Aimez-Vous Bay Rums?
Five popular Bay Rum lotions compared
This informal look at five popular Bay Rum lotions will provide a personal evaluation of the qualities of these products and examine the very noticeable differences among them. Bay Rum lotions have been popular for over a century as soothing after shave treatments. The extract of essential oils from the leaves and berries of the bay tree (Laurus Nobilis) has been used as a perfume, a skin cleanser, a massage lotion and, especially, as a soothing and effective after shave. Incidentally, some Bay Rum lotions use the extract from the Pimenta Racemosa, another variety of tropical bay tree.
The distillation of Bay Rum has been practiced in many geographical areas: the most appreciated Bay Rum, however, comes from the West Indies.
For many of us the scent of Bay Rum evokes recollections of old barbershops or the familiar scent of an older relative, since Bay Rum has lost its immense popularity and has gone somewhat out of fashion with the younger generations.
Lovers of classic wet shaving are, by nature, a bit nostalgic and many of us like a splash of Bay Rum after their morning shave.
After looking at the Bay Rum bottles in my bathroom, I decided to do an informal comparison of my five Bay Rum lotions, the kind that is easily found in drugstores or cosmetics supplies retailers.
These are, by definition, low-cost products, making it relatively painless to try out different brands and exploring the diverse variations of the classic Bay Rum scent.
The products we lined up for our test are (L to R): Black Magic Private Collection Bay Rum aftershave, Pinaud Clubman Virgin Island Bay Rum, Dominica Imported Bay Rum, Superior 70 Bay Rum and Lustray Bay Rum.
We'll give a short, personal assessment of their main characteristics and offer a brief comment on each of these products. Since these are very personal views, I hope that the reader will be tolerant of our opinions; after all, "De gustibus..."!
Will start with the Black Magic product:
The scent reflects its low price. It has a strong musk overtone, with a complementary scent of spice. It is a rather mild scent, not at all overpowering. Not what I would call a refined perfume and, to tell the truth, the Bay Rum scent is hard to discern...
Effectiveness: the Black Magic Bay Rum is quite soothing and does a good job of reducing any shaving discomfort. It contains menthol and boric acid, which account for its medicinal qualities.
Lasting power: this is a light-scented product and the scent seems to disappear rather quickly. Given the fact that the scent is not very pleasant (at least to this writer), this may be a positive feature!
Quality: the product has some good ingredients, like menthol and boric acid and bay oil is also mentioned in the contents. It is effective, but unimpressive for its generic fragrance.
Price: very inexpensive, at $3.69 for a 14 oz. bottle!
Overall impression: cheap smell, I will not buy it again.
Our second Bay Rum is a very popular one: Pinaud Clubman Bay Rum:
Pinaud products have been around for many years; they have quite a following, for their low price, effective formulas and pleasant, if somewhat unrefined scents.
The main scent of this Bay Rum is a strong cinnamon spice, very sharp and distinctive.
Effectiveness: like all Pinaud aftershaves, this is a good product, it contains Bay Tree oil and is high in alcohol. I like alcohol in my aftershave, but some people do not: all the products reviewed here are alcohol based.
Lasting power: this is a strong scented lotion and the scent lingers on for hours. Not one for the timid!
Quality: good for the price, although I have to say that I would call this a cinnamon lotion rather than a Bay Rum, since the scent of the cinnamon overtakes everything else.
Overall impression: I use it rarely, but I am glad to have it in my collection of aftershave lotions.
Next on our list is the Dominica Bay Rum:
Let me say from the onset that this is THE ultimate authentic Bay Rum. In my grandmother's kitchen bay leaves were used quite often, so I can say that I am very familiar with the scent of the true laurel leaves. This Bay Rum has that very unique and peculiar fragrance that I remember so clearly. Made in the West Indies according to controlled and regulated traditional methods, this has a very natural, unadulterated scent. The product comes in a 10 oz. glass bottle and at $13.00 is by far the most expensive Bay Rum in our review.
This is what the advertising blurb says:
Scent: definitely bay leaves and berries. This scent is more bitter than the commercial Bay Rum lotions and may not be as immediately attractive to some, but it feels more natural and authentic than most.
Effectiveness: soothing and refreshing, this product provides a very pleasant experience. It has a high alcohol content (55%).
Lasting power: long lasting, but not overpowering. This is a quality aftershave.
Overall impression: not as sweet or complex as the blended Bay Rums, this product feels and performs as the real thing. Worth the price, in my opinion.
Next is the Superior 70 Bay Rum:
This product is made in Puerto Rico and can usually be found in the "Spanish" section of most drugstores in South Florida, where I live. I bought mine at Walgreens, for a few dollars.
While it is definitely different from the Dominica Bay Rum reviewed above, this is also a true, authentic Bay Rum, with a strong, natural bay leaf scent.
Scent: as mentioned already, it is very natural and, to me at least, it is even more pleasant than the Dominica, as it does not have the same level of "bitterness", thanks to a well balanced blend of citrus and other natural fragrances in addition to the Bay oil.
Effectiveness: excellent, soothing and pleasant. This has the highest concentration of alcohol of all the Bay Rums under review: 65%.
Lasting power: good, but not as strong as, say, the Pinaud. This scent is more subdued and less intrusive.
Overall impression: my favorite in this bunch. Good, natural Bay Rum scent, effective aftershave action and a refined, slightly more complex blend of natural fragrances than the Dominica product. The best part is the price: just under $3.00 for the 11.8 oz. bottle.
The last in our lineup is the Lustray Bay Rum:
I am really glad that the good people at Lustray clearly indicated on its label that this is, indeed, a Bay Rum. From the scent, I would never have guessed it...
The scent is sweet and artificial. It's clearly a chemical odor with no hint of the Bay Rum fragrance.
The bottle says that this product contains Benzyl Alcohol, and I guess that is what I am smelling: not at all pleasant.
I guess the ethyl alcohol and benzyl alcohol, must give this product some effectiveness as an aftershave: it is, I am sure, a good antiseptic.
Lasting power: thankfully short.
Overall impression: a poor excuse for a Bay Rum. I cannot even detect the faintest hint of bay rum in this lotion. I understand that this product may be discontinued: it will not be missed. Incidentally, I am not against all the Lustray products: I love their Menthol after shave! I hear that that, too, may be discontinued and I will surely miss it.
Well, there you have it! A totally unscientific review of a few inexpensive Bay Rums. The surprise for me has been the Superior 70 from Puerto Rico: a truly excellent product!
I apologise to those who may disagree with my opinions, they reflect my personal preferences. Send us your comments and reviews of these, or other Bay Rum lotions.
Five popular Bay Rum lotions compared
This informal look at five popular Bay Rum lotions will provide a personal evaluation of the qualities of these products and examine the very noticeable differences among them. Bay Rum lotions have been popular for over a century as soothing after shave treatments. The extract of essential oils from the leaves and berries of the bay tree (Laurus Nobilis) has been used as a perfume, a skin cleanser, a massage lotion and, especially, as a soothing and effective after shave. Incidentally, some Bay Rum lotions use the extract from the Pimenta Racemosa, another variety of tropical bay tree.
The distillation of Bay Rum has been practiced in many geographical areas: the most appreciated Bay Rum, however, comes from the West Indies.
For many of us the scent of Bay Rum evokes recollections of old barbershops or the familiar scent of an older relative, since Bay Rum has lost its immense popularity and has gone somewhat out of fashion with the younger generations.
Lovers of classic wet shaving are, by nature, a bit nostalgic and many of us like a splash of Bay Rum after their morning shave.
After looking at the Bay Rum bottles in my bathroom, I decided to do an informal comparison of my five Bay Rum lotions, the kind that is easily found in drugstores or cosmetics supplies retailers.
These are, by definition, low-cost products, making it relatively painless to try out different brands and exploring the diverse variations of the classic Bay Rum scent.
The products we lined up for our test are (L to R): Black Magic Private Collection Bay Rum aftershave, Pinaud Clubman Virgin Island Bay Rum, Dominica Imported Bay Rum, Superior 70 Bay Rum and Lustray Bay Rum.
We'll give a short, personal assessment of their main characteristics and offer a brief comment on each of these products. Since these are very personal views, I hope that the reader will be tolerant of our opinions; after all, "De gustibus..."!
Will start with the Black Magic product:
The scent reflects its low price. It has a strong musk overtone, with a complementary scent of spice. It is a rather mild scent, not at all overpowering. Not what I would call a refined perfume and, to tell the truth, the Bay Rum scent is hard to discern...
Effectiveness: the Black Magic Bay Rum is quite soothing and does a good job of reducing any shaving discomfort. It contains menthol and boric acid, which account for its medicinal qualities.
Lasting power: this is a light-scented product and the scent seems to disappear rather quickly. Given the fact that the scent is not very pleasant (at least to this writer), this may be a positive feature!
Quality: the product has some good ingredients, like menthol and boric acid and bay oil is also mentioned in the contents. It is effective, but unimpressive for its generic fragrance.
Price: very inexpensive, at $3.69 for a 14 oz. bottle!
Overall impression: cheap smell, I will not buy it again.
Our second Bay Rum is a very popular one: Pinaud Clubman Bay Rum:
Pinaud products have been around for many years; they have quite a following, for their low price, effective formulas and pleasant, if somewhat unrefined scents.
The main scent of this Bay Rum is a strong cinnamon spice, very sharp and distinctive.
Effectiveness: like all Pinaud aftershaves, this is a good product, it contains Bay Tree oil and is high in alcohol. I like alcohol in my aftershave, but some people do not: all the products reviewed here are alcohol based.
Lasting power: this is a strong scented lotion and the scent lingers on for hours. Not one for the timid!
Quality: good for the price, although I have to say that I would call this a cinnamon lotion rather than a Bay Rum, since the scent of the cinnamon overtakes everything else.
Overall impression: I use it rarely, but I am glad to have it in my collection of aftershave lotions.
Next on our list is the Dominica Bay Rum:
Let me say from the onset that this is THE ultimate authentic Bay Rum. In my grandmother's kitchen bay leaves were used quite often, so I can say that I am very familiar with the scent of the true laurel leaves. This Bay Rum has that very unique and peculiar fragrance that I remember so clearly. Made in the West Indies according to controlled and regulated traditional methods, this has a very natural, unadulterated scent. The product comes in a 10 oz. glass bottle and at $13.00 is by far the most expensive Bay Rum in our review.
This is what the advertising blurb says:
Classic Dominica Bay Rum Aftershave is a naturally pure organic lotion with no artificial coloring, fragrances, or synthetic enhancers of any kind. Double Distilled and Blended by Hand according to a 300 year-old formula in Dominica, the Nature Island of the Caribbean.
The art of making authentic quality Bay Rum lies in the masterful blending of the purest of alcohol, exotic herbs and spices, and the leaf extract from the Bay Tree. (Laurus Nobilis).
The results of our subjective evaluation are:Scent: definitely bay leaves and berries. This scent is more bitter than the commercial Bay Rum lotions and may not be as immediately attractive to some, but it feels more natural and authentic than most.
Effectiveness: soothing and refreshing, this product provides a very pleasant experience. It has a high alcohol content (55%).
Lasting power: long lasting, but not overpowering. This is a quality aftershave.
Overall impression: not as sweet or complex as the blended Bay Rums, this product feels and performs as the real thing. Worth the price, in my opinion.
Next is the Superior 70 Bay Rum:
This product is made in Puerto Rico and can usually be found in the "Spanish" section of most drugstores in South Florida, where I live. I bought mine at Walgreens, for a few dollars.
While it is definitely different from the Dominica Bay Rum reviewed above, this is also a true, authentic Bay Rum, with a strong, natural bay leaf scent.
Scent: as mentioned already, it is very natural and, to me at least, it is even more pleasant than the Dominica, as it does not have the same level of "bitterness", thanks to a well balanced blend of citrus and other natural fragrances in addition to the Bay oil.
Effectiveness: excellent, soothing and pleasant. This has the highest concentration of alcohol of all the Bay Rums under review: 65%.
Lasting power: good, but not as strong as, say, the Pinaud. This scent is more subdued and less intrusive.
Overall impression: my favorite in this bunch. Good, natural Bay Rum scent, effective aftershave action and a refined, slightly more complex blend of natural fragrances than the Dominica product. The best part is the price: just under $3.00 for the 11.8 oz. bottle.
The last in our lineup is the Lustray Bay Rum:
I am really glad that the good people at Lustray clearly indicated on its label that this is, indeed, a Bay Rum. From the scent, I would never have guessed it...
The scent is sweet and artificial. It's clearly a chemical odor with no hint of the Bay Rum fragrance.
The bottle says that this product contains Benzyl Alcohol, and I guess that is what I am smelling: not at all pleasant.
I guess the ethyl alcohol and benzyl alcohol, must give this product some effectiveness as an aftershave: it is, I am sure, a good antiseptic.
Lasting power: thankfully short.
Overall impression: a poor excuse for a Bay Rum. I cannot even detect the faintest hint of bay rum in this lotion. I understand that this product may be discontinued: it will not be missed. Incidentally, I am not against all the Lustray products: I love their Menthol after shave! I hear that that, too, may be discontinued and I will surely miss it.
Well, there you have it! A totally unscientific review of a few inexpensive Bay Rums. The surprise for me has been the Superior 70 from Puerto Rico: a truly excellent product!
I apologise to those who may disagree with my opinions, they reflect my personal preferences. Send us your comments and reviews of these, or other Bay Rum lotions.
© 2007 by Giovanni Abrate - All Rights Reserved