Whitechapel

[antimony]

A gentlemen's blend, possessed of dignity, charm and refinement, but in truth masking a corrupted, hideous, soulless core. White musk, lime, lilac and citron.

Don't let the decription fool you... this is not too masculine for a woman to wear.

This smells *so* enticing. This is citrus that slithers.

The lime is deliciously citrus, but unlike lemon-based scents, keeps it from smelling like furniture polish. The lilac is sneaky... it slips in under the citrus, and it smells like someone plotting. A beautiful but evil person.

This is a truly a gorgeous perfume, this may even be a 5ml for me, but it makes me feel devious and ready for a day of office politics.

[minilux]

Yes, yes, yes! This is a bit more masculine because it's lacking the soft powderyness, but it has enough of Villain's good qualities to make it a must have for me. I'll definitely be getting a bottle of it. Whitechapel is horribly underrated.

[hypothermya]

After reading the description of this, I didn't care if it was a "masculine" scent -- I was going to get my hands on an imp of this! I adore lime, and, while all musks work well with my skin chemistry, white musk is one of the best scents that I can find for me. I didn't quite know how the citron and lilac would work, but I suspected that this would work well, regardless. When my order came in today, it was the first thing to be applied.

 

In the Bottle

 

This smells just like a fresh wedge of lime, with the rind and the citrus mixing perfectly. There's a bit of white-ish floral underneath, but for the most part the only thing I can smell is lime. Makes me want a margarita. The citron and the white musk aren't very apparent, but they add a bit of lemony warmth to the equation.

 

Wearing It

 

Oh, this is just what I've wanted! I think I've found my signature scent!!! When it first goes on, the lime sharpens and the citron and musk pick up, making it smell a bit like a citrus aftershave. But as it dries, it begins to smell like lilac more, and I end up with the scent of flowers from a lime tree. It smells like lime, and musk, perfectly balanced, with the smell of light, fresh floral underneath. It's beautifully feminine on me, and I swear that if my boyfriend tries to steal this imp from me that I'll have to come up with a murder alibi. The lime smells a bit more like the rind than the actual citrus, which is fine by me, but I figured I'd mention that.

 

The only trouble with this is that it's such a light scent that I need to be close up to smell it. And it fades to a light sweetness so quickly that I just want to keep slathering it on me.

 

Mmmmm. This is better, so much better, than any other perfume I've ever encountered. This is just like Embalming Fluid, but with lime instead of lemon, and without the bitterness of the tea. Instead, it's the cleanness of the scent, with a light floral undertone. It's lighter and fresher and yummier and... Delicious. The next 5ml I order will be this one for sure. I'm going to have a hard time testing any of the other scents I ordered, because I'll only want to wear this one! This is definitely an underrated scent, and I'm surprise it isn't more popular.

 

edited to say: After I wrote this review, I realized that I hardly compared this scent to Muse at all. Possibly that's because it reminded me so much of Embalming Fluid that I hardly thought to compare it to another scent with lime and florals. Having tried both Muse and Whitechapel, I'd have to say that Whitechapel is everything that I had wanted Muse to be. The lime is more elegant, the florals less heavy, and in general more subtle and clean.

Edited June 23, 2004 by hypothermya

[Vaniclion]

LOVE. Pure and simple.

 

I've been anxious about this one since I read it, and now I know why. White Musk. It's so where I'm at. I should have known.

 

I completely agree with everything that's been said before. It is a citrus that slithers. SUCH a good way to describe it. It's like the little shiver you get when you bite into something sweet-bitter? That uncontrollable little jerky dance?

 

Fresh out of the bottle, very much lime and citron. Very clean, very pure. On me it very quickly becomes the white musk mixing, perhaps, with the lilac. I'm unsure. It's very similar, VERY similar, to Phobos which I also love, although this becomes more of a floral.

 

Deffinitely a keeper.

[TheDarkMother]

I tried this on my husbnad first. In the bottle, it is very lime, so much so that I really can't smell anything else on this one.

 

On him, first whiff is LEMON. Very overpoweringly lemon. I figure I'll give it a few minutes and see what we find then, but no...its still very decidedly lemon on him. Rats.

 

So I tried it high on my elbow. Once again, its a very heavy lemon scent. Must be Verbena, because it seems that that scent always comes through more than any other. After a while though, there does seem to be some complexity behind it, though the Verbena is still too overpowering to tell what it is.

 

Finally it dawns on me...babypowder. Hmmm...on me, its great, but not on my hubby. No, this one is for me now, not for him. I think I like Iago on him better!

[Ina Garten Davita]

Hypothermya generously decanted an imp of Whitechapel for me and boy I'm so glad she did!

 

First Impression: Oh the wonders of bright, crisp lime and fresh white musk.

 

Second Impression: With the lime and citron being so bracing and fresh there is no sense of sweetness or fruitiness with this, just clean and crisp. The lilac smooths out the edges making it just gorgeous. And white musk is just sexy in the cleanest way.

 

Final Analysis: I never thought this combination would be so amazing. And this scent is perfect for the ladies as well as gents. Addictive and unusual.

[slotown]

Gettin' a big bottle of this one. No question. I don't need to ask anyone else what they think of it. This one's for me. Very citrusy with a back of lilac over musk. Clean.

 

After about an hour, the floral scent has come through a little more but there's absolutely no powder. Floral scents usually start to get a little powdery on me by now but this one's staying true. I keep sniffing myself 'cause I like it so much. I might have to put a little bit under my nose.

[pkwench]

White Chapel

 

I have died and gone to the heaven reserved for good smelling souls. WOW.

 

Hypothermya, wonderful person that she is, sold me a 5ml of White Chapel. Even though I was on the one hand stupidly in love with the arrival of fall, something was still mourning summer's passing and I thought a little lime zing would ease the pain.

 

Oh, my. The first whiff of White Chapel is, shit you not, like a big blast of green Fruit Loops. It smells sweet, happy, and just brilliant. After settling on the skin for a bit, the white musk creeps out to mingle with the lime and citron. It hasn't smothered, calmed, or dampened them-just joined the party. And, now, just underneath it I can catch the first strings of the lilacs playing-very soft, very subtle, and what a fabulous undertone to the HITHEREI'MWHITECHAPEL!! that the citron and lime have set.

 

Don't worry, floral fearing souls, White Chapel doesn't go and lay down with the flowers. In fact, it just picks up a few sprigs on its way down the path.

 

This is divine. It's slinky, saucy, sexy citrus and is about ready to be likened to any sort of cleaning fluid as a Hollywood starlet would be likened to a wizened crone.

 

If happiness had a scent? White Chapel might just be it. *loves*

[pekeana]

Mmmkay, in the vial, Whitechapel is all lime and lilac -- I definitely get a "Hello, I'm lime Froot Loops" vibe from this one.

 

On me, the lilac is intense and powdery, but the lime and citron kick it into an intriguing place. But at times, for some reason, it reminds me of the SpitFire cleaner we use at work. Weird.

 

I like it, but I won't be wearing it very often, I don't think.

[SoapyRN]

Hee Hee. This was a freebie in the last order, danke!

I gave myself several days before trying this one out. In the bottle, it was a sharp citrus floral mixture. I read the BPAL description and see that it is labeled as a gentlemens blend. I am not letting my dh NEAR this. All mine.

As it drys, I smell the floral....and then, WHITE MUSK.

Before BPAL, I could only wear white musk. I think this is my signature scent.

 

5ml..check.

10ml...perhaps!

[surf-tormented]

Oh blimey, limey!

 

Not limey, like English, limely like LIMES!

 

LIMES, LIMES and MORE LIMES!

 

This one is all lime on me! I tried it twice and all I can smell is a limey smell that reminds me of powdered lime Kool-Aid . It is a bit overpowering.

 

I think my boyfriend would like this one because it is high on the limes. Then again, I don't think he likes oils.

 

I was expected a more full bodied show. Not candy.

 

Back to the sampling board. Another huge disappointment, since this was one I was very interested in.

 

I was thinking a more Jack the Ripper scent should have grapes in it instead of lime, didn't he lure ladies of the night into his carriage with grapes, or was that just in the movies? Hard to tell nowadays!

 

I will keep the imp since it is about to 50% anyways or if I want a lime buzz. But I wouldn't buy a bottle of this, too sweet, too lime.

Edited November 19, 2004 by Madame Nyx

[magpiedee]

Whitechapel is one of the most polite smells i've ever encountered. It practically doffs its hat and stoops over your hand. And yet, underneath that spotless waistcoat, there is something twisted lurking quietly. Do you remember (perhaps lovingly, as I do) that moment in Bram Stoker's Dracula when the handsome prince first bows to Mina in the streets of London? His gray hat, immaculate suit, cane and glossy black locks, his precise accent, his warmth... and underneath it all, we know who he really is. And some part of Mina does, too, but she's still entranced.

 

And that is the smell of Whitechapel. I smell tea with lemons, Earl Grey, a white china bowl of limes, the dry scent of a visit to the apothecary lingering in a gentleman's handkerchief. Clean and clear, standing in the nave of an old church, lighting a candle for a sick aunt. It is grey and yellow, arsenic and old lace, a gold pin in a silver cravat.

 

I wear it when I feel tidy and clean and alone, when I knit and watch period dramas, when I languish on a Sunday morning. I wear it to go through nostalgic items and to hug my grandmother. So polite, yet... there's always something lurking.

[xoe]

REally quite lovely. Before I read the description, my impressions were creamy sweet lemon. And white musk always seems creamy and sweet on me, so that makes sense.

 

It doesn't really change at all on my skin, even after several hours. It is so beautiful, but it makes me feel not myself. It smells like someone who is clean and organized and polite. Maybe a good scent for a job interview!

[starrykitten]

I was nervous about this because of the "gentleman" in the description, but as it turned out, there was no need. I don't find it to be very masculine or anything, although men could certainly wear it.

 

Definitely, limes are predominant. The lilacs and tea really serve more to anchor the lime scent than to overpower it. It's a very calming, yet cherry scent. Not the lime of margaritas, but the lime of frothy key lime martinis, something creamy and sweet beneath the tart lime.

[Sara]

This is a rather tasty citrus blend.

 

At first it's a sharp lemony scent (I really feel bad for the folks who think of cleaner when they smell lemon. I get a picture of candy instead. ). But, after a few minutes of drydown this takes on a delicious powdery (but not in a bad way) lemon-like clean smell. I really, really love this on me so much that the boy will probably never try it. Although, it could definitely be pulled off by a guy. It's a perfectly yummy unisex blend...and I must admit, as bright and clean as it is, I always think of the "Jack the Ripper nod" and imagine this twinge of "dark" to the scent rounding it out perfectly.

[harlequin]

In the imp, the lime is so strong and crisp and beautiful! I wish it lasted a bit longer, but the white musk and citron that come out as the lime fades are absolutely lovely as well.

 

I put this on in the morning after receiving it as a freebie in my first order and instantly fell in love. Later in the day, I was in the department store and stopped to smell Lacoste for men because a guy friend of mine told me he'd gotten some a couple of days ago. I just looked up the notes for this fragrance, and while they don't match Beth's description (with the possible exception of lacoste's "musk" perhaps being a white musk), the inital smell of lacoste is very similar to Whitechapel to me, just for a comparison.

 

Anyways, this is listed as a masculine fragrance, and I think it would be wonderful on a guy, but I think it's equally wonderful for a woman. I think it's very light and wonderful.

 

Two thumbs up.. (I'd give it more if I had them!)

[MissAnthropy]

What a chameleon of a scent this is for me! My chemistry just can't seem to decide what it wants to do with it. Which is kind of amusing, and delightful. I'm really quite pleased.

 

And for me, there is nothing sinister about this scent at all. It's very a very 'springtime' type of scent (IMHO), and it's so sweet and fresh, that the last place it makes me think of is 'Whitechapel' (been there, and frankly, if it smelled like this oil, I wouldn't have wanted to get out of the area so bad).

 

One word for this scent: ALIVE.

 

First time wearing the scent:

 

First sniff: I can smell every hint mentioned in it's description - everything is noticeable, especially the lime and the lilac. But, the lime is the most over powering of the hints.

 

On: Hmm. This scent smells very much like 'June Gloom' on my skin. The lime is leaping out! But it's nice, because a good citrus scent is always a bonus for me.

 

About an hour later: Now, the scent has worn down to mostly just a nice, faint lilac smell, which again, I have no problem with. Lilacs are my favorite flowers. But boy, I can REALLY smell the lilac now! It took time for it to take over, and it was worth the wait!

 

Second time wearing the scent:

 

Right off the bat, my skin brought out the lilac more than any other note, and it totally drowned out much of the other notes. How odd. Wearing this has been kind of like digging into a bag of "Bertie Bot's Every Flavor Beans" - LOL! The second time I wore this scent, it hardly changed at all on me - all but to wear down with time. It was ALL about the lilac, so I wonder what the third time will bring me

 

ing it!

 

 

-Leslie

[judas_kiss]

This was another my hubby tried and I absolutely adore. I can't really get too into it b/c I really didn't open the imp or anything, but I can say that on him, this fragrance is lethal. Dorian Grey, for some reason, comes to mind here. This is a man whose outer self is polished and shaven. His clothes are of haute couture. His smile is that of a switchblade opening and his heart is cold and deadly.

 

This fragrance exudes old world decorum and charm, but it is lethal at it's core. I really love this. A bit light for the winter, but I think he's going to need to break this out come spring!

 

ETA This just gets better everytime he wears it. Absolutely wonderful!

Edited December 10, 2004 by judas_kiss

[Rhian]

In the bottle

A sweet lemon and lime - I assume the sweetness comes from the musk. This was a gift from the Lab, and I'm not sure what to expect... I don't usually go for anything so decidedly citrus.

 

Wet on skin

Oo-er, not sure about this. The lemon is very strong and if I use my imagination a little, it smells a little like something you'd use to clean the bathroom. Every so often, though, the musk pulses through and makes me change my mind completely. I want to smell my wrists more and more as it dries further - definitely a good sign!

 

Dry

Ah, that's much better! The lemon has blended beautifully with the musk, creating a creamy citrus that's not too strong or pungent at all. I can easily imagine a suave, perfectly attired gentleman wearing this, or scenting a handkerchief with it. It's a clean, smooth scent that's so polite (to borrow from Magpiedee's description) and charmingly courteous that I'm quite in love with it. A woman could wear this just as well, but I'd really like to slather it on a man (preferably a snappily-dressed clean-shaven not-a-hair-out-of-place connivingly cunning Londoner, because that just seems fitting).

 

Conclusion

My preconceptions about lemony fragrances have been completely overturned. This is gorgeous, fresh, and has a hint of wickedness about it that makes it even more interesting. It lasted a few hours before becoming faint (but it didn't disappear entirely). I'll use up my imp, I'm certain, and a big bottle may well have to be bought!

[magikfanfic]

In the bottle: Oh god, that smells good. And, yes, I did say that aloud before writing it down. Can I just pause a second here to say that I love the smell of lime? I do, I absolutely adore it and crave it and stalk it down. I can detect the citron, too. So good. But it's the lime that has me swooning.

 

Wet: Lime and citron dancing in a wonderful blend of lovely smells on my wrist. Watch them dance in all their glory. Hee. I love this completely and utterly. There's something about lime that makes it my favorite citrus scent. I think it's just the greenness of it. I might be able to detect just a trace of the musk, but mostly there's just the very simple love that is lime and citron. They're my new OTP. I don't want to give this up. I want to just wallow in it, scent lotion with it and keep it on my skin forever and ever amen. None of the pretty lilac has come to play yet, but I'm okay with that. Maybe it's a wallflower and is waiting for lime to ask it to dance.

 

Dry down: Can I lick my wrist? Will a perfume oil blend kill me if I injest it? This clears my sinuses with its breath taking citrus rush. I'm not sure that my boy will like this even though I did buy it for him. He seems a little leery of lime, even though he did carry away my first imp of Wilde. Lilac has been asked to dance, and, really, he has a very sure foot as well. He and the citrus scents are getting along wonderfully while the musk provides a very firm floor on which to dance. I don't know why this scent brings to mind images of dancing, but it does. It makes me think of the musical Jekyll and Hyde. I haven't firgured out yet which of the characters would be wearing Whitechapel, though.

 

Dry:Still very, very lime and lilacy. The lime is still the prevalent note, which is fine by me as I love the scent to death. I actually made my own milk bath with some dry milk and lime oil. That's all that's in it, and I adore it. The lilac is also being a bit more forceful, but as I love all of these scents I'm not adverse to that. I want to scent lotion with this, I really do. I hope the boy likes it as it would smell heavenly on me. If he doesn't, though, I'd be perfectly happy with keeping it all.

[silverangel]

Lemon lime! Heavy on the lemon. Already in love! On drydown this turns into a very light, sweet floral on me. Gentleman's cologne indeed! I adore it. It's soft, whispy. I expected something harsher, this is an ode to the Ripper after all. I thought it would remind me of hard angles, but this is all soft curves once you're through the door. Absolutely gorgeous!

[inkstone]

This was a freebie from the Lab.

 

In the imp: Wow, that's some strong citrus there!

 

Wet: The musk comes out a little bit, but it's predominantly lime and citron. It's sharp on me.

 

Drydown: It's a fresh and light, just slightly wicked from the sharpness. Unfortunately it's starting to smell slightly artificial on me, and I don't know why.

 

Final thoughts: It's a nice scent and honestly it's not so masculine that a woman can't wear it. This is probably one of the least masculine "masculine" blends I've tried. But the edged sharpness doesn't really suit my personality alas.

[Falathwen]

This was a gift from the lab. I am glad I looked up the discussion of the name after my husband and I tried this because it would have been hard to keep the idea of a serial murderer from influencing my impression of the scent.

On my husband, the lime and lilac came out first. It was a very fresh and summery blend. Both of us were amazed that those two notes blended so well. Unfortunately, his skin tends to eat scents and this was no exception.

On me this was a great big lime lollipop. It was mouthwatering and sharp. Fortunately, I am fond of lime lollipops. As this dried down the lilac stepped forward and gradually the lime disappeared. The lilac lasted for hours. Again, I am fond of lilac as a single note, but I wish the lime had remained and blended as well on my skin as it did on my husband’s skin.

Edited January 17, 2005 by Falathwen

[Serenity]

This was tried on my husband. He could detect the lime note, however, the entire effect is one of soap. We had so wanted to love it.

[Nepthys]

This is a very tart lemon-lime soap scent. At first it smells like my house on a spring day after I've thrown all the windows open and cleaned it thoroughly. I don't really get any Ripper associations unless this is what he washed off with after the murders. Later as it dries down, the citrus softens enough to let the musk come out, and then the blend is quite sophisticated and haughty. There is definitely a sinister note here.