Hello!

No new pictures to post but am excited to be working on some new blends and I will be soaping with the others that I created back in October. Pictures to follow later.

So Close!

Good Morning!!

So much has happened since I last wrote. I have officially shut down the bath and body portion of The Chandler's Rose and will focus mainly on the consulting and blending side of it. I will still make soaps to test out my newest creations but I will not make soap or bath and body for retail. The fragrance reviews from suppliers will continue. I don't want stop that portion of it because I absolutely love doing that. See you soon.

Scent Reviews

Hello, Rose Garden!!!

How are you? I am doing well despite the water spout off of Hurricane Joaquin hitting South Carolina. I posted on our YouTube channel a slide show of some soaps that were made.

Egyptian Musk - a sweet heady floral that is reminiscent of the 1980's body oil. This is perfect!! I love the oil. I purchased 5 lbs. from The Chemistry Store.com and am very pleased. No color morph, no acceleration and no scent fading at tall.

Summer Breeze - smells ah-may-zhing out of bottle but the scent morphs to a burnt rubber scent. It gives me a headache every time that I walk into the curing room. Also, the scent caused my loaf to crumble after 24 hours. I used the normal test recipe with 7% super fat and, yeesh!!! This is not going to a blender for me or a scent mixer.

Now, I created a sweet masculine blend that I was advised to call Pastry. I will continue to reference that name until I hear back from the Fragrance Club Members to change the name to something else. I love this blend. It is easy to work with. It does cause morphing in the colors. The uncolored batter has turned a nice buttery yellow, the purple mica from Crafter's Choice has turned from deep indigo to pink to pale indigo.

I have also created 4 other blends that I am allowing to mellow while I will be gone for 3 weeks. This portion of the creative side is the most fun!! I love how a blend will smell when I first mix it, then at 3 weeks and then at one year. I have found that allowing my Patchouli and Sandalwood blends to mellow for a year is the most agonizing thing to do because they smell so wonderful but I know that waiting is the best thing for the most heady and smooth scent.

I have 4 more blends to create before I leave. I am aiming for 3 more masculine and 1 more feminine. hopefully this will be done and once I return there will be lovely fragrances for you all to test out.

As Promised, SPORN!!

I hope you enjoy the soap poon that has been brought to you by The Chandler's Rose.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hello, Rose Garden!! How are you? I soaped up a storm yesterday!! I had planned for 5 four pound batches but I ran out of soap molds so I had to put that on hold. Today was clean up of soap dishes and soap area as well as cutting soaps from yesterday. Tomorrow I will attempt to make another 4 four pound batches so I can test out a few more EO and FO components. Well, enough chitter-chatter, on with the soaps!!

 

 

 

This one here is Mish Mash #2. I still haven't come up with a good name. My dad says to call it Pastry. So, until someone can tell me a better name, Pastry it is!! It has a sweet smell of blue raspberry cotton candy and black cherry pixie sticks.

 

 

 

 

 

For color I used 24 karat Gold, Robin Egg Blue, and Black Luster Micas from The Chemistry Store, Purple Mica from Crafter's Choice and Teal Gel Lab Color from The Chemistry Store. The only color that stuck was the Purple from Crafter's Choice.

 

I have been working on bettering my photography skills so I can have a better and more uniform look to my soaps.

 

 

The next series of pictures are my Sweet Orange, Blood Orange and Lemon essential oil soaps and a combo of Pastry and citrus blend. They smell awesome. The pink that you see is supposed to be Purple from Crafter's Choice, Teal mica from The Chemistry Store and some True Red Gel Lab Color from The Chemistry Store. The Sweet Orange overpowers the Blood Orange and the Lemon is anchoring the citrus Oranges to the soap.

 

 

 

 

I didn't force gel because I didn't want the essential oils to burn off. When I took them out of the molds today there was some oil left at the bottom of the mold. Overall, I am really happy with the way they turned out.

 

 

Egyptian Musk (1980's incarnation) was something that I decided to try out myself yesterday. I was so thrilled to have found the original scent that I couldn't help but attempt to make it as a soap for washing. Normally my soaps tend to run toward the edible side of the spectrum but I am really happy with this.

 

This last set is Mish Mash #1. I poured the bulk into a Pringles can but had some left over so I decided to try to use up some of my Gel lab colors. I used Lemon, Lime and Teal Gel Lab Colors from The Chemistry Store. The lime is barely discernible. The Teal turned to Hunter's Green. The Lemon darned a tad. Overall, not bad.

 

 

 

CLOSE UPS OF THE PREVIOUS SOAPS.

Soaped and Soaped

Good Morning!!!

I made Egyptian Musk, Sweet Orange and Blood Orange, Mish Mash #1 and Mish Mash #2. All the fragrance and essential oils behaved beautifully for me!! No Acceleration at all!! I am really happy about that. I will unmold later on this morning or maybe after noon. Not sure just yet because I didn't force gel in any of my soaps so I want to give them more than 12 hours in the mold.

Once my daughter gets home from school I can ask for the HDMI cord so I can move the pictures from the camera to the tablet. Pictures will be coming soon.

Full Swing Soaping Today!!

Good Afternoon, Rose Garden!!

I am making soap today.

4 lb. Egyptian Musk

4 lb. Blood Orange and Sweet Orange EO

4 lb. Mishmash, tidbits of leftover EOs and FOs


And I don't know how I am going to scent the last 8 lb. I am sure that I have some FO in the lab that I haven't played with yet that I need to try out.

Myself and 3 other bath and body makers and chandlers have teamed up and we are offering Southeast Mystery boxes!! I am so happy about this. In these boxes the purchaser will receive:

4 bars of soap
1 container of lotion, body butter or a lotion stick
2 wax tarts

Boxes are a subscription and the price includes shipping and handling. All ingredients will be clearly marked on each bar of soap, lotion/body butter/lotion stick containers. You can go to http://thechandloersrose.com right now to purchase under the gift box tab, first tab. Some of 2015 boxes are already listed. The next boxes partnering with Funky Fresh Bath and Body, Thyme for Rosemary bath and body and Lisa's Candle Corner. Each month each box will be different.

Thanks, Everyone. After today's soaping adventure I will have more fragrance and essential oil reviews to post.

Facebook Fumbles and Such

Good Afternoon, Rose Garden!!

How is everyone? We are doing so well here. We are excited because yesterday we sent our first shipment of the new Romance Line from The Chandler's Rose!!! It is on its way to Hawai'i. Spring Fling, Summer Lovin' and Honeymoon are just a few with many more to come. Our hiatus from Facebook has been a boon to production. Also, clearing out old lines and rebranding for new designs has been a challenge but thankfully the Fragrance of the Month Club and dedicated customers have kept us going and assuring us that we are moving in the right direction. What all else have we been up to?

Well, we launched on Periscope and have been working on our IG presence. The goal is to not oversaturate any of our social media markets. We learned from our mistakes with Facebook. Speaking of FB previously we would be inundated with requests for free product to test and blog about. We, of course, appreciate enthusiasm for our products but we have the Fragrance of the Month Club members and Soap of the Month members to do our testing for us. Thank you for all inquiries. Should a slot open up in either club we will be sure to announce it. Now on to some fragrance reviews.

Fragrances:


White Jasmine (Rustic Escentuals) - Definitely a keeper!! More floral than their other Jasmine. This White Jasmine has more depth to the fragrance. I will be using this one from now on. One of my customers who loves our Jasmine Peach likes the new blend as well.

Black Fig and Honey (The Chemistry Store.com) - It pains me to have to type this but this one is NOT CP friendly. I used a basic soap batter and soaped at 110F and the scent morphed on me!!! OOB it smells like a sweet floral but once it has been soaped it smells like Play Doh. I am not even kidding. I have had others smell the soap and it is unanimous, this one is NOT going into any blends for CP. Once a few testers have been made for perfume, lotion and such we will post our official findings on the site. However, I will affirm that this FO doesn't A or D.

Fragrance Test Update

Good Morning, Rose Garden!!

Yesterday I made Periscope video showing which fragrances I was going to test out in soap. The purpose of my making small test batches is so I can see which ones could possibly cause Acceleration or Discoloration. I make these notes and then create blends accordingly.

Black Fig and Honey from The Chemistry Store smells great out of bottle and during the soaping but smells like Play Doh the next day. It doesn't cause A or D. I will keep an eye on it and see if the actual scent comes back or not.

Summer Breeze and White Linen by Rustic Escentuals and Aroma Haven, respectively smell great out of bottle individually but when soaped 50/50 White Linen overtakes the senses. No A or D so far.




Moonlight Gardenia and Kumquat by The Chemistry Store smell great out of bottle and in the finished product. No A or D.

 

 

 

Tahiti Sweetie and Crystal Clear Brazilian Mango  from The Chemistry Store smell great together and the scent stuck. No A or D so far. Cut pictures will follow later in the week.

 

 

Next, I will  test out Rustic Escentuals' Apricot and Honey and Moscato. I am really excited about that. 

A Moment of Silence

With heavy heart I must report that I dropped 16 ounces of Patchouli on my garage floor. It spilled everywhere. Thankfully, I had some unscented kitty litter to put on the spot where the bottle fell and perished. It was a great EO. Perfectly aged. Mellow to the last drop, and now it is gone!!! *agonized wail* I haven't soaped since April. I had inspiration from going to the Rustic Escentuals Meet and Greet this past Friday. I decided to develop a new and easier test soap batter.

I was in the garage pulling my oils out (keeping them in the garage during the SC Summer ensures very fluid or soft oils. ;). I saw the Patchouli sitting on tip of the Coconut Oil drum and I remember thinking to myself "You need to move that". Yeah, I didn't and now I am writing this sad post. On the bright side, whenever any guests come through the garage over the next 3 days they will be very mellow. Ugh!! I hope this doesn't portend to the soap gremlins taking up residence here tonight.

Pictures Like I Promised

Hello, Rose Garden!!

I have been busy making some changes and tracking how things need to be different on the website. I rebranded in 2012 to provide fragrance blends to other soapers since the market was saturated with the same scents. Then I realized that I need to make sure that the blends would perform well in soap and then I allowed others to push me into the already jam packed soap making/selling arena. I got lost but now I am found. When The Chandler's Rose re-opens in March of 2016 I will provide fragrance and essential oil blends exclusively. I will keep my wholesale accounts. As I am closing out my selling year I am bundling and packaging my soaps, lotions and candles that were made for my company.

 The Coffee Shoppe line: Chocolate Almond Biscotti, Turkish Mocha, Strawberry Chocolate, Café con Leche and Original (Unscented). These soaps are made with Olive Oil, Palm Oil, Mango and Shea Butters.

 These soaps have been in my line since 2012 and have just gotten better over time. Dark cocao and ground coffee makes these soaps decadent and delicious.

 The Men's Line: Cigars and Bourbon and Fire Me Up! are smoky and sensual blends that aren't strong but are potent. I have added lotion to these sets since sometimes men don't always have the softest skin on their hands, elbows and knees.

 

 

The Pirate's Cove Line: Rum Runner, Blushing Scarlett, Mermaid's Tear, High Seas and the Sea Witch soaps are some of my most adventurous lines in regards to scent and back stories.

 

Fractured Faerie Tales Line: Puss' Boots, The Little Mermaid, Rumpelstiltskin and Schneewittchen is a line a that has been developed since 2013. The scent blends were developed from the darker pre-Grimm stories and I loved having these in my line. This is the greatest push that I have ever had.

 

Lastly, my Ultra line. These are all Limited Edition soaps that I created just for more fun; Strawberry Patchouli, Green Apple, Hyacinth and White Patchouli and White Chocolate.

 

 

 

These are the last of the soaps that I have produced as a line. I will continue to make soaps to test out new blends and showing them here. My focus will be single fragrances from Rustic Escentuals. I will post my results here and then I will post any and all blends that I make from the base FO's. Look for me on IG: the_chandlers_rose, Periscope: The_Chandlers_Rose and YouTube: TheChandlersRose.

This Must Be a First!!!

I have received my Bramble Berry order 7 days after is shipped!! I looked on my tracking and it didn't go through Oregon, Kansas and Atlanta this time!! Thank you, Anne-Marie!!! Orders will be going out sooner than I had thought!! Bless you!!

Bramble Berry doesn't carry Earth Musk anymore and thankfully Musk Cybilla is enough like Earth Musk to not throw off my blend.

Blue Man smells like a sweeter version of Red Currant and Ancient Sedona; almost like there is Blue Cotton Candy mixed in.

Vanilla Rosewood smells like Musk with a hint of Warm Vanilla. It first whiff it is off-putting but it does linger nicely in the nose.

I did receive one ounce of Liquid Black Oxide and Liquid Blue Oxide. If this cooler weather prevails then I will be making some 2 lb test batches of soap later on this week.

Thanks, everyone and take care.

Scent Reviews and Other Stuff

First, let me say, "Hello!!!"

I have been researching lately and looking at how the market is changing, growing and shifting. More people are getting into bath and body care but 30% aren't taking it very seriously. An infamous FB company comes to mind where the owner and his wife brag about going to Wal-Mart and the $1 Tree purchasing lotions, shampoos and conditioners; adding fragrance oils and other oils willy nilly, repackaging them and then selling the items off at cut rate prices and laughing about it. Well, here is where we get crooks, snake oil salesmen and the like tainting the market. The bath and body community as a whole pled with the owner to stop. He laughed. Then he was reported. He laughed some more and changed his company name. Then a FB page was created in order to out him and his bogus practices but nothing has changed. Now some of you  may be wondering "Why do you even care? Leave him alone and worry about your own company." Here is why we bother; if you eat a tainted burger you may swear off that particular burger or that chain restaurant but you probably won't swear off ALL restaurants for the rest or your life.

On the flip side, too many people have said at markets, trade shows and such "Oh, I tried a handcrafted bar of soap before and it broke my skin out. Never again! I will stick to Dove." Two issues here: 1) Dove is a detergent not soap. 2) Just because you had a skin issue with one bar of soap that you MOST likely didn't read the ingredients just purchased, it doesn't mean that ALL handcrafted soaps are bad. But remarks like this can and have crippled sales for most business owners. So when we have identified a fraudulent company doing damage to our niche market then, yes, we must stridently protest. This is our livelihood that is being affected here.

Now, all of this has brought me to what I wanted to tell you today. I have continued to research companies to find the best fragrance oils to use in formulations. There are many companies out there but I tend to stick with a company until they prove either too costly or that they have adulterated their products, *Ahem, cough Bulk Apothecary*. I will not lie to you Bramble Berry, Bath Body Supply and Cedar Vale.net were my only suppliers back in 2004 when I first got into this. I used Bath and Body Works to get my Essential Oils. Hey, didn't I say I was just starting out?! Don't judge me! As time has gone forward I have refined my tastes to a particular brand of scents. One thing that remained a constant is that I like to blend my own fragrances together. I will purchase an EO or FO and smell it, love it and then immediately ask "Now how can I change this?" For 11 years now I have been doing that. I am still doing it. In fact, I have 3 very successful lines due to this (Pirate's Cove, Fractured Faerie Tales and a Men's line).

In 2012 I was introduced to Nature's Garden, Aztec, Aroma Haven/Rustic Escentuals, The Chemistry Store.com, Wholesale Supplies Plus (Crafter's Choice) and Sweet Cakes. Now, supposedly the bigger named companies all the their FO's from one supplier. If that is the case then each individual supplier here decides whether or not to cut or adulterate their FOs. The Crafter's Choice Bonfire Bliss is smoky and sweet. Rustic Escentuals is sweeter with a little smoke. Nature's Garden Crackling Firewood and Tobacco Caramel are pale in comparison to Crafter's Choice's Crackling Firewood and Tobacco Caramel. In fact, I had to chuck an entire batch due to subbing NG's for CC's. The lesson I took away from that experience is to NOT try to sub out any component of a blend with anything from an unknown company. Now, Bramble Berry, Crafter's Choice, Rustic Escentuals and The Chemistry Store I can mix and match with barely any adjustments.

Armed with my lesson learned I decided to order OTHER fragrances from Nature's Garden to try out and I must say that I am most impressed with their Green Apple. It is just as strong as Bath and Body Supply's. Their Mango is a great sweet tangy citrus fragrance. Blue Agave is just as good as Sweet Cakes. In fact, I just received my 16 ounce bottle from Nature's Garden. I am so happy with it. Their Indian Sandalwood is not as heady, musky or thick like Bramble Berry's but it is good in a pinch. There is a more perfume-y after-scent, if you will, which can be good for lotions and shower gels.
I am finding that I am liking NG's Chamomile FO as well. It is soft and perfume-y but I like it!! Soothing Chamomile from The Chemistry Store has a medicinal scent that is slightly off putting.

I have tried Frankincense and Myrrh from different companies and no one's can compare to the blend that I received from Bramble Berry back in 2005!!! The formulation that they have now is "meh", NG's is very weak and NOW's prices for  even 30 mL is just way too much!! I haven't the heart to try to get it from anywhere else. Bulk Apothecary was going to be my choice but since I purchased adulterated Patchouli from them back in 2013 I haven't trusted them for anything.

Egyptian Musk brings up so many cherished memories from my childhood. I remember my mother wearing it in the '80's and early '90's. But, as most companies do, a 'blue' version was introduced and that one proliferated the market like you wouldn't believe. However, in 2005 my mom was able to send me half an ounce from her personal stockpile. I was in heaven!! I ran out and wasn't able to get anymore from her. The hunt began for the next 11 years until February 2015 when I happened upon Lotions and Potions in Phoenix, AZ and guess what the owner had in the back???? The original Egyptian Musk formulation!! My next rapid fire questions were "Where did you get this from? How much can I purchase now? How much can you send me in May?" Did you notice I didn't inquire about price? Unfortunately, Sharon couldn't deliver due to some staffing issues but guess who did? The Chemistry Store. I had gone in to pick up my monthly order when Deidre allowed me to sniff samples from Lebermuth. Lo and behold, Egyptian Musk and it was the original formulation from my childhood. I promptly purchased 5 lbs of it. I was ecstatic and did a happy dance for all to see.

So to wrap all of this up, Nature's Garden has a good Green Apple, Chamomile, Mango and Blue Agave FO. AH/RE has a wonderful, Moscato, Neroli (The Chemistry Store no longer carries this one or Kentish Rain), Bonfire Bliss, Alpine Frost, Summer Breeze, Kickin' Caramel and Apricot and Honey. Thanks for reading. Next post will have pictures to accompany the text.

Delays and Deliberations

Good Afternoon!!

I have been chatting about this off and on for the past 3 months and have decided that rather than shutting my fragrance oil site down temporarily; it is going the way of the Dodo. Looking at some of the transactions that are going on via PayPal and all of the theft I feel that mail order or e-mail order is the way that I am going for a while. I will be able to offer more fragrances and bigger sizes than what I am able to do right now. So, that catalogue will début at the end of August.

I am only making two Christmas soaps and lotions this year. 2013 saw Christmas Cookie. I am not sure what all I am going to do this year but I will be epic!! Silver Bells was a hit for 2012 and 2013 so I know that these 2 that I have in mind will also knock the nostril socks off of my customers as well.

Lately, I have been focusing more on video blog entries because I like that I can give you a better visual of my products. Those will be continuing in the future since I am shutting down my Facebook pages. I am not sure if I will just close them down for a little while or if I am leaving FB all together. I have to find another platform that will not hamstring me as much as FB has. We shall see.

As for fragrance reviews, I don't have any. I have been creating blends to be tested out by a few companies to give me an idea of what I want to offer in 2016. I hope to have their feedback by August 15th so I can make up my minds before I finalize my catalogue for next year.

Thank you all for your support.

YouTube Videos

Good Afternoon, Rose Garden!!!!

I know that I haven't been all that active here in the blogsphere. After August I will be deactivating my Facebook accounts; therefore I have been beefing up my YouTube posts and videos. You can follow me on IG and YouTube. Starting next month I will also start mailing out newsletters. If you want to stay connected and informed then send me an e-mail at, thechandlersrose12@gmail.com.

Love you lots and am looking forward to hearing from you.

Hello, Rose Garden!!

Two posts in the same week?! She must be motivated!! And I am. I have completed The Chandler’s Rose e-catalogue that will be mailed in August and I have created 24 new blends. Yay, me!! My Fragrance of the Month testers are ready for them to be shipped and I am ready to read their notes and critiques. This is the main reason why I went into business in the first place, the contact from other business people and their letting me know if I am on the right track or not.

I also have a new YouTube video up. Yep, that is correct I just said that I have a video up on YouTube.

https://youtu.be/YQVyZHy7F4I

 I just have to keep my yammering to under 7 minutes and I will be able to post from my phone. Where there is a stubborn will there is a way. ;) The categories for these blends are Holiday, Memories and Desserts. Whenever I am denied something in my personal life I make up for it in my professional life. When I was single and horny I came up with Cigars and Bourbon ™ and when I wanted to eat sweets but couldn’t I created Strawberry Patchouli. Well, I am in training for the next 5k and will not be able to indulge like I want to so more dessert fragrances. Bahahahahaa!!! *quiet sob and sniffle*

 

Fragrance Reviews

Amazon Mist (Rustic Escentuals) – A clean and light fragrance with a hint of sugar. It blends well and can be lost if used with too heavy of a fragrance. It can also tone a migraine inducing FO waaayyyy down!! This one is actually a real keeper.

Red Hot Banana (Rustic Escentuals) - Top notes Banana and Caramel and Base note Cinnamon. This one I would highly recommend using at 0.5% - 1% ratio of overall recipe. This is a tricky one to blend The Cinnamon can overpower your entire blend. When testing this one out I used1 part Red Hot Banana to 4 parts Sweet Orange EO and the Cinnamon was still very strong. **This one has an orangey caramel color to the FO so it will probably discolor your soap/shower gel/lotion.**

Thanks

Hello, Hello!!

Good Morning!!!

How has everyone been? I have been in flux for the past 5 weeks but am slowly moving forward. YouTube still hasn't cleared up the claim against one of my videos so I still cannot post. But in a way that is just the last push in a series of pushes that I needed to move me from certain forums. If you follow me on Facebook then you know that I am shutting down my Facebook account on August 31st. I have come to realize that people like to "Oooohh!" and "Aaahhh!" over pictures but will not purchase. They will also steal them. That being said, I am going back to newsletters and e-mail contact. If any of my readers want to be put on the e-mail distribution list then please send me an e-mail with "Newsletter" in the subject line, thechandlersrose12@gmail.com.

I haven't made any soap in over 9 weeks. I have been working the other side of my business and that is manufacturing private label blends. A company can contract with me to create blends for them that no one else has but the company has 15 days after receipt of the product to test it out and finalize a contract on what they want. Once that date expires the blend goes out to others. I have had some fragrances with no bites and I have discontinued them and scrapped the recipe. No biggie. I can always create others.

This heat has been sapping my strength. I cannot function in above 75 degree Fahrenheit temps. I just cannot. In the meantime, I have received some samples from Rustic Escentuals that I have been stumped by. Their Kickin' Caramel and Red Hot Banana FO's smell good at first, then slightly cloyingly sweet and then ...! So, I have been attempting to dissect what I am smelling so I can decide what will be the best essential oils to blend with them. Kickin' Caramel has a slightly salty top note and then smells like Orville Redenbacher's Caramel popcorn. Red Hot Banana has top notes of Cinnamon and sweet Banana and a Middle note of Elf Sweat ( I forget which company creates this particular FO blend). Normally with a sweet FO I attempt to bitter it up with an earthy or musky EO. Geranium and Patchouli are good for this. Silver Fir Needle as well. But I think this year I will go with clean Citrusy EOs because I want to move a little differently.

For the Fragrance Club Members, August to September will see a 2016 fragrance sample box go out so everyone will be able to give input and play around with some cool new blends. It will also give companies a way to send out teaser or samples of their creations during the holidays as a means of whetting the appetites of their customers.

Random Thoughs

Good Morning, Rose Garden!!

What have I been up to? I have been making soap for the website, making bath cookies for the website and making bath truffles for the website. Now I need to take pictures the cookies and truffles and post them. The current ones going up on the site will be Limited Edition fragrances because I wanted to use up the little odds and ends that I currently had. The next batch will be in The Chandler's Rose fragrances that many of you have come to know and love.

I haven't made any new videos in a while but that is going to change. I have been monitoring Facebook and have seen where soap makers are having their videos stolen. It really makes me sick!!! I am seeing where people want to make money from soapmaking but they don't want to take the time to learn to create their own, photograph it and/or video it; they would rather steal from people that have taken years and hundreds of dollars to perfect their craft. It really peeves me off!!! So, from now on I will have to do like the wonderful artisan behind Missouri River Soaps and will watermark all of my videos and photos.

On to more pleasant things. Aroma Haven has become my new #1 fragrance depot!! First of all, the company is right here in South Carolina, Roebuck to be exact. I can order on a Monday and receive my package by Wednesday at the latest. Never a spill or a drop out of place. The quality of service is almost magical!! Thank you so much!! I am slowly replacing my Bramble Berry FO's with Aroma Haven's. I love Bramble Berry. In fact, that was the company that was my go-to when I was living in Maryland. For the most part, their blends are well worth the 2 week wait to receive. But as I have branched out to other companies I have found that Aroma Haven has the same quality as BB. The Chemistry Store is still a good resource but the scents can sometimes be off. I was told that they receive their blends from Lebermuth the same as BB but I have taken in FO's from BB and compared them to TCS's and there is a distinct difference in the fragrances that cannot be denied.

The Chemistry Store used to carry Red Apple but discontinued it because it took them so long to sell their initial order. I was despondent due to loving the fresh crisp apple scent. Aroma Haven to the rescue!! Their Macintosh Apple is spot on!! I love it!!!

I have purchased Watermelon from AH and while it is good it unfortunately cannot hold a candle to BB's Watermelon. I love how BB's smells like Watermelon Jolly Rancher (TM).

Honeysuckle is another FO that I absolutely love but not every company's Honeysuckle can hold a candle to each other. TCS's is #1 and BB's is #2. I have more to research and try out.

Evolution and Change

Good Morning!! How is my lovely Rose Garden today? I thought that I would show off some pictures that I have taken recently and in the past. The first soaps that you see are of my Pirates themed soaps. The first one is Pirates of the Caribbean inspired: "It's the Purhl!" spoken in that delish Captain Jack Sparrow drawl. The colors are blue and black. I wanted to have an turbulent ocean look to it. Didn't really achieve what I had set out to do.

 

Now, the one below is the same fragrance and concept. Renamed High Seas (TM) from my Pirate's Cove (TM) line. I was able to capture more of the wind swept sea look that I had been going for back in 2013. Still the great fragrance and still worked beautifully for me. This is now up on the website.

 

 Next is Pirate's Cove: The Sea Witch. A beautiful bright soap that draws you near and when you take a deep inhale it arrests your breathing due to the Ginger EO and the Orangeblossom FO. It smells great but will catch you unawares, and that is precisely what sailors of old would say about sea witches that would entice the sailors to their doom.

 

This my first group photo of my Fractured Faerie Tales (TM) line. From left to right there is:

 Puss' Boots, Rumpelstiltskin, The Little Mermaid, Cindered Ella, Briar Rose and Schneewittchen. All of these can be found on the web as well.

The Website Is Now Open

Hello, Rose Garden!!

My web store is now open!! The address is

http://thechandlersrose.com

I am so pleased. All of the soaps that have been featured here before plus some new items such as Bath Cookies, Bath Truffles and Limited Edition soaps!! First 50 orders are receiving a gift with purchase, no minimum purchase amount.

What are you still doing here?! Click on the link and shop!!

Sporn!!

Here are the pictures that I promised from the other day. All of these are restocks/revamps from 2013 and 2014 Soap of the Month blends that were so popular that I decided to bring them on as regular offerings. From the Fractured Faerie Tales line that you can read about in previous posts from 2013 and 2014 to the Masculine line that I have developed and wanted to bring all the way back to the foreground. Most if not all pictures are labeled and the smell terrific!!

 Cigars and Bourbon and Coffee Shoppe: Unscented. The Brick Red was a very Pepto pink at first but has calmed down to a very pale red. Hopefully it will continue to darken over time.

 

That is all for now my lovelies. I have Pirate's Cove: The Sea Witch and Fractured Faerie Tales: Cindered Ella in the soap molds now and later on this week I will make Pirate's Cove: High Seas and  Caribbean Wedding and Fractured Faerie Tales: The Little Mermaid, Little Red Cap and Briar Rose.

 

No fragrance reviews right now. I have some new fragrance oils in from Aroma Haven/ Rustic Essentials. I have some new 'toys' to play with.

Updates and Fragrance Oil Reviews

Hi there, Rose Garden!!

 I have been making a whole lotta soap for the opening of my new web store. I am going to post some of the pictures. I’ve had my ideas and pictures lifted recently so I will not do a lot of photos of my own products in the future. I do want to let you know which lines are coming:

Pirate’s Cove – mostly ready

Fractured Faerie Tales – mostly ready

Coffee Shoppe – mostly ready

Romance ** Coming Soon**

Ultra Blends ** Coming Soon**

Recently, I have taken to reviewing other companies’ products as well as participating in soap swaps. If you have been following me for a while then you know that I love a good swap!! I cannot post pictures yet because not everyone has received their boxes and I do not want to spoil the surprise. Pictures will be coming soon though.

 

Fragrance Review

Nature's Garden - Egyptian Musk is a pale pale shadow of what the fragrance oil blend used to be. It smells very watered down.

Nature's Garden - Tart Green Apple is just as true to Granny Smith as Bath Body Supply with a $2 savings. If you normally purchase from Bath Body Supply but you are tight on money, Nature's Garden is a very good substitute. Soaps very well.

Theresa Mendez - Egyptian Geranium EO, Ylang Ylang EO, Rose EO/FO blend and Clary Sage EO are the BEST that I have every used!! I have been using Ylang Ylang since 2004 and I have not come across any that can compare to what Theresa offers.

Nature's Garden -  Pina Colada is very true to the mixed drink. It soaps very well and doesn't brown the soap. The sharp pungency of the fragrance oil mellows nicely to a sweet aroma in CP.

Lotions and Potions - Egyptian Musk is right on point for the '80's and '90's fragrance oil blend. You can get a light, medium or dark blend. I get the medium and dark mixed for the truest fragrance.

 

Third Day Soaps and Garden Product Review

Third day Soaps and Garden Product review

Hello, my Lovelies!!

How are you? I am splendid!! And do you know why? It is because I was chosen to review some wonderful products, Sole Survivor Rejuvenating Foot Scrub and wonderful all-in-one, Smooth Operator Bath, Shower and Massage Oil. I was really happy to receive these because I was in desperate need of a pedicure and my skin has been acting a fool since I got back from Arizona. Enough about me and let’s read more from the genius behind the products, Cynthia Hill. Below is an abbreviated interview between myself and Cynthia.

 

What is your mission?

Our mission is to use ingredients so pure and simple they could have come from one of the earliest gardens on Earth; this poetic verse about an early garden inspired our name--On the Third Day Soaps Garden

The Earth bring forth the grass, the herb that yields seed, and the fruit tree that yields fruit...and the evening and the morning were the "Third Day”

And, in the future to have a spa/boutique/snack bar where people can come and pick their own herbs, spices and veggies, sit at the snack bar and eat and/or have a massage all in the same place. Right now my energy is in building an empire and a legacy.

 

Who is your target market?

The products are geared towards the family not just a particular ethnic group or thought process however; we do create a lot of products for the African-American hair type. Overall my products are geared towards the working person. They should be able to afford quality products.

 

I received an oil. Tell me more about it and its uses.

The massage oil is an all-in-one: bath, after bath or massage oil. It is what I call a “self-preserving” product. It can keep for up 2 – 3 years. Argon oil is very silky and soothing to the skin. It is a very nourishing product.

 

Let’s switch gears to the nuts and bolts of the business. In the EU products like yours are heavily regulated. Do you feel that the American market needs to face such stringent regulation as well?

Regulations are important but merchants should take more interest in lobbying for our industry, industry trends and make good decisions in regards to our products. Education should be tops for all in this industry. We must never stop learning and educating ourselves and our customers.

 

If you had to pick just two essential oils as your favorites, what would they be?

Lavender and Lemon Balm; people are overly familiar with Lavender but Lemon Balm is a rock star as well. It was really popular in the ‘20’s and ‘30’s. It was given to women to treat symptoms for melancholy, relaxation and it blends well in a tea with Lavender, Nettle and Red Clover.

 

If you had two pieces of advice that you could give a newbie or someone even thinking of starting a bath and body care business, what would they be?

 

1.     Make sure that this is something that you love and would do; even if you weren’t getting paid for it.

2.     If possible, stay educated through trade, association or stringent networking to develop your craft in your field.

3.     Get an industry mentor, research and develop what you want to do. Never quit!

 

Folks this is Part 1 of the review for this wonderful company. Tune in to YouTube for Part 2. In the meantime, you can purchase her lovely products and visit her on Facebook.

Thirddaysoapsgarden.com

(412) 290-0611

Third Day Soaps & Garden

Pittsburg, PA

Sporn!!!

 These are soaps that are carried in Lotions and Potions in Phoenix, AZ. I love looking at various soaps. These are CP soaps created by a local husband and wife team.

 These are M & P soaps from various artisans from the U.S. I miss Sharon.

A New Website Coming!!

Hello, Rose Garden!!

How are you doing? I have been busy attempting to get a brand new website up and running. It is a bit of a challenge but I am hoping to have it ready for you by May 1st. I still have some things to get cleaned and cleared up. I will announce when it is ready.

Dandi Creations Soap Review

Hello, Rose Garden!!

It has been a while, I know, I know. But I am here now and that is all that matters. I have a couple of reviews to do. This post will take a couple of days but we shall start with my first box of soaps from Dandi Creations out of Hermitage, PA!!! Diana is a wonderful soaper. She is so creative and dedicated to the art. I will show you in pictures.

 I was so excited to receive my box!!

 Look at how neatly arranged this is!!

 I made sure to take a picture of their business card so that any and everyone who is looking to order from Dandi Creations will have their contact information. Ordering from the website was super easy!!

 This slice is of Pumpkin Bumpkin smells great!!! Subtle and spicy just like the real deal.

 I have tried out the Pink Berry. I love the lather and the smell. In fact, even my dad wanted a slice of this one so I had to cut the bar into 4 pieces. One for him, one for my daughter and the rest for me.

I have also tried out the Coconut Lime Verbena. The smell is clean and sharp. I have this one in my shower as well. And yes, I had to split this bar with my dad and daughter, too. I don't know how Diana did it but she actually elevated the scent!!

Now, I have to admit that I haven't tried out any of the other soaps but I sniffed Mocha Joe for at least 2 days. I promise you I swear that I could taste a strongly brewed cup of coffee at the back of my throat every time!! Anyone who knows me knows that I love, love, lurve coffee!!!

 

There are 2 other soaps that I haven't been able to give my attention to but as I stated earlier I will make a series out of these soap reviews. In the meantime go to www.dandicreations.com to purchase some (or all) of these awesome soaps. Contact Diana via Facebook at www.facebook.com/DandiCreations. Thanks and tune in later for the next installment.