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.
Monday, August 31, 2015
Thursday, August 27, 2015
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.
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.
Monday, August 10, 2015
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.
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.
Wednesday, August 5, 2015
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.
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.
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