Hello gents, the S.S. here. If you have read my S.O.T.D. threads, you know I like B.R. in the summer especially when it’s humid. The plain, fleeting sharp scent of bay oil and alcohol just works. Save cinnamon for the winter. Now, I’ve had Dominica, St. John’s, Royall, Masters, Clubman, and now this summer, I’m trying out the Gabels. While I like the scent( plain ‘tropical’ B.R.), The true test of a B.R. is how it stands up to the humidity. Living right next to the Mississippi River, the humidity is off the chart. So today, I had the opportunity to give the Gabels the ‘humidity’ test. The ingredient list doesn’t contain glycerin, or butyl or propylene glycol. No ‘moisturizers’, or humectants at all. When I put it on, I immediately felt a ‘thickness’ in the A.S. which normally one feels with a ‘moisturizing ‘ A.S. Once I got out in the heat my face felt ‘sticky’, by the end of the night, my face was ‘shiny’, greasy, sticky feeling. In another thread earlier this week, I wore the A.S. in lower humidity, and it felt great. I was considering making the Gabels my ‘go to’ summer Bay Rum. At $7.00 for a 16oz, it would be nice, oh well. So, now the only ‘tropical’ B.R. i haven’t used is Superior 70, and West Indies B.R. You know what that means! I still can’t figure out the Gabels B.R., The only listed ingredients are : Alcohol sd40, water, bay oil, fragrance, FD&C Yellow no. 5. I don’t know why you would want color in a B.R., but, it doesn’t seem like that would be responsible for the face feel. The more ambiguous ‘fragrance’ could be the culprit, but what ‘fragrance’ has an ingredient like that? After I got home from work, I took a shower, afterward, since I shaved today, I wanted to put on some A.S., and since it was so hot, I wanted something mentholated. This summer, I’m trying Gabels products, so I pulled out the Sta-Cool. I put it on my face, neck, shoulders, and torso. I didn’t notice any ‘thickness’ in the juice, no ‘sticky’, face feel. And it contains the shadowy ‘fragrance’, Alcohol sd40 Coloring agents etc. What gives?
That is strange. Have you tried Stephans? I don't think I get much moisture from it. 1960s Avon BR (the barrel or the green/gray jug) has zero moisturizing and a straightforward but good scent, if you can find it.
Hey S.S. How do you rank the bay rums from your humidity test's you have done so far? I like the scent of Bay rum and so far have only used Pinaud VIBR.
For me, Bay Rum comes in two ‘flavors’, summer, and winter. B.R. that have a ‘plain’ scent (bay oil and alcohol) are summer B.R. Some people call them ‘tropical’, or ‘Caribbean’, or ‘island’ B.R. B.R. with a strong cinnamon or ‘clove’ scent are winter B.R. These are sometimes referred to as ‘cowboy’ B.R. So my B.R. are divided into those two categories. Since it’s summer I’ll stick to those. Now, all of my A.S., no matter what, are divided into three categories, those that have glycerin, those that have butylene, or propylene glycol ( a derivative of glycerin) and those that are ‘plain’ alcohol splashes. Which one I use is based on the humidity, and how my face feels. When the humidity is high (like it is now) anything other than alcohol splashes make my face greasy, sticky, shiny. If the humidity is really low, I can use the glycerin, and it feels nice and smooth. Once the humidity gets to about 40% glycerin gets sticky. I can use the glycol up to about 60%. As I’ve stated previously, I live right by the Mississippi so, it’s humid more than not, so I use the alcohol splashes mostly, and if it gets dry, I have something for that ‘situation’. That’s why I’m the Situational Shaver. Keep in mind, there are Bay Rums, and then there are Bay Rum aftershaves. Actual B.R. is very alcohol heavy. In the Caribbean, it’s used for more than just A.S. So when you apply it, it burns. B.R. aftershave isn’t as harsh. Although, some people love ‘the burn’. One of the reasons I purchased the Gabels, is because it was A.S. and not B.R., and it was less ‘burning’, a little more soothing. As for the summer B.R., when it’s dry, with not much humidity, my go to is Masters B.R. It’s an A.S., not a ‘true’ B.R. Very glycerin heavy. The Gabels that I used was perfect in a mid level humidity. For high humidity levels I’ve used Dominica B.R., it’s probably the standard for summer B.R. But, because it is a ‘true’ B.R., it burns. Royall B.R. is pretty similar to the Dominica, but look at the price, that’s ridiculous. I’ve never used Superior 70, and that will be next summers B.R. The St. John’s B.R. to me, is more of a winter scent, and more of a scent splash than an A.S. West Indies B.R. is going to compete with the Superior 70 next year. Stephan’s B.R. has glycol in it, so I wouldn’t wear it in high humidity. Also, I’ve read reviews that say it’s more of a winter scent. So, hopefully next year the Superior 70 is as good as the Dominica, because it’s cheaper, I’d go with that. If it’s not as good, it’s between Dominica, and West Indies. If everything is even, it’s Dominica. By the way, the Clubman V.I.B.R. is my go to winter B.R. alcohol splash. If you like that, I would highly suggest their other offerings. I’m always afraid I’m going to get in trouble on the forum, because I mention their products so often. But, if you live in a high humidity environment as I do, they’re perfect. The C.C. shampoo is not ‘hydrating’ so when I shower, I use it for shampoo and body soap as well. After you’re dry, you stay dry. With the ‘hydrating’ soaps, you feel ‘sticky’ like there’s a ‘film’ covering you. Unless you live in a really humid area you don’t know. As soon as you step outside, within 5 minutes, your whole body, every inch of surface of skin, is covered in perspiration. The C.C. shampoo keeps you nice and soft, and dry. They don’t make conditioner, they make hair tonic. And it’s great. A lot of conditioners are heavy, they feel like it’s not all the way washed out. The hair tonic is perfect because it’s light, you don’t need a lot, and it controls your hair without being greasy or stiff. The deo spray is awesome, many deo ‘s give me a rash, Clubman’s is specifically for people who get reactions from deo. And of course, in the humidity, a post shower talc dusting is always nice. The different products all work well together scent-wise, which is perfect if you’re like me, and you like your scents to match.
Thanks for the reply The Pinaud VIBR is about 3\4 of the way empty. So I'm not too far off from replacement. I don't have to deal with too much humidity up here in Washington state, like you do down there in Mississippi. You mention your by the Mississippi River. Are you in the delta area? One of the trips I hope to take is to fly to Memphis. Rent a car and drive through the delta region and fly back from New Orleans. I'd really like to catch a blues show while in the Delta area.
I actually live in Southern Illinois, near St. Louis. Obviously, there are a lot of blues clubs here. If you live in a real low humidity area, and/or you have skin on the drier side. I highly recommend Masters products. Very glycerin heavy, very moisturizing.
I hear that's a good area for BBQ Ever been to 17th street bbq in Marion? I have both of his BBQ books