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Springtime Fragrances for Candle and Soap Making

By , About.com Guide

Spring has sprung! It's time to incorporate some of the bright, clean, green, fresh, floral and fruity fragrances into your candles and soaps. Here are my (current) favorite springtime scents for candle and soap making.

The descriptions are mostly from the vendor's websites, with my notes peppered in. Most vendors will send you samples of their fragrances if you request them. And be sure to check out the Soap Scent Review Board for reviews of soap making fragrances, and the Scent Review for reviews of (many of the same) fragrances for candle making.

1. Blackberry Sage

Layer after layer of rich berries effortlessly weave into healing notes of sage and subtle notes of rosemary. I must confess I'm a bit biased towards this fragrance. It was the first fragrance I ever made soap with. I was hooked then...and still love it now. (It's also on my Top Valentine's Day Fragrance Oil list.)

2. Spring Equinox

This wonderfully refreshing fragrance is not just for Spring but can be used year round. A wonderful fresh and snappy scent. Fresh bergamot laced with juniper berries and sweet florals wrapped in cedarwood and dry musk. A full moon rising on a bright spring evening.

3. Black Amber and Lavender

One of my new favorite fragrances from the ever-reliable Bramble Berry, this fragrance blends rustic Amber with bold Parisian Lavender. Combined with these main scents is a mysterious Black Myrrh, dulcet vanilla Tonka bean, and a splash of Egyptian Musk. They've rounded out the fragrance with a surprising addition of raw Clary Sage resulting in an earthy concotion with hints of sweetness and pleasing floral notes. It's not quite amber, not quite vanilla, and still strongly lavender. It does have a fair amount of vanilla in it, so it discolors to a chocolate brown, but it's worth it. (A great fragrance to do a vanilla swirl with!

4. Chinatown

I don't usually go for "dupe" or "type" fragrances...but I like this one a lot. It's described as a fantasy flower garden arrayed in tier upon tier of spirited blooms like rose, narcissus, lavender, jasmine and lilac that bring to life rich notes of currant, coconut, peach and exotic woods and spices. It definitely is a complex, sweet floral, but it's got a lot of yummy, exotic spice notes in it too.

5. Vervaine Olive Blossom

Surrounded by fresh crisp notes of lemon verbena, green olive leaves, pettigrain and cucumber. A nice "dupe" of Voluspa's Vervaine Olive Leaf Basic Black Collection.

6. Country Clothesline

Very fresh, green, soapy fragrance just like freshly washed clothes. I like this one because it's not as "baby-powder-ish" as some other "clothesline" fragrances.

7. Narcissus II

Soft petals of narcissus awaken with Moroccan rose blossoms and ylang in captivating Narcissus II Fragrance Oil. It starts off as "yeah...this is a nice rose-floral blend fragrance"...but it's really deep and sweet and complex.
Did you know that (allegedly) the flower isn't named for the Greek Narcissus (who fell in love with his own reflection) myth? According to Perfume 2000, it's derived from the Greek word "narce" which means "to be numb" - referring to the narcotic effect of the narcissus.

8. Moonlight Path

What would spring be without some lavender? I often use plain lavender essential oil for springtime soaps and candles, but this is a really interesting variation. It's an ethereal, long lasting floral of French lavender, wild violet and musk which develops into a seductive essence of warmth and softness.

9. English Ivy

A picnic, a bouquet, and a nap under a blue sky, all mixed into one. An ultimately fresh sophisticated floral with a lot of fresh air mixed in. A sheer green floral fragrance having a fruity bergamot, ozone top note, a damescenian rose, chassis jasmine middle note and a warm precious wood, musky sage base note. Very complex and yummy. (This one is also on my Top Valentine's Day Fragrance Oils list.

10. Peach & Lotus Blossom

Imagine the succulent juice of a ripe Southern Peach, exquisitely blended with the sacred Asian Lotus Blossom and you have a perfect combination of East meets West. If it weren't for the asian and floral notes, this would definitely be a great summer fragrance. But the lotus flower notes make it really fresh and springy.

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