Whitechapel

[fathom]

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.

Fresh lemon peel, tempered with a gentle ashy note. As it dries, I can smell the ash note more intensely—it smells like scorched paper. As it fades, the lemon disappears almost entirely on me, and the papery scent starts to go soapy. Very interesting scent, but not working at all on my skin. Oh well...

[WidgetAlley]

In the bottle, this is strong, slinky lime... not a problem, since I adore limes. Once applied, however, the florals come out to play. This, weirdly, goes almost sugary on me: like lime cake rather than lime peels, and just a teensy bit soapy. It's lovely nonetheless. The musk is a background player almost the entire time, providing some stability and sex appeal.

 

Unfortunately this doesn't last on me. The citrus and florals are yummy for about fifteen minutes, and then they fade completely, leaving just a hint of sweet musk... nice, but no throw. I'll enjoy the Imp but it's nothing that merits a big bottle purchase.

Edited August 21, 2005 by WidgetAlley

[Xiabelle]

For me, this is all about the lilacs.

 

In the imp, it's very fresh and light. Definitely smells like a men's cologne, and I admit, I got this originally to try on the boy, who puts up with my swabbing him with smellies with a sort of resignation.

 

But once it touches my skin, the lilac just blooms. God it's gorgeous: soft, powdery lilacs! Nothing else! It's very clean and sweet and soft. This morning, it was throwing all over the place as I got dressed.

 

After a bit, the musk starts to come out, so it's lilacs drenched in white musk. So pretty. I really like white musk!

 

Now, about 5 hours after I put it on, I'm finally getting some citron and lime, but they're just playing complement to the lilac.

 

I can see how this has a men's edge to it, but really, given how much the flowers come out on me, this is quite feminine. It's clean in the way I like, without watery or ozone notes.

 

Hoarding my imp. Glad I tried this one again to remember why I liked it!

[VorpalBunny]

I'm not a big citrus fan anyway... when I put this on it was overpoweringly lemony. Then over time the floral came out and my chemistry made it smell like a cleaning product. But the good news is I have a friend who is HUGE citrus fan, so I may give her my imp to try and enable her!

[carolinachiquita]

This is quite nice for a masculine fragrance, I think I like the musk, lemon & lime but I can't seem to smell the lilac. Very nice and subtle. Love this one! (Adds to bottle wishlist!)

[Firewaver]

How refreshing! This makes me think of the cool sweet-tart taste of limeade in the summer time. It's pretty light, though that's a plus for a men's fragrance, since most of the men that dabble in perfumes tend to *ahem* overdo it a bit.

 

I almost kind of smell leather? I'm sure that's just my nose being odd, though. It's probably the lilac, since I don't often try oils with lilac in the notes.

 

I like this, it's clean and a bit tangy at first.. it does dry down to a kind of soapy smell. But I love that smell... reminds me of my boyfriend just coming out of the shower. Men always smell divine when they're clean!

[elphaba]

I was really surprised by Whitechapel. I tried it without reading the description first and was bowled over by the sharp citrus scent. I originally pegged it as lemon, but now realize that must have been the lime instead. It took about fifteen minutes for the lilac to come out for me and then it became this weird lime/floral blend. I didn't get a lot of musk, but was surprised how this managed to be a masculine scent, despite what I would have thought from the ingredients. I'm guessing that was the musk pulling everything together.

 

I can't see my husband wearing this one and it definitely wasn't me, so it will be going up for swap. I'm sure there's some Victorian gentleman out there just dying for it.

[Cesare]

Wet: Lemony! With a kind of acrid, astringent musk underneath.

 

Drydown: LEMON. And Sea Breeze. Victorian-era serial murder = lemon scented? Oookay.

 

Dry: After a while, the citrus calms down and the lilac and musk are more evident. Even once it's less lemony, it doesn't really say 'Jack the Ripper' to me, but there you go. If you like citrus smells, I can imagine this one being appealing and interesting. It doesn't do a lot for me.

 

Here's my guy's take: "You buried your gramma with lemon zest! It's like old-lady smell with lemon rubbed all over it, like you packed your gramma in lemons to keep her from stinking before the wake."

 

I didn't tell him the lab's description first, or even the name of the oil, so I thought it was interesting that he apparently picked up on the note of 'corruption' or decay that's supposed to be in Whitechapel.

[alishathekitten]

In Bottle: Juicy limes with something else that I can't describe. Fresh, clean and pretty smelling.

 

On Skin: Very lime-ish with soft white florals underneath. The middle notes come out after a few hours, and are basically a white musk and smokey/incense kind of smell. Then, most of the lime and floral notes fade until only a hint of incense and lots of white musk remain.

 

Overall: Interesting scent, although I'm not a big fan of white musk since it gives me headaches; and yes, I did get one from wearing this. Pretty, although not for me.

[wingedcorset]

In the bottle it's lemony complexity.

 

On, it's vanilla lemonade.

 

Dry, it's powder that doesn't suck.

[Carolyn]

Oooooh, myyyy. Love love love. Is this really considered a *masculine* scent? I'm not sure I entirely understand that. It feels very neutral to me.

 

At first it's too lemony. The top notes are serious lemon power. But then, after just a few minutes, it dries down to an absolutely lovely warm, deep, white musky thang. I swear I smell vanilla or amber. Not sure which.

 

I can't get enough of this scent. One of my top five, for sure. It rocks hard.

[brownbear]

I smell mostly the citron in this when it's wet. Lemony citron and the lime. After it dries I get the white musk. Hmm It appears that white musk isn't so great on me. This is a really relaxing, clean scent. I didn't even realize it was supossed to be for the boys until now when I read the description. Darn. Really thought I'd like this one. oh well

[Orodemniades]

Lemony, and something that smells like fresh sweat. Dries down to being Dana O'Shee with...stuff. The Stuff is vaguely spicy, but I can't tell what it might be. I think I like it as one of those oils I'd grab because I can't decide what else t wear.

 

Oro

[Fefferbella]

This is a very odd combination...

 

On my skin, Whitechapel smells like burnt paper and lime juice. Not pleasant at all. The burnt paper smell makes the citrus-lime smell like soap.

 

Swap pile.

[LadyWilde]

In the imp, Whitechapel is candied citrus and lilac. . .yum. Unfortunately, it turned to lilac Pledge on my skin. Not a bad smell--if they sold Lilac Pledge I would happily buy it and use it on my furniture--but not what I want to smell like. After a few hours, it goes sort of soft and lilac/white musk-y. This stage is really quite pretty, but I'm not sure it's worth the initial sharp furniture-polish smell. I really, really want this to work for me (I've been fascinated by Jack the Ripper for years), so I'll try it a few more times before I give up on it. Right now, though, I rate it a, "Meh."

 

UPDATE: After trying Whitechapel a few more times, I am convinced that the Lilac Pledge thing was a fluke, and I have updated my rating from "Meh" to "Yay!". It still has that initial burst of citrus, but after it dries down the citrus fades into the background. It also keeps its tart little lime arms tightly wrapped around the lilac from behind, keeping it from doing that headachey old-lady floral thing that lilac sometimes does. The white musk provides a smooth, subtle base note. Now, there's nothing in this scent that to me says "sinister," but it is, somehow, nonetheless. It calls to mind an image of a well-dressed Victorian gentleman who will tip his hat to you on a warm Spring afternoon, and then slit your throat in the alley that night. Also, even though Whitechapel is supposed to be traditionally masculine, I don't find that it is. It strikes me instead as one of those great androgynous scents that can work for either (or rather, for any) gender. Perhaps that charming Victorian Jack is in fact a Jill under the lightweight summer suit?

 

I am currently in the market for a light warm-weather scent, and this one is definitely in the running. I may need a big bottle.

Edited January 12, 2006 by LadyWilde

[Nachtwulf]

Lime, lemon... it's sort of all the same to me....

 

Unfortunately, it seems that any hope of musk or anything else shall duly be DROWNIFIED in the overwhelming sour reek of citrus. It does, toward the end of its drydown, start breaking up into more 'cologne' type notes, but by then, I'm already so weary of smelling like furniture polish, I'm ready to scrub it off anyway.

 

Neither the overwhelming citrusness nor the final florals are enough to encourage me to keep this one... I prefer the lemon-ambers of Sol, if I must have citrus. But I'm sure it will find a good home soon enough.

[SeaMonkey]

Lime and Citron. Its a nice limey citrus blend, but I really dislike limes. This was a frimp from my last order. I'm glad I got to try it, but its not me

[Tess]

I ordered this for the boy (he smells to die for in white musk!), but I just have to try it on myself first. My love for all things lemon is well known, and the idea of a lime-white musk scent is enough to make me order a bottle unsniffed. The down side? Lilac. My skin AMPS lilac.

 

In the bottle - Helloooo, lime! There is a hint of the musk, though, lingering with a background sweetness.

 

Wet - Lime and lilacs dancing, with the lime deffinately leading...

 

Drying - This seriously is all lime and lilacs on me. My skin is amping the lilacs, as per usual, but the lime refuses to give in! I'm waiting for that musk to come out, but I'm starting to feel this may be the first scent with lilac that I can wear.

 

Dry (25 minutes) - The lilac has taken over, just like I feared it would. It isn't massively bad yet, as the lime is keeping it under control, but the musk is just a hidden hint in the background. It's still a very clean scent, though, and it has a decent throw to it.

 

Overall - I think this warrants some experimenting with. It might work on me in certain situations; it's a very light summer type of scent. The lilac isn't overpowering, although it is strong. A few more times of trying it out and it might just be doable.

[kilobytesprite]

Why is it that all the freebies I get are just beyond awesome? Heh.

 

I wear Embalming Fluid to death. So much so that people smell it and say "Erin". This has such a wake up in it that I'm afraid that I'll have to replace Embalming Fluid in the rotation.

 

There is a clear citrus note in the bottle. It pops out over top everything else.

 

On my skin right way, the citrus starts to hide and the florals pop out. The citrus moves to the after note. It's very clean and ... ok, pretty. I hate using the word pretty but that's what it is.

[seamor]

Oh goody! A frimp! Lemon-with-something-else in the bottle – very sharp, but attractive. Can’t wait to try it!

 

Yipes! I can’t seem to actually put it on – I associate Whitechapel with Jack the Ripper and it is creeping me out.

 

Okay, I finally tried it.

 

Wet, I get primarily a lemon/lime scent – not Pledge, not lemon drops, just clean and sweet - with a slight under-whiff of something-left-in-the refrigerator-too-long (or dead and rotting behind the boarding house).

 

Dry, the lemon becomes softer and a bit sweeter (but still not at all like lemon drops) and there’s a breath of white-smelling floral which I’m guessing is the combination of lilac and white musk.

 

The diverse elements of this one surprise me by blending very smoothly. I would personally prefer a dash more lilac and a smidge less citrus, but it is a pleasant scent.

 

It didn’t last long on me (probably the alien physiology again) and will go up for trade.

 

[maewitch]

Baby, where have you been hiding yourself?

 

I love citrus notes, I adore musk and lilac is one of the few florals that I can handle without any qualms. This hits all three and does it without messing up its pretty little coat.

 

This is the ultimate spring scent, just so light and fresh and grounded by that clean yet sexy musk. There is an old-fashioned quality to this, which I think is due both to the lilac (who's grandma didn't wear lilac or bring in lilac bunches into the house in spring?) and the sort of classic "men's cologne" composition, circa 18th-19th century.

 

In comparison to a lot of old-fashioned type blends, this one doesn't ick me out because 1) it doesn't go to powder and 2) it has a balance of both feminine and masculine connotations.

 

I really like this one.

[Thaleia]

Even though this is listed as a 'gentleman's blend', the description's so deliciously evil that I can't help but try it out. In the vial, it's actually not very masculine, light and citrusy with a hint of white musk. On me, it becomes a citrusy/lilac combination, which is very vintage-elegant, not Pledge or lemon drops. I think my skin just likes florals in general, so once the lilac comes out, it stays on top. The lilac gives this blend an even more vintage-elegant feel, but the citrus stays around to say that this may be genteel, but appearances can be deceiving. This is a definite unexpected good one - a friend told me that her husband likes this one, but I think I'll keep this for myself, thanks. 4.

Edited January 29, 2006 by rabid hauteur

[Naamah_Darling]

On opening the bottle, the lime and citron come parading out, with the musk and lilac lurking somewhere in the shadows.

 

On the skin, the heavy citrus topnotes die back, and the soft, almost watery undercurrent of the musk/lilac surfaces, like a hint of menace. A deceptively calming scent, which I suppose is the point, if you want to murder your lover with a knife.

 

After several hours, the scent evens out, a hint of the citrus topnotes reappear, and the musk and lilac have blended into one smooth scent that is both clean and feminine. On me, it's a bit powdery, but not overwhelmingly so. This may be a man's scent, but it would work well on women, too, once it's settled down.

 

Rich, but not as complex as it first appeared. I wanted to like this one more than I do, but I do still like it.

[dejena]

When I opened this imp, I was nearly afraid to put this on. The lime and citron was the only thing I could smell right out of the imp, and I must admit, it was pretty strong.

 

Yet, I gathered up enough courage to dab some on my wrists and neck. During the wet stage, I could smell the lime as the forefront, and right behind it was a quiet mix of lilac and white musk. White musk always works well on me, and I have generally pretty good luck with light florals, so I was interested on how it would dry down.

 

Luckily, when it dried, it became this gorgeous scent. You could mostly smell the lilacs and white musk, with a bit of citron/lime in the background, just lurking around.

 

After reading the description, all I could think about was a victorian gentleman inviting me over to his place for a relaxing dinner. During dinner, being utterly distracted by his seductive manners, I never quite catch that little offbeat glimmer in his eyes. Sure enough, the wine was poisoned - he wouldn't dare ruin his precious wool carpet and teak tables by a careless murder afterall.

 

With that image in mind, this is something I would wear in a more subdue and calculated environment. Say, working, dealing with gossip mongers, or every day. Definately getting a bottle!

 

 

ETA: So I wore it again last night, on freshly cleaned skin... and it smelled exactly like the diaper wipes that I use to clean up my grandmother's messes. Although I do love the smell of those diaper wipes, it was disconcerting... I think I'll have to wait a bit for my skin chem to even out or something.

Edited February 18, 2006 by dejena

[mandragora]

In the imp: Hello Lime! Very much like lime peel and citron.

 

Wet on me: Still lime and citrusy but the lilac is subtly peaking through. As if it slithers beneath and between the lime and citron.

 

Drydown: The white musk provides a nice background for the softened lime and white florals. Not quite as masculine as I expected.

 

Verdict: Nice! Will have to try it on hubby.

 

ETA: Hubby doesn't like it, says it's too feminine. Guess whitechapel's all mine

Edited February 12, 2006 by mandragora