Tutorials on soapmaking, bath fizzies, lotions and more
Mica colorants can be used in everything from scrubs to soap. This week through Oct. 16th, the blog will have tutorials made with plenty of shimmery micas, like the Sparkly Garnet Soap Gems. The soap, inspired by the January birthstone, gets its sparkly red color from Merlot Sparkle Mica and Fine Iridescent Glitter. Once the soap is scented with Pomegranate and Black Currant Fragrance Oil and cooled, it is cut into fun gem shapes.
I love the rich green color and sophistication emeralds exude. My birthstone is an emerald, so it is no surprise it’s one of my favorite gemstones. For this Emerald Swirl Cold Process Soap, melt and pour embeds and mica painting create an eye-catching, emerald inspired top. The “emeralds” in the center of each bar are created with LCP Clear Melt and Pour Base and Shamrock Green Mica. Once hardened, the soap is cut into a gem-like shape and placed in the center of each bar. Gold Sparkle Mica painting adds sparkle and shine; click here to learn more about mica painting.
This project is scented with the fresh and crisp Green Fig Fragrance Oil. This non-discoloring fragrance is easy to work with and gives you plenty of time to create the in-the-pot swirl. This recipe contains plenty of soft liquid oils to aid in swirling, and to create a gentle feel on the skin. To help the soap harden in the mold a little bit faster, I used a water discount of 10%. This is completely optional, it just helps cut down on the cure and drying time =)
Every season, eight savvy soapers are chosen to be a part of S.O.A.P. – Scent Opinion Awesome Panel. The panel is sent eight secret fragrance oils to help us choose which should be added to the Bramble Berry fragrance oil line. The fragrances are sent with no name or descriptors to ensure opinions are unbiased. The panelists can test the fragrances in any kind of product they like, including cold process soap, melt and pour, bath fizzies and more.
After the testing period, the panelists fill out a survey. The survey includes questions regarding each fragrance oil, including how it performed, what it should be named and overall score. We also encourage the panelists to create social media updates to keep us updated throughout the testing process. Recently, the 2015 Summer S.O.A.P. Panel wrapped up (see the list of panelists below). The panelists did an amazing job of thoroughly testing each fragrance, and gave us fantastic notes to help us choose which ones to add to the lineup. Based on feedback and scoring we are only adding one fragrance oil from this S.O.A.P. Panel (hint: it’s chocolaty, minty and slightly buttery) so be on the lookout for the new addition! Checkout the panelists and their test results below.
Summer 2015 S.O.A.P. Panelists
Jessica of Sea Holly Beauty Company
Madie of Madiecakes
Kristie of Seven Seas Soap
Kelly of Soaping Soprano
Lauren of Single Barrel Soaps
Sarah of Sunflower State Soap
Amy of Sole Sanctifier Soaps
Jessica of Spoon River Design
Kristie of Seven Seas Soap did an amazing job of testing each fragrance oil in various projects, including cold process soap, bath bombs and scrubs. In the video below, you can see watch Kristie and her daughter smell each fragrance oil and give their opinions. Then, Kristie took the fragrances to the street and asked the public for their opinions. The whole office loved this fun video! It’s so interesting to see what non-soapers think of the fragrance oils. =)
Full of sparkle and shine, it’s easy to see why soap gems are making a serious comeback. These Sparkling Garnet Soap Gems were inspired by the sophisticated January birthstone. Garnets actually come in a wide variety of colors, but the deep red hue is the most popular. Garnets are said to signify friendship and trust, making these Garnet Soap Gems a great gift!
Merlot Sparkle Mica is added to Clear Melt and Pour Base to achieve the rich, scarlet color. Pomegranate and Black Currant Fragrance Oil give these soapy gems a juicy scent, with notes of citrus and soft florals. Once cooled and hardened, the soap is cut at random angles to achieve an authentic gem appearance. This project is easy to customize, and is perfect for beginning crafters. As a bonus, a wide variety of micas and glitter are 20% off, including the Merlot Sparkle Mica and Fine Iridescent Glitter.
The team and I get so many great soapy questions every day. They come to us on a wide variety of platforms, including the Soap Queen blog, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and more. These questions have inspired many blog posts, like How to Substitute Oil in Cold Process Recipes and All About the Trace. I love giving soapers information, and helping them feel more confident in their craft. I love it so much that I wish that we could turn every question into a super in-depth blog post.
This is where “Soap Box Questions” comes in! From time to time, I will be covering interesting, fun and tough questions from around the web here on the blog. The first question comes from CJ on Facebook. CJ had some bath bomb troubleshooting questions, and wondered, “Can you add a small amount of melted shea butter soap to your bath bomb recipe?”
Happy weekend everybody! Here in Bellingham we are soaking up the last of the summer sun. Today is 68 degrees with a light breeze…it’s perfect. =) This weekend my folks are up to help out with the kids while Chris is away on business. We’re doing the Sustainable Connections Farm Tour today and the kids are super excited to see cows, chickens and, how mushrooms grow (yay manure!). Then tonight, we have Baby Alise (my brother’s baby girl) for the night so it will be a sleepover! Once Chris gets back, it’s my turn to take a little work trip. I’m heading up to Vancouver for a few days for a marketing conference. If you’d like to see peeks into my trip, follow me on Snapchat! My username is Bramble-Berry. You can also see what the team is up to back at the office on Snapchat while I’m gone.
Speaking of upcoming projects, be on the lookout for a series of projects featuring metallic micas. This series features everything from candles to cold process, so there is something for everybody. =) What is your favorite way to use micas in bath and body products? Click here to learn more about these sparkly colorants.
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Next week, we will be sharing a series of projects featuring metallic micas. Below is a cold process soap made with a King’s Gold, Gold Sparkle Mica and Copper Sparkle mica painting. Can’t wait to share these projects!
This past week was full of pumpkin inspired projects, including these Pumpkin Pie Melt and Pour Soap bars (left). On the right is a beautiful sunset over Bellingham Bay…I feel so lucky to live here. =)
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I hope you all have an amazing weekend! To keep up with the latest soapy social media throughout the week, you can follow me on Twitter, Tumblr, Instagram, Pinterest, Vine and YouTube and Snapchat. To watch my ‘stories’, which include sneak peeks into future projects, add me. I’m Bramble-Berry on Snapchat.
Before we get into the recap of the week, I wanted to take a moment to remember all those who were affected by the tragic events that took place on September 11th, 2001. I’d also like to thank all the heroes who helped rebuild New York City afterward, and the heroes that continue to keep us safe. I think Rudy Giuliani put it best when he said, “The attacks of September 11th were intended to break our spirit. Instead we have emerged stronger and more unified.”
This week continued the “all things fall” theme with the Pumpkin Pie Melt and Pour Soap. Inspired by the release of Starbucks’ Pumpkin Spice Latte, the bars are scented with spicy and sweet Pumpkin Pie Candle & Soap Fragrance Oil. To match the smell, the Perfect Orange Color Block is used to give the Goat Milk Melt and Pour Soap Base a creamy orange hue. It even has a bit of cinnamon added for a realistic look.
If you love everything pumpkin spice, we’ve got the scrub for you! This Pumpkin Spice Scrub was inspired by the popular fall beverage and features a delicious blend of coffee and pumpkin spice scents. The base is created using Foaming Bath Butter and coffee butter, which forms an ultra creamy texture. The Foaming Bath Butter lathers when introduced to water which leaves skin feeling clean and non-greasy. Coffee butter adds an amazing coffee scent and skin-loving properties. Ground walnut shells are added to gently exfoliate the skin.
This scrub is super easy to put together; simply add the ingredients together slowly and whip together! To use, apply directly to damp skin and scrub in a circular motion to lather and exfoliate. Because this scrub does not contain water, a preservative is not necessary. But if you plan on storing the scrub where it may come in contact with water (like the shower) we recommend adding a preservative like phenonip at .5% to be on the safe side.
While the day after Labor Day is not the official first day of fall, here in the PNW, it certainly feels like summer is over. Seasonal items are hitting the shelves, including the Pumpkin Spice Latte from Starbucks (happy #PSL day!), and everything pumpkin flavored. I love the warm and comforting taste (and smell!) of pumpkin treats. These Pumpkin Pie Melt and Pour bars celebrate the arrival of the #PSL and pumpkin-spice-everything. Scented with Pumpkin Pie Candle and Soap Fragrance Oil, these bars look and smell like your favorite autumn dessert.
These bars are made with the creamy and hydrating Goat Milk Melt and Pour Soap Base. This base is great for dry skin, and has a neutral custard color. Ground pumpkin seeds give the bars a very mild amount of exfoliation. To learn more about various exfoliant options, click here. A small amount of ground cinnamon is used for a realistic pumpkin pie appearance. Some people have a sensitivity to using cinnamon (particularly cinnamon essential oil). If your skin is sensitive to cinnamon, feel free to leave it out.
I hope you’re all having a great start to the long Labor Day weekend. Here in the Pacific Northwest, the past week has been full of rain and wind. Not that I’m complaining; Washington was in desperate need of rain with all the wildfires throughout the state. The dreary weather has me in the mood for fall. This means darker color palettes, rich scents and everything pumpkin! Get ready for some pumpkin inspired tutorials next week. =) In the meantime, check out my favorite pins, tweets and ‘grams from the week below!
P.S. Grandpa Faiola is reading the kiddo’s favorite ‘magazine’, babybug! We love it because it’s made of paper that can’t be easily torn and has a serial character (“Kim and Carrots”) that has continuing adventures that our kids really look forward to reading. I highly recommend it for all little readers ages 1 through 5.
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I adore swirled soap, and this 12 Color Linear Swirl Cold Process from the Soap Crafting Book might be my all time favorite! I just love how every bar looks completely unique.
On the left is a sparkly melt and pour project that will be on the blog later this week. It is made in the new Tray Floral Wallpaper Mold. On the right, Lily got into my lipstick and proceeded to apply it to her lips and face. Such a mischievous one!
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I hope you all have a wonderful weekend! To keep up with the latest soapy social media throughout the week, you can follow me on Twitter, Tumblr, Instagram, Pinterest, Vine and YouTube and Snapchat. To watch my ‘stories’, which include sneak peeks into future projects, add me. I’m Bramble-Berry on Snapchat.
Handmade products make great gifts and party favors. This week featured several gift ideas, like the Minty Mocha Mantra Marble Cold Process Soap by Erica Pence of Bath Alchemy Lab. Her technique creates a unique marbled look in soap. The soap is scented with Turkish Mocha Fragrance Oil and Peppermint Essential Oil, 1st Distill, making it the ideal gift for the coffee lovers in your life.
It’s a little crazy that Halloween is only two months away. I can’t wait to start decorating my house with spider webs, ghosts and witches. Halloween is a sweet holiday (haha, punny!), and now that the kiddos are old enough to love trick-or-treating (hellllllo candy), it’s only getting better! Last year I dressed up a witch, while Jamisen dressed up as Clifford and Lily was a pink poodle.
This year, I used the Stephenson Jelly Soap Base to create these Spooky Spider Soap Jellies. LabColors give the soap bright, translucent shades of green and purple. The soap is scented with Spellbound Woods and Applejack Peel Fragrance Oils. The little spiders are actually small plastic toys that are available for a limited time. They are great for many projects, including solid melt and pour and liquid soap. The legs on the spiders are a little poky, so wash with care. To use jelly soap, tear off a very small amount of the jelly and create a lather using a loofah or washcloth.
UPDATE: The spider toys have been discontinued. You can usually find spider toys at your local craft store during Halloween! They are also available on Amazon.
Today, Erica Pence of Bath Alchemy Lab is taking over the blog with an awesome cold process tutorial. This Minty Turkish Mocha Mantra Marble Cold Process Soap is made using Erica’s newest technique, Mantra Marbles. This technique was introduced by Erica in The Artisan Soapmaker Issue 2 eZine –Soaper’s Toolbox, a publication for cold process and melt and pour soapmakers. I love how this technique turns out, and can’t wait to try it myself! Erica is an accomplished teacher; to find more of her tutorials and techniques, check out her classes including the Gourmet Autumn Cold Process Soap Class, and the Spring Fling Cold Process Soap Class! -A.M.
Hi, I’m Erica from Bath Alchemy Lab. Today I’m going to show you how to create cold process soap using the Mantra Marbles technique. There are multiple varieties and three are demonstrated in the ezine. This is one version using Bramble Berry products. A mantra swirl is an advanced design made in a log mold in which a divider and three colors are used to create a beautiful swirl. Our brand new design, Mantra Marbles, takes this concept a few steps further, incorporating a marble technique into a mantra swirl but using a slab mold instead of a log mold.
In the original mantra swirl, after the soap is divided into two colors and the divider is removed, a third color is added. Then, a figure-eight style design is swirled using a thin tool. In order to actually see the mantra on the front of a bar of soap, you must first cut the log of soap 1 inch deep horizontally, then slice the soap about every 3 or so inches vertically into bars. Only one third to one half of the bars have the mantra swirl – just the top few bars. The rest of the soaps will simply be two-toned.
So, how does one get all of the soap bars to have a true mantra swirl? The answer is simple. Use a slab mold with more dividers. Take that a step further and create a marble on one side of each set of dividers, and you have a Mantra Marble. Use a recipe and scent that will allow you to fully control your trace and at least 3 colors as shown below. Your trace and your manipulation tool will dictate the final design.
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In the world of beauty and cosmetics, highlighting and contouring has become amazingly popular (seriously, it is alllll over Pinterest & YouTube). This beauty technique involves applying darker and lighter shades of makeup to certain areas of the face to create definition. Applying darker shades is referred to as contouring, while applying lighter shades is highlighting. Contouring and highlighting can create the look of a stronger jawline and more pronounced cheekbones. It’s amazing how a little well-placed makeup can change the look of one’s face.
These Moisturizing Highlighter Sticks focus on the highlighting areas of the face that you’d like to “pull toward you.” Primarily, highlighters are used on the cheekbones and under the eye area. These highlighters are made with moisturizing ingredients such as green tea seed oil and jojoba oil to keep skin hydrated.
Various colors of mica can be added depending on your skin tone. Below, we have formulated a basic highlighter shade with no color, as well as highlighters with a pink and peach tone. You can also add more or less mica, depending on how much highlight and sparkle you like. The amounts below could be considered an “average” amount. The spoon trick is perfect for testing them on your skin prior to pouring them into the containers. To see swatches on the skin, scroll to the very bottom of the post.
