A rambling review of Brambleberry "masculine scents" sampler

[Zany_in_CO]

Thanks for the update!

Just an FYI: I've been sniff-testing a sample of BB's Turquoise FO for a couple of months. Haven't soaped it yet, but I've had the bottle sitting on a shelf with a cuptip attached (fragranced with a few drops) --- something I do to test longevity. I'm happy to report it's definitely a "sticker". It's still noticeable every time I pass that shelf. It got a thumb's up from all my guys (13 to 86) over the holidays. Not only do they like it, but, more importantly, I think their ladies would like it on them.

https://www.brambleberry.com/Turquoise-Fragrance-Oil-P6787.aspx

We now return to our regularly scheduled programming...
...with apologies for the hijack. :mrgreen:

 

[psfred]

Lol, any information on good soap scents for guys is welcome. Even though I probably have enough soap to last me until I'm too old to make it any more, I'll be cooking up some this weekend, gonna be too cold to go outside.

 

[psfred]

Another update: I've tried the Made to Measure soap (took a while to get to it, with six different ones in the shower, I don't get to try new ones that often). Still has a scent of high quality cigarette tobacco, but in the shower it's a bit more floral. Great staying power, it has much more scent that the dry soap. If I ever run out of soap, I may use it in a batch, but that's not gonna happen soon!

 

[earlene]

Thanks for the update!

Just an FYI: I've been sniff-testing a sample of BB's Turquoise FO for a couple of months. Haven't soaped it yet, but I've had the bottle sitting on a shelf with a cuptip attached (fragranced with a few drops) --- something I do to test longevity. I'm happy to report it's definitely a "sticker". It's still noticeable every time I pass that shelf. It got a thumb's up from all my guys (13 to 86) over the holidays. Not only do they like it, but, more importantly, I think their ladies would like it on them.
https://www.brambleberry.com/Turquoise-Fragrance-Oil-P6787.aspx
https://www.brambleberry.com/Turquoise-Fragrance-Oil-P6787.aspx

We now return to our regularly scheduled programming...
...with apologies for the hijack. :mrgreen:

It may just be me, but last November when I made soap using (BB) Turquoise I really did not like it once soaped. I did like it OOB, but in that CP soap, I found it overwhelming and wanted the fragrance out of the room. Perhaps it was the soap recipe (lard, canola, shea, mango, coconut, NaOH, vinegar, sugar, salt) or the 6% FO, or the enclosed space (motel room). Once it was over a month old, and I wasn't sharing a room with it any more, the fragrance wasn't as overwhelming. But from that experience, I probably won't be purchasing this one.

 

[psfred]

Try it at about half a gram per pound -- I find I prefer soap with "subtle" scents. Much more pleasant when it doesn't make your eyes water.....

 

[Zany_in_CO]

[QUOTE="earlene, ]Perhaps it was the soap recipe (lard, canola, shea, mango, coconut, NaOH, vinegar, sugar, salt) or the 6% FO, or the enclosed space (motel room). Once it was over a month old, and I wasn't sharing a room with it any more, the fragrance wasn't as overwhelming. But from that experience, I probably won't be purchasing this one.[/QUOTE]

Thank you for that post, Earlene! I really appreciate your input. I only have a 1/2 oz sample, but I think I should use it in a basic CP recipe, just for comparison purposes. I planned on using it in Hair & Body Shampoo and After Shave for the boys -- to replace my favorite Commando FO that's no longer available.
[QUOTE="psfred, ]Try it at about half a gram per pound -- I find I prefer soap with "subtle" scents. Much more pleasant when it doesn't make your eyes water.....[/QUOTE]

 

[Zany_in_CO]

Sorry. Double Post.

 

[psfred]

Tried some of the soap I made with Salty Mariner. Very light scent, will probably use a little more next time. Still a delicate floral "sea air" that doesn't smell like ocean at all (salt water actually really has a distinct scent of dead fish to me, and I don't want that in soap...). Does not "bloom" when the soap is wet like most of the other scents in the collection, so be prepared for this one to stay quite mild.

Very pleasant, reminds me of the prefume a friend wears, you can only detect it close up.

 

[psfred]

I have been using the sample bar of "Shave and a Haircut" the last few days. Very nice slightly herbal scent, might be some lemon verbena in there. Warm, if you know what I mean, very pleasant. Still pretty light as far as scents go, but persists on my skin for quite a while.

A good scent for people who prefer lighter scents. The most "commercial" scent so far, as in light and unlikely to offend anyone.

 

[snappyllama]

I think my sniffer is pretty close to yours though my guinea pig (er, husband) likes heavily scented soaps. So your review is very helpful for me to judge the few I've tried from BB with the ones I haven't. Thanks for that!

Our opinions on the ones we've tried from your list...

Cold Water - absolute favorite for him and one I've actually bought more than once. It behaves beautifully for me.

Salty Mariner - I love it though it's an accelerating mess. He does not like it at all. That correlates pretty much with anyone that tries it... they love it or hate it. If I was selling, I'd probably not bother with it. Watching people wrinkle their noses and say "yuck" just isn't good.

Spiced Mahogany - Everyone loves this one. Like you mentioned, it mellows out really well and is sweet enough to be unisex. I've only used it in B&B and for shaving soap (so hot process). In shaving pucks, it is particularly nice.

Shave and a Haircut - I think you're exactly right. It's a nice generic 'man' scent... almost guaranteed not to offend.

Rustic Woods - It's okay... I did have a little fading, but no enough to make me mad. It's on the lighter side of things, another not offensive one.

Drakkar - goes weird mauve for me - best to color all of it. If someone likes Drakkar, they will like it. If they dont...

Thanks again!

 

[amd]

Drakkar was released in 1972, just about the peak of the Disco craze. Very popular with the "bigger than their britches" fraternity types and other wannabe fakers, at least in my part of the world. Too many guys who thought "if two drops is good, half the bottle of something expensive is much better, that way everyone knows I have tons of money to blow on things".

Too many memories of being gassed by people wearing too much at disco bars, I guess. And it's not really my type of scent.

I prefer the 80's, the music was better.

I picked up a sample size of Drakkar from BCN in my last order. I was testing the smells OOB on my husband's nose Wednesday night. He picked up Drakkar, smelled it, and said "The 90's called and they want their cologne back." In my teenage years (I graduated HS in 95) all the boys wore Drakkar because it was a more affordable high end cologne. [exit random comment from the peanut gallery]

 

[psfred]

Lol, Drakkar is definitely a love it or hate it cologne. At very low levels, it's OK, as in I would happily use it if someone gave me some, but at "standard" strength it's way too much for me. And the mauve discoloration has to be dealt with too as some people won't want pink "masculine" soap.

I will report on the rest as I get to them, takes me a while to work my way through the too many soaps I made when I started, and I'm sort of sidetracked as a few of them got DOS and I need to use them first.

 

[Lin19687]

I HATE Drakkar ! ***** #1 wore that like he showered in it. Not sure I would want to soap it

 

[psfred]

Sense of smell varies enormously, obviously. For me, Drakkar is overpowering, but others enjoy it, so we must not smell the components the same way.

Important to remember this if you want to sell soap, just like making beer for a brew-pub: You are making things for your customers, not you! What you think is insipid may in fact be one of your best sellers, or soap you exile to the garage (or garden shed) may be a favorite. This is why it's a good idea to have "testers" for your soap, that way you get a range of opinions and a better sense of what the general public will like.

That said, I will probably use the rest of my Drakkar and Fierce samples for rabbit repellent in the garden, I don't see putting them in soap for my own use.

 

[earlene]

Even within the very same person, our senses change over time, depending on varying factors. For example, some medications and some herbal supplements alter our sense of taste and smell, which are linked. St. John's Wort is an example of an herbal supplement that can alter one's sense of taste and smell. Prescription drugs such as some antibiotics, thyroid medications, anti-depressants, cardiac, chemo, even some anti-histamines can affect one's sense of smell and taste.

It's no wonder we don't all have the same response to everything.

 

[psfred]

Another quick update: started using the bar made with Sensuous Sandalwood the other day. Still has a sandalwood scent with something "perfumy" in it, not quite as "baby powder" as it had initially, but it's still there. Not unpleasant, but I prefer Bulk Apothacary's sandalwood, it's a bit woodier and doesn't have the perfume part.

Sensuous Sandalwood is quite persistent, too, if you like that. I can smell it on my hands while shaving after my morning shower. Doesn't seem to hang on really long though, just more than most soap scents I like.

It has been reported to fade somewhat at higher rates (I use very little), but I don't find it weak after six months.

 

[cmzaha]

I found Sensuous Sandalwood to fade bad enough that I could not sell it, and I fragrance heavy

 

[psfred]

I wonder if there is a batch issue -- reviews did say, though, that the new formulation faded badly. Something to be aware of anyway.

 

[lathered_up]

Ditto about Spiced Mahogany. It really is a wonderful scent. I got some mild acceleration, but nothing unmanageable.

 

[psfred]

Finally got around to using more of the samplers -- had to use up some soap that was going rancid so I've been using them.

The Spiced Mahogany hasn't changed other than being a bit fainter that it was two years ago. Old Spice with a bit of a powdery scent.

More later, I stuck them in the freezer so they should be mostly unchanged from a year ago or so.