Scents/Aromas

A post in a Soaps/Creams thread discussing how two people couldn't get along with a soap scent resulting in a PIF got me thinking......

Sometimes I wonder if these "artisan" soap/aftershave makers ever smell their own products? I never really had one that I "loved" (other than Fine and some PAA scents) and had some that were unappealing verging on offensive. However, some here have liked what I thought was horrible. Are our noses that much different? Are "artisans" simply trying to make a wide range of new/ different scents that might appeal to somebody even if it doesn't appeal to them?  I remember one artisan on this site saying that he had over fifty fragrances that he designed (I may not be remembering the number correctly) and would be making soaps out of all of them.  Fifty?  Really?  Who needs fifty fragrances?  

Is what we like baked into us genetically or are we conditioned to like/despise certain aromas?

Not trying to be controversial/adversarial, I honestly would like to know. Input from a forum "artisan" would be appreciated.

Tedolph

Most artisans who produce shaving soaps are soapmakers first and scentmakers as an afterthought. That is why there are so many simple scent or scents that are dupes of famous fragrances made from cheap synthetic ingredients. However, not all are like that.

Some artisan soapmakers realize they are not perfumers so they collaborate with talented perfumers such as Black Mountain Shaving, Maher Olfactives, MANE, House of Zaharoff and others.

Then there are the artisans who spend as much time developing fragrances as they do developing soap formulations. One of these artisans is Mohammad of Grooming Dept/Aion Skincare. He just had a successful release of twelve different scents in his Mallard formulation with matching aftershaves. There are some vendors who either just received or will soon be receiving stock from this release. Between now and the end of the year, Mohammad (Mo) will be releasing multiple new scents. While some of his scents are fairly simple, some are quite complex with dozens of components. I am not saying that Mo is the only artisan with perfumery skills, but his skills certainly stand out.

As for fragrances, my collection currently contains over 200 shaving soaps. My active soap rotation contains 75 soaps. I love most of the scents in that rotation, otherwise, the soap would have fallen out of favor. About half of those soaps are from Grooming Dept/Aion Skincare. Yes, there are a few older Grooming Dept soaps and scents that have fallen out of favor. Over time, Mohammad's perfumery skills have improved.

Human scent memory is quite strong. Many of the scents we love are scents related to our childhood. It might be our father's aftershave, our mother's or grandmother's perfume. It might be the scent of the barbershop where we got our hair cut as a child or teen. It might be the scent of our favorite candy store. It might be the scent of the house during favorite holidays.

Some people have poor scent discrimination. My wife has never had a great sense of smell. When she had COVID two years ago, she lost her sense of smell completely and it has been quite slow in recovering. To her all shaving soaps smell the same. While I do not have the nose of a perfumer, I can usually pick out a half-dozen scent notes from an accord. Over time, as you collect soaps and fragrances you senses will become more refined. Asking the question "Who needs fifty fragrances?" is like asking why a pub might have 50 beers on tap or why a fine dining establishment might have 100 wines on their wine list. People have different preferences.

People also have different budgets. I have a friend who noted that he picked up a bottle of wine from Costco for $6. Some people even drink what was once known as Two-buck Chuck, a Charles Shaw Winery wine that once sold for $2, but now sells for around $4. Others will spend hundreds or even thousands of dollars on a bottle of wine from a special vintage from a top tier winery. Like fine wines, fine fragrances are not inexpensive. Most soaps with refined fragrances will cost $25 and higher. Although spending a lot on a fragrance no more insures that you will like the fragrance than purchasing an expensive wine guarantees that you will enjoy the sip.

Ray makes some excellent points, Tedolph . 

I didn't get into traditional shaving for the soap and aftershave scents. However, it's the all the choices of scents that's kept me here. I can get incredible shaves with a cart razor and a can of Edge gel, yet that just got mundane. Each day I get to pick out something that tickles my fancy. I've been very lucky and have only bought a few scents that I just didn't like at all. 

If you have never watched any Gents Scents videos on YouTube, check him out. You'll see a huge wall of fragrances behind him. Hundreds upon hundreds of them. That's a huge rabbit hole that I thankfully haven't ventured down (so far  ). And that rabbit hole is way deeper and more expensive than shaving soaps and aftershaves. Sure, you can get some decent frags on the cheap. Some range well into the hundreds, and even thousands. 

There are even frags out there which collectors scoop up without the intention of actually wearing. Zoologist is known for making "challenging" scents, which means most people would hate to smell them on you. So why do they make them? Because they can - and to show what they can pull off, scent-wise. For some collectors, the crazier and more daring the scents are, the better. They don't want to smell like everyone else that hits the Macy's fragrance counter. 

That doesn't seem to be the case with our silly little hobby. Most soap makers want to make scents that people enjoy using/wearing. They know not everyone will like everything they make, and they're ok with that. That's why they have multiple offerings. Plus, we tend to be a fickle bunch. We're always looking for something different to keep things interesting. Many artisans rise to the occasion by changing things up and/or offering new scents for us to explore. 

Not everyone who uses a DE or Se razor, a brush and soap craves all these different scents. But, I think that on forums such as this, that's more the case than not. It's still a niche hobby, however, we do have a number of artisans that cater to us. 

Hey RayClem  - Two Buck Chuck isn't even worth $2. The fortunate thing with wines - you don't need to spend a lot to get a nice bottle. I've had plenty of sub $20, and even sub $10 wines that have been very good. You're exactly right about folks spending small fortunes on a bottle, though. I'm sure there are many high-end wines that are fabulous as well. I'll probably never know. Spending hundreds or thousands on a single bottle of wine just ain't gonna happen for this cat. It's doubtful my tastebuds would appreciate all the nuances anyway. But hey - if anyone would like to send me a fine collectible vintage, I'll gladly raise a toast and do my best to describe what I'm tasting.  

Very informative responses. It looks like I am in the minority of people in this "hobby" . RayClem 's comment about 50 beers on tap and 100 bottles of wine made me think. When I go to a bar with a lot of beers, I usually know one or two that I like, and maybe taste 2-3 I am not familiar with before the bar maid gets annoyed with me. Out of the 50 beers I many only really like two or three. Most of them I think are awful. When it comes to wines, I pretty much only like reds and I prefer blends over most single varietals. So having over 100 vintages seems silly to me. Surely, everybody could be happy with just 10 or 12 choices? I am more that happy to stick with what I like permanently-I don't get bored. Sometimes I just want a porter if it is cold outside, and a red ale or a Scottish ale the rest of the time. Most of the time when I go to a "brewpub" most of the beers are terrible, except for one or two. As for FaceScraper 's point about what keeps him here, I am happy with just two or three different soap aromas. I don't need or frankly like a lot of variety. I think most soaps stink, literally, and only really like a few.

I do notice that the scents that I prefer seem to remind me of things from my past that I enjoy, e.g the aroma of my mother's Italian baking (Cella red), the aroma of the barbershop (Clubman products) and the scents of southern Italy (oranges, lemon, limes, herbs) so Fine Italian citrus, Aqua di Parma, Citrus Musk, Pino sylvestre, etc. All of these aromas conjure up associations with good things. None of them are particularly expensive (well, Aqua di Parma)

Also, to FaceScraper , you are a better man that I am. I can not get " incredible shaves with a cart razor and a can of Edge gel". I can get a passable shave that will last for one day, not two and I will have excessive exfoliation and maybe an ingrown hair.

Anything genetic? I dunno.....

Anything genetic?  I dunno.....

Of course: You Will Never Smell My World the Way I Do - The New York Times
(full paper)

Very informative responses.  It looks like I am in the minority of people in this "hobby" .  RayClem 's comment about 50 beers on tap and 100 bottles of wine made me think.  When I go to a bar with a lot of beers, I usually know one or two that I like, and maybe taste 2-3 I am not familiar with  before the bar maid gets annoyed with me.  Out of the 50 beers I many only really like two or three.  Most of them I think are awful.  When it comes to wines, I pretty much only like reds and I prefer blends over most single varietals.  So having over 100 vintages seems silly to me.  Surely, everybody could be happy with just 10 or 12 choices?  I am more that happy to stick with what I like permanently-I don't get bored.  Sometimes I just want a porter if it is cold outside, and a red ale or a Scottish ale the rest of the time.  Most of the time when I go to a "brewpub"  most of the beers are terrible, except for one or two.  As for FaceScraper 's point about what keeps him here, I am happy with just two or three different soap aromas.  I don't need or frankly like a lot of variety.  I think most soaps stink, literally, and only really like a few. 

I do notice that the scents that I prefer seem to remind me of things from my past that I enjoy, e.g the aroma of my mother's Italian baking (Cella red), the aroma of the barbershop (Clubman products) and the scents  of southern Italy (oranges, lemon, limes, herbs)  so Fine Italian citrus, Aqua di Parma, Citrus Musk, Pino sylvestre, etc.  All of these aromas conjure up associations with good things.  None of them are particularly expensive (well, Aqua di Parma)

Also, to FaceScraper ,  you are a better man that I am.  I can not get " incredible shaves with a cart razor and a can of Edge gel".  I can get a passable shave that will last for one day, not two and I will have excessive exfoliation and maybe an ingrown hair.

Anything genetic?  I dunno.....

You are probably one of the lucky ones, as far as the hobby goes. Most of us who have made the switch from carts to traditional gear have spent much, much more than what cart refills would've cost for three lifetimes. So, props to you for keeping it minimalist. Compared to many others, even my stash is thin. I have about 25 razors, 15 brushes and somewhere just under 60 soaps. I do want to thin out the razors and soaps a little. As far as razors, about half (if not more) go pretty much unused.

When it comes to soaps, there are some I gravitate towards when the weather is cooler, and others that see more use when the sweaty summer months are bearing down. I tend not to want heavy scents when it's hot. In the winter, they're just the ticket. 

Many others pick soaps in similar fashion. In a way, it's not all that different from wine. If you're having fish, you probably won't reach for a Cab Sav. If prime rib is on the menu, it's unlikely you'll select a Sauvignon Blanc. Granted if those pairings are what you enjoy, there's nothing wrong with that either. All I'm really getting at, is people like choices, and will normally pick a scent - or a flavor - based on other factors. 

I'm certainly not a better man because I can get great shaves with a cart razor and a can of goo. Maybe a little on the lucky side? If for whatever reason this little hobby thing ever got stale for me, I wouldn't hesitate to go back to that kind of setup. I used to be able to bust out my entire shave in about three minutes - and that was even doing multiple passes. I'd only lather once and just go to town. The results were every bit as good as what I get now. Using the gear I do now just provides more enjoyment. Picking out a soap, spending 5-10 minutes loading and lathering, just basking in the scent...that's the part I love the most about it. If I really have to, I can still rip through a shave pretty fast, although it's not as enjoyable. Sometimes, it just has to be done. 

Even though you seem to keep the gear to a minimum, you must still consider this a hobby - otherwise, I doubt you'd spend time on a shaving forum. And, you seem to have found things that not only work for you, but you enjoy using as well. As the saying goes - "It's your shave. Enjoy it however you want". I'll raise up a glass of porter and toast you, sir!

Very informative responses.  It looks like I am in the minority of people in this "hobby" .  RayClem 's comment about 50 beers on tap and 100 bottles of wine made me think.  When I go to a bar with a lot of beers, I usually know one or two that I like, and maybe taste 2-3 I am not familiar with  before the bar maid gets annoyed with me.  Out of the 50 beers I many only really like two or three.  Most of them I think are awful.  When it comes to wines, I pretty much only like reds and I prefer blends over most single varietals.  So having over 100 vintages seems silly to me.  Surely, everybody could be happy with just 10 or 12 choices?  I am more that happy to stick with what I like permanently-I don't get bored.  Sometimes I just want a porter if it is cold outside, and a red ale or a Scottish ale the rest of the time.  Most of the time when I go to a "brewpub"  most of the beers are terrible, except for one or two.  As for FaceScraper 's point about what keeps him here, I am happy with just two or three different soap aromas.  I don't need or frankly like a lot of variety.  I think most soaps stink, literally, and only really like a few. 

I do notice that the scents that I prefer seem to remind me of things from my past that I enjoy, e.g the aroma of my mother's Italian baking (Cella red), the aroma of the barbershop (Clubman products) and the scents  of southern Italy (oranges, lemon, limes, herbs)  so Fine Italian citrus, Aqua di Parma, Citrus Musk, Pino sylvestre, etc.  All of these aromas conjure up associations with good things.  None of them are particularly expensive (well, Aqua di Parma)

Also, to FaceScraper ,  you are a better man that I am.  I can not get " incredible shaves with a cart razor and a can of Edge gel".  I can get a passable shave that will last for one day, not two and I will have excessive exfoliation and maybe an ingrown hair.

Anything genetic?  I dunno.....

You are probably one of the lucky ones, as far as the hobby goes. Most of us who have made the switch from carts to traditional gear have spent much, much more than what cart refills would've cost for three lifetimes. So, props to you for keeping it minimalist. Compared to many others, even my stash is thin. I have about 25 razors, 15 brushes and somewhere just under 60 soaps. I do want to thin out the razors and soaps a little. As far as razors, about half (if not more) go pretty much unused.

When it comes to soaps, there are some I gravitate towards when the weather is cooler, and others that see more use when the sweaty summer months are bearing down. I tend not to want heavy scents when it's hot. In the winter, they're just the ticket. 

Many others pick soaps in similar fashion. In a way, it's not all that different from wine. If you're having fish, you probably won't reach for a Cab Sav. If prime rib is on the menu, it's unlikely you'll select a Sauvignon Blanc. Granted if those pairings are what you enjoy, there's nothing wrong with that either. All I'm really getting at, is people like choices, and will normally pick a scent - or a flavor - based on other factors. 

I'm certainly not a better man because I can get great shaves with a cart razor and a can of goo. Maybe a little on the lucky side? If for whatever reason this little hobby thing ever got stale for me, I wouldn't hesitate to go back to that kind of setup. I used to be able to bust out my entire shave in about three minutes - and that was even doing multiple passes. I'd only lather once and just go to town. The results were every bit as good as what I get now. Using the gear I do now just provides more enjoyment. Picking out a soap, spending 5-10 minutes loading and lathering, just basking in the scent...that's the part I love the most about it. If I really have to, I can still rip through a shave pretty fast, although it's not as enjoyable. Sometimes, it just has to be done. 

Even though you seem to keep the gear to a minimum, you must still consider this a hobby - otherwise, I doubt you'd spend time on a shaving forum. And, you seem to have found things that not only work for you, but you enjoy using as well. As the saying goes - "It's your shave. Enjoy it however you want". I'll raise up a glass of porter and toast you, sir!

Gonna have a porter tomorrow with fish and chips after a hair cut. But, back on topic......I think I just have a personality that doesn't like a lot of change. OTOH, I am fascinated by all the products I see here and the beautiful SOTD photo's. I think I kind of live vicariously through all the posts without having to buy all that stuff, so I really enjoy my time here, and of course everybody is so knowledgeable and generous with that knowledge. Like you, I do pick soaps and aftershaves according to the seasons, and to some degree for occasions so I probably need at least four aftershaves and at least three soaps (not counting stuff for the gym and travel) . I have about double that, and about five non-disposable razors-no, make that seven (do electrics count?). Anyway, having dozens of soaps and aftershaves would overwhelm me.

In an odd sort of way, I am impressed by the old timers who got by their whole lives with one straight razor, one Everready C40 brush, a mug of Williams soap and a bottle of Lilac Vegetal. Very impressive.