Friday, July 22, 2016

Battle of The Custom Blends: PFOP VS The Scented Squirrel

Today I'm having a battle of the customs between PFOP Sandalwood Satsuma Sugar Cookie Royale and The Scented Squirrel Sugar Cookie Satsuma Vanilla Sandalwood. 

Pocket Full of Peonies:
Presentation- this rose loaf is absolutely gorgeous! The two toned peach and lavender colors are so pretty and the pearl pins are a lovely added touch.

Wax Consistency- this wax was an ideal consistency, soft and easy to cut but not squishy or sticky. I was able to cut off just one rosebud easily without damaging the rest of the loaf. Very impressive!

Cold Sniff- Top notes of bright orange satsuma, warm sandalwood and undertones of sweet vanilla sugar cookies. Strong.

Melting- the vanilla comes out more and wraps you in a warm, creamy hug. Orange, musky sandalwood and a hint of spice makes this blend smooth and complex. It's super yummy!

Throw- was fairly strong for the first hour. Now is more moderate. Whiffs of the scent are noticeable in the room, but you have to stand within 5 feet of the warmer to get a good sniff. I do wish the throw was a bit stronger. (Melted in a small living room with Glade warmer.)

Overall Grade: A. Would repurchase. I do wish the throw was slightly stronger, but I'm extremely pleased with the scent blend and overall quality of the wax.

The Scented Squirrel:
Presentation- These clamshells are very pretty. The vendor asked how I'd like them decorated and I said white wax with gold sparkles, so she certainly delivered. The squirrel logo is cute as well.

Wax Consistency- The wax is just the right firmness. It was easy to crack out a cube without getting sticky or squishy wax on my fingers. Comparable to the consistency of the clamshells sold at Walmart.

Cold Sniff- a tart satsuma that had a slight bitter, almost nutty note, mixed with mellow sandalwood. Slight hints of vanilla, but not much cookie/bakery. Less sweet than PFOP blend, but still pleasant and complex.

Melting- Fortunately the bitter note did not come out when melting; the blend really rounded out nicely. The satsuma is more tart orange and has a slight bite and nuttiness to it, as opposed to the sweeter orange and hint of spice in the PFOP Satsuma. The sandalwood is slightly more masculine and smoother, as opposed to the muskier, more perfumey sandalwood of the PFOP. The vanilla cookie note is slightly more noticeable as a bottom note when melting than it was on cold, but it's less prominent overall than in the PFOP blend.

Throw: Similar performance to the PFOP, but perhaps slightly stronger overall. Strong for the first hour, noticeable whiffs in the room thereafter. It could be a little stronger, but I think these blends are generally meant to be more smooth and not in your face strong. (Melted in a small bedroom on 15 watt BHG bulb plug in warmer.)

Overall Grade: A. Would repurchase. Very unique and pleasant overall.

Final Thoughts: These are actually my first custom blends and it was really fun to be able to test two similar custom blends from two different vendors head to head. These are extremely close in all categories and I'm really pleased with both of these vendor's blends and customer service overall. I will happily melt and would repurchase either blend, but if I had to pick a winner, I would say the PFOP slightly edged out The Scented Squirrel for me. I preferred the slightly sweeter notes in the PFOP blend personally. Her Sugar Cookie Royale oil is superb and her satsuma sat better with me. But anyone who prefers unique, less bakery sweet type blends would probably adore the Scented Squirrel version. Have you tried either of these vendors? Do these scents sound good to you? What are some of your favorite custom blends?

If anyone is interested in these vendors, PFOP is always open for customs and an ever changing RTS stock at pocketfullofpeonies.com. The Scented Squirrel will be having their grand opening on July 30th and my custom blend will be available for purchase at thescentedsquirrel.bigcartel.com.

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