Castile

Adding this to my growing collection of soapy scents that I love. I own about 17 fragrances and I have CDG Marseille, LV Imagination, Duas Original scent clean laundry, Amouage Reflection man, Dyptique Orpheon, Byredo Baldafrique as well as YSL MYSLF le parfum. I have also tried over 20 samples of clean fragrances that i ended up not buying full bottles including the popular ones from maison margiela, byredo , Initio musk therapy, and xerjoff 40 knots etc. so I would consider myself clean fragrance aficionado. I would definitely sample before purchasing if you are able because i absolutely HATE the opening. But give it about 30 seconds and it turns into a very nice soapy clean scent. some people say it gives a cleaning product type scent; however to me i dont get that vibe, but i can kind of see what they are talking about. This one has the same type of vibe as imagination. This is not to say that they smell the same, but its more that if you like imagination you would enjoy this. I am not someone who likes very aldehydic type scents like MFK's 724 so if that is what you are into, this is probably not for you. this is a very white floral citrusy scent. In terms of longevity and projection, I cant speak for the longevity as i just received it about 30 minutes ago and havent had time to test it out, but I will say the projection is very strong; especially for an edt. I sprayed this once on my arm and my mom could smell it sitting about 4 feet away from me. I cant even imagine how it would project if I sprayed more than once. My guess is this will probably last about 4 hours at the least which is great for an EDT, but it could very well be longer I am so beyond happy with this fragrance and it is beyond anything that I imagined. I feel like this is an all year round fragrance and would be totally safe for every day wear. I ended up getting this one ebay for 180 and considering this is a discontinued frag it was such a good price. It had been on EBay for over a year which is why he gave me such a good price (and it was checked on a frag legit group so i knew it was real as well)

I really adore this fragrance. Penhaligons can be a bit hit and miss I always find. Initial smell in the store can pull you in and entice you to spend your hard earned money, and then when you get home performance can be lacking and sillage poor. This can leave you feeling a bit sore having spent a pretty penny on something that might only smell great for an hour. With Castile, the usual happened. I first smelt this in a sampler and loved it, it was fresh citrus neroli / bergamot scent but with a depth and more mature side. It is like the charming uncle of Davidoff Cool Water, more mature with a woodsy edge . My sampler did not last long and after spending a day or two wearing this I decided I was actually very pleased with the longevity compared to other pengaligons fragrances I had encountered. With this I decided to actually buy a full bottle wow! I am still very happy with this fragrance. It lasts me all day, the sillage is very good and I can still smell it on clothes days later. It's is fresh, inspiring and a real mood boost. It has a timeless and classic energy and wherever you are , whatever you are doing this fragrance will go down a treat and can't be faulted. Although this is intended for the heat and bright summer days, I can still reach for this almost every day for any scenario.

I shouldn't really like this. It's a summery, soapy floral lemon to start with, like a mixture of Acqua di Parma and a good eau de cologne such as Extra Vieille. Maybe it's missing the rose in former, or the saltier herbs in the latter, but either way it just feels better balanced to me. Sniffing closer after a few minutes, it's a bit darker and greener with a wet, rich grassiness, but still somehow light and crisp; a combination seen in some of the better Gendarme scents such as Green. In the end, unfortunately, little is left beyond a well-groomed florid soap aura. Generally I'm very harsh in my judgments of Pen's scents because many have a common theme that seems too "perfumey" and feminine to me...Castile almost should as well, with such extensive floral notes, but I think it avoids that by its crispness, and ends up somehow unisex in a well-put-together way. Be prepared for the drop-off in strength later on, but I'd say that's forgiveable in this scent family.

I have over 50 fragrances and have owned over 100. I have to say that because I do not review them all, but this one simply is remarkable. Clean, soapy, light yet still projects. I had a few different soapy fragrances, but this is the only one that stands apart from the others. It is not offensive, completely unisex, and an absolute compliment puller. I cannot count how many times people ask me what I’m wearing, which which means 1. They can smell it but 2. They want it. (Not me. It). If you buy this, you will absolutely not regret it. The fragrances above that they say smell similar? I have smelled many of those and none of them smell like this from a value standpoint where you can pick this up from resellers for anywhere from $100-$150, it is an absolute banger. Sweet. Not too flowery. Creamy. CLEAN. Not “laundry detergent-clean” like Byredo Blanche or “grandma’s hand soap-clean” like Exit the King, just gorgeous. You will reply to my review, thanking me.

Take a knife to the richest bar of soap you can find. Slice off the thinnest shavings possible from that bar of soap, and then run your fingers through them. That's the smell of Castile when sprayed. It's easy to think that's all there is to it. And, y'know what? If that's all Castile was it would still be wonderful, because that soapy smell is so refreshing, so welcoming, and so perfectly clean. You can wear it to work, wear it casually... heck, you could even dress it up. There's never a wrong time to smell clean. But if you're patient... if you pay attention to how it smells a few hours later... you're in for a wonderful surprise. Lurking beneath that bright soapy freshness is a warm and soft but long lasting base which is wonderfully sensual. The opening of Castile smells inviting, but the base smells alluring. It's like a secret that wants to be told. Castile has quickly become one of my all time favorites. It's fantastic.

it does kind of smell like pressing a cold, smooth, beautiful bar of triple-milled soap to your nose. Reminds me of savoy steam, but I hated that one, and I love this one. Small differences make all the difference in the world I suppose. Castile also smells a little like fennel to me. I feel elegant yet understated when I wear Castile. I currently live in Miami, and I think this is a good perfume for the tropics. Breezy, light & soapy. Edit to add: I am really enjoying the Penhaligon’s spray nozzle. This is my first full bottle of Penhaligons and while I love this fragrance, the quality nozzle enhances the experience! Nice, large distribution. Not too fine or too splatter-y. The press of the nozzle is nice and springy. Always smooth; never catches or stiffens. A+ spraying experience!

A personal staple. Soft. The key word here is soft. Smooth, soft, soapy, the orange's acidity is made creamy and floral. This is perfect for spring days and summer evenings, sitting in the garden having freshly showered, with a glass of wine to hand as that heat is tamed by sundown. Great sprayed before bed too. Light white florals and high quality neroli give this lashings of smooth and sophisticated soapiness. Like a white linen shirt or fresh bedsheets. Beautiful summer scents of orange, sweet and bitter at the same time. Perhaps more suited to 30+ age ranges. At the height of the scorching and humid English summer, as short as that period is, I would actually avoid this for something sharper though. GF Trumper's Limes would fit the bill nicely.

I really enjoy this at first. It's a fragrant viridescent mélange of citrus zest, neroli, musk, rose and soap. It's radiance and sharpness is really awakening and uplifting. A few hours in, perhaps 2 or so on my skin, the citrus burns off for the most part and you are left with the smell of average handsoap - not a luxury hand-milled olive Castile soap - but just any old liquid soap from a dispenser in a public restroom. I do like soapy notes, but I need a little more depth and balance. There is a sick tinge of sweetness to it that grosses me out. This was a blind buy for me and I'm still trying to decide how much I like it. Something does keep pulling me back to spray and I'm hoping I will start to understand it better and fall in love.

So classic, fresh and clean. This and Guerlain's Vetiver are my two everyday fragrances. To me, this is 100% unisex, and it smells completely masculine or feminine depending on who's wearing it. If a woman walked past you wearing this, you'd think "Wow, she smells beautiful. Like a dewey morning garden." If you smelled this on a man, you'd think "Woof. He smells freshly showered. And expensive." Castile is not trendy. Twenty-somethings are not going to be lining up to buy it. This is beautiful, timeless perfumery. Definitely skews more mature, which is exactly what I go for. Some people complain about the price, but if you love something, who cares? I love this, and I'll gladly pay the price.

9.5/10 Really sad this has been discontinued, I've managed to snag a bottle on eBay for £80, I bottle I had previously was very old, maybe 10 years + so I hope it hasn't been reformulated. Edit: ok got the new bottle, the colour of the new is lighter than the old, the old was much more ambery. As far as the formula is concerned they are very similar but there is some difference. The older seems to be slightly stronger but that's doesn't necessarily mean it's better. The new batch is less pungent on the opening but still quite pulverising. I think the new batch has a better more natural dry down. Overall happy I was able to grab a bottle as this will be my spring/summer signature.

I think I found my new favourite Penhaligon's fragrance (which is tough, because I love most of them!). This is a lovely, clean, barbershop fragrance with a twist. The open is a crisp, citrusy bergamot with a hint of petitgrain. The neroli then kicks in, and sustains throughout the drydown. The neroli is definitely the star of the show here. It may not sound like the most original of compositions, but Penhaligon's has balanced the notes just right which makes this fragrance stand out. I would say this is unisex, and more of a daytime, fragrance for spring or summer. Surprisingly, I get very good longevity (for Penhaligon's) from this - around 6 hours, with moderate sillage.

My first Penhaligons. The name rings of soapy vibes, and It was the most affordable! Most would describe it as pleasant and I agree. I do one spray on the forearm and it smells nice. After a few hours it becomes a skin scent. I like the natural non patchouli smell. I really enjoy the soapy note of perfumes. Its a nice clean scent and a change from boring citrus scents that dry down to cedar in my collection. It seems like too many fragrances use cedar notes just so they can call it a mens fragrance. Too much cedar and you may as well be running on a hamster wheel instead of a treadmill! Im really liking this scent. I consider it unisex.

I purchased this blind because I'm a fan of soapy scents and the house of Pengaligon's. Initially I was a bit disappointed because it strongly reminds me of Neroli Portofino (4711 DNA), which I also love, but already have. I am recovering from a cold so I don't think I was judging this clearly because today, I can clearly smell the soapy base of castile and it's wonderful. Smells like a refined gentleman scent. Very natural to my nose and I don't detect aroma chemicals. This perfoms very very well for an EDT. Nice scent bubble for around 4 to 5 hours which is good for this type (natural) scent. Scent 8/10 Performance 5/10

This is just really pleasant. It's a finely balanced slightly soapy, slightly peppery citrus. I really enjoy wearing it on a sunny day and find the longlivity good. Penhaligons have quite a lot of these type of slightly spiced citrus based fragrances (duo, no33, bayolea, quercus etc..). I like castile the best, probably in my top 3 for Penhaligons. I hear they used to make it a a soap too, would have loved to have tried it. It's not particularly original but there is a lot of balancing and finesse behind it that shines through and makes it worth the price.

This Penhaligon`s scent is an absolute sheer delight to wear. It starts fresh, crisp and citrusy until the neroli note arrives; this note plays the main theme of the scent for hours. Longevity on me is good; at least 5 hours with 3 sprays on my neck and chest. I choose to wear it on bright sunny winter days because of the uplifting effect it has on me. If the winter weather gets you down spray a bit of "Castile" on your neck and see what a big difference it makes on your mood and spirit. A Big winner from the House of Penhaligon`s. Big Thumbs up!

A clean citrus and soapy fragrance. Very nice and relaxing. The citrus part lasts maybe an hour and a half on my skin. The soapiness part reminds me of the kind of soap that I used to wash my hands with as a kid when I was in school. The only thing that's missing are the brown folded paper towels I dried them off with. My wife says it smells cheap. I don't necessarily agree that it smells cheap but...I get what she's saying. It does an excellent job of mimicking that classic soap smell. Love it!

I've had this one for about two years, but hadn't reviewed it because it's so (exquisitely) moderate. That said, I keep learning new things from it. Of late, I began considering Castile the standard among my white citrus florals. Pure clean, all seasons, day or night; it's a home run. Plus, there's this waxy, vivid "bar of soap" note for the aficionados. Sometimes, I catch it on some clothes a few days later, double-take, struggling to remember what that wonderful smell is.

Penhaligon's Castile is a very beautiful,one of the loveliest Penhaligon's scents. Starts with bergamot and neroli,slightly citrusy,then you get orange blossom and soft rose.Yes,it smells soapy,but very natural soap. The drydown is woody,musky with wood and orange blossom. Castile is a reminiscent of sunny Spain,it reminds me of sweet orange marmalade and sunshine!Uplifting,energetic,soothing!Lasting power is good for a citrus scent! 10/10

Starts quite sharp and almost caustic, like really, *really* clean sheets and washing detergent, but the dry down comes quickly and is a lovely white-grape-y-bubblegum Neroli that lasts for ages. This is one of those clean, soapy all-rounder scents, but an elegant one, like a slightly fresher, citrus version of Prada Amber pour Homme. Prada for the warmer months, if you will. Exactly what I was looking for.

perhaps one of the best clean soapy scents out there. therefore aptly named castile. the neroli here is creamy and soapy, and perhaps softened some with a hint of rose. very unlike the zingy freshness of neroli portofino. its similar and style and performance to colonia essenza by acqua di parma. despite it not having any of the masculine fougere notes, it does seem like a barbershop scent to me.