Is anyone into making their own frgrances soaps and candles here? I want to start, but i don't know what scents smell good. Any recomemdations?

lyecry said:

i have made my own soaps for clse to 15 yrs now and candles too

i use only essential oils in my soaps but do use some fragrance oils in the candles

there are 100 rds of web sites to help you out also ..

what kinda smells do you like

flowers
purfumes
...things like coffee or cookies ?

Lavender, lilac, sandalwood, melissa (I'm not kidding, it really is an essential oil, and it's nice. . .lemony. . . ), and eucalyptus are my favs.

Your best bet is to go to a shop where they sell them and "sample" the oils. A gppd shop will have some coffee beans around to sort of cleanse your palate in between sampling so you can really discern the differences. Everyone has different taste. Some like sweet, some like spicy, some like fruity, some like earthy, etc.
My own preferences tend toward the subtley sweet and sometimes the subtly spicy, like a kind of ginger. Nothing overpowering, and sweet can get sickening if overdone.

ehehe, in the sense you mean little girls crushing flower petals and selling them on for 20p?

Well vanilla is supposed to be the most attractive scent to men, followed by cinnamon, so if you're trying to appeal to them maybe a spicy vanilla scent would be good...
Other than that...I do think some fragrances tend to be more popular in general than others...for example I would think more people like a watermelon-y smell than patchouli which many people associate with hippies... but then everything is a matter of taste....
I've noticed that some of my own favorites tend to be florals and soft florals, often with some vanilla and/or jasmine, and almost always "white flowers" or "white blossoms"
Here are some general scent links
-makeup alley reviews...you can see which fragrances are rated higher and what those tend to be composed of/ described like.. http://makeupalley.com/pr...goryid=14/
-sephora fragrance sorter... http://www.sephora.com/br...ryId=C8140 (as an aside.. Benefit's "Maybe Baby" was just rated number one by site visitors and seems to be very popular with men, according to makeup alley.. it is "Sparkling and flirtatious, Maybe Baby is a warm and inviting fragrance that captures a playful tumble of white blossoms. Like a wink from across the room, or a lingering gaze or shy smile ... it's a tempting tease.
Notes:
Apricot, White Ginger, Fresh Water Blossoms, Himalayan Poppy, Warm Peach.
Style:
Flirty. Sexy. Inviting.") Sephora could be a very useful tool since it gives descriptions and the elements that created each feeling..you can see how they come together
"Amazing Grace" by Philosophy is another very popular fragrance
-and a website for a custom fragrance shop, with lists of different of oils for inspiration and consideration.... http://www.thefragranceshop.com/

I just noticed that in the Sephora fragrance sorter they say that florals are the most popular fragrance family
[Edited 2/6/05 14:07pm]

Mach said:

I like flowers but nothing too fruity smelling.

lyecry said:

:taptap: