Xocoatl

Xocoatl is a fragrance described as floral, in the official catalog of the brand, which in my opinion has a floral-gourmand aspect. This review will address the Parfum version, which is the one I own, whose result is fabulous on my skin. Although unisex, I consider it more masculine than feminine. Still, I believe that on the female skin may present another facet. Composed by notes of orchid and vanilla, in the output; cocoa, in the heart and rum at the base, this fragrance was created to remind a beverage made by the Aztecs to the warriors and nobles, called Xocoatl. Yet, according to the history of American civilization, the cocoa trees were cultivated by the Maya and later, by other people (among them the Aztecs), and the word chocolate is derived from the word "xocolatl", original of the Nahuatl language, which is an Aztec dialect, that means bitter water. Returning to what matters, the scent hits the skin intensively, slightly fruity and alcoholic in the first moments. Almost immediately, the bitter cocoa takes over and, on several occasions, this nuance in conjunction with the rum gives the idea of something raspier, which let me thinking in leather. About the vanilla, forget the creamy aspect. Here, we have a slightly bitter aspect, although rich and with quality. In addition to exotic, Xocoatl is delicious and exudes, consistently, for more than four hours. This made me receive various compliments and see people around commenting on the fragrance they feel in the air (after two hours, I went to dinner at a restaurant and had a table full of people celebrating a birthday next to me, and I could see two men and one woman talking about the fragrance). The lasting surpassed ten hours on my skin and the first impression couldn't have been better. Xocoatl is a great scent, from a brand that has ecological consciousness and a nice story as background.

Fueguia have created quite a special fragrance here. Upon reading the 3 main notes listed on the brand's website (Vanilla Flower - Cacao Flower - Rhum), you would assume the fragrance would be an overly sweet, cloying gourmand scent. However, this does not at all describe Xocoatl. Xocoatl opens up with slightly spicy and damp nuances that feel light and heavy at the same time. This is most likely thanks to the rum which is generally distilled with cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves etc.. Then, the scent brings in a soft floral and subtly sweet vanilla to work alongside the now less prominent rum. Later, a dark bitter cacao appears, and whilst it does not give off a typical "chocolate" profile, it's presence keeps everything grounded and warm for the remainder of the wearing. Overall, Xocoatl is well rounded and no particular notes stand alone here. Everything is working in unison and creating a unique experience. Who? - I think this is unisex, perhaps leaning a little masculine. When/where? - Autumn and winter. Cozy fragrance for yourself and your special someone to enjoy when relaxing in the cooler seasons. This reminds me of? - I get some similarities with Costume National's Homme and Maison Martin Margiela's Jazz Club.

HAVE I SERIOUSLY NOT REVIEWED THIS YET?!?!?! I first tried this out in Skins, Amsterdam -- the one in the Nine Streets -- and it totally blew me away. This was in August of 2016 -- I remember it vividly, because I was so enamoured by it. Fast forward 12 months, and I had decided to get it purchased, and I got it sent to the AirBNB that we were staying at, in Jamsa in Finland. I remember picking THAT up, along with the key to our chalet / mokki (I can't do the umlauts!), and it was quite the experience -- purchased from HK, sent from Milan to Finland, as at that time they only shipped intro-Europe (the official website had all the sizes, Skins only had 100 mls). What can I say? The perfect vanillic boozy floral scent -- it's hard to put into words, it's one of the most ACCURATE booze scents I've even come across -- it literally smells like a drunk person's pours pushing out consumed alcohol smell! It's hard to phrase, but, it's such a beautiful summery scent and it is just a pleasure to sniff. I love it! I later got another bottle 'just in case' and so I'm set for life. I love this one!

I have decided to re-evaluate my previous lukewarm review of "Xocoatl". Jovoy Paris supplied me with a nice full 3ml sample, which has given me a much clearer picture of the scent since my last encounter with a troublesome plastic sprayer, from which I could only extract tiny dribbles of the stuff. It's actually lovely; Much smoother than I'd previously thought. The cacao is also more perceptible; Not bitter or dark, but soft warm and lush. The vanilla has a fruity nuance which is accented by the sugary rum. There are hints of a subtle, floral powderiness, but quite indistinct. It's not cloying at all, at least not compared to the likes of "Un Bois Vanille". Rather, it feels quite sheer and satin-like in texture, with a delicate trail. It's true that it doesn't really evoke the traditional Mayan cocoa drink; You would expect that to be spicier, darker and milkier, and that is what originally let me down when I smelled it first. Still, it's a damn good vanilla scent that's fairly unisex and is sure to make heads tilt as you walk past.

I'd been curious about this for years and finally took the plunge. I rarely blind buy because I almost always regret it, but this one is a winner! It has a somewhat spicy quality on my skin. Some say rum can be spicy, so could this be the reason? Cacao is there but in the background, it never dominates. I think it's amazing, smooth and slightly intoxicating, without any harshness. An impeccable, tasteful scent. Although Xocoatl does not demand attention, a co-worker said she could smell me throughtout the day, so that would be a good 6 hours of longevity. I think I've found a combination of notes that work for me, rum, cacao and vanilla also feature in Les Indemodables Vanille Havane that I love. I bought the 30ml but I can already see myself buying the 100ml once my bottle runs low.