As many of you already know, I am a huge Bramble Berry fan (soap making supplies). Not only do I love the quality of their merchandise and their superb customer service, but I am hugely impressed by the owner/founder, Ann-Marie Faiola. Her work ethic and business model is truly something to be emulated, she has even been named as her states' (Washington) small business of the year (2010). I love the way that She has grown her small company into what I consider to be a very large, small business!
Several times a year Bramble Berry introduces some new, seasonal fragrances. In order to decide which fragrances will make it through their selection process, and end up on the sales shelves, Bramble Berry has a panel of fans/customers to test their top picks. These people, nicknamed the S.O.A.P. panel (of whichever season it is for), test each of the fragrances delivered to them in a recipe of their choice (soap, lotion, scrubs ect.), and then send a detailed report back for Bramble Berry's consideration. Once all the notes are read and compared, Bramble Berry then decides on which fragrance(s) will be introduced that particular season.
Why am I discussing Bramble Berry and their method for adding new fragrances? Because I really, really WANT to be part of the next S.O.A.P. PANEL, that's why!
Before I found Bramble Berry, I had only ever used organic and natural ingredients in my products (soaps and bath and body). If it wasn't an essential oil, a herb, or a flower, it didn't go into any Unique Garden Essences formula. But then I ordered some essential oil and hard products from Bramble Berry, and received a free sample of a fragrance oil. Not one to waste anything, I mixed that fragrance oil with an essential oil and fell in love! The scent was truly divine, and remains one of my personal favorites to this day! It was Champagne fragrance oil and I mixed it with a white grapefruit EO. Then, last year I decided to reformulate my cp soap and created 60 new recipes to test. Since I had so many to test, and since I was really intrigued by all the fragrance names on Bramble Berry, not to mention the cost factor involved with EO's, I decided to treat myself to fragrance oils. Of course the first name on my purchase list was that fantastic Champagne fo. I have to tell you that I have mixed this fragrance oil with many EO's and even some FO's, and it is great! It is very versatile and it truly sparkles like its name sake! Of course I liked all of the fragrance oils I purchased, but some I really LOVED, like the Berrywine and the Kumquat. Both of these were unique, crisp, and just plain wonderful scents. There are so many others that I could gush about, honesty there wasn't one that I tried that I didn't like, but I decided that these were my top three favorites.
Even though the majority of my products continue to be made with EO's, I have to tell you that there are a few FO's that are now part of my line. Some are seasonal and some are permanent, but all are top quality and smell divine! I thank Bramble Berry for opening my mind to this possibility in the first place, for making such quality products, and for being the trust worthy and professional business that they are. Were any one of these aspects missing from the Bramble Berry formula, I would never have even tried one FO, much less the many that I have. And I certainly never would have added any to my product line. So, Thank You Bramble Berry!
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