Old world & New World preferences in scent strength?

[zygalski]

I was reading a review of TOBS Jermyn St sensitive skin cream in an old thread recently, and noticed a few people in the US said that the scent was rather weak in strength.
Having used Jermyn St many times over the years, I found that a bit strange. To my nose the scent is probably 7/10 in strength, if 1 is virtually odourless, 5 moderate, and 10 overwhelming.
I've also noticed some posts in various forums where US based shavers think UK artisan producers make fairly weak scents.

I've sampled a few products from UK producers, Phoenix & Beau & OSP and these soap scents seem around 5-7/10 on my own personal 'scent strength scale'.

I have also tried a few US soaps and for instance, unfortunately I found QCS signature soap a 10/10 - totally overwhelming to the point of headache inducing. QCS Vostok was more restrained scent-wise, a 7.5/10 for me.
I tried a couple of Mama Bear samples & these were again extremely strongly scented - probably 9 or 10/10.

Whilst there are very strong smelling European soaps & creams (Cella would for instance be 8/10 for me) is it a truism that in general the UK/European products are more moderately scented than their American cousins?

 

[tankerjohn]

That’s an interesting though. I thought Jermyn St was a little lighter scented than other TOBS creams. It’s also somewhat more generic, less distinct. I thought Mr. Taylor and Sandalwood were quite strong. Musgo Real and Proraso are also fairly strongly scented. Lea and Spieck are more mild. But I wouldn’t say all European/British creams have weaker scents than American ones.

Soaps are a different story. The traditional makers like DR Harris, Haslinger, La Toja, are definitely milder scented than most American artisan soaps. But then, so is Williams, the last mass-produced American hard soap. So I’m thinking that because traditional soap stayed mainstream in Europe, milder scents are generally more desirable for a mainstream market. In America, interest in traditional hard soap was really resurrected by us hobbyists, who generally prefer stronger scents.

 

[les24preludes]

I like strong scents. 10/10 on your scale would just start to register on my scale.

Jermyn St was very mild for me - sold it since it wasn't doing anything and wasn't keen on what I could smell anyway.

Soaps I'd rate as mild - Wickhams, TOBS, P&B, SV, T&H
Moderate - Eufros, Pannacrema, LPL, Boellis, B&M, MWF, DG
Stronger - Grooming Dept, Wholly Kaw, T&S.

I don't rate Arko, Tabac, Proraso, Cella or any of the other mass market soaps because they're not interesting enough to use, so there's no point.