Va candle and soap supply?

[commoncenz]

I was wondering if anyone has ever used their fragrance oils? I see they have a website. But what got my attention was that they also sell on EBAY and their prices on there are cheaper than if you ordered via the website (plus free shipping on EBAY).

 

[commoncenz]

Nobody eh? Well, I've just ordered an assortment of scents from them. So I will have to let you know how they are. Updates will be sporadic as I only make about 1 batch per week and am trying to hold out until my new mold gets here. LOL

 

[commoncenz]

OK, So my order arrived today. Two days after I ordered them; that's pretty quick.
I ordered 10 2 oz bottles for around $46 w/ free shipping. My scents were: Abercrombie Fierce, Cashmere Glow, Cucumber Melon, Gain Apple Tango Mango, Lavender Eucalyptus, Mid Summer night, Ocean Breeze, Pina Colada, Starbucks Coffee and Japanese Cherry Blossom.

My thoughts OOB are:

1. Abercrombie Fierce: I had to go to my son for this one as he wears the cologne it's based on. In a side by side "smell off", this fragrance oil is very similar to the original. It's not quite the same but close enough that my son (picky as he is) was impressed.

2. Cashmere Glow: Very similar to the Bath and Body works scent of the same name. My daughter wants this soap first. lol

3. Cucumber Melon: About your average Cucumber Melon scent. Doesn't jump out at you and make you go "WOW" and doesn't disappoint you either.

4. Gain Apple Tango Mango: The first one I smelled that made me say "WOW! I'm ready to make this soap". It had me thinking of what colors to use and every thing. I smell more mango at first and then the apple kind of sneaks in there. A very good scent oob.

5. Lavender Eucalyptus: I did not like this scent and imagine it will be one of the last that I use. OOB the eucalyptus is very overpowering and you can barely smell the lavender. When asked for their opinions (separately) my kids both noted the strong eucalyptus scent. Maybe I'll use this for the mechanics soap I've been asked to make ... maybe.

6. Mid Summer Night: I can't decide if I like this scent or not. It's definitely a masculine scent. Kinda woodsy/musky, but light. Maybe it's one that will grow on me after I use the scents that have jumped out and grabbed my attention.

7. Ocean Breeze: Blah. I was expecting something that reminded me of standing on deck on a sunny, tranquil day during my time in the Navy. I got something that has a very light "ocean" smell. It would not surprise me if this scent faded quickly.

8. Pina Colada: Oh yeah. This is definitely PINA COLADA. A very strong scent. But not overpowering. This does not come across as one of those sickly sweet Pina Colada scents. Very true to the scent it is emulating.

9. Starbucks Coffee: Whoooo! This scent is VERY strong. It smells like a very strongly brewed pot of coffee. It was the first scent I opened and shortly after I opened it my daughter came into the kitchen from the living room and asked me why I was drinking coffee so late. I actually really like this scent.

10. Japanese Cherry Blossom: Another scent that isn't a hit or a miss with me. It smells faintly flowery but doesn't "pop" like I thought it would. Also a scent that I wonder if it will fade over time in soap. That said, both my son and daughter had stronger reactions to it. Daughter hated it and said it smelt too flowery. Son liked it because he said it smelled like his grandma's perfume. So, maybe my thought that it was a faint scent was just a reaction to smelling it right after smelling the Starbucks.

Well, that's it for the scents out of the bottle. If anyone wants me to, I will update on how the scents work when I soap with them. That will take awhile though because I am still waiting on that new mold and desperately trying not to make a batch of soap in my square tupperware container ... I mean I am "fighting" the urge to soap before I get that mold. :sad:

 

[snappyllama]

Thanks for the review. It's always good to hear about folks' experiences with a new supplier. I'd be interested to see how you think they compare to WSP, BB or NG. Especially the coffee... I'm looking for a good one.

 

[commoncenz]

Well, here's the rub for me. I've only recently begun using FOs. When I used to soap, I either used EOs or made unscented batches because of my son's allergies. So, I will have to try some of the FOs from WSP, BB or NG. I planned to order some from NG soon as they are about 2 1/2 hours from me.

I also didn't use colorants waay back when either. So, in essence, this is all a new and exciting chapter for me when it comes to soaping. And I am thoroughly enjoying the process!

I will tell you that I REALLY like the coffee fragrance. It's strong though. I mean so strong that I swear I can smell it even when the bottle isn't opened. But, it's a "true" coffee smell ... I thought black coffee, but my daughter smells a latte.

 

[commoncenz]

Ok, so the first batch that I made using these FOs was the Abercrombie Fierce Type. I had thought I remembered it being a little weak smelling OOB, but in the soap mixture it was actually pretty strong. Strong like it had the whole house smelling like Fierce. After a day in the mold, the smell has calmed down as it's not so overpowering. However, it is still very strong as the soap sits curing. I think that .5 oz/lb might be a little much for this FO.

As an aside, it would have been nice if VA Candle Supply had provided suggested usage rates for their FOs. In any event, I will watch this one closely to see if it mellows a little bit as the soap cures. I hope that it does because this scent would be very good if it wasn't so strong.

 

[Stacyspy]

I use a lot of their FOs. I especially like that the citrus and mango scents stay put. Most of their scents I use .5 oz ppo, but a few I use less than that....Lightning Breeze in particular is very strong OOB, but after a couple weeks cure, it tones down and is one of my favorites.
Just a hint... you can usually get a "sample" pack of 10 1oz bottles for less than $25 on their ebay store....ETA but you already knew that...lol... I must have missed your original post

 

[commoncenz]

Next FO used was Cucumber Melon. Maybe it was just me, but I thought this smelled like an average Cucumber Melon when I smelled it after receiving my order. However, when I used it today EVERYONE (kids, their friends, my guests who arrived later) commented on how good it smelled. This is another scent that didn't WOW oob, but was very strong when used in the soap mixture. If all of the scents are like this, I'm going to have to rethink using the stronger smelling FOs at .5 like I did the first two. I'll have to see how strong this is 2morrow when I take it out of the mold.

I'm definitely not complaining about how these FOs are working so far. Just noting that I might have to make adjustments based on their strength.

 

[commoncenz]

Well, it's been a little over a week after being unmolded and cut for both the Abercrombie and the Cuke Melon. I am really surprised at how strong the scents have remained in these soaps. I would definitely buy/use them both again.

Now to determine what I will use tonight when company has left and I make another batch. lol

 

[not_ally]

Commensenz, I strongly recommend that you check the FO excel on here (go to to the FO forum, it is a sticky, and there is a link on the first page) and join the soap scent review board so that you have info on FOs before you buy them. The latter is a little bit of a pain to join, you have to have a paid email account, but you probably already do, eg; my Time Warner/internet account has a free email acct.

But checking here and there will save you a ton of money on scents that sound great on seller sites, or are great OOB and in the soap for a couple of days and then fade completely. I have tried hundreds of FO's, probably, but have settled on a group of maybe 20 or 30 so that I really like and that I know will stick for a long time. I always check here and at SSRB before buying now, not all of them will be listed, but it is super helpful when they are.

 

[commoncenz]

Sounds like a plan. Thanks for the heads up!

Edit: I notice that there are no reviews for VA Candle Supply. Maybe StacySpy can add some from the FOs she has bought from them.

 

[commoncenz]

I've started to add these scents to the Fragrance Review Chart. However, as one last post on this thread, let me say that I used the Lavender-Eucalyptus in a basic pumice/mechanics soap today. I really hate this FO. It causes almost instant acceleration and ricing; making it hard to use colors. Should have added it to my batch oils before the lye water like I usually do, but daughter's boyfriend kept walking in and out of the kitchen (very distracting).

 

[Stacyspy]

I could do that, as I've tried almost every scent the carry
I just have to figure out if I can get a paid email account...

Sounds like a plan. Thanks for the heads up!

Edit: I notice that there are no reviews for VA Candle Supply. Maybe StacySpy can add some from the FOs she has bought from them.

That's odd.. I don't have acceleration with that one, it's actually one of my most requested... It's one of the few I carry in MP, CP and HP.

I've started to add these scents to the Fragrance Review Chart. However, as one last post on this thread, let me say that I used the Lavender-Eucalyptus in a basic pumice/mechanics soap today. I really hate this FO. It causes almost instant acceleration and ricing; making it hard to use colors. Should have added it to my batch oils before the lye water like I usually do, but daughter's boyfriend kept walking in and out of the kitchen (very distracting).

 

[commoncenz]

I could do that, as I've tried almost every scent the carry
I just have to figure out if I can get a paid email account...

No worries, you don't need one for SMF's very own FO review Chart. Here's a link to the thread that contains the link to the chart.

http://www.soapmakingforum.com/showthread.php?t=47182

Thanks again not_ally for letting me know about this resource.

That's odd.. I don't have acceleration with that one, it's actually one of my most requested... It's one of the few I carry in MP, CP and HP.

Hmm, maybe it was a reaction to something in my recipe, but it moved extremely fast and riced at the same time. Do you use salt and/or sugar in your recipe? I dissolve both in my water before adding the lye. Other than that, it's a pretty basic recipe.

Maybe you can add your review to the SMF FO review chart and note that you have not experienced this. I already added mine noting that it did. It doesn't really matter in the long run to me because I don't sell and therefore probably won't use the scent again since I just didn't like it.

 

[Stacyspy]

I use sugar in mine, 1 tbl ppo, but not salt, and the recipe I use for that scent is just OO, CO, and castor oil.

Hmm, maybe it was a reaction to something in my recipe, but it moved extremely fast and riced at the same time. Do you use salt and/or sugar in your recipe? I dissolve both in my water before adding the lye. Other than that, it's a pretty basic recipe.

 

[math ace]

I just received my first order from Virginia Candle Supply. The shipping was amazing in cost and time. I ordered 30 one ounce bottles of fragrance and 2 pounds of melt and pour soap base. The shipping was less than $9 which is incredible. The shipping time was TWO DAYS!

That being said, I probably won't order form them again.

1.) After receiving my order, I took the time to write up reviews on 13 of the scents. I did this because almost none of scents have reviews or have only 1 review. I received electronic notification, thanking me for the reviews, but they still haven't appeared on the web site. I really like to read the reviews from fellow soapers before trying a new scent.

2.) About 1/6 of the scents that I received had a funky smell. My friend and I are splitting the order, so we smelled them together. She agrees with me about this odd smell on many of the fragrances. I found this delightful you tube video put out in 2017 by this little boy about these fragrances. About 9 minutes in, he talks about the funky smell. Try googling "Awesome slime scents from VA candle Supply!" on you tube or use the following address:

3.) Another 1/6 of the scents did not match their description. For example, the Apple Jack and Peel is not spicy. It smells more like a Macintosh Apple scent from either Yankee Candle or Bramble Berry. These fragrances were pleasing, but not matching the description.

4.) There were some scents that were weak. For example, the Drakkar smells similiar to BB, but it is much weaker smelling.

5.) The bottles are labeled nicely with the Flash Point , Vanillin content, and whether they are skin safe. What is missing is recommended dosage rate. I went to the web site, after receiving the fragrances, and tried to find the information myself. I couldn't locate it.

So... I would be very hesitant to order from them again because it is a crapshoot on whether the fragrance would be as described.

Based on my experience, I would recommend the following scents from this company:
Cool Waters,
Sweet Pea,
Cranberry Chutney (IF you want a sweet, not spicy cranberry),
Black Cherry (IF you want a strong and sweet scent, like a car freshner black cherry),
Moonlight Path,
Cappuchino Brulee,
Heavenly (this could be a spa like fragrance, can't describe it except to say it was good)
Cherry Almond (smells like Jerkens lotion),
Apple Jack & Peel (if you want something that smells more like Macintosh Apple)
Baby Powder
and
Clean Cotton.

The biggest disappointment is the Cotton Candy! My friend and I agree that it does not smell like cotton candy at all. About 12 minutes into the little boys video, he rates cotton candy as a 4/10 because it doesn't smell like cotton candy. (FYI: if you want a really good cotton candy Candle Science has an awesome one).

If you order the above scents, you should be happy with your purchase as far as OOB scent goes.

 

[Relle]

This thread is 3 1/2 yrs old, please look at the date you are replying to and start a new thread.