Fragrance Buddy FO test

[Soapmaker145]

I checked TCS Flowerbomb and compared it to the FB one. To my nose, both our strong and smell practically identical OOB (a mix of sandalwood and patchouli with something floral and sharp). The TCS tester is only a few days old. Right now, it is very faint but it doesn't smell anything like the FB tester after cp. I don't think it will come back. It already discolored to a light beige.

I'm looking at my long list of testers and I can't think of anything to blend with Flowerbomb. I might start with Jasmine and Lavender since it is supposed to have both notes.

 

[Soapmaker145]

I rechecked the FB Flowerbomb tester. At 6 weeks, it smelled like a perfumy version of Patchouli passion and I put it with the rejects. I rechecked it today and it has changed a lot. It smells like a balanced perfumy mix of Patchouli and Sandalwood with a hint of floral. It is very similar to the OOB scent without the sharp notes. Medium strong scent at this point. It feels like it has settled down and it won't be morphing anymore. I expect it to survive to the 1 year mark.

I would use it if somebody asked me for a Patchouli/Sandalwood mix.

I haven't tried any other Flowerbomb FOs.

ETC: I shouldn't do anything late night. I typed Musk and Amber when I meant Patchouli and Sandalwood.

 

[OliveOil2]

Maybe I got a bad bottle, because there was almost no smell oob. It has a faint scent, at the 3 week mark of curing. I don't have much hope for it sticking around. It may be good for someone that wants an extremely light scent.

This batch will most likely go in my donation basket, since I have an arrangement to donate on a regular basis. This would have to be one of the prettiest batches that I have made. Somaker145 thank you reviewing the two you have, and the scent suggestions.

 

[Soap Techniques]

I rechecked the FB Flowerbomb tester. At 6 weeks, it smelled like a perfumy version of Patchouli passion and I put it with the rejects. I rechecked it today and it has changed a lot. It smells like a balanced perfumy mix of musk and amber with a hint of floral. It is very similar to the OOB scent without the sharp notes. Medium strong scent at this point.

Thanks Soapmaker145, your reviews are very appreciated! I should receive FB's Flowerbomb tomorrow and will soap it right away. I liked TSW's version of this fragrance and hope to find something very similar.

 

[Soapmaker145]

I think we all smell things differently. I've had some scents that I thought were overpowering that other people couldn't smell and vice versa. Flowerbomb may be one of them. I'm curious to see what happens to the TCS Flowerbomb. Right now, it smells very different in the tester from the FB version but it is still too early. Fata Morgana, give the FB Flowerbomb some time to mature. It took longer than 6 weeks to settle down for me. I'm planning on blending the FB Flowerbomb with some florals. If any of the mixes comes out half way decent, I'll post.

Olive, where do you donate the unwanted soaps? And where is the picture of the pretty soaps? I shamelessly copy other people's designs.

I initially posted this under the Vanilla thread but split the post to bring this portion to the FB thread.

 

[Soapmaker145]

I checked on the Flowerbomb testers today with extra help. I already made corrections to previous posts. The FB version is a Patchouli/sandalwood mix (not musk and amber). The TCS version is missing a lot of the patchouli. You can barely detect the difference OOB but it becomes evident after spotting on absorbent paper and airing them for few hours. The TCS tester smells nothing like the OOB scent right now. It seems to be getting stronger and more floral.

Looking at other FB testers (at least 10 weeks old):
#280 Lord of Misrule: This one is very similar to FB's Flowerbomb, just a little more subtle. OOB, I detect some citrusy notes that weren't in Flowerbomb. My testers said the same thing. I could easily mix it with Flowerbomb to make a larger batch.

#259 Floating Islands: If you are looking for a blend of Sandalwood and musk without the Patchouli, this is the one to try. OOB, it had citrusy alcoholic notes that didn't make it in the final soap. This one is medium light. It smells a little more artificial to me.

For an Amber/Musk blend: right now, I would use Amber Blush from FB (powdery finish) with Sweet Musk from TCS. I think MMS has a decent Sweet Musk also that may work too.

I'll be trying few blends. It would be easy to blend all of these with florals or woodsy notes to make interesting blends.

The testers look a little lighter in the picture than they actually are (medium beige). The white soap is the tester of a non-discoloring fragrance that was poured with the same mix.

Now to figure out what is going on with Celestial Sea. OOB, it smells identical to Winter Festival with that hideous overpowering coniferous green note that is present in a lot of the mistletoe FOs. I think they sent me a mislabeled bottle.

 

[OliveOil2]

Soapmaker145 I wrap all of the soaps that I donate, know that sounds crazy but I wrap them just like I was taking them to a craft fair, or giving as a gift. My sister works with a non-profit in the Los Angeles area and that is where 90% of my rejected soap goes. The rest go to a low income senior food bank that I volunteer at. I know that Clean the World non profit takes unwrapped, and even used soap, they treat it before giving it away.

As soon as the sun comes out again I will take some photos, the pretty yellow is getting darker, and more dull. I think that I like these because they have turquoise, yellow, orange & white and remind me of a Mexican Fiesta. They are not like some of the amazing soaps you see in soap ****, just colors that I like.

 

[Soapmaker145]

Soapmaker145 I wrap all of the soaps that I donate, know that sounds crazy but I wrap them just like I was taking them to a craft fair, or giving as a gift. My sister works with a non-profit in the Los Angeles area and that is where 90% of my rejected soap goes. The rest go to a low income senior food bank that I volunteer at. I know that Clean the World non profit takes unwrapped, and even used soap, they treat it before giving it away.

As soon as the sun comes out again I will take some photos, the pretty yellow is getting darker, and more dull. I think that I like these because they have turquoise, yellow, orange & white and remind me of a Mexican Fiesta. They are not like some of the amazing soaps you see in soap ****, just colors that I like.

Thank you for the information. I've been thinking about donating the extras to local non-profit groups that we contribute to. I usually buy toiletries and cleaning supplies for them. It makes sense to wrap the soaps. I've never done that before but I just got some boxes and bags from Element. Now I have to figure out how to create labels for them.

Can't wait to see the soaps. I've been downloading pictures of pretty soaps that are posted in various threads. I plan to copy some of them when I have time or when I learn how to do a proper swirl. I don't sell so I don't feel like I'm stealing from other people. It is just a learning experience for me.

I got to soap today. I made 15 different Flowerbomb blends. I used a number of floral FOs like lavender, lilac, jasmine, wisteria and honeysuckle. I even mixed the FB and TCS Flowerbombs together. If anything looks promising in about 8 weeks, I'll post.

 

[OliveOil2]

I can't believe that my P word was censored! I hate to disappoint you because my soaps don't fall into that pretty soap class. The yellow is a little more muddy than when it was first soaped, and the photo is complete with soda ash on top because I haven't cleaned them up yet. Some FO just is harder on the soap than others. I hate soda ash, wish that I could ignore it. Next to it is Cracklin Birch from NG which is what my Brother in law picked for his Birthday. I never make brown soaps on purpose, just the ones that turn brown. Both are my attempt at hanger swirls. I needed to show my sister, so figured I could do it with the one picture.

 

[shunt2011]

Those are really pretty. Cracklin Birch is one of my top sellers and my husbands favorite. I too donate my misfits to Women's and family shelters. I've been told they are a huge hit. I ave also donated soap that is sent to the soldiers overseas.

 

[Soapmaker145]

Gorgeous soaps!!! Love the balance between natural and bright. If I made them, I would frame them and force anybody who comes inside my house to admire them. You really should feel very proud for the way they came out. Thanks for sharing.

I downloaded the picture. If I can ever make anything as pretty, I'll post.

As soon as I can get a soaping weekend, I plan to make small batches of the FOs that I don't need anymore to donate.

 

[OliveOil2]

Thank you everyone! I'm flattered, but I Don't have the patience to do anything very complicated. There are some people here that make things that are completely amazing. I have more than my share of really ugly soap.

 

[Soapmaker145]

Just a quick update about FB's Flowerbomb. I did a small test with a 1:1 mix with various FOs (2 days ago). I tried to stick to FB FOs as much as possible.

Bob's Flowershop, Lavender (TCS), Jasmine, Honeysuckle, Picnic in the Park all overwhelmed the Flowerbomb. I probably could have used less of all of them. So White, Lily of the Valley, Wisteria, Floating Island smell better mixed with Flowerbomb than they do alone.

My favorite right now is the 2 Flowerbombs mix (FB + TCS), smells better than either alone at ~48 hours.

None of the mixes smelled bad. Flowerbomb looks like a great blender. I'll update in 6 to 8 weeks.

 

[Soapmaker145]

My next installment in FB reviews. These are past the 10 week mark. Had I done the reviews a month ago, many would have been very different. I had put all but #255 in the rejects bin. I'm finding that many of FB's FOs need a longer cure. I'm expecting some of these to survive to the 1 year mark.

251-Imogen Rose: MUR=10%, FP>200oF, No vanilla. At 10 weeks, there is a light floral nondescript scent that can’t be identified as rose. Slight discoloration, minimal ash. This one is out for CP. I don’t think it will work as a blender either.

252-Rose: MUR=35%, FP>200oF, No vanilla. At 10 weeks, this one is also out. There is a hint of a scent if you sniff the bar hard enough. No discoloration, Heavy ash.

253-Lilac: MUR=3%, FP>200oF, No vanilla. Heavy ash, hint of yellow discoloration. Medium strong and holding, but I poured it at 5%. It mellowed a great deal since it was first poured. It smells less lilac now. Next to TCS Lilac, the FB version smells nondescript and uninteresting. The TCS tester is at 5 months and it hasn’t faded. The scent improved to the point that I even like it. It is unmistakably clean lilac, smells appropriately soapy. There is no MUR for the TCS version. The FB version is out.

254-Jasmine: MUR=30%, FP=170oF, No vanilla. Hint of discoloration, heavy ash. Medium strong and holding. Smells like a single note jasmine. I can see myself using it alone or in a tester. It really needed a long cure to smell good. It smells similar to Lust after it mellowed out. Lust is still out in the freezing garage.

255-Lily of the Valley: MUR=4%, FP>200oF, No vanilla. No discoloration, heavy ash. Medium strong and holding. This is a one note clean floral also but it is nice. I would use it alone and in a blender.

256-Honeysuckle: MUR=3%, FP>185oF, No vanilla. Medium strong and holding at my usage rate of 5%. It would probably be OK at lower usage rate. This one is very similar to the TCS honeysuckle but a bit more soapy and a little sweeter. The TCS is a bit more floral. Neither one has some of the unpleasant strong notes that Honeysuckle FOs tend to have. I would use either one or mix the 2. Right now, these are going to be mixed with BB’s Heavenly Honeysuckle which degenerated into a nondescript scent in under 8 weeks just to use up the BB bottle. Or better yet, I should HP the BB bottle and save these for a nice CP batch.

257-Wisteria: MUR=18%, FP>200, No vanilla. This is a nice Wisteria. It smells of wisteria, hyacinth, hints of jasmine and some green grass notes. No discoloration. Heavy ash. This is one of the better florals. Strong scent and holding. I would use it alone or in a mix.

258-Amarige: MUR=2.75%, FP>200oF, No vanilla. A hint of tan discoloration. Medium ash. This one was very faint until late in the cure. Floral/fruity mix with more emphasis on the floral. The top note is a mix of light orange blossom and spicy violet with additional floral notes and a hint of fruit. Medium scent and holding.

259-Floating Islands: MUR=40%, FP>200 oF, Vanilla=2%. Sandalwood and sweet musk with a hint of citrus. Discolored dark tan. Heavy ash. This one is a balanced but light blend of sandalwood and musk. I seem to like sandalwood mixed with patchouli better. The mix with musk smells more artificial. Medium light scent. I probably won’t use it in CP by itself. I mixed it with FB’s Flowerbomb. I’m expecting the mix to be more interesting than this one alone.

260-Amish Harvest: Not skin safe. MUR=0.25%, FP>200 oF, Vanilla=8.0% Very dark brown. This one is strong on bitter almond and spice. Baked foodie scent.

261-Bob’s Flower Shop: MUR=5%, FP=195, No vanilla. No discoloration. Medium ash. Very strong floral/green grass. The base is predominately spicy carnation with green grass and a lot of other cheap floral notes. Bob needs to get some better flowers. At 5%, it is a bit overpowering (headache inducing), a very heavy green floral. I would cut the usage rate by half at least. It may smell a little softer. I think this one can sub easily for the green grass FOs if one wants more floral notes in the green grass. I can see using this as a blender in small amounts.

 

[pmartin]

Can someone help me please? I only have 1 FO and that is all I have used, very boring I know but I don't make much soap. I'm getting together my stuff to make a new soap and thought it would be nice to get a different FO. I went to the FB website and they have so much selection. I got lost for hours looking. The one thing I saw and this where I need the help is their usage rates. Some are low like 8% and some are really high like 60%. What do they mean when they say X%? If you were making a pound of soap what would the % be? Is it oils only or the whole thing with water and lye included? This part of making soap has always confused me. I just leave it at the default setting in soapcalc and use what it says. am I doing it wrong?

 

[shunt2011]

Can someone help me please? I only have 1 FO and that is all I have used, very boring I know but I don't make much soap. I'm getting together my stuff to make a new soap and thought it would be nice to get a different FO. I went to the FB website and they have so much selection. I got lost for hours looking. The one thing I saw and this where I need the help is their usage rates. Some are low like 8% and some are really high like 60%. What do they mean when they say X%? If you were making a pound of soap what would the % be? Is it oils only or the whole thing with water and lye included? This part of making soap has always confused me. I just leave it at the default setting in soapcalc and use what it says. am I doing it wrong?

The percentages listed are the max IFRA usage. However, for soap I generally stick between .8 and 1 oz ppo (per pound of oils) unless it's a really strong scent then I may go to .5. When using a soap calc you can just punch in how much you want to use and it will calculate it for you.

Just be cautious to check the usage rates on all FO's as there are some out there with a really small percentage.

 

[TeaLeavesandTweed]

257-Wisteria: MUR=18%, FP>200, No vanilla. This is a nice Wisteria. It smells of wisteria, hyacinth, hints of jasmine and some green grass notes. No discoloration. Heavy ash. This is one of the better florals. Strong scent and holding. I would use it alone or in a mix.

Did you actually use 18% FO in your soap? I've just been cast in a production of Enchanted April and I think my play-themed soap probably has to be wisteria-scented. What about seizing/ricing/acceleration? Does it soap well?

 

[Soapmaker145]

Did you actually use 18% FO in your soap? I've just been cast in a production of Enchanted April and I think my play-themed soap probably has to be wisteria-scented. What about seizing/ricing/acceleration? Does it soap well?

No and never. The 18% is the maximum usage rate based on IFRA. I used 5% of the batter weight which ends up just under 1 oz FO ppo. 5% FO is the limit of what I'm willing to put in a soap.

I have a note that my sample riced badly but I was able to mix it well with a spoon. You can't see it in the final soap. I pour my testers at a very thick pudding stage at 120F+. When I do a larger batch, I'll soap cool and add the FO at light trace. My tester is almost 3 months old and the scent is holding.

FB has an Enchanted FO. If you are willing to wait for a week or 2, I can give you a idea of what it smells like.

Congratulations on the play!!! I love how every event in a soaper's life turns into a soap.

 

[TeaLeavesandTweed]

No and never. The 18% is the maximum usage rate based on IFRA. I used 5% of the batter weight which ends up just under 1 oz FO ppo. 5% FO is the limit of what I'm willing to put in a soap.

I have a note that my sample riced badly but I was able to mix it well with a spoon. You can't see it in the final soap. I pour my testers at a very thick pudding stage at 120F+. When I do a larger batch, I'll soap cool and add the FO at light trace. My tester is almost 3 months old and the scent is holding.

FB has an Enchanted FO. If you are willing to wait for a week or 2, I can give you a idea of what it smells like.

Congratulations on the play!!! I love how every event in a soaper's life turns into a soap.

5% is what I assumed, but I didn't want to be disappointed if you increased the FO percentage to get that strong scent.

Thanks for congratulations! I've made soaps for two different plays now: a honey soap for Winnie the Pooh and a "Shipwreck Soap" with sea salt, green clay, kelp, and peppermint for Twelfth Night.

 

[Soapmaker145]

Here is another installment: (past 10 weeks)

271-Summer Fresh: MUR=5%, FP=200oF, Vanilla=0.75%. Floral FO. Medium light and holding. Nondescript floral sweet scent. Medium ash. Slight tan discoloration. Off the list.

272-Black Raspberry Vanilla: MUR=6%, FP>180oF, Vanilla=0%. No discoloration and no ash. Fruity Sweet. Medium light scent and holding. To my nose, it smells much better than the MMS Black Raspberry which smelled more like spent fruity bubblegum.

273-Picnic in the Park: MUR=15%, FP=200oF, Vanilla=1.58%. Discolored dark tan, light ash. Medium strong scent and holding. Smells very fruity with notes of coconut. The discoloration is a big negative for a fruity scent.

274-Coconut Lime Breeze Type: MUR=5%, FP>185, Vanilla=0. Light beige discoloration, heavy ash. This is a breeze type scent, not strong on either coconut or lime. It’s not very interesting. Medium light scent. Off the list.

275-Sage: MUR: 30%, FP>200oF, No vanilla. No discoloration, medium ash. It doesn’t smell like pure sage but is a nice deep herbal scent. It was much weaker when first poured. It got stronger throughout cure. It feels like a good soapy clean scent. It smells better than the Lavender Sage FO which lost all Lavender notes and became harsher the longer it cured. I mixed this one with TCS Lavender and it ended up smelling similar to the OOB Lavender Sage FO. On the to-buy larger bottle list.

276-Amber Blush: MUR=25%, FP>200oF, Vanilla=1%. Sweet sugar and amber. Discolored medium Pinkish beige. Lovely amber with a powdery finish. It is very similar to OOB, just a little softer after CP. Strong and holding. I plan to blend it with other FOs. I bought a larger bottle already.

277-Dirt: MUR-100%, FP>200, No vanilla. No discoloration. The soap stayed soft for a long time. It smells like dirt. Not sure what I was thinking. I can’t think of anything to mix it with to make it smell like anything I would want to wash with.

278-Mango Pineapple: MUR=30%, FP=190oF, Vanilla=0.20%. No discoloration. Heavy ash. I find this one better than the Apple Mango. There is a bit of an off note that I usually smell in Mango FOs. I expect it to still mellow out. Strong scent and holding. I would use it as a blender.

279-Apple Mango: MUR=6%, FP>200oF, No vanilla. No discoloration. Heavy ash. Strong scent and holding. This one reminds me of commercial laundry detergent. For some reason, this fruit mix doesn’t smell natural but the scent grows on me the more I smell it. There is a hint of sour fermentation in the base note. I don’t think it is done morphing yet. I'll need to update it.

280-Lord of Misrule: MUR=9%, FP>200oF, No vanilla. Heavy ash. Discolored a dark tan. Medium light scent. I smell a mix of patchouli and sandalwood. Pleasant, more masculine scent. Very similar to Flowerbomb without the floral notes that fade. I may try blending it similar to Flowerbomb.

281-Black Pearl: MUR=4%, FP>200oF, No vanilla. Heavy ash. Just a hint of discoloration. This is an unusual scent. Unisex. The base is chamomile with a hint of lavender and myrrh. It improved throughout the cure. I used it at 5%. Medium strong. I would use it for me and drop the usage rate.

282-Fresh Cut Green Grass: MUR=19%, FP>200oF, No vanilla. Heavy ash. This FO is a bright green grass scent with a hint of floral. It works well on its own but could be used to add green notes to floral FOs. Medium strong and holding.