Thread: Bay Rum Use

Originally Posted by MBradshaw

Try using a balm rather than a lotion.

I finally gave up on Bay Rum although it is a great scent.......Balm or lotion..No staying power !

It's the nature of the stuff that it doesn't last. The Pinaud does last but personally I don't think it's really Bay Rum, more a clove spice scent to me.

Originally Posted by thebigspendur

It's the nature of the stuff that it doesn't last. The Pinaud does last but personally I don't think it's really Bay Rum, more a clove spice scent to me.

I wore Pinaud to work one day and was helping some people and then someone said, "(sniff, sniff) What's that smell?"

That's the last time I wore Pinaud Bay Rum. It makes me feel like a drunk badly in need of a bath.

Sadly, SHMBO doesn't like the scent of Bay Rum. I do, but I prefer making her happy.

Originally Posted by CaliforniaCajun

I do not know of any bay rum without alcohol, but Ogallala Bay Rum does not sting nearly as much as Dominica.

Dominica stings? Not compared to Clubman....

Originally Posted by Ryan82

Dominica stings? Not compared to Clubman....

Yeah for sure Clubman will get your attention. Starting with a water dampened face or throwing on some witch hazel first seems to help a little.

Woah woah woah. Woah. I feel like I gotta chime in here and set the record straight on behalf of my beloved bay rum. Now, I'm no expert (you can consult Glen if you want one), but I've tried a few bay rums out there seeing as how it has quickly become my favorite scent since I began straight shaving.

First, on the topic of "bay rum" aftershave always having a decent alcohol content/stinging upon application, here's a brief summary of what I have/have tried and my opinions on this topic:

-Dominica (both original and with lime - the lime one sucks imho): This has a decent alcohol content and yes, it will sting a bit. Honestly it doesn't even bother me and I tend to like it.
-Ogallala bay rum w/ sandalwood: This stuff probably has little to no alcohol content and has never stung or burned, even a little bit.
-Flying Bird bay rum (bay rum aftershave handcrafted all natural by flyingbirdbotanicals this stuff is supposedly made with rum but you couldn't tell by using it - no sting whatsoever. It feels slightly sticky if anything.
-Man Cave bay rum (AFTERSHAVE BAY RUM All Natural Face by ManCaveSoapworks on Etsy once again, zero alcohol content and no sting
-Captain's Choice bay rum (Captains Choice bay rum aftershave by CaptainsChoiceStore on Etsy This stuff has alcohol in it but I've never noticed much of a sting at all, significantly less than Dominica.

Now of all those varieties, the only one that I would consider to have any legitimate sting to it is the Dominica, with the Ogallala and Man Cave having 100% guaranteed zero sting whatsoever.

On the topic of bay rum having no staying power, again, I'd tend to disagree. I can shave at night, slap on some Ogallala, and smell it on myself well throughout the entire next day. That's probably the longest lasting/strongest smelling one of the bunch, which isn't always a good thing, but hey, that's why I have a variety.

One thing to be said about all these brands is that they all smell pretty different. I'm relatively young, so I couldn't tell you what "real" bay rum is supposed to smell like or which one of these comes closest to that scent. But I do know that all those bottles say Bay Rum on them and I like every single one of them, so that at least tells me that I'm in the right ballpark. And I'm the kind of person who likes a little variety on a main theme, so all the different bay rums out there allow me to satisfy that urge. In fact, I've got a bottle of Dominica Essential Oil & Spice Co-op Bay Rum aftershave on the way right now, and I'm sure it will smell different from all the others that I have/have tried. I can't wait.

Hopefully this puts some of these bad rumors to rest and gives the OP and anybody else a new found perspective on what is arguably considered to be one of the most iconic scents of all time.