Floral FO for someone who doesn’t like florals

[DeeAnna]

DeeAnna, I'm curious as to how close the MMS Green Tea is to NG's....

I'd pick one and stick with it. IMO, the MMS Green Tea is not greatly different than the NG version.

My notes: "...NG Green Tea is a bit sweeter and slightly more floral than MMS Green Tea, but I can easily live with either one...."

The NG version is certainly less expensive than MMS, but if I'm low on this FO and need to order from MMS but don't need anything from NG, I'll get the MMS Green Tea. At MMS, shipping is included for orders over $200. I usually order enough to meet that limit, so this softens the price difference on the FO.

 

[Susie]

If you find that certain scents give you headaches, try phthalate free FOs. Cured mine right up.

I don't like a lot of florals, either. I do, however, like Magnolia, Honeysuckle, Gardenia, and any of those combined with Lily.

I also like some not-so-floral herby scents such as Aroma Therapy and Herb Garden. All are from Nurture Soap, I think.

 

[amd]

@Lin19687 do you remember what the name of the NG scent is? I think it was Aloe & Lilac, but I can't find it. That was an appealing floral scent for people who don't like florals.

 

[Lin19687]

Personally if someone doesn't like Florals, Do not get them florals. Get them something that is Fresh. Like a Cucumber melon or something.

I hate florals but love Cucumber melons and fruit scents. Also Fresh Air or Mountain Air scents

 

[MGM]

Personally if someone doesn't like Florals, Do not get them florals. Get them something that is Fresh. Like a Cucumber melon or something.

I hate florals but love Cucumber melons and fruit scents. Also Fresh Air or Mountain Air scents

I love actual cucumbers and melons, but have found only one cucumber (or melon) scent that I can even tolerate let alone seek out. And I find that what other people call "fresh", I call "overwhelming laundry detergent fragrance".
@Audrey Chung , it depends how much you love your friends....are you willing to buy multiple bottles of fragrances that give you a headache just for them to say "Mmmmm, nahhhh". I'd say, make soap to please YOURSELF and if someone else likes it, bonus. Or, at least start that way, until you have too much soap for yourself ;-)
Or, start with lavender...it's a pretty standard crowd-pleaser. I combine mine with a little bit of anise/licorice and it's just delightful. Talk about fresh!!!

 

[amd]

Personally if someone doesn't like Florals, Do not get them florals.

I think the problem is not that the customer(s) don't like florals, but rather the OP doesn't like florals which makes it hard for her to know which ones are really good because they all stink to the OP. I have the same problem with lavender, it all stinks to me, so I have to rely heavily on other people to tell me what is a good lavender.

 

[KiwiMoose]

I'm one who really dislikes florals. I do make Lavender & Lilac as I have a lot of customers who use it. I found Lavender Marshmallow (B&B) at Just Scents. It's one of my favorite candles to burn and so far it's sticking in soap and smells really good too. I made the soap in January.

I also like Peach Magnolia Raspberry (NG)
Blackberry Magnolia (Micas and More) - This is a bit weak in CP.

Peach magnolia Raspberry sounds nice! I can get NG over here in NZ but they don't seem to stock that one - maybe I'll ask about it? How does it perform @shunt2011 ?

 

[shunt2011]

Peach magnolia Raspberry sounds nice! I can get NG over here in NZ but they don't seem to stock that one - maybe I'll ask about it? How does it perform @shunt2011 ?

It’s been pretty easy to work with. I’ve been able to get 2-3 colors in it.

 

[Obsidian]

If I was going to make a soap for a friend that had a high chance of making me ill, I would make absolutely sure they will take it all even if they don't care for it.

You could also send them to a suppliers website and have them pick a FO that sounds good to them.

Floral isn't a good enough description. I like florals but there are some I really dislike.

 

[KiwiMoose]

It’s been pretty easy to work with. I’ve been able to get 2-3 colors in it.

Ooh! I’ve managed to source it here. I think I’m gonna like it

 

[Zany_in_CO]

Or, start with lavender...it's a pretty standard crowd-pleaser. I combine mine with a little bit of anise/licorice and it's just delightful. Talk about fresh!!!

Lavender/Anise I sold out of it at the first show I did. Some gal bought a bar during lunch time and came back at closing time to buy the 5 bars I had left.

Grapefruit Lily from Brambleberry - Smells exactly like tart grapefruit and a sweet Lily. Light and fresh. I'm wearing it now in lotion. Haven't soaped it though.

 

[Audrey Chung]

Woah thanks for all the recommendations guys. Some of these sound really yummy and let’s just say, I have a lot of browser tabs currently open XD
@Susie thanks, I’ll have to do some research
@MGM You’re totally right. I had a horror story a couple years ago where I made a few pounds of a floral soap that was ok OOB but horrendously headache inducing-for me-while and after curing. I was scared no one would like it, but thankfully the ladies in my choir loved it! So there’s a happy ending.
Anywho, I’ve decided to try again with florals except with a safer game plan.
I don’t have the biggest budget bc of college but my current plan is to order floral FOs in sample sizes and have my friends rate sniffles on cotton balls before I soap them in small batches, just to help with damage control lol. I just felt bad offering my floral loving friends any fragrance except for florals.
Anyway, thank you all for the lovely recommendations!!!

 

[shunt2011]

Another not bad floral is Cantaloupe Lily from Soapalooza. It's a decent seller for me. I have 1 customer that buys 8 bars at a time.

 

[Susie]

I think the problem is not that the customer(s) don't like florals, but rather the OP doesn't like florals which makes it hard for her to know which ones are really good because they all stink to the OP. I have the same problem with lavender, it all stinks to me, so I have to rely heavily on other people to tell me what is a good lavender.

Can't abide lavender. Can't believe anyone does. Surely we can't be smelling the same thing they do (like jasmine and the whole skunk/coffee thing).

 

[Zany_in_CO]

I don’t have the biggest budget bc of college but my current plan is to order floral FOs in sample sizes and have my friends rate sniffles on cotton balls before I soap them in small batches, just to help with damage control lol.

SAMPLES: MMS Amazing Dozen - FREE Shipping
https://www.thesage.com/catalog/FragranceOils.html
What a deal! Mix & Match twelve 1 oz. bottles of Fragrance Oils, Essential Oils, Extracts or Flavor Oils. I've found MMS FOs to be high quality and they are a good company to do business with. Half an ounce of any of the following FOs will fragrance about 20 oz oils/fats. You can add the other half to lotion.
I use their fragrance calc all the time to determine how much scent to add to the size batch I'm making. It's handy link to have in your tool box:
https://www.thesage.com/calcs/FragCalc.html
Here's a few suggestions... mostly oldies but goodies... that I'd recommend. I had a hard time choosing. MMS has so many good FOs.

Amber Romance
Bayberry
Black Amethyst
Cherry Blossom
Coconut Lime Verbena
Cucumbers & Melons
Egyptian Musk
Energy
Eucalyptus Spearmint
Green Tea
Juicy Pear
Juniper Breeze
Lemon Verbena
Lily of the Valley
Lotus (upscale perfume)
Osmanthus (Olive Blossom)
Pink Sugar (Awesome but turns brown)
Red Clover Tea
Sandalwood Vanilla
Sap Moss
Satsuma
Tahitian Vanilla
White Ginger & Amber

ETA: You could also include a 1 oz bottle of Lavender EO & Anise EO to try that blend in soap.

 

[bohunk]

I asked something similar not too long ago. One recommended to me is Daisy Chain. Several suppliers carry it. I have BBs version; light not too floral. Haven't soaped with it yet.

 

[MGM]

Lavender/Anise I sold out of it at the first show I did. Some gal bought a bar during lunch time and came back at closing time to buy the 5 bars I had left.

Wow, that's an endorsement. I read about that being the Zum bar fragrance, which I've never smelled, but thought I'd try it. I did it 2:1 lavender: licorice and it was too much licorice. This time I did 3:1 lavender: licorice and it still seems to smell mainly of anise! Still in the mold though, so maybe things will change in a few days. And here I thought that lavender was so strong that nothing could tame it....

 

[lucycat]

Anise is overpowering and it takes very little to overpower a blend. Even 5 or 6 to 1 will still have a distinctive anise scent.

 

[KiwiMoose]

It’s been pretty easy to work with. I’ve been able to get 2-3 colors in it.

Look Shunty Look! Look what I got (top left of photo):

 

[MGM]

Anise is overpowering and it takes very little to overpower a blend. Even 5 or 6 to 1 will still have a distinctive anise scent.

True, but I find lavender usually overpowering. I guess it's met its match in anise...