Creative ideas, recipes, ways of living and bath and body products that are pure bliss
Yeah, I know, I have been MIA again, but I thought you might like to hop over to DIY Life and read my latest post about creating blends with essential oils just for valentine’s Day. There are recipes for scenting the room and for scenting body oil.
And check back every week, as I’ll be writing the column “The Scentual Life” every Tuesday. Enjoy!
I cut three batches of soap yesterday. It never ceases to amaze me how the scent is released when the soap is cut. Why? I don’t know, because it makes perfect sense that cutting through the soap and exposing the inside will release the aromatic vapors right where I want ‘em . . . under my nose! But what I think is going to be a chore (it is the creative process of making the soap that I enjoy more) always ends up to be an experience. A sensual experience, as I get to feel the texture of the slightly soft soaps on my fingertips. A little workout, as I push down on my cutter using my whole upper body. An aromatic storm, as the scents surround me, transporting me to somewhere calm, or maybe rejuvenating me for the rest of the day, depending on the batch I am cutting. When I am done cutting my soap, I feel satisfied on so many levels, having not only enjoyed the experience, but also knowing that I am one step closer to using a new soap.
The newest, latest and greatest lip balm creation . . . just in time for Valentine’s Day!
Chocolate Rose Lip Lush is smooth, moisturizing, protecting and wonderfully lush on your lips. But the flavor is even more lush . . . raw cocoa butter as yummy as the darkest Dagoba chocolate bar, rose otto for the sweet and unique, and vanilla to smooth it all together.
I think this is my favorite one yet . . .
Owen went to Gymboree with my Mum and I sequestered myself in the basement for a 4-batch soaping session today. I can’t wait until these batches are cured, so I can use them, but I guess I’ll cut and wrap them, so you all can try them too! 
Lavender Grove is a blend of lavenders (French and Bulgarian), citruses and woods and evergreens — and a few of my little secrets. The resulting scent is hard to describe, but my “give me anything with lavender in it” customers will be lining up for this one. I’m looking forward to seeing how this scent develops and morphs as the soap cures. Will the woodsy scents stand out more? Or will the evergreen take over? Or will the lavender prevail? No matter which scent wins, it will be a lovely soap, with a peaceful, happy scent and just enough texture from the ground flaxseeds and lavender bud powder speckled throughout.
Verve is a new lemongrass based soap, something most of my customers love. I always try to balance the pungent scent of lemongrass with essential oils that tame it and round it out a bit. This time, vanilla, rosewood, sweet orange, and some woodsy and spicy essential oils were my choices. This will be a great wake up soap, and with streaks of lemon peel powder and calendula powder throughout, it will be toning and healing to the skin.
Shameless is the soap I am looking forward to the most. The scent of the orange blossom, patchouli, ylang, citruses and little secrets still lingers in my nose. Why Shameless? It is a bold blend that could be loved by two types of people — those that appreciate scent as a way of self-expession, and those that become just a little bolder when wearing this scent, in spite of themselves. And I have to say, I am quite proud of my swirls in this batch. I admit, oftentimes my swirls are really glorified streaks or even plops, but the swirls of Moroccan red clay turned out just gorgeous, or I am almost sure they did and I will know when I unmold and cut later this week!
Here’s today’s masterpiece — I actually haven’t decided on a name yet! It was going to be Citrus Rose, but that boring ol’ name doesn’t live up to the beauty of this soap, so now I am thinking about A Half-Dozen Roses Soap, or Rose Six Ways Soap, or something to that effect. I used 2 kinds of rose floral wax and rosewood to scent this soap (with a complex blend of citruses, vanilla and ylang), used rose hydrosol as part of the liquid, added a layer of soap that was colored with rose clay, and pressed red rosebuds and petals into the top of the soap. OK, maybe THIS is the soap I am most looking forward to . . .
This gorgeous oil is sooooo special, wait until you try it! It is produced in French Polynesia and has been used for generations as a skin and hair oil there. Testing in France has shown it to be more hydrating than coconut oil, jojoba and even shea butter! It is even said to be effective on wrinkles!
The really great part is that it is made with macerated gardenia flowers (called “Tiki” scent), so the scent is pure heaven! There are some inferior Monoi de Tahiti’s out there that are simply coconut oil with synthetic fragrances added. This one is the real deal — completely natural and organic with the paperwork to prove it.
We have the following Monoi de Tahiti products currently available:
Tiki Butter
3 oz. for 14.50
Tiki Soap
4 oz. for 8.00
Tiki Gift Set
3 oz. butter and 4 oz. soap for 20.00, in a pretty package!
Yuzu essential oil ~ when I smell this, I feel like Pavlov’s dog — I immediately begin to salivate, it is so yummy! Yuzu is an Asian citrus fruit whose peel is either cold pressed or steam distilled to make the essential oil. I wish I could liken it to another familiar fruit for you, but it is truly unique. Maybe a really, really strong smelling grapefruit, with a little sour splashed in; that may begin to describe it. But until you experience it, it is very hard to imagine its mouth-watering, uplifting scent.
We use yuzu essential oil in our Ananda Spa Perfume. Try some!