gold sparkle mica Archives

Pink Salt & Gold Cold Process Soap DIY

December 21, 2017 Filed Under: Bath & Body Tutorials, Cold Process Soap

Gold and pink is a sophisticated color combination. It feels appropriate for the holidays, but also shines for Valentine’s Day and spring. That color combination inspired this soap, which is topped with Gold Sparkle Mica and pink sea salt. The colors also make an appearance inside the bar with a pink layer and gold mica line.

We scented the batch with Rose Quartz Fragrance Oil. It’s a bright combination of grapefruit, jasmine, and traditional rose notes. It does slightly accelerate, but that works well for the layered design and textured top. The pink sea salt is sprinkled on top for texture and color. Gently pressing the salt into the soap helps the salt stick, but some will fall off when cut.

To achieve a nice white color, we added plenty of titanium dioxide. When a large amount of titanium dioxide is used it can lead to glycerin rivers – learn more about them here. One of the best ways to prevent glycerin rivers is to use a water discount. That can lead to trace thickening more quickly, so use your stick blender sparingly for this recipe.

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Sparkling Fig Melt & Pour Soap Tutorial

September 15, 2017 Filed Under: Bath & Body Tutorials, Melt & Pour Soap

Here in Bellingham, WA, almost every restaurant has a specialty cocktail. Many of the drinks feature house-infused liquor and funky combinations like thyme and peach puree. The interesting combination of flavors, colors, and textures in artisan cocktails inspired this melt and pour project.

Swirling melt and pour isn’t difficult, but it does require an understanding of how the soap behaves at different temperatures. If you’ve never swirled melt and pour soap before, see our tips here. A thermometer comes in handy for this project to check temperatures. A spray bottle of 99% isopropyl alcohol is also a must. Without spraying alcohol before each layer, they may not stick together.

Note: The Sparkling Fig Cocktail Fragrance Oil previously used in this tutorial was discontinued. It has been replaced with Cranberry Fig Fragrance Oil.

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DIY Crystal Bath Bombs

August 30, 2017 Filed Under: Bath & Body Tutorials, Bath Fizzies

The colors and textures of crystals provide endless inspiration. These Crystal Bath Bombs were created with geodes in mind. Fine grained Dead Sea Salt gives a crystal-like texture to each bath bomb. Then, various colors of mica are painted on the salt to give depth and interest.

Deodorized cocoa butter is added to the bath bomb mixture for structure and skin-loving properties. If you don’t have deodorized cocoa butter, regular cocoa butter will work as well. New Jade Fragrance Oil gives these bath bombs a sweet floral scent that’s perfect for the green color palette.

Because these bath bombs have plenty of oil and mica, polysorbate 80 is used. Polysorbate 80 is an emulsifier that helps the cocoa butter disperse more evenly in the bath water rather than pooling on top. It also prevents the mica from clinging to the side of the tub. We found a minimal amount of color on the tub after using these bath bombs. But because mica likes to cling to residue, give your tub a quick wipe down before use.

This project requires some fine detail paint brushes. Painting the bath bombs does take a little practice, but don’t worry about the design being too perfect – have fun with it. As a finishing touch, Fine Silver Rainbow EcoGlitter is sprayed on top using the new Powder Sprayer. The glitter really gives each bath bomb the perfect sparkly touch.

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Crescent Moon Bath Bomb DIY

May 15, 2017 Filed Under: Bath & Body Tutorials, Bath Fizzies

Inspired by the crescent moon, these moon bath bombs feature plenty of sparkle and sultry scent. The dark purple hue is created with Plum Dusk Mica and Queen’s Purple Mica, with a touch of Fine Iridescent Glitter. Coconut oil gives the bath bombs shape and firmness, while polysorbate 80 helps disperse the oil and micas in the bath water.

Once the bath bombs completely harden, they are removed from the mold. A combination of Gold Sparkle Mica and 99% isopropyl alcohol create a “mica paint” that is used for the crescent moon shape. Check out our trick for creating a crisp and even moon shape below!

Because these bath bombs contain quite a bit of mica and sparkle, they may leave behind some color on your tub. Mica clings on to dirt and grime on the tub, so giving your bath a quick wipe down before use will help prevent this. The polysorbate 80 also helps the mica disperse throughout the water rather than pooling on top. We don’t recommend skipping the polysorbate 80 for this recipe.

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Crescent Moon Cold Process Soap Tutorial

September 27, 2016 Filed Under: Bath & Body Tutorials, Cold Process Soap

Fall officially started last week, which means it’s time for Halloween projects! Halloween is one of my favorite holidays. It’s an excuse to embrace dark colors, moody fragrances and spooky themes. For this Crescent Moon Cold Process Soap, I wanted to create a bar of soap that would be appropriate for Halloween and beyond.

These bars are a sophisticated take on Halloween with a striking yet simple design. Black Oxide gives the bars a dark gray hue. If you want a darker color, feel free to add more colorant. Just keep in mind the more you add, the darker the lather will be. The crescent moon shape is created with melt and pour soap and the Mini Moon Silicone Column Mold. Gold Sparkle Mica on top really pops against the dark gray. The bars are scented with Tobacco & Bay Leaf Fragrance Oil, which is a wonderfully smoky and complex fragrance. It’s great for both men and women.

This project is appropriate for both beginning and intermediate soapers. It requires a medium to thick trace, so you don’t need to worry about over blending with the stick blender. But, keep temperatures in mind. Melt and pour soap begins to melt around 120-130 ° F. If this soap gets too hot, the moon embed could melt. I recommend soaping around 100-110 ° F and not insulating the soap to keep temperatures cool.

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Nail Polish Wedding Favor DIY

March 8, 2016 Filed Under: Bath & Body Tutorials

Nail polish is one of my favorite cosmetic products to make. It’s easy and customizable. If you’re getting married soon, custom nail polish makes a fantastic a wedding favor or bridesmaid gift. A nail polish party is also a great idea for a bridal shower or bachelorette party. Last year I threw a nail polish party for a few friends and we had a blast. Click here to see the fun, and my tips for throwing a nail polish party. Jen of Something Turquoise also created her own “Nail Polish Bar.” Click here to see her adorable set up and ideas.

If you’ve never made nail polish before, it couldn’t be easier. In a nail polish bottle, simply add the mica of your choice, a mixing ball and the Suspending Nail Polish Base. Then shake, shake, shake to disperse the color! Then it’s ready to use. You can also add pigments to the nail polish base as shown in the Anti-Pinch Nail Polish, but if using pigments, they do need to be mixed in isopropyl alcohol first to get rid of clumps.

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Cold Process Soap Wedding Favor Tutorial + Free Printable

March 3, 2016 Filed Under: Bath & Body Tutorials, Cold Process Soap

June through September is generally considered wedding season. If you (or somebody you know) is getting married this year, you know how quickly those months will be upon us. There are so many details to organize and things to plan!

One of the ways I made my guests feel special at my wedding was with handmade wedding favors. Whether you give these gifts to everybody at your wedding, only your wedding party or a select group, wedding favors are a great way to thank family and friends for celebrating with you on your special day. If you know somebody getting married, creating wedding favors is also fantastic wedding gift for them.

Handmade soap is a luxury item that many people have never used before. It makes a great wedding favor. The colors and scent can be customized to suit any theme. In this tutorial, I used the large 36 Bar Birchwood Mold and the Guest Dividers for 36 Bar Birch Mold to create 72 guest-sized soaps. Depending on the size of your wedding, you may be done with all your wedding favors in as little as two hours! Just make sure to create them ahead of time to allow for a 4-6 week cure time. In addition, I used the Lots of Lather Quick Mix to cut down on the mixing and measuring.
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Goat Milk & Oatmeal Cold Process Soap Tutorial

April 14, 2015 Filed Under: Cold Process Soap

Goat milk may be the most popular type of milk when it comes to soap making. Moisturizing and nourishing, goat milk contains lactic acid which helps keep skin smooth by naturally exfoliating skin. Goat milk also contains vitamins A, D and B6. Many soap makers find fresh goat milk via local farms and markets, or raise their own goats. When fresh goat milk is unavailable, goat milk powder is a fantastic option. Simply add the goat milk to distilled water to reconstitute and receive all the skin loving benefits. For more information on working with milk in soap, check out this How to Add Lye to Milk post, and the Buttermilk Bastille Baby Bar video on Soap Queen TV.

This Goat Milk and Oatmeal Cold Process soap is made with powdered goat milk, oat extract and colloidal oatmeal for a bar that is gentle on the skin. Colloidal oatmeal is extremely fine ground oatmeal that is fantastic for irritated or sensitive skin. Oatmeal, Milk and Honey Fragrance Oil gives this bar a warm and comforting scent. The fragrance also lends its vanilla discoloration to the top layer, which darkens the Brown Oxide used to color it. For more information on fragrance discoloration, click through the Why Did My Soap Turn Brown post.

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Luck of the Irish Hot Process Tutorial

February 19, 2015 Filed Under: Cold Process Soap

When you don’t have time to make cold process soap, hot process soap making is a good next choice. The extra heat speeds up the saponification process, which cuts down on cure time. Hot process soap only requires 1-2 days in the mold, even with palm-free recipes like this one. With St. Patrick’s Day right around the corner, this hot process soap will be ready in time to celebrate the holiday.

This Luck of the Irish Hot Process soap features layers of green ombré. Each layer is defined with a line of Gold Sparkle Mica, which adds plenty of shimmer. Don’t use too much mica – a thick mica vein may cause the layers to separate from each other. When creating this effect it’s important to work fast. Hot process soap has a tendency to thicken quickly, which can make creating even layers tricky.

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12 Days of Christmas: Holiday Glam Nail Polish

November 15, 2014 Filed Under: Home Crafts

Red and green are classic and beautiful holiday colors. But every once and awhile, it’s nice to shake things up! Gold, silver and merlot hues are both glamorous and sophisticated, making them perfect for nail polish. These four festive colors make an adorable holiday gift set. They are also the perfect size for stocking stuffers!

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12 Days of Christmas: Glamorous Gold Eye Shadow Quad

November 14, 2014 Filed Under: Bath & Body Tutorials

If you’re looking to update your makeup look, the holiday season is the perfect time to add a little glitz and glam! Gold and copper eye shadow is perfect for special occasions and is also wearable for everyday. Even better, gold tones are extremely flattering for a wide variety of skin tones. This Glamorous Gold Eye Shadow Quad features four shades for easy blending and customization.

The classic gold shade is great base color, while the light gold is perfect for highlighting. The two darker shades are meant for shadows and contouring. I can’t wait to use these colors to create a look similar to this, or this look for a special occasion. Looking for more tips on how to apply eye shadow? The instructions in the Pumpkin Shimmer Eye shadow Tutorial would work well for these colors as well.

If you have never made mineral makeup before, it’s incredibly easy! To learn more, check out this Mineral Makeup Soap Queen TV Episode.

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Shine Bright: Bronze Series + Bronzing Lotion Recipe

July 11, 2014 Filed Under: Lotion

Whether you’re taking an exotic trip this summer or tanning in your backyard, you’re covered with this series of Bronze tutorials. First up, give your lips some moisturizing shine with the Beautiful Bronze Lip Tint tutorial. Featuring a special blend of Merlot Mica, Copper Mica and Gold Sparkle Mica (which is 20% off this month!), it’s perfect for subtle color. Then, visit Soap Queen on Tumblr for the complimenting Bronze Goddess Nail Polish. This recipe makes 3 bottles of polish, so keep one for yourself and give the rest to friends!

From top left clockwise: Shimmer Stick, Bronze Lip Tint, Bronze Goddess Nail Polish, Coconut Cream Cold Process

For bronze-y skin care, take a look at the Shimmer Stick that came out in this week’s newsletter (didn’t get it? sign-up here!) It’s a super-pigmented solid bar that also imparts plenty of skin-loving moisture. It’s fragranced with Burnt Sugar Fragrance Oil, which features delicious notes of amber and vanilla. For more skin-loving goodness, take a look at the Coconut Cream Pie Cold Process tutorial. Made with 100% coconut water instead of distilled water, it’s a tropical soapy treat!

Sometimes all that glitters really is gold!

The final tutorial in our Bronze Series is the Beautiful Bronzing Lotion. Made with the Aloe Lotion Base, this is a beginner recipe that can be made in a matter of minutes.

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