Thursday, December 11, 2014

SOAP Panel with Bramble Berry

Recently I was chosen to participate in Bramble Berry's Winter SOAP Panel.  I never expected to be chosen, and about did a cartwheel when I got the email!  

Then my package came.  8 mystery fragrances to play with!  The girls and I all took turns secretly sniffing and sniffing, writing down our thoughts.  

First Impressions in the Bottle:

1 - Fruity
2 - Chocolate.  
3 - Citrus 
4 - Sweet Sour/Tart Candy
5 - Musk.  Masculine.  Cologne
6- Baby Powder
7 - Christmas Tree!  Maybe a hint of berry?  But without a doubt - Christmas tree in a bottle!
8 - Hard to put a finger on.  Masculine

Then it came time to make SOAP!  I made 8 one pound batches.  I left most of the soap batter uncolored to see what the fragrance would do.  I didn't stick blend unless I had to due to ricing.

Performance:

1 - Started to get thick with hand stirring.  No ricing, discoloration to tan.
2 - Slow mover.  No ricing.  Discolored dark brown.
3 - Discolored tan
4 - No discoloration, easy to work with. 
5 - Moved quickly, slight darkening 
6 - Thickened quickly, ricing.  Discolored greenish brown
7 - Slow mover.  No ricing or discoloration
8 - Fast mover.  Discolored to a yellowish brown

Now it is soap.....

Amazing how much a fragrance can change after it is soap!  Only a few fragrances are similar to the out of bottle scent.  Several did a complete 180!  I am including photos - these are unedited and raw!  

1 - Pineapple!  This was a total surprise!  LOVE!



2 - Chocolate and perhaps raspberry?  

3 - Blood Orange.  LOVE!

4 - Tart, sweet candy.  Nice!

5 - Musk is gone.  Smells dirty.  

6 - Floral.  Where did that come from?  But not bad.

7 - Still a Christmas tree!  Lovely!

8 - Smells like dirty smoke.


Summary: 

In case you can't tell, I do not like 5 or 8 at ALL.  Blah.  That is sad because they were quite nice in the bottle.  I LOVE 1 & 3, really like 4 & 7, 2 & 6 are okay.  And the only one that resembles it's scent in the bottle is #7!  Crazy!

Now for some fun!  Want to know what the fragrances smell like first hand?  You can!  I will be running a giveaway until January 15th, 2015.  You can enter HERE, or if you are a member of my Facebook group you can enter there as well!  I will be giving away 2 sets of soaps.   Enter HERE!  (Sadly due to shipping costs this is only open to US residents)





I had SO much fun!  I would love to test scents for Bramble Berry's SOAP Panel again sometime.  



8 comments:

  1. I think 4 sounds nice. I love tart, sweet candy

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  2. The pineapple soap sounds great!

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  3. This would have been so much fun to do. I should have applied! I would love to give these soaps a sniff!

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  4. brand new to homemade soap use, just ordered raspberry lemonade and berries and cream from your web site after watching your you tube videos. Sent to you by Le Fille de la Mer. Ariane's review of your soaps made me want to order (have not ordered from her yet as her store is closed for vacation).....hope to try the milk and honey and coffee next.

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  5. The blood orange looks amazing.

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