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.

oh love's baby soft (as my 64 year old momma calls it "baby love").. how i love you so... to me, it smells like baby lotion and sunscreen. this is an amazing scent, one i never want to be without. i always say, if a fragrance has been around this long.. they are doing something right! this is great for layering, especially with beachy-type scents. the notes are true-to-life for me, all but the orange. i don't know where someone would get orange or any kind of citrus, for that matter. that being said, i see why my mom got me this so excitedly. definitely a cult-classic that lives up to the hype. if i had to dig for one bad thing i could say about it, it would be that i wish it stuck around longer. but i can't complain. it's very affordable so an extra spritz here and there won't hurt my pocketbook, or my heart too badly. all that to be said, if you haven't tried this fragrance but are thinking of doing so, do it! you won't regret it!

Just as others here have said, 'tis high time for an EDT relaunch in a modern bottle that does not look like a vibrator. Well, you said it more politely. More going on than you would expect, and it smells far better than a baby. I wish some other perfume companies would take up this blend and run with it for the wide appeal it would have for GenXers. I don't like rose, so if it is here, it is well-blended. It is hard for me to pick out too many notes except for the musk and fresh flowers on top AND the PlayDoh at the end which is a strange note in fragrance that intoxicates me. Anyone else get this??? And can you recommend other fragrances that have it? Nothing like it really. Maybe Isle by Skylar has a bit of the powder freshness. I am always after a dupe oil for this. I have the lotion and wish so much for something stronger than a cologne, which I think was made at one point in a tiny heart-shaped bottle.

This was not my first scent (My beautiful and wise grandma gave me Chanel No. 5 as my first scent!), but this certainly reminds me of my first true love, my first kiss and all the sweetness and innocence of that time in my life. That first kiss was the first time I realized that a boy could really love me. No words can describe that first kiss; the tenderness, the innocence, the feelings of butterflies in the stomach, the first glimpse of the depth and breadth of true love; it's one of the most magical moments in life. That is what this perfume reminds me of. I know that this perfume for me marked the beginning of my romance with "baby"/gourmand type scents like Heaven Sent, Pavi Elle, and now Aquolina Pink Sugar. I'm happy that it's still a part of my fragrance wardrobe and still a part of my life. I still LOVE it now as much as I did then, just like that cute boy, who is still in my life too! xoxo

My love for this fragrance runs on pure nostalgia, but it is still a refreshing, clean cologne that I will always have in my collection. The most recent formulation is noticeably sharper in the opening but dries down to more or less the same powdery floral I remember as a teen. I can also confirm, from cemetaryfairy’s comment below, that the new Whisper Soft Mist version is softer, but it also disappears more quickly than the original cologne mist. I would probably be a little embarrassed to wear Baby Soft as an everyday scent, but I like to make it a part of my bedtime routine every now and then. It’s just so cozy and comforting. One last suggestion: If you do want to wear it during the day but don’t want “baby” or “diapers” comments, layer it with a cherry scent. Oh my WORD, are cherries and powder a match made in heaven!! No one will ever know you’re wearing Baby Soft.

This was my first perfume in 6th grade in the 80s. It brings me right back to the days when Rubik's cubes, scratch and sniff stickers, Bonne Bell Ten-O-Six, Jordache jeans, Dimension shampoo, lips smackers, etc were all popular, and MTV had recently launched. I have both the vintage Mem and more recent Dana versions, and the Mem is richer and more complex. A blend of florals, powder, musk. This is listed as being similar to Heaven Scent and Avon Sweet Honesty, but I think they were all different and had their own separate scents and character. The vintage Mem Love's Baby Soft can still be found for a decent price on EBay. The Dana version smells a little lighter and doesn’t last as long, but the core scent is more or less still there, and I still like it. I'll always have a bottle of this around for the nostalgia factor. Brings me right back to a happy, innocent time.

As it should, my first profile review will go to my first perfume I owned all to myself. My aunt had a couple bottles and I asked to use it when I was a child. Instead, my aunt gifted it to me. This was in the late 70s-early 80s, I recall the bottle being white with pinkish/ red hue print. At the time, this was one of the most magical experiences in my childhood life. To have this pinkish-red elixir in my little hands felt like I was the most magnificent girl in the world. So new, just a magical time in a childs life. I can not say what the bottle truly was like in adult terms of the word "smell", but in my mind I will always think of Baby Soft as having some magical power over space and time. The smell of curiosity, days spent with my cousins and aunt long ago and days gone by.

I hadn't tried this when I first bought it as in my country it's not sold. So, a few years ago I bought one on ebay and it smelled like musky alcohol. I read mixed reviews and thought what I was smelling was the perfume and was really disappointed. Not long ago I bought Demeter Baby Powder as I really love the scent of baby powder, it's so soft and comforting. I kept reading that it smells like Love's Baby Soft, so much so I thought maybe my bottle was not legit. And I am so glad I bought it again! This time got the real thing and it is really nice. It smells like baby powder and yes it does smell like Demeter's offering but it's a bit more structured I guess, there are more subtleties and more floral notes and so it is worth having both if you are a baby powder fan like me!

This is the girl in your French Literature class who wears fluffy pink cardigans and writes with a fuzzy pink feather pen. She has a light dusting of freckles across her nose and wears only a little bit of brown liquid eyeliner and clear lip gloss. She doodles hearts in the margins of her notes and you're pretty sure she's got her head in the clouds most of the time, but she gets good grades anyway. To me, this fragrance is pure heaven. Baby powder, vanilla, and a light floral note. Sugar, spice, and everything nice, without the spice. It's so soft and girly and cute and I cannot get enough of it. People mention stopping wearing this in middle school, but I'm 21 and I'd still wear this daily if I could. It's not too childish or cloying, it's just very innocent and soft.

I don't think I'll ever stop wearing Love's Baby Soft. I just want to spray it on everything I own and make my whole room smell like Love's Baby Soft and Chanel no. 5. It really does smell like a grown-up version of the smell of "babies"... bright clean skin, baby powder, baby lotion. Its sexiness comes from how clean and soft and skin-complimenting it is. It's a girl wearing a white lace dress in summer, not a woman wearing a tight leather skirt at a smokey club. It's the scent of skin you can't wait to touch. Lolita would have worn this if it had been around in the 50s. I know the ads are off-putting, but they are historically significant.

I'm new to Love's Baby Soft but it's quickly made it's way onto my favourite fragrances list. To me it's the epitome of comfort. It's smell reminds me of soft teddy bears, a cat's purr, your mother's soft sweater, a piece of birthday cake, everything soft and pure. It does smell like baby powder but it's so much better than that. It's clean, soft, comforting and soothing. It's musky, fresh, slightly herbal but definitely nothing bitter. I really love the combination of the lavender, vanilla, musk and rose. The only thing left for me now is to get a bigger size. If I ever have a daughter I'll definitely be buying her a bottle of this.

Bought this after a little girl spritzed some near me in a department store. Never wore it as a teen, everyone in my school wore some sort of musk. How did I ever miss this gem? It comes off more of a soft floral on me, and I have never got as many compliments as when I wear this. And having asthma, it is great to find something soft and pretty to wear. So who cares if it is marketed towards teenagers, if it smells good on you, wear it. Anyway, most of the teens I know wears stuff like Vampire, or Victoria's Secret. So this is my new signature scent, and the fact that is inexpensive is a bonus.

a favorite of mine in high school, the first perfume i bought for myself for $15 at walmart. i was heavily into melanie martinez & nicole dollanganger at the time, so this scent takes me back to the early hours before school. all of the babydoll dresses, nightgowns & ripped stockings i wore Reeked of this stuff. sweet, innoffensive and powdery - but not immature. even at 23, i'm happy to wear this anywhere from work to my bedsheets. it wears off relatively quick on skin if you fail to moisturize beforehand, but lingers well after wash on clothing.

I haven't seen anyone mention this yet, but there is a notable difference between the body spray and the cologne mist. The body mist smells somewhat... spicy? Or maybe tangy would be a better word. There's definetly a little kick in there which is missing from the cologne. It has to have been modernized from the old formula, and smells much more perfum-y. The cologne mist is probably more accurate to the original scent. Pure soft baby powder. On skin the die down of both products is basically the same, a subtle floral and baby powder smell.

Love's Baby Soft is a gentle, powdery, soothing classic. Lemon leaf and orange provide a light but persistent touch of citrus, adding character to the silky blend of rose, jasmine and lily of the valley. Sandalwood swirls around creamy sweet vanilla musk. This is one of the most comforting, pleasant fragrances ever invented. On my skin, Love's Baby Soft last easily 6 hours with moderate projection, then fades, wearing very close to skin for a couple more hours. A feminine, calming perfume for any age, any season, any time day or night.

This is complete nostalgia for me. A trip back to my childhood in one spray. I don't care that this perfume might be synthetic or whatever. I don't care about the notes. Baby soft is more than the sum of its parts. Don't try to rationalize or categorize it! Baby Soft is personal and a member of the family. A staple in my collection. So much so that I forgot to list it among my fragrances for an entire year. Baby soft is more than a perfume. It's family.