Bathing With Dinner Rolls

I've reviewed Dirty Loves Clean before and was in love with the subway map packaging and the lathery soap Michelle sent to me, Guava Loves Yuzu. Today, it's all about the the un-doughy Greenpoint Baked Bread soap. It smelled AMAZING, but I wasn't sure about bathing with bread, but once I got into the shower, the scent took me to another place. I closed my eyes, the bar held up against my nose.... I could have been sitting at a table in a cafe with fresh steamy rolls! Not only does the smell of the soap amaze me, but this soap is a dream. Major lather, moisturizing... a wonderfully balanced bar.


I don't think everyone wants to bathe with freshly made dinner rolls, but I, for one, find it downright exotic. Who wants to bathe with bread? you ask.

I do.

Go visit Michelle at her website for information: Dirty Loves Clean
And if you want to purchase her goodies, go to her Etsy shop!

You Light Up My Life

I got the most beautiful soy candle recently - a Chesapeake Bay candle which came in a tree motif gift box and the filled candle jar was silkscreened with the same tree motif design. So, before I even lit my candle, I felt as if I had been pampered like a Queen and the room that the candle occupied was instantly opened up, possessing a slice of zen, feng shui... peace. I had no idea a fancy candle would give me that much pleasure before I even smelled it, much less LIT it.

Isn't it gorgeous??

This is what they say about their Green Bamboo Jasmine fragrance:

This lively and alluring fragrance emerges with sweet fruity notes of cherry and orange enhanced by watery green nuances. Fresh bamboo mixed with floral touches of jasmine and muguet complete this charismatic scent.

That pretty much sums it up. I don't have the sophistication to tell you I smelled the notes of muguet. I CAN tell you it smelled lovely. I smelled the jasmine with green fresh hints and in general, the candle scent was not overwhelming at all, but the scent throw was great, it burned evenly and made the place smell yummy.

This is a 7 oz. soy candle, which is actually handpoured, the burn time is 35 hours, it has 100% cotton, lead-free wicks, it comes in thick decorated glass and a thick decorated box for only $20.00. That seems extremely reasonable. I thought such a large company wouldn't have these candles handpoured, but indeed, they do.

The next ones I'd like to try are the Citrus (Honey Lemon Creme), Gourmand (Amber Vanilla Hazelnut) and the Fruit (Tonka Bean Fig). Yum yum yum yum.

.....you give me hope, to carry on, you light up my day.....and... (can you finish the lyrics?)

Great Cakes Soapworks

I am reviewing a soap of Great Cakes that Amy sent me well before the Christmas holidays and she no longer is carrying the soap. Bear with me and take my review as a general review of her soaps because she has some beautiful ones at her shop.

Peppermint.

Loved it.

I am not a big mint fan. Don't get me wrong. A fat York peppermint patty can be an anytime of day snack for me, but mint all by itself never really does it for me. I open the plastic wrap on the soap and take a whif. Minty. I nod my head to and fro..."okay, this could be good", I murmur to myself half awake... stumbling into the shower fighting standing sleep syndrome the whole time. By the way, the bar is gorgeous with the red swirls in the creamy base. So festive, even in March.

(Just so you know, I am so NOT stuck on the whole holiday thing. I love pot roast in the Summer, fruit in the Winter, and having Cadbury eggs disappear after Easter just pisses me off).

In the shower, leaning against the wall, hot water pounding on my back, bar in hand, I start to move...rub the soap on my stomach, between my hands and shaWANG! Presto bubbles sumpremo, my dear. That woke my brain up. I love it when the bubbles double in size before the scent even reaches my nose. You would be mistaken if you thought I was all about bubbles, because it's just not true. Not really. I need major moisture because I am Dry Girl (this is why I started Product Body). This moisture-rich bar worked its magic on my skin and the aroma was mild peppermint, not Eclipse gum, shock-you-in-the-mouth-awful-mouthwash-sting-your-eyes peppermint. This was smooth, not too harsh, or over scented.

It was perfect.

One thing. My big fat brain didn't think to NOT wash my nether regions with it, and I felt like I had sat in an ice chair laced with a hint of Tiger Balm. Perhaps I am sensitive. Just a warning.

Great Cakes make great soaps. I truly LOVED it. Go check out their selection of handcrafted soaps and go visit Amy's blog.

The little that I have for you today

A little of my own soap porn because this is all I've got today.....
Click on these photos if you want a REALLY close look.

vanilla sugar with chocolate soap shavings

yuzu calendula for Betty's Bath

hyacinth soap for Product Body Shop

Upcoming reviews: Great Cakes Soap (peppermint) and Chesapeake Bay Candle signature collection (green bamboo jasmine)

Today I am listening to Yael Naim and Martha Wainwright on Pandora Radio.

Japan Seife - Suku Suku

I frequent Gracefruit's blog often and today I visited to find a post about a package she received from one of her favorite blog authors, Eri-c of Suku Suku, or Japan Seife(?)...not sure what the blog name is. Gracefruit calls it Japan Seife and the blog looks like it's called Suku Suku.

I was struck by the gorgeous soap and stunning photography. It tickles me pink and sparks my soaping creativity when I see unique soaps such as these. I haven't made soap in two weeks because I have been WAY busy, but my mojo has been off. I think these pictures knocked my mojo back into place. Thank you Eri-c!!

Take a look at some of these images, but more importanty, go see the blog and view all of them here.

This is especially adorable for the Spring...

Pink Parchment - Soapa Soapa

Months ago I ordered whipped soap from Pink Parchment Soaps because I just have a thing about whipped soaps. They look cool and feel cool. Maybe because they kind of look like fudge or cake with that dough-like whippy whipped texture. Honestly, I think all this soap love I have is completely visual and stems way back to all things sugar. I mean, I keep thinking it MUST be much deeper than that, but really, it always seems to go back to the cake the fudge, the cupcakes, and chocolate, the pie, creamy custard, that crazy tasty I-can't-live-without-that-confection-for-one-more-second-give-it-to-me feeling you know what I mean?

So I got this beauty in the mail and was thrilled:

Funny how life became busy. It got put on my shelf and using it was put on hold for too many months until now. I have to say it was well worth the wait because I love this soap. The scent is pink grapefruit, but a sweeter pink grapefruit than a tart pink grapefruit and the soap looked exactly like this photograph. The interesting thing about it was that is was denser than other whipped soaps I've tried, so I am assuming it was not whipped as long (?). I like this very much because it isn't disappearing as fast AND it's not breaking apart in my hands like a cakey mudpie as the others had (no names will be mentioned a-hem). This bar has major bubbles and excellent shaving slip for those who use soap for shaving. I will use ole whippy 'til the nubby nub slips down the drain. And y'know, I don't feel that way about THAT many soaps. Usually I use the soaps about halfway and then retire them, go on to the next for review.

This one I'll use up.

Now, I do wish the scent had a sharper, more tart grapefruit scent, but that's me. I am a hardcore "real citrus scent" gal. I can cut a lemon, lime, orange, grapefruit and just sniff the real fruit to my nose for minutes on end.

I love it THAT much.

Soap Reviews and My Hectic Life

When we moved to our shop, things got moved around and my soap which was organized, labeled and dated became more of a box of soaps over in the corner. Hmmmph. I suppose I understand. They were in the way and they are delicate, so thank you to whoever moved them out of the way so they wouldn't get broken....... but to pile them on top of each other? Ack!

OK, so..... now I am not entirely clear about when the soaps were sent in and who is owed reviews in what order. It would be great if you tell me what you sent and when you sent it, so that I can reschedule my soap reviews and get right down to it again. You all deserve reviews and promoting your soaps - especially during this economical anxiety attack. If you have sent me soap and have NOT gotten a review or have received an email from me, please, please, please email me at jo(at)productbody(dot)com.


Thanks for bearing with the unorganized soap situation that is me at this moment.