fragrance Archives - Page 3 of 5

A(nother) Big Announcement!

January 23, 2013 Filed Under: Bramble Berry News

We’ve been full of big news lately, from finding out that we’re having a baby girl (eek!) to launching this year’s Bramble Berry Athletic Club, there’s been a lot of happy hustle and bustle and I couldn’t be more excited. But before you go thinking that’s all I’ve been busy with, there’s another big announcement…a secret I’ve been keeping for almost a year now:

I’m writing a book!!(!!!!!!!!!)

I’ve been working with the fabulous team at Storey Publishing on my new print book, Soap Crafting. It has been an amazing, mind-blowing, grueling, exciting experience so far (really, a little bit of everything). The book contains 31 Soap Queen designed and tested Cold Process soap recipes that I hope will knock your socks off. The book shows how to infuse natural colorants, how to dilute and work with LabColors, incorporate fun additives and even includes a glossary of soapmaking terms. Plus, for beginners, there is a ton of introductory information about making Cold Process soap, a basic beginner recipe AND a breakdown of common soap making oils. Whew!

The book is due to come out in August (three months after Bramble Girl is due to arrive if you’re keeping track!), which feels like such. a. long. time. But as the book comes together, I’ll be giving regular updates on its progress. [Read more…]

Hidden Color Bath Bombs

January 8, 2013 Filed Under: Bath Fizzies

Here’s a fun idea for a colorful surprise hidden inside a bath bomb. This tutorial is perfect for getting kids to take a bath, because there’s enough colorant in each bath bomb to color the bath water. And since you can’t see the color until the bath bomb is activated, you have to be in the bath to get your surprise! I originally came up with this idea … well, you’ll have to see why this weekend. =)

Scroll down to the bottom of the post to see a mini fizzy coloring water!

Recipe:

1.5 cups Sodium Bicarbonate (Baking Soda)

1 cup Citric Acid

12 mL Baby Powder Fragrance Oil

Teal LaBomb Colorant

Witch Hazel (in a spray bottle)

Droppers with Suction Bulb

2-3 Stainless Steel Bath Bomb Molds

Mesh Strainer

Click here to add everything you need for this project to your Bramble Berry shopping cart! [Read more…]

Facebook Photo of the Week 12/31 – 1/4

January 4, 2013 Filed Under: Bramble Berry News

2013 is here and is it just me, but does 2012 seem very long ago now? I had fun looking back on some of Bramble Berry’s achievements of 2012 in this post. Onward and upwards in 2013; we’ve already posted a few tutorials (click here and here), a brand new Soap Queen TV episode, and we’ve already seen some incredible bath and body products shared with us on our Facebook page. Speaking of Facebook, our Facebook Photo of the Week! Drum roll please…

This week’s photo comes to us from Jasmine Hales. We first met Jasmine when she posted a comment on the Hot Process Series: Crock Pot Camo tutorial. She told us that she had just started soaping with goat’s milk (her family raises goats) and that she is 15 years old. I was totally stunned, and knew I wanted to know more about her. Since then, Jasmine has become part of Bramble Berry’s Facebook community and I’ve really enjoyed seeing her interact with other soapers and post her gorgeous soapy pictures. Jasmine told us that this soap is a Cucumber Puree Soap made with coconut milk and scented with Bramble Berry’s Sleigh Ride Fragrance Oil. Thanks for being part of our Facebook page and keep your eyes on the lookout for a fun little package being sent your way!

Would you like your photo or project to be featured in a blog post? Come join us for soap talk, contests and lots of crafting inspiration at Bramble Berry’s Facebook page. Share a photo with us of your latest project and your handmade soap might be next weeks feature!

You still have a chance for your soapy recipe to get featured on the Teach Soap website (and a chance to get a $10 Bramble Berry Gift Certificate)! Send us an e-mail with a full tutorial, including pictures at [email protected].

New Year, New Fragrance (tutorial)

December 31, 2012 Filed Under: Bath & Body Tutorials

Have any plans for this evening? Here’s what I’m up to (yes, yes, you guessed it: difficult to get a baby sitter on New Year’s Eve). Recently I made a wonderful spray perfume for my mom that smelled amazing using a blend of different fragrance oils. However, it’s not always necessary to blend fragrance oils. A quick and easy way to get a perfectly lovely scent is to use a fragrance oil that is already a bit complex on it’s own. All the blending is done for you, and you can get on with your fancy New Year’s Eve parties and champagne toasts at midnight!

Sweet and Easy Perfume

Recipe:

10 mL Cyclomethicone

9 mL DPG (Dipropylene Glycol)

10 mL 91% Isopropyl (Rubbing) Alcohol

1-2 mL Fragrance Oil

3 Mini Spray Bottles

Droppers with Suction Bulb

Small Funnel (optional)

Click here to add everything you need for this project (including the three fragrance oils I tried) to your Bramble Berry shopping cart! [Read more…]

Hot Process Series: Oven Process Layers

December 21, 2012 Filed Under: Cold Process Soap

Ever wondered what the difference is between CPOP, HPOP, and CPHP? I’m hoping to set the record straight when it comes to various methods of using heat to aid in the soapmaking process. Or, at the very least, I’ve set out to tell my own accounts of what happens when I soap with these different methods. I’ve already rocked out some CPOP and CPHP tutorials, and today we’ll be visiting HPOP.

HPOP: Hot Process Oven Process. This method of using hot process calls for heat being applied while the soap spends time in the oven. Like the oven’s purpose in CPOP, and the crock pot’s purpose in CPHP, the oven facilitates holding the temperature of the soap at or above 160 degrees, speeding up the saponification process. Remember from the CPOP post that according to Professor Kevin M. Dunn, author of Caveman Chemistry and Scientific Soapmaking, heat speeds along the saponification process. The major difference is that HPOP cooks the soap in oven before it goes into the mold instead of after, which gives the finished soap a more rustic look. Questions? Check out the FAQs at the end of the post!

Click here to tweet this tutorial!

[Read more…]

Licorice Candy Soap

December 18, 2012 Filed Under: Melt & Pour Soap

I am obsessed with licorice. I’ve heard rumors that chocolate is also delicious but when forced to choose, give me the acquired taste of licorice. For the record, my favorite kind is Panda (though RJ‘s or Darrell Lea’s are never turned down) or the ultra-acquired taste of Salted Licorice (available at fine mail order stores or specialty candy stores). Even though I love straight-up licorice most of all, I’ll still eat delicious Licorice Allsorts. And, I think that this project would make such a fun gift or a since it ’tis the season, a stocking stuffer. This project is easy and suitable for a beginner (just watch those temperatures!).

Recipe:

33.6 oz. White Melt and Pour Soap

22.4 oz. Clear Melt and Pour Soap

Black Oxide Color Block

Non-Bleeding Cherry Colorant

Non-Bleeding Teal Colorant

1.2 oz. Star Anise Essential Oil

9 Cube Silicone Mold

Click here to add everything you need for this project to your Bramble Berry shopping cart!

[Read more…]

Fuzzy Felted Soap Balls

December 5, 2012 Filed Under: Cold Process Soap

Thank you to Amanda Griffin from Lovin’ Soap for doing this tutorial. It’s like a cold process-felting tutorial all in one! We love it so much that we’ve got Cranberry Chutney fragrance on sale for you! I am loving her Charcoal Facial bar right now. Amanda is one talented soapmaker and we are lucky to have her guest blog today! Anne-Marie PS – If you’re new to soapmaking, safety up! Gloves, goggles, kids out of the way, no aluminum and review the basics here!

This recipe fits nicely into two of the round sphere molds. Tutorial by Amanda from Lovin’ Soap. [Read more…]

S.O.A.P. (Fall 2012) Fragrances Announced!

November 12, 2012 Filed Under: Bramble Berry News

Thanks to the Fall/Winter 2012 S.O.A.P. Team for their help picking out our latest fragrance additions! I’m super excited about this round. I can’t wait to tell you all about the latest and greatest scents *you* chose (yay!) along with a few of the notes from the S.O.A.P. team’s initial responses after their rigorous testing. In no particular order, here are the winners:

Waterlily Orange: This beautiful watery floral fragrance is a harmonious blend of fresh herbal greens, lotus and water lily. The top has light peppery twist of bergamot, the heart is a crystalline watery flower and the finishing accord is a graceful woody amber. Despite its floral notes, it is bright and cheery.

“Reminds me of a cool water type fragrance with maybe some fresh cut grass. This would be first on my list to purchase, and that of my friends. Everyone LOVED this one a lot and almost everyone said it reminded them of the ocean.” – Alicia

“It smells like a soft and sexy men’s cologne. I like it a lot!” -Laura

“It’s like sunshine! It just wakes you up and makes you happy.” -Teneshia

[Read more…]

Making Scented Nail Polish

November 1, 2012 Filed Under: Bath & Body Tutorials

One of the things I love about making Nail Polish from scratch is the instant gratification factor. It’s ready as soon as it’s made! If I decide I’d like a quick custom color for date night tonight, boom. Done. And so much fun to experiment with different colors and color blends. The addition of a favorite scent makes for an unexpected twist on a classic cosmetic.

Scented Nail Polish [Read more…]

Coffee Butter Foot Creme

October 18, 2012 Filed Under: Lotion

Work this creme into tired feet for an indulgent treat. The addition of beeswax makes for a nice, thick consistency and I like that the Peppermint 2nd Distillation Essential oil seems to give my feet a subtle pick-me-up. Adding Dark Rich Chocolate Fragrance Oil enhances the Coffee Butter’s natural aroma and makes for a delicious and seasonally appropriate scent blend. This creme is great for putting on feet right before bed, and then covering with cotton socks for extra softness in the morning.

Recipe:

0.7 oz White Beeswax

3.1 oz Coffee Butter

2.4 oz Sunflower Oil

1.2 oz Stearic Acid

1 oz Emulsifying Wax

15.6 oz Distilled Water

5 mL Dark Rich Chocolate Fragrance Oil

5 mL Peppermint 2nd Distillation Essential Oil

0.2 oz Optiphen

6-4 oz Jars or other containers

Buy everything you need with the click of a button!

[Read more…]

Rose Clay Sugar Scrub

October 11, 2012 Filed Under: Soaks & Scrubs

With the gift giving season right around the corner, it’s hard to ignore the quick and easy ideas available with every one of Bramble Berry’s fragrance oil samples of the month. October’s sample is Spiced Mahogany. Be sure to take a peak at the tutorial (especially if you’re a fan of adorable little birdies). There’s also quite a few from previous months that are worth checking out: Cherry Blossom, Fresh Bamboo, Sweet Meyer Lemon, Violet, White Ginger & Amber, Butter Cream & Snickerdoodle, and Moonlight Pomegranate. We don’t always repost them on the blog so be sure to check them out if you haven’t seen them at the Bramble Berry site before.

Now, onto the weekly Soap Queen tutorial; Rose Clay Sugar Scrub with Black Amber and Lavender Fragrance Oil is an exciting way to add diversity to your product line, or make it a sophisticated addition to a gift for that someone who has everything. With minimal ingredients and a vast number of packaging options, this recipe is sure to be a hit this season!

Recipe:

10 oz Foaming Bath Whip

1 oz Sweet Almond Oil

0.4 oz Black Amber and Lavender Fragrance Oil

3 teaspoons Rose Clay

12 oz Sugar

Jar or other container (for packaging/storage)

Hand-held or Stand Mixer [Read more…]

3D Psychedelic Double Pour Swirl

October 4, 2012 Filed Under: Melt & Pour Soap

I’ve been loving on Bramble Berry’s exclusive line of 3D molds lately. I especially appreciate the versatility of the simple shapes. What a great way to show off your soaping skills! Here’s a technique that I discovered by accident while attempting another project. I had wanted to create a fabulous background to feature some of the adorable Hamster eraser toys (hence the picture below) but as I started creating, another idea developed in my head and I went with it. Ever happen to you? I’m pretty happy with the results!
Note: The 3D Orb Mold and 3D Pear Mold have been discontinued and replaced with our 4 Sphere Silicone Mold and 6 Bar Oval Silicone Mold.

Recipe:

6 oz. White Melt and Pour Soap

14 oz. Clear Melt and Pour Soap

Electric Bubblegum Color Block

Ultraviolet Blue Color Block

Tangerine Wow! Color Block

11 mL Red Apple Fragrance Oil

6 Bar Oval Silicone Mold

4 Sphere Silicone Mold

OPTIONAL: 4 Surplus Blue and Grey Soap Ropes (not in Buy It Now button kit)

Buy everything you need for this project with the click of a button!

[Read more…]

Fall Sweater Stripes Soap Tutorial

September 28, 2012 Filed Under: Cold Process Soap

I’ve just added a new board to my Pinterest page: Color Inspiration! How did I go so long without this board? And have you seen the array of color palettes that are out there? Whoa. Inspiration overload. One of my favorite go-to sites for all things color is Design Seeds, and recently there was a color story posted that reminded me of a comfy and cozy fall sweater. Of course, my next train of thought was to turn it into soap, and what better way to use Bramble Berry’s newest fragrance, Cranberry Chutney?

[Read more…]

Kim Faler and Invisible Cities at Mass MoCA

September 26, 2012 Filed Under: Bramble Berry News, Business Musings

Recently Bramble Berry was contacted by artist Kim Faler with a unique request; she needed enough melt and pour soap base to create a literal wall of soap to be featured in the Mass MoCA exhibit “Invisible Cities“, where artists were called upon to re-imagine urban landscapes. Dream come true, right? We were happy to help out this first-time soap maker with her piece “Untitled (99 44/100% Pure)“, which featured Bramble Berry’s LCP White Melt and Pour Soap Base scented with White Tea and Ginger Fragrance Oil. We’re delighted that this innovative artist agreed to answer some questions and share some pictures of the final project. Psssst: the frame wall below? All soap.

[Read more…]