St. John's Bay Rum

I bought a 4 oz. bottle directly from their website (Currently offering free shipping until the end of the year) about 10 months ago and have never looked back!

I had never smelled Bay Rum before buying this and to be perfectly honest I didn't find it that appealing when I sniffed the bottle. But after a couple of applications on my face and neck I fell in love.

Price is a little high but this is, in my opinion, the cream of the crop!

Quality is second to none.

I find that it is really a nice after shave feeling (after the burn has abated).

It doesn't really cool, in my opinon, but does have a distict tightening of the skin. Combine that with the post burn sensation and I suppose that it could feel cooling to some.

Scent is to die for. Although very very short lived. But if I splash some on after my evening shower, before going to bed, I can smell it again when I shower in the morning and rinse my face. So I will say moisture is the activator for the scent. If you sweat a little the scent will come alive again and you will get a whiff of it. Even still the scent is my favorite.

Efficacy, I tend to put it on after a bad shave even though I know it will burn like the dickens, the bay leaf really fights the irritation that may be left over from a less that great shave.

I neither moisturizes nor dries my skin. The perfect balance.

But beware, it has a life of its own when it comes to burn. I have put it on after a less that stellar shave and have had very minimal burn. Yet at other times when I have gotten and superb shave or have not even shaved (Saturday) and it will feel like you face is being melted off with toxic waste (which smells like wonderful).

There you have it. The bench mark Bay Rum. My next order will be the 8 oz. bottle. No question.

Have fun

St. John's is the "gold standard" of Bay Rum, as far as I'm concerned. I've tried 90%+ of all the Bay Rum's out there, and this one is a true stand-out (possibly the original). It is a real Bay Rum scent, not sweet, but not overly spicy....just a masterfully smooth formulation. Works both as an aftershave and a cologne, though the scent is found to be somewhat fleeting to some...longevity will vary by the user.

Review is being discussed here (for those not posting ratings)


Some History:

BAY RUM has a centuries old history. When Christopher Columbus discovered the Virgin Islands, there were Bay trees basking in our beautiful sun. The peaceful Arawak Indians, it is said, held the Bay tree sacred. Later settlers discovered how refreshing toilet waters became, when mixed with the oil extracted from Bay leaves. Of all the varieties of Bay trees, the most exquisite is found in St. John. The purity of the air and the evenness of climate make the fragrance of the Bay trees of St. John stand out in the beautiful marriage of orange peel, pimiento and other exotic spices.

"The word 'ST. JOHNS' on BAY RUM is like 'Sterling' on Silverware. It stands for the best in the world. This superiority is due to a special quality of the leaves of the Bay trees (Pimenta Acris), which grow on the island of St. John, and in no other part of the world." - Encyclopedia Britannica



Review is being discussed here (for those not posting ratings)