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.
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. =)
With vibrant colors and wild animals, Africa is full of crafting inspiration. This week featured several Africa-inspired projects, including the Whipped Amber Bronzing Butter. The butter gets its fluffy and moisturizing texture from three butters, including coffee butter. It has Copper Sparkle Mica, which adds shimmer and a slight tint to skin. Amber and Ancient Sedona Fragrance Oil are added for a warm scent.
From now until June 27th, receive 25% off a selection of products used in the tutorials. Use coupon code SAFARIMADE at checkout. To see the full collection of Handmade Safari sale items, click here.
Update, June 22nd: Thanks to everybody who entered to be on the S.O.A.P. Panel! It was so hard to choose only eight panelists. If you did not get chosen don’t fret…we will have another panel in the fall! Below are the eight awesome soapers who were chosen. Be sure to follow them on social media outlets to hear all about their tests in the next few weeks!
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
If you love experimenting with fragrance oils and trying new scents, you may be the perfect candidate for the Summer 2015 S.O.A.P. (Scent Opinion Awesome Panel) Panel! Here at Bramble Berry, we receive hundreds of fragrance oils every year. We thoroughly test each fragrance several times in cold process soap of varying batch sizes to ensure it behaves well. Then, the test soap is smelled after 2-3 months to ensure the scent sticks. Even with all our testing, sometimes it’s hard to choose exactly which fragrances to bring in and to test for every possible variation in recipe. That’s where the S.O.A.P. Panel comes in!
The S.O.A.P. Panelists will receive approximately 1 oz. of eight mystery fragrance oils to test. Each scent will be unlabeled to ensure opinions regarding the fragrances are unbiased. Each fragrance can be tested in cold process soap, melt and pour, lotions, or any other bath and body products.
After the testing period is over, the panelists fill out a survey. The survey includes questions about each fragrance, including how it performed and what it should be named. The S.O.A.P. Panel is also encouraged to post their opinions on social media to keep us updated on their testing process. Honest, clear feedback is encouraged…we truly want to know what you think.
Thanks to everybody who entered to be a part of the Spring 2015 S.O.A.P. Panel! It was beyond hard to choose only eight panelists out of nearly 100 entries. We are excited to announce the new panelists, and can’t wait to hear what they have to say about the mystery fragrances. Scroll down to find out who made the panel.
Spring 2015 S.O.A.P. Panel
Estrellita of The Mama Juju
Kevin of Devinely Designed Products
Jennifer of Skyline Soapworks
Candice of Candy Body Factory
Andrea of DJ’s Creek Farm
Maureen of Reeny’s Butterflies Blooms and Bees
Shelly of Lion and Rose Soap
Eren of Eren’s Creations
Congrats panelists! We are thrilled to have each of you on the S.O.A.P. panel, and can’t wait to hear what you think about the eight new mystery fragrances! Please e-mail us at sma2(at)brambleberry(dot)com with your shipping information so we can get you the mystery fragrances. We will package and ship the fragrances out no later than March 3rd.
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Soaping is an addictive and fun craft. There are many factors that go into making a great handmade product including oils, fragrances, colors and additives. This week was all about tips, tricks and how-tos to make that process easier. This Sunday Night Spotlight talks about the incredibly versatile sweet almond oil. The lightweight oil is very moisturizing and can be used in everything from soap to shaving cream.
Thanks to everybody who entered on Facebook to be a part of the Winter 2014 S.O.A.P. Panel! It was incredibly hard to choose only eight panelists out of nearly 200 entries. We are excited to announce the new panelists, and can’t wait to hear what they have to say about the mystery fragrances. Scroll down to find out who made the panel, as well as hints about the three new fragrances chosen from the Fall 2014 S.O.A.P. Panel!
Winter 2014 S.O.A.P. Panel
Lisa of Village Soap Works
Lena of Lena Jeanne Cosmetics
Stacey of Star Hitched Wagon
Donna of Cherry Tree Lane Soap Company
Nicole of Stargazer Soaps
Heather of Fatty’s Soap Co.
Carl of Rustic Oak Soapworks
Jerralyn of Butterfly Dreams Co.
A big thank you to everybody who entered to be a part of our Fall 2014 S.O.A.P. Panel. It was so much fun to read every entry, and look through the fabulous tweets, pins, instagrams, blog posts, facebook posts and comments! It’s amazing to be part of such a vibrant and creative community. With so many wonderful entries, it was difficult to choose only eight to be on the S.O.A.P. Panel but it had to be done. Curious who was chosen? Of course you are!
One of the great things about working at Bramble Berry is connecting with other soap makers. For some, it’s a fun hobby. For others, soap making changed their lives. This is the case with Donovan, an 11-year-old soap maker who started making melt and pour creations after he and his mother fell on hard times. Now, he makes creative and fun designs and donates half his profits to the Supportive Housing Coalition of New Mexico.
Do you love testing new fragrances in your soapy projects? Here at Bramble Berry, we receive hundreds of fragrance oil samples. To help choose the very best fragrances to add to our line, we are looking for eight new members to join our S.O.A.P Panel! As part of the panel, you will have the opportunity to test eight new mystery fragrances, and help us decide which new scents to add to our lineup.
Each member of the panel will receive eight 1 oz. bottles of fragrance oil. These fragrances can be tested in cold process, melt and pour, lotions or other bath and body products. To keep opinions unbiased, the fragrances will not have names, but instead will be labeled with a number. Not knowing the name is part of the fun!
At the end of the testing and reviewing process, each S.O.A.P. Panel member will fill out a survey regarding the fragrances. We then review this survey, and choose the very best fragrances to add to our line. While not a requirement, many S.O.A.P. (aka: Soap Opinion Awesome Panel) members share their opinions and test results on their blog, Facebook pages or other social media outlets. We love hearing your honest opinions regarding the fragrances, so an ideal member of the panel won’t hold their feelings back!
Previous S.O.A.P. panel fragrance winners were: Mandarin Oasis Fragrance Oil, Mahogany Fragrance Oil, Autumn Fig Harvest Fragrance Oil, Lavender and Cedar Fragrance Oil, and Heavenly Honeysuckle Fragrance Oil.
Note: S.O.A.P. Panel members have about 7 weeks to test the fragrances. Please make sure you will be able to commit to testing all fragrances before entering. Because these fragrances can’t ship internationally, we are not able accept international entries.
This old post is a great example of what previous S.O.A.P. panel members have done for testing, blogging and tweeting. If you’d like to see more examples of how S.O.A.P. Panel members have shared their opinions and test results, check out the links below!
Want to join in the fun? Entering is easy!
To Enter:
Ready, Set … Apply! =)
Just when you thought the S.O.A.P. Panel goodness was over, it’s ba-ack! The new S.O.A.P Panel includes eight fantastic fragrances that didn’t make it into the first round. That also means eight new panelists to try them. We had many applicants who were eager to be part of the first panel, and we hated having to choose just eight out of the first group. Below are the new group of testers who were chosen from the original S.O.A.P. Panel applications for this second round of testing, as well as a few reviews from our last round of panel members.
S.O.A.P. Panel Round 2 Members:
Sabine of Soap Stars
Challene of Meadow Creek Boutique
Lorraine of Presque Isle Soap Company
Molly of Making Stuff
Stacey of Feeding the Habit
Carrie of Simply 7 Skincare
Birdie of Earth and Herbs
Sarah of Bubble and Flame
Top left, clockwise: Soap Stars, Meadow Creek Boutique, Presque Isle Soap Company, Making Stuff
Top left, clockwise: Feeding the Habit, Simply 7 Skincare, Earth and Herbs, Bubble and Flame
Thank you to everyone who Tweeted, Pinned, Instagrammed and Facebooked entries to be part of the 2014 S.O.A.P. Panel. We are truly surrounded by a community of talented crafters, and it was difficult to whittle more than 90 entries down to just eight panel members.
After much debate, we finally choose the soapers who will help us add a few brand new fragrances to the Bramble Berry line. To learn more about the S.O.A.P. Panel, check out this post. Wondering what S.O.A.P. means? It stands for Soap Opinion Awesome Panel! To meet the 2014 S.O.A.P. Panel, read on:
Let’s ring in the New Year with a brand new S.O.A.P. panel team. Don’t know what S.O.A.P. is? Check out this mash up post to learn more about it and check out our spring 2013 team here. We are looking for the newest fragrances to add the Bramble Berry lineup and we want your help again! For the next week, we are on the lookout for eight soapy fans to help us pick which fragrances to add for our Spring 2014 fragrance oil line.
The S.O.A.P Panel is one way Bramble Berry decides to bring on new fragrance oils. Throughout the year, hundreds — if not thousands — of fragrance oils specifically designed for Bramble Berry roll through the office, and the S.O.A.P. Panel is the final test for some of them. They’ve already gone through our own internal inspection process (including initial CP tests), and we’d love for you to give them a sniff and test them in any bath and body product. Cold process soap, melt and pour, lotions, butters — whatever you can think of (well, aside from lip balms. None of the fragrances are lip safe)! For this panel, participants will receive eight 1 oz. fragrance samples to test.
The catch? All the fragrances are mystery fragrances; they won’t have names to influence judgement because we want honest opinions. You’ll fill out a survey to tell us about your top choices, and this is important because your notes will determine the fragrance people in our soaping community will use!
Your mission, should you choose to accept it:
Note: You’ll have about about 7 weeks to test the fragrances. Please keep these dates in mind before you enter. We are looking for an accountable and enthusiastic panel, so be sure that this works out with your schedule! Because these fragrances can’t ship internationally, we are not able accept international entries.
Some previous SOAP Panel posts are here, here and here. This post is a fantastic example of what previous S.O.A.P. panel members have done for testing, blogging and tweeting.
Ready, Set … Apply! =)