Soap Homecoming 7 -- Hubby's Birthday Soap

One day I asked my husband if he was enjoying the soap I'd made. (I'd noticed a bar stayed untouched on his bathroom counter.) Quickly he confirmed it felt great on his skin then mumbled something about the smell. Apparently, though he liked it on me, "Scentfan by Appointment" (inspired by Shalimar/Roja's Haute Luxe), wasn't manly enough for him. A revelation. How could I have left my poor hubby, who is supportive in every way, luxury soapless because of a too-feminine odor. Immediately I resolved to rectify this omission.

This time, when I sat down at my writing desk cum scent organ, he sat beside me and the work began. I selected natural essential oils and absolutes and stuck them under his nose. Did he like Jasmine? No! How about Rose? No! Marigold? No! I was beginning to get the picture. How about Lavender? His eyes lit up. That one was nice. How about Ylang-lang? Not so bad. German Chamomile? Pretty good.

All the citrus got a thumbs up as did all the woods, though he was on the fence about Guaiacwood. The animalics? Not so much. Frankincense? From the gods.

I organized them into a pyramid. See below. In droplets I tested various proportions, both of us sniffing. He found one great, but I thought it had too much citrus, so I added a tad of Tobacco Absolute to the top. Perfect! he announced. I shouldn't change a thing. In this way, Magic Scent #3 was born.

The hint of tobacco deepened the citrus and with the woods made it so earthy we went out back and posed the mixture among our plants. What does it smell like? Let's see. A man wearing aftershave is lost in a forest; just as he lights his pipe he smells a citrus grove nearby and makes his way there.

Next is a photo of the fats weighed into my soap pot on the kitchen floor: Olive oil, Coconut, Suet. He wants suds and the Coconut will produce them.

The caustic solution weighed and ready, yesterday I made Magic Soap #3. Unlike the last batch which thickened almost immediately, it took a good half hour of stirring for the soap to "trace" before I added the scent material--a full ounce this time. At the last minute hubby and I simultaneously thought of coloring the soap and with no time to look up how, I asked him to grab some saffron and in went several threads. It sat overnight in the dining room, its wooden form nestled within two 8'' slabs of foam. About three hours ago we took it out. Now it must cure in the air for the requisite four weeks. The house smells great, I must say. Hubby says he's not giving any to anyone on earth. If there's extra scent, he wants me to make him a perfume, too, which he also won't share.

I have created a fragrance monster! No problem, I guess, since I'm one too.

I'll mix the perfume tonight or tomorrow then it also has to cure in a dark jar in a dark cabinet, concentrating itself into perfume for a true-blue hubby and all around heck of a guy whose birthday is today.