Longevity is the holy grail for frag lovers. But it can vary a lot from person to person. I have dryish skin, and a lot of highly praised frags do not last well on me. Pens Blenheim Bouquet doesn't last an hour on me. If you're new to experimenting with high end scents, be aware they all go on strong with their top notes, mellow a bit, then tend to explode (at least on me) as the middle notes come in. Then they enter their dry down phase and base notes. Your Bay Rum may be a very simple linear scent. Most Pens are more complex and evolve as you wear them.
In my experience with Pens, they are mostly pretty long lasting. I favor their Racquets formula which gives me a solid scent through the workday (appx 10 hours). It is weaker at the end of the day, but that's to be expected. No scents pound away all day as they did when first applied (though Vintage Tabarome and Kouros come close).
Pens makes a wide variety of very good scents. Most everyone in here has their favorites, and the ones they don't like. You'd be crazy not to investigate in here or Basenotes, then order some samples.
I can rave about Racquets as a marvelous British barbershop scent. You might think it sucks. And so on for everyone's favorites and every scent they make.
Be patient and get some samples targeted on what sounds like you might like. A test wearing- not a quick sniff of the top notes on a card - is the only way to get to know these frags through all their phases of development. Your own skin chemistry is debated by many to play a part.
As to if it's the stuff: As a wetshaver, there is probably a Pens that will float your boat, yes.
Other than liking Bay Rum, we don't know enough about you to point you in many directions with Pens yet. Endymion is one of their more modern, "youngish" scents with a bit a gourmand element (i.e. foody- it has a bit of a mocha coffee kind of note). It is also thought by most to be more of an evening, "date" kind of scent. Not that you couldn't wear it at work, just that it's not as good at work.
Last edited by StylinLA; 03-21-2010 at 03:32 PM.
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