Royall Lyme

I have to say I'm really surprised nobody has mentioned the major fiasco that Royall Lyme of Bermuda Ltd caused with their fragrance line. Somewhere along the line, perhaps about 10 years ago, they sold their fragrance formulas to interests in the USA (the Clarecastle Group). Some of the fragrances they create now are not quite what they used to be. Just go on-line and read up on their fragrance reviews. This makes it a small wonder why the latest reviews here are so sour (no pun intended). What they experienced is the new "stuff", which is weaker by comparison. I was gifted a bottle of Royall Lyme many years ago. I enjoyed it then and used it on occasion, but it eventually got tucked away in favor of other fragrances. I forgot about it, until recently when I found the bottle. How our tastes change over time. I found myself warming up to it a lot more than what I'd remembered. A refreshing blend of dry lime and pine scents and no... this is NOT Pine-sol. I love this fragrance. There's a wonderfully soapy semi-sweet lime finish to it that soothes the skin, so it makes a great aftershave. Splashing a little on my neck before slipping into bed gives a nice lime essence that lulls me to sleep. I imagine being on a white sandy Caribbean beach under a moonlit night, the air blissfully warm, and the faint aroma of lime wafting in the air from nearby lime trees.. I find it so easy to draw such an association with the simple notes of Royall Lyme. So I went to a local boutique that happened to have Royall Lyme available and I tested the newer scent. I noticed it was weaker, having too much alcohol. It appears that the makers who are licensing the formula have diluted it to reduce overhead and make more money per bottle. It's a real shame. This was a classic scent, something with slightly better longevity than a tried and true favorite like 4711. I wrote to the Clarecastle Group and let them know of my discovery (and was tactful in my content), hoping I might elicit some response or even an explanation. At first, nothing. But then finally, after a second e-mail I sent (lamenting the reformulation of another fragrance), they finally responded and rather nicely. The person I corresponded with attested that Bay Rhum and Spyce had changed "slightly" due to new restrictions but according to his references Lyme had not been reformulated. I tried to affirm my testimony that it was, but then the contact never got back to me. I do have their latest Muske which I thought was reformulated at first, but once the air macerated the ingredients over time it's pretty much the same as vintage. 8.8/10 for fragrance (vintage), 5.9 for longevity.

+ Notes listed on the Royall Fragrances (Royall Lyme of Bermuda) website - Lime, Lavender, Rose, Galbanum, Ylang-Ylang, Carnation, Jasmin, Clove, Tonka Bean, Patchouli, Musk. + Wonderful juice this deep lime stuff! My way of using it gains followers who then rave about their enjoyment of its merits so I will share my style... + First, we need to take a peek into why it is most often misunderstood. As of the date of this posting the note listed here on Fragrantica is Lime, only the one note. Above are the notes listed on the company website. There is much more depth to this composition than is generally realized. Also, and ironically, it is intentionally weaker than most colognes, EDTs and EDPs because it is more of a European Barber's AFTERSHAVE SPLASH COLOGNE. If it were stronger we couldn't splash it on as best serves and it wouldn't have the skin treatment properties that make it exceptional for use as an aftershave splash lotion. + What??! If you think of Royal Lyme as just a men's fragrance its best uses are lost. Over many years the manufacturers eventually arrived to call it an, "All Purpose Lotion," and in truth this is the best understanding. It does work as a traditional cologne if you don't need much projection and longevity - toss it on before a dinner outing, works great. Don't think of it as just a cologne or just as an aftershave - think of it as a special entity altogether; a unique resource in your collection. Even when compared to European style colognes that are used as aftershaves like Floid of Spain & Marmara of London, Royall Lyme is different. The feel of the skin treatment is more beautifully medicinal and the power of the lotion essence is stronger. The scent behaves with more character and lasts longer. It is better to most often use a regular aftershave lotion and save Royall Lyme for an additional refreshing splash in its own timing. + Splash on Royall Lyme when your frag for the day grows weak. Splash on Royall Lyme before negotiating the price of a car you are buying and before a conversation with a friend who is going through a difficult experience. Use it as a spritz pick-me-up attention focusing juice. On my skin the first 1 1/2 hours is the highest value but it does linger through to 3 1/2 - 4. First and foremost is the treat of the refreshing splash zing and pizazz. Second is that the unique scent matches and contrasts well with so many frags you are already using. Keep a bottle in your office, briefcase or sport sling sack. It finds space in your day for a splash 2-4 times per week

This was the fragrance that got me into the perfumery world. I had a gift certificate to Brooks Brothers and it wasn't enough for a blazer or sweater, so I thought I'd peruse their selection of scents. It was initially the bottle, color and the cap that attracted me, but when I got it and opened it up, I was hooked. The initial application is super limey, and it's a beautiful citrus fragrance. That dries off rapidly and transitions into a bay/conifer/vanilla/tonka scent that lingers for a while. I wore this daily for a while to the point I was noseblind to it. At that point, I was convinced that the whole scent just burned off and there was nothing lasting to it. I stopped wearing it and when I reapplied again relatively recently, I realized the dry down scent lingered for quite a while longer than I initially thought. There's a lot of criticism about the longevity of this fragrance, and while it's true that the lime burns off somewhat fast, that's an attribute that I've found of pretty much every lime scented fragrance. The base notes, however, stay for quite a while. I applied this morning at 9:00 a.m., and I can still smell the base notes on me. Additionally, I've noticed that when I used the atomizer that came with the bottle, the performance was markedly worse. I feel like this is designed to be a splash on, and when I began applying that way, performance improved markedly. This scent is evocative of preppy settings with lots of pastels and cold drinks, which is in keeping with the heritage of the brand. The whole Bermuda, imperial British yachting feel is evident in the DNA of this fragrance, and it's my go to lime scent. Highly recommend.

On a family vacation in the islands many years ago, my dad bought 4 bottles of Royale cologne; one for him, one for me, and one for each of my two bothers. For my brothers, he got the Bay Rum (which I like), and for him and me, my dad bought Royale Lyme. When he gave it to me, he said that he had a bottle of the Lyme some years before, and loved it, and when he saw it in a shop, he knew I would love it too. He was right. Fragrance, as many of you already know, does something for your mood. In my case, fragrances elicit a conditioned response, linking me to my earliest exposure to it. Such is my experience every time I splash on Royale Lyme, and I’m not shy with it. Since that first bottle my father gave me as a teenager, I’ve purchased a dozen, or more. A bottle of it goes with me whenever I travel, especially on vacation, and weekend trips to the beach. My ideal situation for wearing Royale Lyme is at the end of a long day on the beach, or off-shore fishing, after showering the salt and sweat away, it gets applied liberally to by face, neck and chest. Clean t-shirt, crisp summer beverage, sitting on the deck, watching waves crash in the fading light of the gloaming. I miss my Dad.

Disclaimer: I use this solely as an aftershave, and am reviewing it as such I've noticed some reviews below comparing the old/new formulations. I can't comment on the difference, since I've only used what I presume is the new formulation. This fragrance pretty much does what it says on the bottle. It's lime, pure and simple. To my nose, it's slightly sweet - more of a key lime. But still the best lime aftershave in my rotation. I usually layer this with a matching west indian lime cologne, an excellent combination in my books. The glass bottle and pewter cap also make a stunning addition to any shaving cabinet. Longevity is decent, I get around 4 hours (much more than any of my other aftershaves, to be honest), with moderate sillage.