Mad Oils vs Bramble Berry Colorant Quality?

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BB is one of the few I've ordered from that include sample FOs. What size is theirs . . . like .25oz? The only other place I've seen that offers a smaller sniffy sample is Elements Bath & Body. Their FO and lip flavor oil samples are in teeny plastic vials . . . I'm talking mls instead of oz.
I went on to BB and the only sampler I could find was half ounce, they choose the fragrance and they want 20 bucks for 12 scents that are in too small an amount to use in a batch (or maybe not) I want the freedom to check out the scents I want to smell, I don't want them picked for me. I disagree that it would be a loss. I can't tell you how many scents I haven't tried because I want to smell them first. How many times have you had someone ask you about recommendations...how is it possible when we all have different likes and dislikes...sure some are naturally big sellers but how many scents are getting ignored because they haven't been tried by a large enough population?
I don't need or want vial...just a little square sealed that I can rip open and experience it for myself.
 
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Irish, the smoky colors almost never translate well into CP. Not in the delicate/sparkly/nuanced eye shadow way. Not w/MO, Nurture, or anywhere else, at least for me, it is just the way it goes. As Newbie says, they can be great in a mica oil swirl on top of the bar, though.

Understood. However, I am sometimes interested in using them for decorative effects precisely because they are so novel. As an aside, one of the things mentioned in my discussion with Jo is that they are planning to add an eyeshadow base to their site for those who would like to use the micas in a cosmetic application. I am bare-faced most days but currently make all of our household toiletries (toothpaste, deodorant, etc) and like the idea of DIYing some custom colors. When I do bother to wear makeup, my tastes are fairly specific...and expensive.

Thanks so much for the description of Sparkle Plenty glitter. I am not much for sparkle as a general rule, but have some girly girls of all ages on my Christmas list that would love a little "glam" in their soap.
 
One of my dad's favorite sayings was "If they're going to give you something for free, take it" while directing me back to get seconds and thirds of Hickory Farms samples at the mall (who is going to refuse a kid accompanied by an eastern european man gesturing like mad). It worked too... we have to have an obscenely large summer sausage sticking out of someone's stocking every Christmas. I don't even want the sausage, but it's tradition now. /end digression

This cracked me up, I think those of us who are children of the ethnic parents have even more than the rest to be embarrassed about during the teenage years! Also, I worked at the budget version of Hickory Farms (it was called Swiss Colony) when I was a teenager. We had to wear Swiss Miss uniforms, I don't know what people thought when they saw a slight/weedy little Indian girl wearing one :). You know what though, the muscle memory from wrapping cheese and sausage and using a heat gun has stood me in good stead in these soaping times!

I have a BB sampler list so that I always request one I want to try, rather than getting their regular monthly sample. It really has been a great way for (a) me to try samples of ones I actually want, for free; and (b) for them, b/c it is one of the reasons I keep going back for other things.

I like the MO samples too, for OOB purposes. They are pretty teeny. They would work in a dab of lotion, but I have never tried them in CP samples b/c too small. I am madly in love w/MO's packaging, though.
 
This cracked me up, I think those of us who are children of the ethnic parents have even more than the rest to be embarrassed about during the teenage years! Also, I worked at the budget version of Hickory Farms (it was called Swiss Colony) when I was a teenager. We had to wear Swiss Miss uniforms, I don't know what people thought when they saw a slight/weedy little Indian girl wearing one :). You know what though, the muscle memory from wrapping cheese and sausage and using a heat gun has stood me in good stead in these soaping times!

I remember Swiss Colony! The Petits Fours! The Big Red Cheddar Cheese! My dad LOVED them and insisted my mom order them every year as a special treat. I think we might be cosmically related :)
 
I told you on the Indian food thread! Daughters from another mother :)

It was a more innocent time, though, we would have to stand out in front of the store and offer people samples of our "beef log". I think they might change that up some, these days :)
 
Maybe we should create a sniffy-sample co-op? rparrny you've seen my FO stash and it's nothing to sneeze at. I would be game to share sniffies of anything I've got especially if you're just talking about a saturated cotton ball in a ziploc baggie!

I never realized you could request different FOs from BB besides the monthly selection. Those alone have persuaded me to make several purchases (Tobacco & Bay Leaf and Lavender & Cedar most recently).

I remember having one of those Hickory Farms/Swiss Colony stores in the mall! Also remember Orange Julius very fondly . . . the new DQ version just isn't the same :(
 
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Maybe we should create a sniffy-sample co-op? rparrny you've seen my FO stash and it's nothing to sneeze at. I would be game to share sniffies of anything I've got especially if you're just talking about a saturated cotton ball in a ziploc baggie!

I never realized you could request different FOs from BB besides the monthly selection. Those alone have persuaded me to make several purchases (Tobacco & Bay Leaf and Lavender & Cedar most recently).

I also remember having one of those Hickory Farms/Swiss Colony stores in the mall! Also remember Orange Julius very fondly . . . the DQ version just isn't the same :(

I'm happy to share sniffies of my stash too. Count me in.
 
Maybe we should create a sniffy-sample co-op? rparrny you've seen my FO stash and it's nothing to sneeze at. I would be game to share sniffies of anything I've got especially if you're just talking about a saturated cotton ball in a ziploc baggie!
My postmaster already looks at me suspiciously...I can imagine requesting a large envelope to send cotton balls with baggies...probably would think I'm shipping a dirty bomb or a bio hazard!:evil:
Beside, although my EO collection is large (albeit not like yours) I have 2, count em 2 FOs which I'm sure you have...lol
 
My postmaster already looks at me suspiciously...I can imagine requesting a large envelope to send cotton balls with baggies...probably would think I'm shipping a dirty bomb or a bio hazard!:evil:
Beside, although my EO collection is large (albeit not like yours) I have 2, count em 2 FOs which I'm sure you have...lol

Then you must have excellent taste in FOs and don't need more enabling . . . you're well on your way to being as sick as the rest of us ;)
 
Doriette, mall food courts are nothing to sneeze at :) I very rarely venture into a mall these days, but that is where I go first (and maybe last) when I do!

I would be up for sending sniffy-samples, as long as it was easy. Ie; maybe have people post lists of things that they wanted to smell so that if I had one on their list I could PM them and they could send me a ready to go SASE w/plastic baggie so that I could just dip it into the FO and send it back to them quickly. I'm happy to do that. I don't think I'd want to do it as a swap, I already have/have tried too many friggin' FO's (couple of hundred) and am in the process of packing to move, which makes me mad at myself for buying all of them.
 
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I think we are all probably on a list in some government office... initially on the "Suspected of Manufacturing Illicit Substances" due to buying of chemicals and gloves and such. Then we get moved over to the "Harmless Maker of Nice Smelling Things" file when they realize BRV and OMH aren't nefarious codewords.
 
I'm not speaking for Carrie, here, but my sense is that offering these kind of samples - or any kind of very cheap samples on (eg) a cotton puff/cloth pad - is a giant loss leader. Just the labor/postage costs for getting them done and sent out would be a big chunk in a promotional budget.

I know BB does it - you can send them separate SASE's for individual scents for free - but they are the only ones that do, and if I were them I probably wouldn't, from a business perspective.

I completely disagree. It was one of my requests on page one and a topic of discussion with Jo from Mad Oils. As I stated earlier, scent is a personal and subjective thing. The current thread searching for the "best vanilla" should convey how differently everyone feels about what their version of "best" should be: buttery or cool, sweet or dry. I hate, hate, hate spending money on a scent promising me the smell of Hawaii to find that their interpretation is cloyingly floral or synthetic suntan lotion. It offends my "waste not" sensibilities to throw it away, but I refuse use up that much more money in ingredients to make a soap that I am curl my lip at every time I use it.

I acknowledge that BB is exceedingly generous in their policy. However, I spend hundreds of dollars more with them as a result. Because I am reasonably confident that I will like a particular interpretation of a fragrance from a sniffie sample, they get the order over other vendors. As long as I am paying a shipping fee with them, I get my basics there as well (butters, oils, mold, etc). I also appreciate their level of customer service and go out of my way to support those business practices with my money.

(As a personal side note, I get just as irritated with shipping fees as everyone else, but have duplicated my BB cart on WSP to directly compare total price. Thus far, BB has always come out cheaper...proving that "free shipping" is more a marketing gimmick than savings.)

When talking with Jo, I explained this same point especially in light of the fact that I found some of the fragrance descriptions on her site a little lacking. I am someone who is entirely willing to PAY for the sniffies, especially given that the shipping should be negligible for cotton swabs. Sweet Cakes has intrigued me for a while, but I could easily spend $200 on an assortment of small jars and shipping...a commitment I am not willing to make for things that may be hit or miss for me. I would be thrilled to send SASEs and pay a fee to hone my selections under the assumption that a $25 investment would save me money in the long run.

Jo agreed to discuss it with her partner and consider adding it as a feature when their new site launches. I will keep my fingers crossed.
 
Oh heck, I'm so used to being on government lists (commie lawyer type) I don't even care anymore :) I did have a setback when I took my first package of stuff I was sending to an SMF buddy and they sniffed, asked me if I was sending fragrances (I am not a very *good* lawyer, obviously, I said yes), and had to take my box away. Now I just wrap them up better and lie.
 
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I wonder how much it takes to have those perfume type sniffers made, the kind you get in a magazine or at a department store where you open the flap and it releases the scent. That would be cool for FO's.

I can say from packaging up many a sniffie to swap that it is very time intensive. It would be way faster to offer a small free sample in a small bottle like BB does because that can probably be automated. I too like their samples and they are super in allowing you to swap out the monthly sample for whatever you like. If you are a frequent flyer, and ask, they will often give you several free samples. Of note, whatever the free sample of the month is will be on sale the following month, for 20% off. Very smart marketing.

I have a stupid number of FO's and am in for a sniffie swap. We did that once a long time ago and it was really fun. Also, since they are just to smell, once you are done and have made notes, the box can be passed along to another person.
 
Being redundant and pesky, I would love to see colors like this available in micas. I really really would love it!

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I wish I knew how to make it!

MO Peacock=N Teal Green
MO Tahitian Teal= N Sea Green
MO Lettuce Entertain You= N Spring Green
MO Maniacal Pea = N Green Vibrance (I'm pretty certain but not 100%)
MO Twilight = N Klein Blue

MO Blue Velvet is not CP soap stable
MO Olive You is not soap stable
MO Tempest is not predictable in CP
 
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MO Tempest makes a very deep earthy gray with a touch of purple for me.

Please excuse the terrible photography and lighting...

Here it is in a soap whose FO discolored... that light section actually had enough TD in it that it should have been sparkling white.

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Here it is in a nondiscoloring FO batch I made for the swap.

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This thread is great! This is Carrie from Nurture and I would love to get some feedback if that is alright. A couple of questions... When you say more adult colors, what do you mean? I don't think MO sells anything we don't, or at least very few colors. We get them from the same place. Our site has been a constant work in progress and I was wondering if there is anything any of you would like to see changes up or done differently to help with your shopping experience. I know there's a lot of places to choose from now and would sincerely appreciate any feedback you can give!

I would love to see any colorant sample (including naturals like madder etc) shown not only in gelled CP soap but in ungelled. It's very difficult to make decisions on colorants when you're unable to see a reasonably reliable sample of what it will color to.

Just my two cents :)
 
As to the sniffies, I'm more than happy to send sniffies to anyone who wants to test any of the FO I have. I don't have a huge selection yet, but I do have some :) . Like the rest of you, I am very reluctant to invest my meager soaping budget in FOs if I am unsure of the scent. I love being able to smell them first.
 
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