21 July 2011

Geo. F. Trumper Extract of West Indian Limes

When trusted colleagues tell me I smell like a G&T, it is usually because I injested a dozen of the bloody things the night before. Now I have an entirely different excuse.

At the suggestion of some Interweb colleagues, and that of my good friend Sefton who knows about these things, I recently took receipt from a New York City establishment of a bottle of Trumper West Indian Extract of Limes fragrance. Pictured (above) is the same bottle together with a pair of Brooks Brothers bathing shorts in Harbour Island Blue and Palm Beach Green.

Note the charming pink colour of the Trumper box. Here is the story:

The story behind the famous 'PINK LABEL'

It has been asked so often, "why does Trumpers Extract of Limes have a pink label, surely it should be green?"

We have to relate that once it was but during the Great War (1914-1918) supplies of the correct paper dried up and the only alternative available to Trumpers was pink, so pink it became and has remained so ever since. When a tradition stretches back so far it seems a pity to change it so when we decided to introduce a bath soap perfume with Extract of Limes we had no hesitation concerning the colour of the carton--pink.

I lack the language to describe fragrances, so I will leave it to Trumper themselves. The advertising copy proceeds thus:

Bright green bursts of life-force charge from the tangy sharpness of tropical Limes, while vibrant citrus flashes allow a gentleman's mind to surge with the majesty of life. And as every pore is infused with the zing and zest of freshly squeezed West Indian Limes, so an exhilarating thrill is marvelously bestowed.

Extract of Limes, first introduced in 1880, is a pleasant enough scent, cool and refreshing, ideal for breezy summer conditions. It does indeed smell of limes, as you would expect. However, you may also notice that it simply does not persist long enough on the skin. Like an orgasm, the initial burst of explosive pleasure is over in mere seconds.

7 comments:

A.E.F. said...

Admiral, lime scents are lovely in the summer for men and women, whether on a body or in a brimming glass accompanied by hints of juniper.
I favour Jo Malone's Lime, Basil and Mandarin and a generous splash of Hendricks.

White Horse said...

Personally, the only time I think I'd want to smell limey is after a dozen g & t's. But since you endorse it, I'll give it a try.

Truly Scrumptious said...

Probably as unwise to ingest gin and tonic in jest, Wallop, as to mess with a dry martini or trifle with a Negroni. Your funeral though.

Trumper's Extract of West Indian Limes etc., etc., is best in the bath oil format, meiner Meinung nach, but Portugal, Eucris, Spanish Leather and Ajaccio Violets are all quite fun in the plastic bottles for travel.

Anonymous said...

Those shades of green and blue are my happy colours; the azure blue of a cloudless summer sky set against a velvety green lawn - ahh, Pimms?

Soxtory said...

If we buy from the same NYC establishment, we should keep the name a secret because the price is about 20% less than Trumper is elsewhere. I believe this is because it is older stock and the price label has not been updated. If the name gets out, it will sell out and be replaced with new stock at the current price. I shall visit there today.

Laguna Beach Fogey said...

WH ~ Actually I don't endorse it. It's too light for me. But, you may enjoy it. Good luck.

Vernon ~ My lips are sealed.

v. Braun. said...

That's true, it's only an Eau de Cologne, just for an hour or so after freshening up and relaxing with a drink or two, just like the original Aqua di Parma: still, a classic, in my opinion.