Fragrance Oils

Uber-successful Japanese couture house Comme des Garcons (which means "like boys" in French) has issued just a handful of fragrances, all of them groundbreaking and stellar. Our interpretation of their "Calamus" is the greenest, cleanest, most unisex scent in our entire repertoire. Imagine an intense fusion of leaves and grass and bamboo and rain and stems, and you've barely begun to scratch the surface. While this blend may strike some as too "out there" (there's none of the musky or fruity notes that are regularly thrown into everything), for those who want their shower gel, shampoo, and soap to be clean and refreshing (as opposed to musky, floral, sweet, etc.), this is a must-try. Flashpoint: >200º F.

Unlike peppermint essential oil (which we also carry), this version has a touch of sweetness to it, like those ever-popular round red-and-white candies. NOTE: Mint, as it turns out, is quite a good little blender -- try combining Candy Cane with other scents to make your own Apple Mint, Rose Mint, or Pineapple Mint. Flashpoint: >200º F.

If the sky-high price of chamomile essential oil puts it out of reach, consider our partially synthetic version -- which gloriously enough contains essential oils of chamomile, lavender, sandalwood, and geranium. BOTTOM LINE: We searched for a chamomile fragrance for over two years, and this is the only one that we feel could stand in for chamomile essential oil. NOTE: Chamomile is considered a relaxing, calming scent and blends well with lavender. Flashpoint: 141º F.

Enjoy the smooth balance of sweet chocolate and deep, rich amber in our interpretation of this new B&BW favorite! This unisex fragrance begins with fresh green top notes that quickly lead to a succulent middle of milk chocolate and mild spice, all atop a warm, sweet, resinous base of amber, musk, vanilla, and precious woods. Imagine all the uses for this scent blend -- shampoo, soap, shower gel, candles -- the amber adds a fresh twist to a tried-and-true favorite! BOTTOM LINE: Quite possibly the most harmonious pairing since Bob and Carol were introduced to Ted and Alice. Flashpoint: >200º F

Chocolate fragrance oils can be pretty dicey -- either wan and weak like a Tootsie Roll, or flat and harsh. This chocolate fragrance is the exception -- very full-bodied and rich. Please note: This oil turns cold-process soap dark brown over time, as all chocolate fragrances do. Not necessarily an undesirable thing, but just FYI. Flashpoint: >200º F.

If you like Crabtree & Evelyn's "Noel," you'll love our Christmas Forest! A perfect re-creation of the wintery, woodsy splendor of a Christmas tree forest -- notes of northern spruce, holiday pine, and natural fir needle atop clean, herbal mid-notes and balsamic-woody base notes. BOTTOM LINE: Sharpen that axe and get ready to swing, swing, swing! Flashpoint: 170º F.

The quintessential scent for Christmas here at Sweet Cakes! No matter how many other Christmas fragrances we bring in, Christmas Spice always outsells them. This seasonal/year-round standout is an irresistible blend of Yuletide spice, woods, and sweet notes. At the top, ripe strawberry melds with touches of green apple and pineapple. Next, holiday spices of clove, cinnamon, pimento, and cardamom blend with a hint of rose, leading to a long-lasting drydown of sweet vanilla and balsam fir. (2018 MOD) POINT OF INTEREST: Many of our customers don't want to give this one up come January, so they rename it -- "Stacey's Spice," "Yakimaw Valley Spice," etc., so they can keep it in their lines. Flashpoint: 187F.

A perfect fusion of green, herbal thyme and soaring red-berry notes so reminiscent of the holiday. This fragrance begins with notes of natural thyme oil, sea kelp, crisp green melon, and pure Italian lemon oil. Mid-notes of red and black currant, lavender, lily of the valley, and peach-infused cassis lead to a sweet, smoky bottom of musk, vetiver, raisins, and sun-dried tobacco leaves. We've tested this rigorously in cold-process soap and give it two big lye-scarred thumbs-up. Terrific for all other applications as well. Bottom Line: A new Christmas classic in the making. Flashpoint: 162º F

This rich lemon-fig blend begins with citrusy top notes of essential oils of lemon and orange. It blooms into a fruity-floral heart of ginger, apple, geranium, real rose and green tea absolutes, and a touch of mint. The warm drydown consists of fig, spice, amber, and white musk. You know all those exotic new candle brands -- the ones where even a votive is, like, $30 and comes in its own tiny crate sitting on a bed of shredded cashmere? Citron et Figue is the kind of mesmerizing, expensive-smelling scent that you'd find in one of those . . . Flashpoint 172F

A wonderful warm citrus herbal blend with top notes of orange and grapefruit, followed by a mid section of oregano and marjoram, rounded out with bottom notes of amber and musk.Flashpoint: 162F. Absolutely wonderful!

Wow!!! Have you smelled this extraordinarily popular boutique fragrance?!?! It's amazing!!! Super-clean and lemony fresh -- like Ivory Soap if you brought it into the 21st century with a gigantic shot of extra personality, strength, and pizzazz. Top notes of black currant, essential oil of lime, and lemon oil from Italy lead to a soapy, aldehydic midsection highlighted by rose, jasmine, pink grapefruit, and geranium, with violet, white musk, and soft woods notes in the drydown. Allow me to share, if I may, part of a lovely note from one of our customers: "I wanted to say BRAVO and thank you for your new Clean (type) fragrance oil! I've been buying the real deal for about 6 months now and it is just way too expensive! Your version is identical, LONG-lasting and an absolute dream as far as the price goes. I'm not surprised that it's one of your top-sellers." Perfectly unisex -- this fragrance would be at home in products for people of any age and gender, and would also be a perfect fit for potpourris, candles, etc., designed for use in the kitchen or bathroom. Does NOT discolor CP or M&P soap. Flashpoint: 150º F.

Clementine, is of course, a type of tangerine, and this fragrance's sparkling top notes and killer midsection of natural orange, grapefruit, lemon, tangerine, and bergamot oils will make this the darling of your scent arsenal (get it -- darling? clementine?). Irresistible, and wonderfully realistic and long-lasting, even in tough applications like cold-process soap, notorious for tearing orange scents from limb to limb. Flashpoint: 145F. Here's a terrific blend using Clementine Fragrance: Citrus Ice 3 parts Sweet Cakes Clementine Fragrance (or Sweet Cakes Mandarin Orange Fragrance) 1 part Sweet Cakes Icecap Fragrance This citrus blend with a cool blast is great for hot summer days. It's truly a unisex blend -- men love it. It's a great blend for men's products if you want to get away from traditional woody, citrus, or designer-cologne blends. Talk about a "wake you up in the morning" shower! You may want to adjust the Icecap, depending on how "cool" you want the blend to be. I don't recommend more than 5 parts Clementine to 2 parts Icecap, though.