Scent review - Part 1.

I’ve found it difficult to shop fragrance oils online. The issues lies mainly in the lack of descriptive reviews available out there. So, below I’ll try to share my feedback for some of the fragrance oils I’ve since purchased.

Mahogany Teakwood

I really like this smell. To be honest, I actually have no idea how an actual piece of Mahogany Teakwood smells like. But based on the fragrance oil, I’d bet it smells great. From first sniff, you get a whiff of initial sweetness. Then the scent transitions to earthy tones. Mahogany teakwood’s scent is not too strong or too bold. It works great as either a mid or base note.

Mahogany Teakwood: from Lone Star

Almond

Almond is definitely a sweeter smell. This isn’t the smell you get when you open a bag of almonds at Trader Joe’s. This is more like an almond puree type of scent, very concentrated and direct. As for its pairing, I’ve come to find it useful when I need something more on the strong side to help lighten a scent composition. However, if I have vanilla on hand, I think I’d rather choose the latter than almond.

Almond: from Lone Star

Black Cherry

Black Cherry is another scent that’s sweet, plus it has a kick to it. Don’t think of this scent as being the light smell of early-to-mid ripe cherries, rather think of it when cherries are overly-ripe and soft. It might actually be a borderline maraschino cherries-like smell, except it isn’t is because there is a separate fragrance oil bottle for maraschino cherries. Nonetheless, this scent does a good job depicting what it states it should be — black cherry.

Black Cherry: from Lone Star

Vanilla Bean

Sweet, light, and aromatic. This scent is a simple scent. I use it primarily as a mid note, but I’d be curious how it plays as a base note. When compared against actual vanilla extract, it’s maybe at half strength when compared. This scent is worth having in my opinion. I think it can go great with the more woody and mossy scents.

Vanilla Bean: from Lone Star

Leather

this smells like that new sofa smell (different than that new car smell). It’s not overpowering or light, rather I’d say it’s an adequate level. I think it could be a little bit less sharp. If you are looking for the more worn and rustic, where the scent is more deep, this might not be the fragrance oil for you. To be frank, I actually haven’t found a “Leather” scent that embodies the worn-out smell. I do think this is better than the Candlescience version of leather though. I’ve found it to go pretty good with sharp citrus notes. A pairing that I’ve found to be pretty tasteful is with Blood Orange.

Leather: from Lone Star

Mulberry

Out of all the berry smells, this one is my favorite. I have never tasted a mulberry, so I honestly have no idea how it should smell like. What’s interesting about this smell is that the sweetness actually kicks in at the end. It starts off with a sweet chocolate-like scent, and finishes with the a fruity, citrus note. It’s not overpowering, sharp, or anything that might make it unpleasant. I think it’s a must-have for all candlemakers. I’ve found this scent to go great with woody scents.

Mulberry: from Lone Star

Blackberry Amber

Another great scent. It’s fruity and tangy. It’s not sharp, and transitions from start to finish in a very complex way. I haven’t found a good pairing for this yet, but I’d think it go well with deeper and more background scents. It’s not as sweet as the Almond, and not as sharp as the Black Cherry. I can see this scent being used in a high-class type of cologne. It exudes class, and would go great in compositions that aim to do so.

Blackberry Amber: from Lone Star

Hopefully this has been helpful. I’ll try to do upload and do more of these in the future. If you have any immediate feedback, feel free to tweet at me: @brianczhou.