Stunning Soap: Pasito A Pasito

These are some of the most beautiful soaps I've ever seen in my life. I can't believe the layers and embeds. The layers remind me of Jawbreakers, the candy that change colors as they get smaller and smaller from being sucked on and you can't bite it because you'll break your jaw if you do? Know what I mean?

Quote about the soap

"Oils: virgin olive, coconut, palm, Oleate Calendula, Castor, Avocado and Shea in the trace, and Vitamin E. Instead of water, goat's milk.

For color: Green oxide mineral pigment, Lemon Yellow, Pink Clay and part of the fund that has small specks, Vegetable Dye Powder Uva is crimson, but for the grace of soda, became brownish green with the resulting disappointment.
For flavors: Rosemary, Tea Tree and Lemon Tincture evenly and Incense as a fixative.
This is like coming back to life after a coma."

I am sad this soaper is disappointed with the color outcome of the brownish green because I think it is absolutely perfect! To me, the bar says: from the Earth rises this beautiful succulent, fertile blossom of colorful bliss.

That is my interpretation of the colors in the bar.

Below, are some pictures that I found on the same blog. I am in love because these are SO beautiful, original and UNIQUE!

Please, go visit the blog yourself. There are plenty more photographs that need to be looked at.

Today I Am Using...

Well, since I showered last night, I'll start with that.

Late last night I showered with the last remaining sliver of Lustbirne by Einfach Seife. So sad to see it gone, but luckily I can buy more any time I need to. I must find a good pear scent that is just a straight up pear fragrance oil that doesn't accelerate in CP soap. Any suggestions where I can get a good one? Leave a comment or email me...

I also have been using Haus Of Gloi's Pumpkin Butter which is SO awesome. I have tried their Body Emulsion which is ok, but a little thin for my taste. The Pumpkin Butter is kickin'. I have the 2 oz, which is a perfect size for my purse. Does not leak and a little goes a LONG way. Britton sent me Who Needs Love and it smells like a chocolate covered cherry. :) I think it was from their Valentine's collection.

Also, today, I am using The Morbid The Merrier's Harlot Honeysuckle Lip Balm.

Harlot.

Best lip balm on the planet. No matter what flavor.

That's it for now. More later...

xo jo

Unique Soaps

Decorative soap in Thailand - hand carved

Ice Cream Soapwich by AJ Sweet Soap

Fragranced with Cake Batter and chocolate fragrance.

Makes this a sensation for all the senses! Almost 6 ounces.

One Angel Wing Soap In Grace by Satin And Birch

The Wings are 4 x 3 1/2 And they are fragranced with Amazing Grace.

You have to see this chair being made by soap:

Soap Chair

"Soap

exaggerated

to the

scale of a chair."

Created by Nancy Wu

courtesy of bookofjoe.com

Crazy talent, right??!???

Lustbirne Has Me Lusting

As I mentioned in a previous post, Miss Gabriele Kappes, a.k.a. Macsoapy, of Einfach Seife, sent me soap and I must do a review immediately because the first and only bar I've tried, put my entire family into a shower frenzy.

I was sent 3 bars (oh, the lovely Gabriele. thank you!): Smoky, Lustbirne and Sportsfreund. I grabbed Lustbirne and went in for an evening shower only to be delighted on so many levels. Mm, the smell was new to me. I don't speak German, so I couldn't interpret Lustbirne. "Fragrance" is the only clue I get in the ingredient list, so before I go looking online at Google Translate for what I'm smelling, I try to test my smelling abilities. Eh'hem... I know I'm going to fail because I'm not well versed in the florals, and I think this one is...... Honeysuckle..? Oh my flipping head, it's a gorgeous and gentle scent!

So I'm in the shower and the bar is on the small side of normal, but works beautifully in my hand, as if it were made just for it, and I get it wet and start the lather process. GOLD! Dang - - that sucker batted it right out of the field! Über lather that made for great shaving and it washed off nicely, too.

I'm sad, though. My husband doesn't usually like the soaps I get because the scents are too much for him. Well, he really likes this one and he takes two showers a day. TWO! My son has also decided he really likes the soap! So now he is starting to shower in our bathroom instead of his. So my beautiful soap is going quick because it is being manhandled and showered with 4 times a day. Poor thing.

I love the soap I am using. Lustbirne. I haven't tried the other two but they smell wonderful. I did a Google Translate on Lustbirne and it says: pear relish. Guess my nose is WAY off. Hmmmph. But now I go back. Ah, yes, I can smell it now. How wonderful! So mild and delicate. And a beautiful bar to look at, yes?

Gabi, thank you SO SO SO much. I love your soap!! And my family does too. I'll have to divvy out my other bars for safety reasons. No fighting amongst the siblings...

:O)

xoxo jo

Soaps For Charity Soap Porn + Updates

It feels like no matter what I do, how much I get done, or when I get bad days with my illness, I always feel like I am falling behind. I hate that feeling. I have also been neglecting you, my soap readers, and I have to apologize. But here is what I have planned for this week, so I feel perkier just thinking about it:

1) A soap review of Gabriele Kappes' soap
2) Sharon, of Grumpy Girl Candle & Bath Company will be doing a special secret tutorial for us (She's going to try out her new video camera!). Well, I know what the tutorial is about and I am SUPER excited to be sharing it with you! You will have to wait and see. ;)

And while you wait for the goods, please bring your attention to a few soaps that are new to me:

Luxury Japanese Spring Soap with Shea Butter For Japan Relief, $4.00
Tokyo Factory



Luxury Sweet Soap, Mild Vegan Soap For Japan Relief
Tokyo Factory

A message from Tokyo Factory: "Now we are raising money for relief efforts in Japan. 100% of profits are given to the American Red Cross. Thank you very much for your love & support to my country, Japan.

Kitchen Soap
Sapa Sapa



Rosemary
Sapa Sapa

Sapa Sapa: All net proceeds are donated to AFESIP Cambodia to help victims of human trafficking and sex slavery. (this is a personal project for her)


I have great admiration and respect for independent companies that give 100% of profits to charity.

Have a good night, all.

Look What I Got from Macsoapy

Macsoapy sent me soap!

I didn't even KNOW Gabriele Kappes sent soap to anyone!! I am both honored and thrilled to the bone with excitement.

Balls!

Mahmud al-Sharkass creates soaps sculpted as grapes in Aleppo

visit this website to read the story behind the soap

Soap Balls made for a good cause at Global Orphan Outreach

visit their website for more information

Soap Trio by Gippsland Gift Baskets

Peas In A Pod by Great Cakes Soapworks

Spaceballs by Fresh Cut Soaps

Soaperstar and The Buzzzzz

When I first found Soaperstar, I found the website and it was full of bright, cheerful glycerin soaps. I think glycerin soaps can be so pretty and a true art in so many cases, but generally, here, at The Soap Bar, I focus on the hand crafted "from scratch" soap so I never pursued obtaining a bar for review.

Celine recently moved her craft to making cold process soap and created some interesting bars that piqued my interest. So....

I got a bar of Butterbee Silk. Unscented straight looking bar. When I opened the bar I smelled it and I was surprised by the scent. It smelled like something I knew well, but what was it? It did not smell like any soap I had ever smelled before.... I looked at the ingredients to see if there was something unusual in there: Sweet almond oil, organic palm, coconut oil, cocoa butter, castor oil, pure silk, pure buttermilk, and turkish honey - unfragranced.

I smelled and smelled until it hit me ---- a light hint of curry! Curry?? I emailed Celine right away. She said she didn't smell that.... she smelled caramelized honey, so I popped in the shower and got the soap wet and showered with it, and sure enough, the curry faded away and it started smelling more like a faint caramelized honey sugar. Thank goodness because a curry soap review would have been really hard to do. I LIKE Celine!

As far as the soap's performance: lovely bar. It is cut for smaller hands. Sadly, I did not weigh it or measure it, but I'd guess it's under 4 ounces, the bar lathered well, moisturized wonderfully and worked well for shaving. I think cocoa butter and honey are a nice combination, although I wonder if the buttermilk was the challenging factor in causing the curry smell before the bar got wet. Once wet, however, Butterbee no longer smells like Masala Saag in any way. ;)

The soap lasts a nice long time, especially being a small bar, it needs to stick around, and it does. I'd love to try the Cream Bee next. I've never tried a vegetable puree soap, with fresh Irish dairy cream... sounds dreamy.

Celine, you are definitely on the right track! I think you are a sweet and lovely person and I wish Soaperstar the absolute best.

Follow her blog to keep up with what Celine is up to :) She just posted a new soap: Fresh Orange soap with Tussah silk, shea butter and cocoa butter. Here's a mini pic to drool over: