Recently my good friend, Cealleigh, married the love of her life in a beautiful ceremony that took place in a gazebo overlooking a pristine California beach. I was honored to act as her Matron of Honor, and possibly even more excited when she asked me to create the favors for her reception! Cealleigh loves orchids and took cues from their colors for every facet of her wedding decor. She had the idea for some purple soap embedded in opaque soap for the favors, and I embarked on the journey to find the perfect hue for her soaps!
As I experimented with the hue I loved the range I was able to achieve, from deep blue-purples to lighter red-violets using all from Bramble Berry’s oxides and micas.
Row 1: 1 Part Ultramarine Violet | 1 Part Ultramarine Violet; 1 Part Ultramarine Pink
Row 2: 1 Part Ultramarine Violet; 1 Part Sparkle Violet | 1 Part Titanium Dioxide; 1 Part Ultramarine Violet
Row 3: 3 Parts Ultramarine Pink; 1 Part Ultramarine Violet; ½ Part Titanium Dioxide | 2 Parts Ultramarine Pink; 1 Part Ultramarine Violet
Row 4: 1 Part Titanium Dioxide; 1 Part Ultramarine Pink | 1 Part Sparkle Violet; 1 Part Ultramarine Pink
Row 5: 1 Part Red Blue Mica; 1 Part Sparkle Violet | 1 Part Mauvey Gem
Note: Sparkle Violet Mica will be discontinued when supplies run out. You can use Super Pearly White Mica instead.
Add the colorants used in these blends to your Bramble Berry shopping cart with the click of a button!
I brought all of these samples, scented with a range of my favorite florals, to her bachelorette party and Cealleigh chose the color created with equal parts Red Blue and Sparkle Violet for her special soaps. The result was (if I do say so myself) quite stunning.
The boxes were created by Cealleigh’s mother-in-law and I think the box and the soap really complement each other. Here’s to a lifetime of happiness, Ceal and Greg!
Would any of these colorants work with bath bombs? I’m having a heck of a time getting a good purple. I just ordered the 12-piece bath bomb colorant set (should arrive in a couple of days) but I noticed that there’s not really a good purple in there, either. Can I use these instead to get my purple?
Hi Pam!
We typically suggest using the La Bomb colorants in your bath bombs because some oxides can leave a ring around your bathtub (and you wouldn’t want that). But, you can also use some micas. And, you can always mix-and-match colors in your bath bomb colorant set to get that perfect purple you are looking for. I’d suggest trying to blend the Cornflower Blue with the Adobe Brick for a nice pretty purple.
Cornflower Blue La Bomb: https://www.brambleberry.com/Cornflower-Blue-La-Bomb-P4290.aspx
Adobe Brick La Bomb: https://www.brambleberry.com/Adobe-Brick-La-Bomb-P4291.aspx
You can also check out this blog post which goes over the La Bomb colorants.
LaBomb Colorants!: http://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/bath-fizzies/la-bomb-colorants/
I hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions. =)
-Becky with Bramble Berry
Very cool. Purple is a hard color to get just right. It was smart of you to have her choose from samples as I would have called the one she choose pink! What a happy thing to be a part of. I love weddings.
That was cool seeing the outcome of the different color blends. The boxes are fabulous! I want to know how that’s done!
As a former horticulture science major, here’s a bit of fun trivia about orchids: Orchids are not limited to pinks and purples, but display every color of the rainbow. You can dye white varieties in the same way one would dye carnations. I’ve seen Cybidium orchids dyed in the most gorgeous turquoise with purple throats. And the often used words, “exotic” or “rare,” in references to orchids are very much misnomers, since there are over 25,000 species within the genus, growing in all kinds of climates all over the world, even in alpine climates. So it’s not a strictly a tropical plant either, as many people think. And at that number, it’s one of the largest genuses in the entire plant kingdom. They’re just plain gorgeous, that’s all. (Okay, that was an oxymoron.) 🙂 One species produces a tiny flower about the size of my thumbnail. It’s a cute little thing!
Wow, I didn’t know that! Thanks for the botanical lesson, I’ll definitely tuck that information away. While we don’t have a tutorial for these soap boxes, here is one that Erin of Naiad Soap Arts did for us and we just love it!
Soap Favor Boxes by Erin: http://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/tips-and-tricks/erin-pikors-soap-favor-boxes/
-Becky with Bramble Berry
I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many pretty shades of purple. It’s my daughter’s favorite color and it always makes me smile too. What gorgeous favors, A-M. I’m sure Cealleigh and Greg were thrilled to have both you and the soaps made with love!
Beautiful colors! I assume these are tested in melt and pour is that so?
That is correct, Pam. All of the pictures you see are the purples that are tested in our clear melt and pour base!
Clear Melt And Pour Soap Base: https://www.brambleberry.com/Bramble-Berry-Bases-C11.aspx
-Becky with Bramble Berry
Hey Anne-Marie!
I had a quick question regarding preservatives for lotions.
All the products I make are 100% natural, and I’d like to get in to lotions with a silky and less-greasy feel. I found the perfect emulsifier for our needs. However, I’m stumped when it comes to a preservative for the product.
I’m aware that potassium sorbate is a natural option, but do you believe that alone will be enough to use?
If not, what all natural preservative do you suggest using?
Thanks!
Hi Gabi!
Many people would like their products and soaps to be all-natural, but sometimes there isn’t a way to make every 100% natural. Currently, we have not found a good quality, affordable, and all-natural preservative on the market for soapers. Potassium Sorbate is, unfortunately not going to be a strong enough product to prevent all the bacteria or mold that could grow in your products. But, what we do suggest is using some of the following for your lotions and other body products:
Germaben: https://www.brambleberry.com/Germaben-Preservative-P3972.aspx
Optiphen: https://www.brambleberry.com/Optiphen-P3682.aspx
Optiphen Plus: https://www.brambleberry.com/Optiphen-Plus-P5253.aspx
Phenonip: https://www.brambleberry.com/Phenonip-P4038.aspx
If you want to read more up on what is and isn’t a preservative, we have a blog post that talks all about it and I often find myself referring to it:
Talk It Out Tuesday: Preservatives: http://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/lotion/talk-it-out-tuesday-preservatives/
I hope this helps! 🙂
-Becky with Bramble Berry