Love's Baby Soft

I reviewed the Dana versions of Love's Baby Soft but I got my hands on some older versions so I thought I would write a new review comparing them since there seems to be some confusion! First of all, the "original" LBS was made by Menley & James in 1975 as part of their "Love's" product line. They made many other fragrances and beauty products. Menley & James versions are probably the hardest to find today, and because M&J focused on such a broad product line you're just as likely to find a body powder or lotion as you are a cologne mist. In 1980 Chattem took over "Love's" and made Love's Baby Soft the focus of their product line, targeting preteen girls. The Chattem version was the most popular. In 1985 or 1986, Mem took over Love's products and made them until at least the early 90s. Not sure exactly when Mem stopped making them but Mem's version is still easy to find online today, and for pretty cheap so I would say if you want to try a vintage LBS, go for Mem. Dana took control of the brand just recently, I believe in 2008. They changed the formula more so than Chattem and Mem, who made few if any changes. They also discontinued some of the other frangrances such as Loves Baby Soft Musk (great scent!), Love's Rain Scent, and Love's Musky Jasmin. They introduced some new frangrances which are listed on this site. I have a Menley & James Body Powder, a cologne splash and body mist from Mem, and a cologne mist and body spray from Dana. The M&J body powder smells exactly like the Mem fragrances, so Mem must have followed Chattem's example and stuck to the original formula. Dana not so much. Comparing the Mem body mist to the Dana body mist it's obvious the Mem version is more fragrant and layered. The Dana body mist is more spicy than the Mem version, more synthetic and less powdery. It seems to me Dana has tried to modernize the formula by removing the musky notes (they've taken a very anti-musk stance and removed it from all their Love's fragrances, most notably Musky Jasmin which they renamed Soft Jasmine. I think it's a shame personally because the musk notes add such an interesting depth to Love's fragrances.) I'd say if you're really interested in LBS for more than a noveltly buy, go for the Mem version. It's very easy to find online and quite cheap. Despite the bottles being over 20 years old, they still smell just fine (although I can only speak from my experience). That being said the Dana version is good too, and despite the differences listed the overall impression both scents leave is the same, they both give off that "sexy innocence" vibe. ;) In stores the Dana versions go for pretty cheap (some people have seen them at dollar stores!). I buy them during christmas time when my local drug store carries them for five dollars. If you chose to buy Dana online just be careful to check the size, the standard size is only .69 oz so make sure you aren't expecting a bottle that will last a long time!

I've come to love this scent! I have the modern Love's Baby Soft Cologne Mist (picked it up from a Walgreens), and the notes are a little different from the classic/vintage notes: Top Notes: Lemon Leaf, Orange; Mid Notes: Lily of the Valley, Jasmine, Rose; Base Notes: Sandalwood, Vanilla, Powdery, Creamy Musk. I would describe it as a baby powder like scent, but the light florals, sandalwood, and musk give it a soft freshness. The powder notes are the strongest, followed by equal parts musk, sandalwood, and the florals. The powdery and floral notes have an almost dry, herbal, medicinal-like quality to it which, to me, reads so cozy, fresh, girly, and clean. I don't get any citrus upon dry down, and also no vanilla at all. It's unique, definitely not a scent profile that is popular at the moment, but it's so beautiful and soft! I've never owned or tried a powdery scent that is done in a fresh, lightly floral way like Baby Soft is! For those familiar with Aquolina's Pink Sugar Body Mist or Melanie Martinez's Cry Baby, that to me is the kind of powdery I usually gravitate towards! A sweet, lactonic, powdery scent that almost smells like cosmetics. Baby Soft is not that! This is a light floral, fresh almost laundry like baby powder scent that leans more dry, floral, and aromatic :) It has decent longevity but definitley becomes a skin scent after the first hour of wear. It's lovely, and I can't wait to wear this in the spring and summer :) It makes me wonder what the original smelled like!

This should be a staple in every powder lovers' collection- it's super cheap and so inoffensive. I love it so much. It's very weak and won't last more than a couple hours on me but is cheap enough to be reapplied liberally. Walmart sells the body mist for about $15 and it comes in a glass bottle which is surprisingly well made. It smells nearly spot on to Johnson's pink lotion but a tad more lemony and sugary. What I love about this scent is that the vanilla gives it a vaguely edible/gourmand quality to it. My mom makes this marshmallow fruit salad during the holidays, and there's something in this that smells just like that. Is it a gourmand scent? Absolutely not, but there is just this little hint of sweetness that sets it apart from other baby powder scents and makes it tolerable even to people who are more averse to this scent category. I find that a lot of the vanilla notes in powdery scents tend to be very dry and inedible-a lot like the vanilla in Shalimar- but this one is definitely a sugary, whipped cream kind of vanilla. I think all ages can wear it, but unsurprisingly enough, the only person to really go crazy about this scent on me was a partner of mine whom attended high school in the 1970's- so make of that what you will. This wears best in cold weather.

My second review, after buying the newer “Whisper Soft Mist” that Dana recently released. This was my first perfume in 1983, and I still have a vintage bottle from about 1989. They smell mostly the same (the vintage slightly richer, but it could be due to age). I actually think they did a very good job capturing the original scent. It smells like the cologne splash bottles I used to have with the screw on top in the 80s. A touch pink baby lotion with some rosiness, lavender and musk, so it’s not straight up baby powder. Regarding the new note pyramid on the Dana website, I really think it’s something the company just made up to appeal to a modern market. Back in the day, they didn’t even list notes, you just went by what the perfume smelled like and had to guess at notes. It smells basically the same as it did in the 80s. The notes listed here are actually closer to what it actually smells like, minus the patchouli. It’s a linear scent, smelling the same from start to finish. And you get a large 2.5 ounce bottle for about $15, so you can reapply to your heart’s desire. The lemon version was also recently rereleased, and that unfortunately has a lemongrass note that the original didn’t have, so that one I wouldn’t repurchase.

I discovered this perfume online due to the fact we never had this perfume in Australia and thought I would purchase it from an online store and I am pleasantly surprised. I knew it would have a baby powder scent and what surprised me is that there is layers to this so it doesn’t smell just like straight up powder. When you first spray this you smell the lemon citrus notes then you start to smell the musk and powder and once it settles you get a scent of Jasmine coming through. It’s sweet yet delicate and the scent is undeniably girly and feminine. There is also a 80s vibe you get from this and I envision this fragrance being favoured by a 80s girl who loved to crimp her hair and wear pink heart shape earrings which i do envision myself being like if I was growing up in the 80s. Overall I can see why this perfume has be around for a long time since it’s a very pretty scent that isn’t over the top and not too old smelling and I recommend this perfume if you are a fan of sweet feminine yet gentle scents.