Not my scent

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artemis

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I'm just curious about what other people do... I have a little sample of an FO that I don't care for OOB. My dislike is enough to make me not want to soap with it. What I paid for it is too small an amount for me to want to fuss with sending it back or even sending it to someone else. So, what do YOU normally do when you have such a fragrance? Shelve it? Pass it on? Soap with it anyway?
 
I've discovered, through experience, that I really don't like a lot of scents OOB, but when I make a sample batch with a scent I really don't like OOB, I'm often surprised that it's a totally different animal when it's in the soap. There are always ones that I still don't like, of course, but I'd give it a shot in a small batch just to see if it changes how you feel about it.
 
I'd make a small batch anyway, to see how it goes. There are a lot of scents I don't like, but other people love (for example 90% of B&BW is too sweet for me).

If I still don't like it, sometimes one of my friends will love it.. Then things with that scent become a perfect gift :)
 
I make a separate vegan soap for my oldest daughter that gets anything I don't really like, or can't imagine using in soap - like the key lime tart scent that BB included in my last order. She's not picky about her (free) soap, and the usage rate of a sample in a 2-1/2 pound batch is low enough to keep things subtle anyway.

Like jewels, I've also been happily surprised at the results from things I didn't like OOB.
 
I had a surprise with one scent (WSP Sexy Little Thing) that smelled like an old woman OOB when we first got it. But after a month or two of just sitting in the bottle the scent morphed into a pleasant odor. Maybe it just needed time to mellow.

I also hang on to scents that I don't like and wait for an opportunity to use them. Maybe it would be better as a wax melt, or a bath bomb, or a candle...
 
I usually get around to using it even if it isn't something I particularly like myself. I give a lot of soap away, and can usually find someone who will like it. Blending it with something else can also really help. And, I am lucky that I have a friend who makes MP soap, and will take just about anything I don't want to use.
 
I'm just curious about what other people do... I have a little sample of an FO that I don't care for OOB. My dislike is enough to make me not want to soap with it. What I paid for it is too small an amount for me to want to fuss with sending it back or even sending it to someone else. So, what do YOU normally do when you have such a fragrance? Shelve it? Pass it on? Soap with it anyway?

I do have a couple of "surprise" fragrances that I reversed my opinions on once soaped (positive and negative). That being said, I am a hobbyist and usually have more projects planned than can be reasonably accomplished. There are definitely FOs that I have decided did not make the cut without ever giving them a fair shot. In that case I do one of several things.

1) Hold onto it for a while.
It is a possibility that it will "age" well. However, it is a certainty that new people will enter my circle: a new girlfriend of my brother's, the mom/dad/nanny of the kid my god-child just made friends with on the playground, a neighbor that moved in. They all have very different tastes than I do. Something that was too floral, camphorous, or saccharine for me may be perfect for my new friend.

2) Use it in a less "precious" product.
Beyond the cost of materials, the time and effort to make soap, followed by the space commitment and patience of curing it...I ONLY want to make what I am excited about. I certainly don't want to use an objectionable scent in lotion or perfume. Cleaning products and room sprays are something that I hesitate to burn through my "favorite" FOs on, but are a great way to use up less inspiring ones.

3) Give it away.
I actually don't have a problem paying a shipping fee myself to send an ounce off the someone on the forum, or break it down into individual sniffies to mail out to those who are interested. It is a small way to give back to the community that has been so generous in coaching me. However, I can understand why some might prefer not to spend money to give something away. In that case, there is always Craigslist. Just set aside all those things you want to disappear and post it in the free section. Someone less picky will be thrilled.
 
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I've had several FO's I didn't like OOB so they sat on the shelf for a very long time. However, decided to give them a try and was pleasantly suprised that is really liked them in soap. You can't always judge a fragrance in the bottle. I've also had the opposite happen where I like it in the bottle but not so much when made into soap.
 
I have had both, too-- something I liked OOB that changed into something weird and vice versa. Mine usually sit on the shelf, or get passed to my sister-in-law. That's what made me wonder what other people do. Right now it smells like the laundry aisle at the store, so if I don't like it after cure, maybe it will go in my laundry soap. Today, I added it to a small batch of toilet fizzies for my boys. They'll like that.
 
I'll add my 2 cents to agree with the idea of soaps for giving. It gives you a chance to test the fragrance with the opening to give it away if the fragrance doesn't morph
 
The Lovin' Soap blog Zany introduced me to has a great article about donating soap as well. There are several organizations like food banks, homeless shelters, battered women's shelters, etc. that would be grateful for any soaps you don't end up liking.

It could be a good way to clear out any fragrances you just don't like as much.

http://www.lovinsoap.com/2017/01/donating-handcafted-soap/
 
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