# OMG,  Have you seen the prices for Fragrance oils at BB?



## math ace (Nov 15, 2019)

Seriously,  someone get the smelling salts!   I think I just passed out after seeing the prices BB is charging for fragrance oils!

I just went to their site to put together an order for some my old favorites and I just can't believe it!
Apple Sage is going for $6 for less than 2 ounces!  Lordy, they are now more expensive than WSP.  At least with WSP, my shipping is only $6 (for the handling charge),  

OMG!  That is all I can say!  

Somebody recommended the Fresh Mango,  BUT it is $5.38 for 1.5 ounces.


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## Kosmerta (Nov 15, 2019)

Sadely I just bought 4 fragrances from BB because they sounded so delicious smelling. Wayy expensive!


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## TheGecko (Nov 16, 2019)

I don’t know, their prices don’t bother me.


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## Primrose (Nov 16, 2019)

I have to admit my nose is a snob and prefers BB. I happily pay the extra.as I feel they are premium FOs


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## KiwiMoose (Nov 16, 2019)

You probably don't want to move to NZ then - that's about what we pay all the time for any FO.  However, our shipping charges are pretty cheap compared to yours I suppose.


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## Nona'sFarm (Nov 16, 2019)

Most of the time I use EOs, but they've been increasing in price, too. I wonder if it has anything to do with the tariffs?


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## math ace (Nov 16, 2019)

Nona'sFarm said:


> Most of the time I use EOs, but they've been increasing in price, too. I wonder if it has anything to do with the tariffs?



I don't think so because it would be effecting everyone's prices.  I haven't noticed anyone else's prices jumping up so much. 

 I did a check on their shipping rates and they seem to of come down a bit.  In the past, all my orders would have a $15 - $20 shipping rate at a min.  This time my shipping would of been only $8.

So maybe the increase in prices in a way to balance the decrease in shipping charges....


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## Saponificarian (Nov 16, 2019)

I love BB FOs. I would not use any other FO in B&B products. For soap, I use Aztec, fragrance Buddy , soapingsupply, Theflaming candles. They all ship to Canada. The brokerage fees though  They give me palpitations but I don’t think the FOs I have bought here are not worth the money. So with joy in my heart, I pay BB prices though I am forever looking for discount codes.


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## Kosmerta (Nov 16, 2019)

Nona'sFarm said:


> Most of the time I use EOs, but they've been increasing in price, too. I wonder if it has anything to do with the tariffs?



If not tariffs it may have to do with the rising popularity of EO multi level marketing companies. Increased demand will mean higher prices


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## Cellador (Nov 16, 2019)

IMHO, BB FO's really are high quality and worth the extra cost. For the most part, they really stick in soap and (again, my opinion) are almost always enjoyable & true FOs. I rarely get something from BB that I don't like. 
The only downside is that I am on the opposite side of the country from them & it takes forever for me to my supplies.


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## cmzaha (Nov 16, 2019)

I purchase very few FO's from B&B but they do carry quality like The Sage, who I prefer. Quality FO's are expensive to have made. Granted they purchase volume but even purchasing high volume it is expensive to have fragrances manufactured, without buying by the drum which they probably do for some of the popular fragrances. Companies selling the lower-priced fo's are not purchasing from the higher end manufacturers and run on lower profit margins. Many times you do get what you pay for. I know one fragrance I had duped a few years ago was a big price difference between 2 manufacturers and a large min difference. My friend had the company with the lower now duping the fo and I will not use it and cannot afford to meet the min to have it duped from the original company that first duped it for me. It would cost me over $1500 for 75 lbs of the fo if the min stayed the same as the last time I had my DB made. So there is a big difference if quality.


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## TheGecko (Nov 16, 2019)

Something I wanted to add...you get what you pay for.

I have FOs sitting on my desk from four different companies...Brambleberry, BeSented, Rustic Escentuals and NurtureSoap.  Of the four, BB is the only company that packages their scents in glass bottles and glass is more expensive than plastic and provides a better barrier.  Both BB and NS packages their scents in brown bottles and the darker colored containers protect the contents better (ever notice all your meds come in dark containers).  RE uses a clear plastic bottle while BS uses a slightly opaque one.

Additionally the smaller the quantity, the higher the price...it's that way with anything you buy; whether its a single pair of socks or a 6-pack of socks...1lb of flour or 5 lbs.  And I know from having used BB's Apple Sage, you don't need a lot of it; I used their Trial Size bottle in 33 oz of oils and it blew my socks off and chased my husband and cats to seal themselves in our bedroom until I could get the house aired out.  To date, it remains the strongest scent I have ever used.

I have also started ordering the same scents from different companies to compare them because not all scents are created equal.  I have 'Vanilla Bean' from two different companies on my desk and even my dumb nose can smell a difference right out of the bottle, but the proof will be in the soap making (I had a FO that I really dislike in the bottle, but made a wonderful soap).

What is comes down to is sales.


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## Arimara (Nov 16, 2019)

You should consider signing up for BB's emails, if you haven't. I only order when I have the money and they offer free/reduced shipping. BB is expensive but you get good product.


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## lucycat (Nov 17, 2019)

I have become disappointed with BB.   They were my favorite supplier for sweeter type scents as well as  floral scents.   It seems to me they are shifting their business model to less a wholesaler for me to a Hobby Lobby for hobbyists.  I am amazed at how many kits I see with small bottles of everything at high prices.

It seems to me that if I am going to pay their current prices I should expect a company to test their scents for longevity.  I have tested  newer fragrances that were nice at 6 weeks and faded away at 4 months.    Their OMH was my favorite and the reformulation in 2018 caused my sales to decrease.  It is still nice just not outstanding and I need to fragrance at a higher rate.  

Many of the newer scents have very high usage rates in their calculator for a strong scent which makes the price issue even more extreme.    So, it seems I am doing my testing for new scents with other companies and keeping BB for fragrances that I have really liked and order by the pound.   At a per pound pricing many of their scents are still ok.


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## TheGecko (Nov 17, 2019)

lucycat said:


> I have become disappointed with BB. They were my favorite supplier for sweeter type scents as well as floral scents. It seems to me they are shifting their business model to less a wholesaler for me to a Hobby Lobby for hobbyists. I am amazed at how many kits I see with small bottles of everything at high prices.



You have obviously never bought soaping supplies at Hobby Lobby.  With that said, it's BECAUSE of the Beginner's Cold Process Soap Kit that I got into making soap.  Despite months research, thousands of hours of video, and collecting tons of recipes, I was still at a loss when it came time to walk the talk and was very grateful that such a kit existed.  Not to mention that even though I was enthusiastic about making my own soap, I wasn't sure if it was something I would enjoy doing (says the woman who six months after receiving that kit, has a dedicated rolling kitchen island for soap making and just built a shelf above it for all her micas, clays, and oxides and it's almost filled).  

Using a pre-made kit allowed me to stick my toe in the water WITHOUT spending a lot of money on stuff that I could potentially never use again.  And while that kit only came with a Trial Size bottle of FO, it came with enough other ingredients to make a SECOND batch of soap and it came with a regular size bottle of lye.  And when my youngest daughter wanted to try her hand at making Bath Salts...I bought the kit, which included 1 OZ JARS of five different Mica and a 1 OZ JAR of EcoGlitter AND a 2 OZ of FO.  It could be argued that the amounts of Micas, Glitter and FO were overkill, but then again, my daughter wants to make more Bath Salts.

They AREN'T shifting their business model from wholesaler to hobby supplier, they are simply taking what they already have on the shelf and boxing it into 'kits'.  And that's a smart business move because there has been a huge resurgence in 'homemade' over the last seven years, but so many kits are either cheap toys or folks are simply overwhelmed on where to get started.  

And since you mentioned 'prices'...I priced out the Beginner's Cold Process Soap Kit.  The kit sells for $59.99 with free shipping; everything is off the shelf except for the Castor Oil and Sodium Lactate which is packaged in smaller bottles.  To buy the kit completely off the shelf...$55.25 PLUS $10.79 for shipping for a total of $$66.04.  The cost with the smaller bottles...$50.16


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## lucycat (Nov 17, 2019)

I am sorry I offended you with my comments.  As a soap seller I used to could count on BB scents being around 6 months to a year.   That is important to me because customers will not use everything they purchase immediately.    Today I can't count on that and their comments on-line is they test for a a six-week cure.  To sell that scent I need to know if it lasts much longer than 6 weeks.   

No, I have never purchased from Hobby Lobby for soap but what I know is that they provide lots of items for hobbyists in lots of crafts and that they aren't a good supplier for a customer looking for a wholesaler for their business.


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## TheGecko (Nov 17, 2019)

lucycat said:


> I am sorry I offended you with my comments.  As a soap seller I used to could count on BB scents being around 6 months to a year.   That is important to me because customers will not use everything they purchase immediately.    Today I can't count on that and their comments on-line is they test for a a six-week cure.  To sell that scent I need to know if it lasts much longer than 6 weeks.



I'm not offended, but I think you're being too hard on them when they are most likely in the same boat.  While BB is your supplier, Company C is BB's supplier, and Company C is supplied by Company B who in turn is supplied by Company A.



> No, I have never purchased from Hobby Lobby for soap but what I know is that they provide lots of items for hobbyists in lots of crafts and that they aren't a good supplier for a customer looking for a wholesaler for their business.



My suggestion is to go visit your local Hobby Lobby and then maybe you will understand why BB sells 'kits'.  Folks who only make soap for friends and family (hobbyist) have just as much a right to quality ingredients as folks who sell soap.  That is not to say that everything that Hobby Lobby sells is crap...they carry brands beyond their own and a lot of them are quality brands depending on the craft your are in.


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## Dawni (Nov 17, 2019)

Primrose said:


> I have to admit my nose is a snob and prefers BB. I happily pay the extra.as I feel they are premium FOs


There are soapmakers here who import from BB way over there. For those who've been selling long time I get how they can cover costs including shipping - their soap is about quadruple what I charge for mine. So yes, BB stuff is premium, even here.

But I've seen newbies also, so maybe they just have that extra cash on hand, unlike me lol.

That being said, if I could find a reputable FO supplier locally I'd use em. But the ones available are limited and questionable, with not a lot of info available unlike what you'd see on BB's site. I am always envious when I read about you guys gushing over scents haha.

As far as EOs go, the local supplier I use is more or less great, at least for my needs. They import mostly from India is what they tell me. I've checked prices from directly in India and they're way cheaper so I'm trying to figure out how to get SO to bring me home tons haha.

I can't say if quality is up to par with the stuff from BB though as I have no way to compare bottles.


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## Lin19687 (Nov 17, 2019)

@TheGecko Some of us DO NOT shop at Hobby Lobby, some because they don't have them local or like me, Don't because of their views (like Chic a Flick or what ever it is called ).

I don't shop at BB either for a variety of reasons I will not post on here.
They sell Kits because that is how they get 'Hobby soap makers' and There is were they make money.


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## shunt2011 (Nov 17, 2019)

I too quit shopping with BB primarily because their shipping was just too slow.  I only ever used a couple scents from there but did order 6 of their molds years ago.


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## Mobjack Bay (Nov 17, 2019)

I don’t like having to order from the west coast, but I do because I’m very happy with the quality of the products from BB, and also from MMS, which is in Utah.  Granted, I don’t have a long history of purchasing and using FOs, nor have I tried many suppliers.  I’ve been disappointed that some of the FOs I purchased from other suppliers have a chemical smell OOB, which also makes me wary of using them.  Others don’t smell anything like the description (to me at least), for example, an FO with a name that’s intended to evoke severe weather that smells like honeysuckle to me.  FOs seem expensive on the one hand because they are relative to lard, for example, but they are super inexpensive compared with perfume.


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## Primrose (Nov 18, 2019)

Dawni said:


> There are soapmakers here who import from BB way over there. For those who've been selling long time I get how they can cover costs including shipping - their soap is about quadruple what I charge for mine. So yes, BB stuff is premium, even here.



Yes I'm in australia, so I dont buy from BB direct but I buy from their only retailer in this country. Thankfully they are 20 minutes from me so at least I can pickup to avoid shipping charges. There are a couple of cheaper companies here as well and many people use their FOs in preference to BB but I just feel the BB ones are better quality. There's only one I buy from elsewhere


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## Rsapienza (Nov 18, 2019)

While I agree BB is expensive, I do think they are worth it as I seem to be able to use less FO than called for. I have not experienced scent fading at all with them. They were slacking in the shipping dept for a while, but IME that has improved. It takes about a week for me and I'm clear across the country from them. 
I am a big fan of Rustic Escentuals as well.


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## Michele50 (Nov 18, 2019)

Rsapienza said:


> While I agree BB is expensive, I do think they are worth it as I seem to be able to use less FO than called for. I have not experienced scent fading at all with them. They were slacking in the shipping dept for a while, but IME that has improved. It takes about a week for me and I'm clear across the country from them.
> I am a big fan of Rustic Escentuals as well.


Yup, I noticed right away with FOs I purchased from other places that it required more and the scent didn't stick as long. I have some soap that's 2 years old and I *CAN *still smell the scent. With those from other vendors, the scent had faded some or altogether by 6 months. If one must use more for the same amount of soap batter it isn't really less expensive to use even though per oz it is less expensive to buy. Despite the less expensive cost, if the scent dissipates much sooner then it's not serving me well.


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## Saponificarian (Nov 18, 2019)

As for shipping with BB, I think they are great now. I ordered on a Wednesday and got my order on a Tuesday, in Canada. Shipping wasn’t bad but the brokerage fee  but they are FOs I needed.


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## math ace (Nov 18, 2019)

Everybody,  take a calming breath, PLEASE!

As the original poster,  I just wanted to point out that to me it appeared that  BB is now more expensive than a lot of the other suppliers!  My relationship with BB started about 5 years ago.  I am forever grateful for the Soap Queen's instructional videos that spurred my exploration into soap making.  They have some REALLY good fragrances.  I noticed the price change when I started shopping for a re-order of some my favorite scents.  

I live on the EAST coast and BB is on the WEST coast.  Shipping was always expensive with BB, so I've always watched for sales and coupon codes to help offset the expensive shipping.  I started shopping other fragrance companies a couple of years ago because BB's shipping time and cost were a concern to me.  At that point in time BB was very competitive price wise. When BB re-structured their fragrance size options,  they also changed their pricing.   Now, their fragrance prices seem to be at the higher end of the spectrum ( for the smaller sizes), but the shipping seems to be more competitive.  I have 16 0unces of fragrance in my shopping cart right now and the shipping is $8.50.  At the 2 lb mark,  my shipping was $9.  At the 5 lb mark,  my shipping went up slightly to $13.

 On this order, I wanted to try some new scents that were recommended to me.  I prefer to purchase new scents in the one ounce size because I don't want to waste my money buying a bigger size when in reality I might not like it.  So, spending $3 on a size of 1 ounce is more cost effective to me than paying $6 for a 2 ounce bottle of something I may end up throwing away.  With BB, shipping is based on WEIGHT and Distance.  So, buying a bigger bottle of something I may not like costs me more in shipping. 

So at the end of the day,  BB's pricing schedule is competitive on the larger scale - 7 ounce or bigger bottles, but not competitive on the smaller sizes.  Those smaller sizes are what I like to try new scents out.  Without a major sale,  it just isn't cost effective to try new scents.  I discovered so many of my favorite scents back when BB would let you select a fragrance sample for free with your order.  I miss those days !

I don't know how realistic it is for bigger companies,  BUT I LOVE the business model that Mica's and More has going on.  She does a video where she test a new fragrance.  She then slices that loaf up into small slices and sends them out as samples upon request when you place an order with her.  OMG, this is brilliant IMHO!  I would be willing to pay her a nominal fee for these samples because it makes my life so much easier!  The benefit to me is that I get to smell the fragrance in CP soap without making a batch!  Plus,  I get to judge how well the fragrance sticks without committing to a bottle of fragrance.  The last samples she sent to me, I checked them monthly for 3 months.  At which point, I placed my order for the fragrance.  When that order arrived, I requested a new fragrance sample. I didn't like it!  I am so glad I didn't have to order the fragrance to find out I didn't like it! 

The other model that works great for me is when companies like Candle Science or Rustic Essentual do their .99 sample sale once or twice a year.  I found a 50% off the one ounce sizes of fragrances from LoneStar this year too.  That made their fragrances $1.00 to $1.25 for 1 ounce.



Michele50 said:


> Yup, I noticed right away with FOs I purchased from other places that it required more and the scent didn't stick as long. I have some soap that's 2 years old and I *CAN *still smell the scent. With those from other vendors, the scent had faded some or altogether by 6 months. If one must use more for the same amount of soap batter it isn't really less expensive to use even though per oz it is less expensive to buy. Despite the less expensive cost, if the scent dissipates much sooner then it's not serving me well.



I have had good and bad with EVERY company that I've order from INCLUDING Bramble Berry!  In fact one of the WORSE CP soaping experiences I've ever had was with BB's Apricot Freshia. That scent morphs to something NASTY if it is allowed to gel.  This is why I am so big on ordering SMALL sizes and testing the fragrances myself, regardless of who I purchase the scent from.



Saponificarian said:


> As for shipping with BB, I think they are great now. I ordered on a Wednesday and got my order on a Tuesday, in Canada. Shipping wasn’t bad but the brokerage fee  but they are FOs I needed.



That is a REAL IMPROVEMENT!  It use to take them at least 7 days just to ship my orders.  Then another 5 days for it to travel to the East Coast.  Everything was shipped UPS Ground. I was always waiting at least 2 weeks to receive my order and that was after paying at least $20 for shipping.


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## dixiedragon (Nov 18, 2019)

Is BB decreasing their bulk items to make room for kits? Otherwise, how do the kits make them less of a source for business soapers?

EOs have become so popular, and you can't just create a lavender farm (for example) out of thin air. Supply and demand. (sigh). I just can't stomach using any EOs but mint in soaps anymore.


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## Megan (Nov 18, 2019)

math ace said:


> I have had good and bad with EVERY company that I've order from INCLUDING Bramble Berry!  In fact one of the WORSE CP soaping experiences I've ever had was with BB's Apricot Freshia. That scent morphs to something NASTY if it is allowed to gel.  This is why I am so big on ordering SMALL sizes and testing the fragrances myself, regardless of who I purchase the scent from.


I got a sample of apricot freesia last year and it has a very short shelf life. I get that most suppliers say to use their fragrances within a year...but to me, this is unacceptable. I think it was around 9 months I was prepared to try it and it had morphed badly. I also gel all of my soaps, so I'm glad I never got to use it.  
I have had so many scents fade on me from BB within the year, and do not experience the same with WSP or the few NG scents that I've used. So for me, I have pretty much written them off.


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## SoapySuds (Nov 19, 2019)

I just can’t bring myself to pay B.B. prices.


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## Jasmin (Nov 29, 2019)

I just made a calculation: around 60 ml (2 ounces) of Apple Sage from BB, costs 11 dollars for me. If I buy it in The Netherlands (I converted the euros to dollars). 
Only six dollars would be perfect for me, almost half price...


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## Dahila (Nov 29, 2019)

just to make you feel better ladies the prices of 2 oz in Canada is like $9 plus shipping the lowest I pay is 18.99 plus 13% Tax


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## cedarstar (Dec 8, 2019)

Dahila said:


> just to make you feel better ladies the prices of 2 oz in Canada is like $9 plus shipping the lowest I pay is 18.99 plus 13% Tax



Where do you order from? Windy Point has FO's in 1 oz sizes starting at $3.75, 4 oz as low as $10 and 8 oz $20 and up. Their Eucalyptus EO is 9.35 for 100 ml and 23.50 for 250 ml.They offer free shipping on orders over $125. I've also ordered from Voyageur in Canada. New Directions Canada has great prices too but I haven't ordered from them yet. As I live close to the border I've ordered from Brambleberry and Wholesale Supplies.WSP is the absolute slowest at shipping. Sometimes you need to factor in when you need an item and pay a bit extra to get better service. I ordered from from nurture 11/29 , wsp 11/30, 12/02 and voyageur 12/01. Nurture order should be here Tuesday, Voyageur on Monday, WSP orders one is in the warehouse, one still processing. Voyageur shipping can hurt but you sure can't beat how fast they get their orders out.


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## Dahila (Dec 8, 2019)

cedarstar said:


> Where do you order from? Windy Point has FO's in 1 oz sizes starting at $3.75, 4 oz as low as $10 and 8 oz $20 and up. Their Eucalyptus EO is 9.35 for 100 ml and 23.50 for 250 ml.They offer free shipping on orders over $125. I've also ordered from Voyageur in Canada. New Directions Canada has great prices too but I haven't ordered from them yet. As I live close to the border I've ordered from Brambleberry and Wholesale Supplies.WSP is the absolute slowest at shipping. Sometimes you need to factor in when you need an item and pay a bit extra to get better service. I ordered from from nurture 11/29 , wsp 11/30, 12/02 and voyageur 12/01. Nurture order should be here Tuesday, Voyageur on Monday, WSP orders one is in the warehouse, one still processing. Voyageur shipping can hurt but you sure can't beat how fast they get their orders out.


yes 30 ml will be 4.35 plus tax but 30 ml is not enough for me so the next size is 132 ml and costs around 15 dollars , some dollar or two less. I do order from windy for as long as she opened the business.  I just paid 20 from shipping from Voyager plus 4% ITP tax and 13 % HST so do not comes so cheap for us,  For Us people it comes cheap,  For $1 USD I need $1.35 CAD . I strictly order from Labelsonline and 100 pages of waterproof labels inkjet ends up welll over $ 100 CAD.  So no you are not right,  it is not cheap for Canadians


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## msunnerstood (Dec 8, 2019)

I have never ordered from BB specifically because of their shipping costs. I get very good quality FO's from FragranceBuddy, Aztec and Natures Fragrance with actual shipping charged and no upcharge for it or for handling fee's.


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## SideDoorSoaps (Dec 8, 2019)

I think BB is expensive and I only buy from them once a year because they have one fragrance in my line and so I buy other little things from them to make it worth it. They do have great marketing. I was VERY tempted to buy a couple times the past few months.


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## math ace (Dec 10, 2019)

msunnerstood said:


> I have never ordered from BB specifically because of their shipping costs. I get very good quality FO's from FragranceBuddy, Aztec and Natures Fragrance with actual shipping charged and no upcharge for it or for handling fee's.


BB changed their pricing system this year.  Their shipping has came down a lot and is now more in line with a lot of the other companies.  However, I think when they lowered their shipping rates, they raised the prices on their products to compensate.



Rsapienza said:


> While I agree BB is expensive, I do think they are worth it as I seem to be able to use less FO than called for. I have not experienced scent fading at all with them. They were slacking in the shipping dept for a while, but IME that has improved. It takes about a week for me and I'm clear across the country from them.
> I am a big fan of Rustic Escentuals as well.



I agree, I think BBs shipping time has improved.  I have a few scents from RE that I really like, but I hesitate to order because the shipping is so expensive from them.  They refuse to use USPS.  I live two states away and shipping is as much as bramble Berry's used to be.... So it isn't cost effective to place a small order....


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## EllieMae (Dec 11, 2019)

Saponificarian said:


> As for shipping with BB, I think they are great now. I ordered on a Wednesday and got my order on a Tuesday, in Canada. Shipping wasn’t bad but the brokerage fee  but they are FOs I needed.


I finally relented and was about to buy from BB for the first time but when I went to check out my shipping fee to Ontario was going to be $43!!! I couldn't justify that...and now I'm glad I didn't if the brokerage fee is even more outrageous . BB purchases will have to wait for another day!


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## Dahila (Dec 11, 2019)

EllieMae said:


> I finally relented and was about to buy from BB for the first time but when I went to check out my shipping fee to Ontario was going to be $43!!! I couldn't justify that...and now I'm glad I didn't if the brokerage fee is even more outrageous . BB purchases will have to wait for another day!


add the border fee and you easily pay over a hundred even the item was $10 USD


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## Saponificarian (Dec 11, 2019)

@EllieMae I tried taking advantage of the 20% off too and shipping was crazy to Alberta too like $42 for 3 1lb bottle when I paid like $26 a month ago!


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## math ace (Dec 14, 2019)

Saponificarian said:


> @EllieMae I tried taking advantage of the 20% off too and shipping was crazy to Alberta too like $42 for 3 1lb bottle when I paid like $26 a month ago!


Yep, the $20 off shipping would of been a better deal for you!


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## Saponificarian (Dec 14, 2019)

I actually would have preferred the 20% off and pay the shipping if it was still $26. But I will wait until I get a good coupon code from them.


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