Gentlemens' Cologne/Shaving Lotion

Funny, I was just researching a similar question recently. I found that Bay Rum was a popular scent before, during and after the 1930s (but I find it repulsive); Aqua Velva was introduced in 1935; and Canoe, Old Spice and Dunhill for Men were all introduced during that decade.

Unfortunately, I don't have statistics on their popularity.

rpl said:

Funny, I was just researching a similar question recently. I found that Bay Rum was a popular scent before, during and after the 1930s (but I find it repulsive); Aqua Velva was introduced in 1935; and Canoe, Old Spice and Dunhill for Men were all introduced during that decade.

Unfortunately, I don't have statistics on their popularity.

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Fancy they're all that old! Actually, my husband's bottle of Canoe smells like it dates from 1930--oh, that stuff reeks.

Old Soice

Brenda Hill said:

I bet it doesn't reek like 'Old Spice' from the fifties. That stuff was strong.

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Pretty much the same stuff. My grandpa originally used Bay Rum, but my grandma hated it so he switched to Old Spice, and used it the rest of his life. It is strong, but she loved it. I still have a bottle of Old Spice around here somewhere, but I'm a Stetson man.

I was researching a similar question. What does Bay Rum smell like?

If I understand correctly, bay rum is a traditional recipe that may vary slightly from one perfumer to another. For the sake of authenticity I actually bought a bottle of the cheap stuff to find out first-hand what it smells like (is that not dedication to one's craft? )

Fresh from the bottle, it smells strongly of cloves. As it dried on my skin, the clove scent gradually diminished, and a more subtle, sweetish, musty-musky-spicy scent took over -- I guess that was the bay oil. (I apologize for the poor description, but I'm not very conversant with perfume terminology. If you have a jar of bay leaves in your kitchen, that might give you an idea.) I can't say that I ever distinctly smelled rum. The clove smell wasn't bad, but the musty-sweet scent that developed later was what I found stomach-turning.

Citrus would have helped, I think! I didn't notice any citrus scent in the brand I bought. Maybe it's in the more expensive brands.

(But my characters aren't rich, and I'm sure they buy the cheap stuff. )

Face rubs

My father in law assures me real men didn't wear aftershave in the 1920s and 30s...and he still managed to meet my mother in law...

Hillgate said:

My father in law assures me real men didn't wear aftershave in the 1920s and 30s...and he still managed to meet my mother in law...

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Hmm, that's odd. Gunfighters and lawmen and outlaws wore it in the old west, and gangsters wore it in the 30s. Just how does your father define real men?