What smells and colours do you like??

P.S. Zubar,
I think you missed the free samples yesterday. But in early October with any luck some of the lucky few may post their reaction on here. I'm going on hols on Friday, but on my return will offer some for sale in the Buy and Sell section. Fingers crossed the free samples go down well.
 
Antdad,
Yes, I do a eucalyptus shaving soap, but the smell is not very strong even though I'm putting plenty of eucalyptus. Could merge that with menthol experiment perhaps.
 
Scent-wise, I tend to like the single note stuff. Lavender, Rose, Lime etc, but a nice Bay Rum that smells similar to the Trumper Bay Rum cologne would be nice.

Regarding colour, I'm really not that bothered. If making a soap the 'right' colour means adding colour chemicals, I'd rather they were left out.

Ian
 
My ideal soaps, well I can dream!

I rather like unscented or mild scented soaps (think MWF or Provence Sante types).
I'd love a shaving soap with tea-tree and lemon and maybe a little shea butter in it.

To me a lather that gives plenty of cushion and protection is more important than scent.
If the soap has some moisturising or other good skin conditioning all the better.
 
I can't seem to get the 'reply with quote' facility to work properly, any advice welcome.
Re: colours, I'm glad to see that I'm not alone in believing that if it requires synthetics, it's not worth it. Most of my soaps are cream coloured if left to their own devices. Snow white soaps need Titanium Dioxide added - why bother? I can get a nice orangy yellow just by using unrefined palm oil, green by using an extract of chlorophyll, and brick red by adding red clay. Bentonite clay (of razor slip fame) gives a very pale green if other factors such as the oils used or other additives don't overpower it.
Does anyone like vanilla - I have a bottle of olive oil heavily infused with vanilla which I'm itching to experiment with - until I test it out I don't even know if the scent will carry over into the soap - but can reasonably confidently predict that the soap will be brown. Any suggestions for what other scents would appeal in combination with vanilla will be given serious consideration.
Any thoughts on cinnamon; dried cinnamon gives a good noticable scent, very warm, but will mean a brown speckled soap.
Sweeny Todd - glad to see you! I'll be very interested to see what you make of your sample, especially in terms of cushioning, as this is something that is difficult for me to personally test as you can imagine. You'll be pleased to know that all my shaving soaps have 12& Shea butter - the reason it is so good in soap is that it has a high level of 'unsaponifiables' in it, meaning parts of the oil that are not turned into soap, and so remain as free oil in the soap. My eucalyptus is very faintly scented. I've been toying with a Tea Tree soap. A lot of people like it's medicinal smell - although probably not the rose lovers, methinks.
 
IanM said:
Regarding colour, I'm really not that bothered. If making a soap the 'right' colour means adding colour chemicals, I'd rather they were left out.
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Me too. I remember reading somewhere that strong colours (Trumpers violet?) gave some people problems with staining on their brush.

Pete
 
cinnamon may be a nice Christmas soap, I would also be interested if you could produce something with Verbena.
 
IanM said:
Scent-wise, I tend to like the single note stuff. Lavender, Rose, Lime etc, but a nice Bay Rum that smells similar to the Trumper Bay Rum cologne would be nice
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Echo that - stick to the "classics" to begin with.
I have come late to this thread because of problems with my - must remember there is now a Lady on the site - my wretched internet provider.
If you can provide a UK-based shave soap that "protects and serves" as well as the more up-market ones then you are in business.
Particularly if you can formulate a non-tallow soap that does not take half an hour to lather nor use half a cake to do it.
Do not be too concerned about presentation - most people on this site are capable of melting or milling soap into their own containers upon receipt, something to be borne in mind whilst considering HM's always excellent advice on shipping.
I look forward to the assessments that are to be posted by those lucky few that are to receive your samplers.
Wishing you the best of luck.
Cordially, Anthony.
 
I'll check out Verbena. Am now filled with trepidation as to reviews of Warm Spice samples......but I think the lather is pretty good, and it is certainly hard and long lasting.....my better half who only shaves 2 - 3 times a week has been using his stainless steel bowl of Eucalyptus (200g) for several months, and still loads to go. Indeed a couple of people have suggested to me that I'll never sell any amount of either the shaving or bar soaps unless I make them softer, as they last so long (apart from my olive oil only soap, which is bound to be softer, but some people like it). But I will not compromise on quality, and want to give value for money.
Can't say I've had any luck with this milling and melting business, which I've tried a couple of times; I just end up with a most unappealing lumpy mess.
 
soapalchemist said:
Indeed a couple of people have suggested to me that I'll never sell any amount of either the shaving or bar soaps unless I make them softer, as they last so long
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Yes I can't imagine you'll make your first million on shaving soap alone, but if you can make an honest living doing something you enjoy then you're doing better than most people. ;)
 
I've been toying with a Tea Tree soap. A lot of people like it's medicinal smell - although probably not the rose lovers, methinks.

Tea tree works for me, i use it in my OCM concoction. I reckon it would go well with eucalypt & maybe mental.. :mrgreen:
 
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