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.