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.

Deceptively gorgeous! Super soapy, light, fresh, clean, bright. I smell like I've just stepped out of the shower after having an invigorating scrub with an old fashioned soap. it's not a complex smell but that's ok, not everything needs to be layered and multi-faceted. I feel fresh, grown up, immaculate and revitalised, however poor longevity and sillage.

This is my favourite perfume to use after i shower. Its fresh and just very lightly sweet and filled with memories. Like the name itself, it reminds me of Castile soap but more sophisticated and luxurious . With less words, this one is clean🫧, double fresh🧺, comfy night at home before bed 😌 or road trip through the Mediterranean countries 🏝️🌅.

I love soap scented fragrances, and I love subtle and discreet fragrances, and Castile hits both objectives. Perfect for work or for casual day wear, I probably go through in excess of a bottle per year. I see no weak point from the first happy spray through the long dry down. It is simply gorgeous. A masterpiece of a fragrance.

Definitely soapy, which is exactly what I was going for! I LOVE this scent - it's such a clean, beautiful (and unisex for sure) soap of a fragrance! Very glad, after reading reviews here, that I tested this out via decant - have since reordered and just love this very very clean, soapy, lively bottle of joy!

it smells of old fashioned neroli - like an traditional barbershop shaving soap. i absolutely love the classic soapy scent this has! there are some definite white florals breaking through the sudsy clean surface. it smells like extremely luxe soap from the Mediterranean!!

I had no idea I loved soapy fragrances until I came across this one. Castille is such a wonderful, clean, classy fragrance. It's extremely safe and I don't see this one offending anyone. Smells like you got out of the shower using expensive soap. Love for me.

Totally unisex, goes on fresh to start with, then the soapy cleanness unfolds. Slightly veering into that just washed laundry smell, but luckily saved by the bright neroli. Old fashioned, but in a good way. One could become quite addicted to this fragrance.

This is the most amazing smell. It's so warm and comforting but so clean and wearable, it's not really a "perfume-y" smell and not sweet at all. I wish it had a big more projection and lasted a few more hours, if it did, I'd buy a full size so fast.

Sometimes you just fall in love with something simple but elegant. This perfume has harsh opening but settles down into something beautiful. Fresh and clean soapy scent. Nothing fancy but I just love it. Love it.

It's a gorgeous scent, but discontinued and for good reason I'm sure. The asking price was stupid and you can buy 3 fragrances that do the same thing for Castile's asking price.

Sizzling weather brings out the best in this, for me. Fresh, and very soapy, with spices and florals. Lasts a surprising amount of time for such a refreshing scent

the review of blonc is perfect. a soap bar in a bottle. class in a bottle. 10/10 good performance. perfect for a gentleman. similar to fleur du male cologne.

This perfume is a neroli-bomb! Beautiful scent, but gave me a sense of nausea because of the very strong presence of neroli

This perfume has nothing to do with 4711. It's unbelievable how there were so many similar votes. Misdirections are made.

real refreshing scent. not too soapy. let's say it's more of a cleaning smell. I think it is no longer produced?

Fresh...light ... bright ... Clean ... Mediterranean summer vibe... 🌞

Superb fragrance for the price. Initially I was going to compare this to Neroli Portofino but I think that is slightly misleading as they veer into different directions than you would think just based on citrus and neroli elements which they both share for their main. I could also bring in velvet bergamot, adp colonia, xerjoff nio etc etc. So I should mention what is different about Castile and why I think it has some uniqueness; Here I feel it is the use of the rose that is blended in a way to give this one a musky aquatic lean as the slightly funky rose mixing with citrus comes out quite seaside like almost sel marin at first but also dances back and forth with the soapiness of the neroli. The sea like aspect dies as it dries and becomes more of a powdery expensive soap that reminds me a little of Prada Infusion D’Homme but with a more citrus aquatic edge. It is a touch sharp with its soapiness and I think Neroli Portofino and higher end ones like Nio do beat it there but there isn’t too much in it, so in terms of value for this type of scent this gets top marks for me. Very nice one.

I've been waiting to try this for a couple of years as I love soapy fragrances. Just never could find a decant in stock and didn't want to blind buy. Finally bit the bullet and bought a carded sample off ebay for 20 bucks. First impression is immediately reminicent of Acqua di Parma Colonia and especially Colonia Essenza. Castile leans feminine in my opinion. In fact this could be the female twin of Essenza. I'm definitely intrigued, but being that this is 235 on their website I will probably just spring for backups of both Colonia and Essenza, which do the same thing in a more masculine fashion. Will finish my decant and see if I just can't live without it.

Wow for me this is a totally new take on orange blossom in that it doesn't start out with that waxy, over the top white floral, neroli thing to begin with. It's a dirty kind of citrus to begin with which has a vague Orange blossom underneath...and I honestly do detect rose and musk, it's a good opening which unfortunately doesn't last long. About half an hour in... all that disappears! It becomes the familiar soapy white floral thing...incredibly soapy in fact! I don't particularly like this fragrance I just find it interesting how the opening notes mask the floral heart in the beginning. Not bad...a unisex fragrance with moderate longevity.

Probably one of the most beautiful orange flower scents. But in no way unique. The stingy citrus opening is 1:1 with ADP Colonia, which quickly turns soapy (in a good way, unlike TF Neroli Portofino) and stays that way for the rest of the scent evolution. It's calming and non intrusive. I wish it had something to make it special, but it's too similar to dozens of other colognes. Side note: if when you were little you witnessed your dad shaving, this is what that old shaving cream smelled like.

I almost hate to love this as it smells of a happy summer day and a nanny with her big bouncy fresh but sweaty bosom chasing us after a long lazy lunch in Provence while we were visiting our spinster auntie Cecile. This works very well on both men and women. Word of advice: proceed with caution when spraying, as it can be a tad too much, and make you smell like a Gare de Lyon station toilet freshener you can smell when you get straight out of the Eurostar, if you accidentally overspray it.

I won't say i don't like this, i'll just say it didn't worked on me. The smell itself is pleasant, made me imagine i'm on a tea chat with an aristocrat grandma in her huge backyard garden full of well-kept spring flowers, that's the thing.. i find it more more feminine , the kind of everyday fragrance perfect for a styled mature women who loves flowers. The bottle looks extravagant to me, projects well.. good fragrance but not for me, not for a men, that's my opinion

At first I can only smell woodsy notes like when you smell tree bark or break a branch, but after a while, flower and orange notes start to kick in. Took me some time to get used to the initial note since I considered it fairly intense, but it was worth the effort because this perfrume is gorgeous. The only problem is that it can be quite faint and doesn't last long. But I can't stand super intense perfurme so I'm okay with how long this one lasts.

I wish I would have gotten this sample before summer. Castile would have been fab for the summer-months. Well it ́s definately a must-buy next year. First the orangeblossom and bergamott is most prominent But after a while I got something like almond/heliotrope(allthough not listed amongs the notes)ending with woody vanilla. This is just smooth, soft and vibrant at the same time. on the negative side..lastingpower is quite poor

I'm a Penhaligons fan. I bought Castile whilst on sale. Oh! It's just glorious. If you want to smell like expensive Castile soap, then buy this. It's soft, comforting, extremely clean smelling. My only gripe is that I wish it was a tad longer lasting because its so gorgeous. But I appreciate that you would then lose the beauty of it, I suppose. Quite expensive for what it is....but I'd buy again.

Smells like clean gentleman's traditional Eau de Cologne. No nonsense, straight to the point, elegantly soapy, potent, long lasting. Not your grandfather's scent - this family is much older than that. Imagine newly invented steam clocks and gas lamps, horse carriages. You have a dinner appointment on business, and you apply this fragrance as you leave your bath. There is no time to waste.

This smells very nice, very classy. But also (at least on my skin) very feminine. What I get out of this perfume is mostly the flowers. I usually dislike it when the rose stands out too much (like Penhaligon's Peoneve), but here the orange blossom balances it out nicely. Together with the bergamot it gets a fresh lemony (and kind of soapy) vibe.

You know that scene in the 2006 Bond film ‘Casino Royal’ when Daniel Craig saunters into a hotel sporting a crisp, white linen shirt (the one where the female receptionist melts a little)? I like to imagine he’s wearing Castile. The top notes of soapy-clean orange blossom, petit grain and lime with musky/woodsy undertones = elegance in a bottle.

You know that scene in the 2006 Bond film ‘Casino Royal’ when Daniel Craig saunters into a hotel sporting a crisp, white linen shirt (the one where the female receptionist melts a little)? I like to imagine he’s wearing Castile. Top notes of soapy-clean orange blossom, petit grain and lime with musky/woodsy undertones = elegance in a bottle.

A pleasant neroli, but has rose underpinnings which is what makes it unique. I prefer other nerolis over this, such as Neroli Portofino by Tom Ford, L'eau de Neroli by Diptyque. But if you like neroli and you like rose, this may be the perfect choice for you. It's beautiful.