I first smelled Penhaligon's Castile scent when a friend who had traveled to London brought me back a box of three Castile soaps. I always chuckle (and then become wistful) when I think of Castile. The bars of soap in that gift box had been lightly nibbled by my friend's English bulldog, Bella. When I met Bella (right before pet-sitting her), I patted her rump...which was a HUGE no-no. She raised her hackles, barked loudly and LONG — facing me, then the ceiling, then me again — and circled the room menacingly, like a boxer assessing the opponent. When she calmed down, she ignored me. She wouldn't even take a treat from my fingers. I did not exist; I was crude and I had broken her protocols.
The early days of dog-sitting Bella were tense. When I sat in a chair or on the sofa, she would climb onto the backs of those and stare down at me. As I read on the floor, she would sit on the sofa. At night in bed, she insisted on sleeping behind my head on top of the pillows. It was a hot time of year and I didn't get much rest with my bulldog "bed bonnet" in place. If she couldn't tower over me using furniture, she would sit at the top of the stairs as if to say: "Beat this, dummy!" But: she achieved dominance quickly, and Bella and I had no further problems, just fun times.
For years after my Castile gift, I bought the soap. It had a rich lather, was heavily perfumed and the fragrance always made me happy (and lasted on skin long after a shower). At some point, the soap was discontinued and I kept telling myself I should try the Castile perfume, before it, too, was "let go."
Penhaligon's describes Castile like this:
With Castile one is transported to Spanish hillsides via rich white blooms and zesty succulence. A citrus that spills its sun-born freshness in cascades of generous warmth. How does one capture a perfume so close to nature, so close to the sun? First, the vapour-soaked citrus leaves deliver their 'petitgrain' oil. The bitter orange blossoms are next gathered to make sweet honeyed neroli oil, a distillation of the delicate white flowers so dense that a few drops suffice. Blended with the yellow-coloured orange, the bergamot, the mix is uplifting. And now rose, musks and precious woods sign this fragrant breeze. Castile, the medieval Kingdom of new Spain, the country of castles and conquests. Hopefully only of the amorous kind….
Castile Eau de Toilette starts off with the aroma of vibrant orange blossoms that smell as if they had been drizzled with honey (perhaps that sweetness made Bella curious about Castile's taste). Neroli, petitgrain and dense bergamot add even more vitality and are joined in mid-development by two dry scents: clove and hay. Castile smells clean, but (whew!) without the assistance of cloying white musk. The head and heart notes of Castile perfume mimic the scent of the soap perfectly. Spicy-sweet orange blossom continues into the dry down, and I don't detect any woods or musk in the base (and that's fine by me).
I'm still sad Castile soap is no longer made, but the perfume is a good substitute.
Bella moved away from Seattle — she was a cosmopolitan lady: Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, New York City. We stayed "in touch" via photos and the hilarious stories I was told describing her antics (she would pee into her Daddy's meticulously packed suitcase right before he left on a business trip). A girl's gotta do what she can to keep the men in her life in line.
Penhaligon's Castile Eau de Toilette is available in 100 ml for $144.
Note: middle images of Bella Rosenthal-Mehler by the author.
Oh gosh how I love this story! For the actual story, for the fact that my eldest who has her first real job and own apartment baby sat her friend’s cat named Bella for several weeks and now wants her own Bella, AND a close perfume pal has and had several bulldog babies and the photos she sent me are priceless.
And both the perfume and soap sound divine! A shame they don’t bring the soap back.
chocolatemarzipan: I always check the Penhaligon’s site a few times a year…”just in case.” The fragrance is a perfect one for soap, so I don’t get it. And bulldog puppies almost send me into cardiac arrest (from joy). HA!
As Castile now seems to have gone to the fragrance graveyard I don’t hold out much hope for a soap revival !
NathanT: I didn’t know that…it’s still for sale on Penhaligon’s website (the perfume, that is).
Your review inspired me so I looked for it but it’s not on there even when I search – there’s a holding page i get taken to if I google it but can’t see it anywhere on the site itself or using the search function on the site 🤔
Seems like it’s only on the US version of the site , the UK/international site has no trace of it so guessing that as it’s a UK brand maybe the US site may be a bit behind & have some stock left over?
I have fond memories of going to this traditional High Tea in a small boutique hotel in Manhattan – the first time I’d ever ‘gone to tea’. It was beautiful (it was around the holidays and there was a Xmas tree and a fireplace) and the tea and 9 courses of treats were amazing. I was overwhelmed. When I went to use the mens room the hand soap was Castile by Penhaligon’s and I smiled. Now, every time I see that fragrance I think of that Manhattan fall afternoon. It’s a nice memory for a very nice scent.
Mike: yes, a great memory. I should have written, too, that Castile is hefty enough for winter use…like another favorite citrus: Yuzu Fou.
Castile seems to have disappeared from the Penhaligons website altogether – is it discontinued now?
It would appear to be no longer available. I have had a moan on here a few times regarding Penhaligon’s discontinuing their long in existence offerings in favour of releasing incessant additions to their (in my opinion) Portraits nonsense.
Agree, the portrait series fragrances are abysmal. For a brand that bangs on about ‘heritage’ they don’t seem to care much about their own heritage.
Indeed! Since the change in ownership, the company seems to be paying lip service to the company’s genuine English heritage, while directing their Portraits output to a different market, with all its faux English nobility marketing blurb. I find the Portraits range vulgar in appearance & a tad gimmicky. I won’t promise to not ever buy another bottle of Bluebell, however!
Carolyn/Nathan: agree with both of you on the Portraits…the are bores.
Good grief, I take back what I said about buying Bluebell again – it’s GBP 100.00 for 100mls – if memory serves it was GBP 75.00 for 100mls for many years. I have no problem spending a hundred quid on a bottle of perfume, but not when the company is blatantly increasing prices on their ‘standard’ products to bring them more into line with their over-priced & over-hyped newer offerings.
It’s on the USA Penhaligon’s for sale:
https://www.penhaligons.com/us/castile-eau-de-toilette/
Yeah it’s not on the UK site anymore so assume on the way out & US has what’s left?
Thank you for such a lovely story, Kevin. Brought a smile to my face as it reminded me of our much loved & much missed orange & white moggie Max, who we inherited from friends when he was 6 & who lived with us for the rest of his life, reaching the ripe old age of 18. Max used to sleep on my pillow & envelop my head – he was a sizeable chap & I used to wake up to find myself curled into a ball half way down our bed as he obviously gradually took over the entire pillow while I was asleep!
Carolyn: nothing like an orange cat!
I have a client who always smells wonderful! Finally I asked her what she wore, and it was Castile. I’d never heard of it (just Penhaligon’s), but she stayed in a hotel that used the range as the bathroom fillers. She just loved it, looked it up…. She is not a warm woman so it was nice to get that glimpse!
When I want to smell like soap, I go with Nicolai’s L’Eau Chic. Geranium and mint, just like a decorative soap.
C, that sounds nice!
I could have sworn you’d reviewed this before, Kevin! However, a search of the site shows it’s just been mentioned in a list of notable OB perfumes, reviews of other perfumes, and comments.
I love the idea of Castile, but it doesn’t work on my skin. I reach for SMN Melograno when I need a soap-like fragrance.
Forgot to mention I’m charmed by your story of Bella. 🥰
Thanks, Noz. And should clarify: I don’t want to smell soapy (AT ALL)…just like the fragrance of Castile soap. I think a soapy orange blossom is one of the worst things in perfume. HA! Anyhow, I went ahead and bought a 100 ml bottle of this…since its fate is a mystery. I emailed Penhaligon’s and they assured me that Castile is not discontinued…. ????????
Yeah I asked too as I wanted to buy a bottle & they told me :
“Castile stock is only available in the US, the UK have totally sold out.
You could try our outlet store , they could mail order”
They said it’s out of stock but they don’t know when it will be available again – so not sure if that’s code for ‘on the way out’ 🤔
Thanks — I’ll just have to try Castile to see what it’s like. I do love OB!