I love love love product sourcing – finding and testing new products is beyond exciting. All Bramble Berry products go through a grueling testing phase before going live on the website. This is to make sure they are high quality and work well in soap and other products. If you’re looking for some fun new soapy tools and items, check out the “What’s New” section of the website. You can find the “What’s New” tab on the top right of BrambleBerry.com. Below are some of my favorite new products.
Without a doubt, my new favorite category of soapy ingredients are new fragrance and essential oils. I’m constantly dreaming up new soapy projects and designs, and new scents are often the source of my inspiration. One of my favorite new fragrance oil is the Bramble Berry Juicy Couture Fragrance Oil, which is based on the popular women’s perfume, the original Juicy Couture® (no, we’re not associated with them; this is just an inspired fragrance duplication). It smells feminine and features notes of lily, mandarin and a touch of musk. If you’re looking for masculine scent, the new Bramble Berry’s Fierce Type Fragrance Oil is based on the popular men’s cologne. It features notes of citrus, woody amber and white musk accord.
Left to right: Bramble Berry’s Juicy Couture Type Fragrance Oil, Bramble Berry’s Fierce Type Fragrance Oil
Other new fragrances include the rich and creamy smelling Butter Mints Fragrance Oil. This fragrance was the winner of the 2015 S.O.A.P. Panel and performs wonderfully in cold process soap. Looking for a smoky scent? The new Smoldering Embers Fragrance Oil features notes of cocoa powder, tobacco, suede and patchouli. It smells amazing blended with Espresso Fragrance Oil! If you prefer natural essential oils, the new Petitgrain Essential Oil is produced from the leaves and young branches of the bitter orange tree. It smells fresh and green.
Top, clockwise: Petitgrain Essential Oil, Smoldering Embers Fragrance Oil, Butter Mints Fragrance Oil
With the new fragrance oils based on popular perfumes and colognes (find more here!), I thought new perfume packaging was in order. For an elegant look, the Glass Rectangle Perfume Bottle works for both men and women. If you’re traveling or on the go, the Mini Spray Bottle is the perfect size.
Left to right: Mini Spray Bottle, Glass Rectangle Perfume Bottle
In addition to fragrance oils, the team has been working hard to bring in new soapy tools to take your soap production to the next level. Below is the new Wire Soap Slicer, which is perfect for designs that are best highlighted with a horizontal cut. It’s also great for removing thin layers of soap. For example, if the top of your soap didn’t come out quite right, the wire slicer can be adjusted to slice off the very top and save the remaining soap (think: soda ash, begone!).
The Wire Soap Slicer is great for creating horizontal cuts (such as the Taiwan Swirl), or removing layers of soap in 1/8″ increments.
Looking to give your bars a clean and finished look? The Soap Shaver is here for you! This adjustable tool can remove fine slivers of soap, or 1/16″ layers to remover deeper blemishes. I love it for removing soda ash, creating soap shavings and refreshing the “face” of the bar. Just be careful when using and cleaning it, the blade is extremely sharp (!).
The Soap Shaver is perfect for slicing off thin layers of soap. It works great for removing soda ash or minor imperfections.
With the holidays right around the corner, red, green and glitter are going to be everywhere. If you would like to create festive colored soap this holiday season, the Christmas Colorant Sampler Pack includes 10 samples of a variety of micas, glitter and colorants. Most of the colorants work perfectly in cold process soap, with the exception of King’s Gold Mica (which is perfect for mica painting on top!) When used together, Electric Bubble Gum and Merlot Sparkle Mica create a wonderful red shade in cold process soap.
The Christmas Colorant Sampler Pack includes .2 ounces of ten colorants, including both micas and oxides.
If you’re looking for that beautiful red color for cold process soap, you can find it in the Hot Process Series: CPOP Swirls tutorial. This recipe also uses the Hydrated Green Chrome Oxide, which is included in the sampler pack, to create the gorgeous green. If you’re looking for more Christmas inspiration, the Christmas Tree Swirl Cold Process tutorial uses various shades of green to create a tree-like swirl in the center. Then, it’s covered Gold Sparkle Mica for a finished look.
Left to right: Hot Process Series: CPOP Swirls, Christmas Tree Swirl Cold Process
We can’t forget new molds and, you can never have enough. The 6 Bar Oval Silicone Mold was downsized (less cavities) to make the mold easier to handle and store. It’s also great for smaller batches. If you prefer plastic molds, the new Queen Bee Mold would be perfect for any honey soap recipes. The Tree of Life Tray Mold is another brand new mold option; I love the ease of tray molds. Click here to learn more about making cold process soap in plastic molds.
Top, clockwise: 6 Bar Oval Silicone Mold, Queen Bee Mold, Tree of Life Tray Mold
Have you tried any of these new products? I would love to hear what you think In addition, if you have any suggestions for new products, I always appreciate the feedback. =)
I too am interested in trying the Fierce FO, but the product description sounds like it would funny things to the colors. I wish BB were more consistent in putting photos and information about FO behavior in CP on the product descriptions. It’s pretty hit or miss, sometimes there is a photo but no real information about acceleration, discoloring, etc. and other times no photo or conflicting/incomplete information.
Hi Michael!
Thank you so much for your feedback! We do have a finished cold process soap made with Bramble Berry’s Fierce Type Fragrance Oil, and we should have that up on the website soon. That way you can see what the finished color is. 🙂
We try to be as thorough and consistent as possible with our fragrance descriptions and how they act in soap. If you ever see one that you have questions on, please let me know! We can take a look and get that description updated to be more clear.
I’m sorry for any confusion Michael. Thanks again for your helpful comment.
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Thanks! I’ll be interested to check it out.
You’re welcome! If you have any other questions or concerns, definitely let me know.
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
We used the the Electric Bubble Gum and Merlot Sparkle Mica in our Christmas Peppermint soap at a 2 (Bubble Gum) to 1 (Merlot) ratio and it was beautiful !!! Picture link is here http://maryandmarthashouse.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/1001151143a.jpg
That looks gorgeous Rebecca! I love the gorgeous swirls in your bar, and the detail on top is amazing. Thanks so much for sharing. 🙂
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Hi, are you going to do some more testing of your FO’s in CP? The description for Fierce says it turns some crazy colors. I would love to see that!
Maybe your next project can be made with it? 🙂
Hi Martina!
Thanks so much for your great suggestion! We will definitely keep that in mind for future projects. 🙂
Also, we do have a finished cold process soap made with the Bramble Berry’s Fierce Type Fragrance Oil. We should have that up on the website soon!
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Looking forward to it , Kelsey. 🙂
Could you also please post the information for your 1982 Blue Mica? I have it, but don’t see it on your website anymore, and I just wanted a refresher. Thanks!
You’re welcome! Also, we discontinued that fragrance, but I can paste the notes below. 🙂
For those of who love blue eye-shadow and big hair, this may take you down memory lane, when many of us grew into women and men. This ultramarine is more subtle than our Ultramarine Blue (medium), with hints of sparkly iridescence. In CP Soap, it is the ultimate early 80’s blue. To create the color in the sample of cold process soap above, we used 2 teaspoons of colorant (about 0.15 oz before dispersing) in 1 pound of soap.
If you like, I can also email you the picture of that color in finished soap!
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
This is all I need, thank you! 🙂
You’re welcome! 🙂