I just went to BrambleBerry to place an order and one of my best selling FOs (Chocolate Espresso) is being discontinued and I don't have $900 to buy 35lb drum (the only option left) of it! So I bought some Espresso and Rich Dark Chocolate and see if that is close.
Oh No!
- Thread starter TheGecko
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MelissaG
Well-Known Member
I really don't get why Brambleberry discontinues so many of their fragrances so often. It's one of the reasons I don't like ordering from them.
Ditto. And their slow shipping. And their poor customer service. LOL
MelissaG
Well-Known Member
And why they are so much more expensive than everyone else.
Yup, I forgot that one!
Carly B
Well-Known Member
Have you ever tried Smoldering Cafe Con Chocolate from Scent Memory? I ordered a sample of it, and I liked it enough to order a bottle, and I'm not generally a foodie scents type. This is a deep chocolate coffee with a hint of smoke.
Their rich dark chocolate is amazing. I don't care much for food scents but this one is fantastic.
Hope it works well in a blend for you. It does discolor super dark
I've never had an issue with their customer service.
It seems to run hot or cold, with some folks having great experiences, and others, not so much. I seem to recall there was a thread here on SMF where we were all piling on about our issues with them.
My only two orders from them took forever to arrive, and had leaking or missing items when they finally showed up. It was a nightmare to get them to make things right!
Glass is more expensive than plastic. And I'm sure those microwavable bags aren't cheap either. But with that said, I can agree that some of their prices are higher on some things and cheaper on others. Example...16oz bottle of BRV is $36.83 while the same is $27.10 at Nurture Soap, but a 1oz jar of mica is $3.25 while the same at Nurture is $4.50 and the same in a bag is $3.80. With that said...Nurture has more options...I can buy a 4oz jar/bag, 8 and 16 oz bags, while BB only has 1 and 16 oz sizes.
Even the place where I get the majority of my base ingredients...some stuff is cheaper, some stuff is more, but it all works out in the wash since they are local and I can Will Call.
I've never ordered from them. I'll given them a gander so see if they have anything else I might be interested in. Thanks for the suggestion.
The Chocolate Espresso discolors to about a medium brown, but I had brown oxide and cocoa powder to dark it so I'm fine with that.
It probably depends on who is working and what they were told they could and couldn't do and whether they got laid the night before. LOL
I had a bottle of Castor Oil that leaked...it was just a small amount and I called up just to let them know to have their people double check the lids. Two days later I received a new bottle of Castor Oil. Another time I received a Flavoring Oil instead of Fragrance Oil...no big deal. I'll return it and they can just give me a credit. They said to keep the oil, gave me a credit AND shipped me a bottle of the FO.
Mind you, I do not spend a huge amount of money with them. The most I have ever spent (including shipping) was $342.41 back in 2020. Last year I spent $172.72. So far this year I have spent $198.07, but that is because I bought two of their kits and some stuff to go along with them because I wanted to try something new without getting too deep if it turned out to be something that didn't work out or I didn't like. The later is very important because if things were to go belly up, I don't want to be stuck with a bunch of stuff I don't like.
MelissaG
Well-Known Member
Glad to hear about the espresso. I had been considering that one. It's surprisingly difficult to find good scents for some fragrances. Too bad though, I'm betting mocha would smell wonderful.
BB Espresso always seems very popular with those who like a coffee smell in soap (me included!). It does accelerate, and turns very dark brown, but seems to be long-lasting. The "Cafe Latte" and "Coffee Shop" FOs BB came out with a couple of years ago are nice, and especially interesting because they DO NOT turn dark brown! They still discolor a bit, but give a lot more scope for layers & swirls. Coffee Shop is more of a bakery-plus-coffee scent. Hmm, wonder if adding a layer of Espresso would amp up the coffee vibe. There's also "Dark Roast Coffee" but it has a note of hazelnut that doesn't appeal to me (because I very much dislike hazelnut flavors and smells in anything!), and it also goes dark brown. Maybe I'd like it better blended with another one of the Cafe scents.
For BB customer service, I've found it best (easiest and fastest) to use the chat function on the website. I've had a couple of orders with issues but they were promptly fixed.
I wonder if the Chocolate Espresso was discontinued because the latest IFRA usage rate is pretty low. I understand changes in the formulas at the manufacturer can also cause problems. But no clue as to what really drives those frustrating decisions!
For BB customer service, I've found it best (easiest and fastest) to use the chat function on the website. I've had a couple of orders with issues but they were promptly fixed.
I wonder if the Chocolate Espresso was discontinued because the latest IFRA usage rate is pretty low. I understand changes in the formulas at the manufacturer can also cause problems. But no clue as to what really drives those frustrating decisions!
I'm sorry you don't like the Espresso FO. When I used it I thought it was a really good coffee scent - no perfumy notes at all. I haven't used it for a long time since I decided coffee scented soap isn't for me. It may have been reformulated since I have had it.
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@TheGecko you might also be experiencing post-COVID olfactory disruption. I have multiple FOs that no longer smell "right" to me, so others are called in to smell them and let me know what they think.
For instance, both Caribbean Coconut and Coconut Cream smell completely off to me - not like coconut at all. But others that I trust have let me know that they smell nothing but lovely coconut scents. It's super frustrating, but I've accepted that it might never resolve, given that it's going on 2.5 years and still happening.
For instance, both Caribbean Coconut and Coconut Cream smell completely off to me - not like coconut at all. But others that I trust have let me know that they smell nothing but lovely coconut scents. It's super frustrating, but I've accepted that it might never resolve, given that it's going on 2.5 years and still happening.
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Maybe some of the ingredients in those FOs can no longer be produced and or used? It happens all the time and is part of why FO's may get reformulated or discontinued. Since Brambleberry is likely a middleman for FO distrubution and not a straight manufacturer, it's really not fair to hold them accountable for discontinuing popular scents.
I have found that some of my favourite scents have been discontinued because they are not popular! I'm really surprised that others don't find them as yummy as I do.
