. The golden amber rounds the experience out well adding a thick creaminess. I am also picking up a wetness of rain upon fruit or fresh juicy bite out of a fruit.

 

I am just hoping that this does not go soapy on me because I am already in lust.

 

Dry

Machu Picchu ends up quite floral on me but not soapy. It is a gorgeous gorgeous blend. I think ideas of a 5 mL are already bouncing around in my head....

Edited February 3, 2006 by Shollin

[wichapi]

Machu Picchu is an amazement. Golden amber is the center of this scent system, like the 'hitching-post of the sun." Everything else spirals around it... aquatic high-mountain mists, exotic woods of the rainforest... and guarana? Incredibly designed and crafted in every way. So glad Beth didn't include the thin high altitude air or I'd be clutching my chest.

[Voleuse]

At first sniff, this is fresh and sweet, and brisk in a way that implies a stiff breeze nearby. It's green and juicy, tropical fruit still ripening on the branch. Wow! As it dries, I get an ozone/rain note as well, definitely tropical, but it's a relatively cool scent, despite that.

 

Over time, the sweetness stays, but the ozone and juiciness fade away. The amber makes a stronger appearance, warming the scent tremendously, and bringing out the lush florals as well.

[jena]

In the imp, this one was hard for me to identify... a bit spicy, very overwhelming, very cloying and sicky sweet. I decided to give it a try anyway.

On my skin, I could smell the fruit and something else, minty and dusty almost.

It took only a minute, but what I assume is the amber became very strong and prominent. It reminds me of a smell from my childhood... maybe an aftershave my father once wore? Either way, the amber is warm and rich, but too memory-linked and hypnotic for me to wear myself.

It's been quite a few hours and one handwashing (with good antibacterial soap) and the smell is faded a little bit, but still there.

If amber works for you, I highly recommend this one.