Focused on well-being, the upscale Ligne St Barth specializes in spa-concept body care products and perfumes, whose secret lies in the use of luscious natural raw materials nuanced by the exotic and sensual scent of the island's flora. Combining the traditional knowledge of plants with scientific advances, everything this company creates is developed at its own site in the heart of Saint-Barthélemy island, one of the most stunning islands in the Caribbean.

But did you know that it all started with recycled rum bottles?

When you find out about certain companies that started out as small businesses and later transformed into global successes, it can only be very inspirational. Founded in the pre-digital era, when there was no Internet to quickly lead them to a global audience, the guarantee of their success involved building a good reputation sustained over time by maintaining a high level of quality, proving that a strong vision, a lot of passion and a little luck can take you as far as possible, even without extensive advertising campaigns featuring film stars and supermodels. Basically, the niche concept reserved for the true connoisseurs was born long before the advent of the Internet and online platforms where numerous enthusiasts would make them known much faster worldwide.   

An example is Ligne St Barth, a small independent house that has found a way to stand out and assert itself, gaining a loyal audience by consistently offering high-quality products.

Their roots are right there on Saint-Barthélemy, the French-speaking island of the Caribbean known for its luxe vibe and flawless beaches, where in the 1980s, Mr. Hervé Brin, the founder and CEO of the brand, started selling body oils directly on the beach: Roucou Oil, Aloe Vera Gel, Avocado Oil and Coconut Oil in recycled and hand-labeled rum bottles. His passion for the healing power of plants he inherited from his great-grandmother, Honorine Brin, who was well-known for her knowledge in this field. Together with his wife Birgit, he started to perfect the traditional recipes with new cutting-edge technology and intensive research, developing their first products that captured the French Caribbean way of life. The key ingredients of the line are the ambassadors of the local flora.

Soon, thanks to the exceptional quality of body oils tailored for all skin needs, the demand increased, and, gradually, Ligne St Barth gained an excellent reputation, currently being distributed all across the world in select perfumeries and luxury hotel spas. Since 2007, the range has expanded to offer perfumes. Perhaps one of the most popular scents is Vanille West Indies, a darling on our Fragrantica forum in topics about great vanillas. It is a thematic fragrance that approaches vanilla really generously and without reservations, refining the ingredient with delectable shades of caramel fudge and a sensual touch of orchid. I discovered it a long time ago when I was looking for all kinds of vanilla scents, and it really is a delight! At the same time, their first men's perfume, Homme, has become well-liked, offering a classic and fresh masculine character built from various essential oils of aromatic plants with lavender and oakmoss.

This year, Ligne St Barth has added three new men's fragrances: L'Original, Vetiver and Islander.

L'Original Eau de Parfum for Men - Edition 2023

Notes: Lavender, Rosemary, Lime, Anise, Tropical Orange Blossom, Royal Fern, Moss, Hay.

They decided to sublime the formula of the classic L' Homme Eau de Toilette into an Eau de Parfum, re-releasing it under the new name L'Original. The brand guarantees that it has improved the persistence of the fragrance without changing the perfume itself.

I haven't smelled the first version to be able to compare them, but I can appreciate that what I have under my nose is a fascinating and tenacious classic men's perfume. The first detail that jumps out at me is that I don't feel any harsh and synthetic elements in it. If you had blindfolded me and made me test it blindly, I would have immediately said that it is not a commercial perfume. It is unequivocally masculine. In my opinion, this is what an active and well-groomed man smells like. It is not an evening perfume for special occasions but an everyday companion that stays ideal on the skin and shirt.

The initial burst of bubbly aromatics uplifts the soul, and under it, there is a slightly soapy undertone shining through that will remain a constant presence. It starts in a clean, young tone and fades out just like that. It's as if the perfumer's source of inspiration was that morning grooming smell, fresh out of the shower, with steam, a bar of soap, shaving foam, and a classic cologne. It does not sweeten and does not slide onto a predictable woody-amber slope. The smell of its aromatic fougère, smooth and virile like a freshly shaved cheek, refreshes you without constantly keeping your attention on specific star notes - it accompanies you, it doesn't overwhelm you.

The soapy and soothing lavender, together with the fresh and sharp rosemary, is felt right from the beginning and long into the heart, where the clean orange blossoms round off the aromatic accord, creating a backbone for the fern and oakmoss to climb while the dry and sweet hay from the base offers a relaxed, understated quality.

For the purpose of this review, I tried it a couple of times on my skin. On me, it performs brighter and greener, with soft herbal nuances, while on my husband's skin, it's mossy and earthy. I can still smell it on him when he returns from work or his long and arduous training at the gym, and I also got traces of it when we went out to eat one evening from across the table. It is an elegant perfume that evokes relaxation and a state of well-being that you can wear... anywhere.

Vetiver Eau de Parfum for Men - Edition 2023

Notes: Bitter Orange, Lime, Mandarin, Ginger, Coriander, Haitian Vetiver, Jamaican Pepper.

The inspiration for a Vetiver fragrance was born in Haiti, a famous Caribbean island and leading exporter of Vetiver essential oil to the world. Haitian Vetiver is cultivated on plantations in the south of the island, in the Cayes region. The precious essential oil extracted from its roots reveals a woody, earthy, smoky, and tad nutty aroma. These facets have been faithfully restored in the Vétiver Eau de Parfum.

Audaciously bright and evidently handsome, this is a fresh take on vetiver that favors its bright, moist, and grassy (and, frankly, divine) piquancy at the expense of its more earthy and smoky sides. A raw and vibrant perfume, full of sap and energy, this is essentially a fresh woody composition with a mineral twang that makes me think of the calmness of a field and the warm breeze of a summer day. The uplifting complementary notes of orange and lime rind deliver a distinctive, zesty, and luminous touch, followed by the warm, spicy twist of ginger paired with coriander. This effervescent cocktail adds a delicious dimension and an understated elegance to the dominant vetiver. The end result is a daily and addictively wearable fragrance.

Islander Eau de Parfum for Men - Edition 2023

Notes: Lime, Vetiver, West Indian Bay Leaf, Martinique Rum, Guatemalan Cardamom, Caribbean Guaiac Wood, Tabacum Havana, Cedrus Atlantica.

The West Indian Gulf Tree (Pimenta racemosa) is native to the Caribbean islands. Sailors sailing through the Caribbean in the 16th century discovered that crushing the leaves of Pimenta racemosa released the well-known, aromatic, and spicy bay oil. They would rub the leaves on their bodies to mask their body odor on their long sea voyages. They discovered that infusing the leaves in rum (which they drank daily) made it easier to extract the bay oil and apply it to the body. And that's how the Bay Rum perfume was born. Over the centuries, sailors carried this perfume around the world, adding citrus peels, spices, and other ingredients to enhance its scent.

In the mid-1800s, Bay Rum became a very popular aftershave in barber shops in the Caribbean and across America. On Caribbean islands such as Puerto Rico, St. John, and Dominica, Bay Rum is also used by locals to relieve fever, muscle aches, insect bites, and more. Ligne St Barth sought to preserve this beautiful Caribbean tradition while adding a modern touch to create an authentic fragrance, Islander. The top notes have been kept (green lime, vetiver, bay leaves from the West Indies combined with an old Martinique rum), with the addition of cardamom from Guatemala – the queen of spices. Its base notes reveal Caribbean guaiac wood, Tabacum Havana, and Cedrus atlantica.

Islander is a warm and seductive perfume in which crushed bay leaves and tobacco smolder on an incandescent base of Caribbean spices, smooth rum, and Guaiac wood. As far as I know, the rum note in perfumery is created from an accord of cinnamon, vanilla, cloves, citrus peel, and bay with a touch of honey, and all these components are discernable in the Islander formula. Despite a slightly sugarcane aftertaste, this toffee-colored juice is by no means a gourmand but is oriented towards the boozy, warm-aromatic zone that defines the bouquet of a rum aged in an oak barrel. A delicious scent that yields a kind of bohemian vibe and lasts long into the night...

The new Ligne St Barth fragrances L'Original, Vetiver, and Islander are available as 100ml Eaux de Parfum in heavy glass bottles with a frosted finish and fine silver caps with a design reminiscent of vintage rum bottles. You can find them on the official page www.lingnestbarth.com, as well as in selected perfumeries and on www.beautyhabit.com and beautyfrontier.com