The North Street Bubble For Christmas

Marianne Rice of The North Street Bubble sent me an array of gorgeous soaps about a year ago to try and possibly review and I just loved them.  I loved the way each one looked and smelled.  They each had a distinct look about them, and were mindfully handcrafted and sent individually in paper bags ink stamped with the TNSB logo on them.

Sadly, I waited so very long to actually get into my shower with them.  Why did I wait so very long to use them??  Have I been so consumed with my own life that I could not muster unveiling one of those suckers for my own use?  Ugh, I kick myself!  You know why??  Because they were pretty darn stunning soaps, I say!

I am choosing one to talk about.  The prettiest one I had in the bunch.  Layered with red?? 
O h  y e a h .  Two thin red lines of perfection.  Absolutely stunning and that baby performed seamlessly.

This soap had huge bubbles and it felt smooth as silk on my wet skin.  And it wasn't like the huge bubbles cancelled out moisturizing qualities, either.  In the past, I've received soap bars that produce big, big bubbles and when I've gotten out of the shower, my skin feels like I've been shrink-wrapped in plastic and THEN, I bend and my skin feels like it cracks.  Not so with Marianne's soap.  I have no need for lotion afterwards, which is my telltale sign that a soap is well balanced.

Sadly after a year, her soap's scent faded and I didn't experience the BOMB smells that I initially got when I opened her package, but her soaps did not disappoint.  She is spot on with her recipe and graceful artistry.

Thank you, Marianne.  Sorry it took an ion to get to it.  Well worth the wait.  Peace out!

The North Street Bubble. (FB)    Web

Celine, The Silky Soapmaker

Celine Blacow and husband, Malcolm

I have written about Celine and her wonderful soaps before and, honestly, it is a treat to use her soaps.You can see my review here if you'd like.  It is always a big treat when I get to use her soap. I don't know what I love more, the actual soap, design or the fact that her small batches are clearly time intensive and she puts her heart into every batch.  Perhaps all of those put her in a category by herself.  The ingredients she chooses are all the ingredients my skin loves, so as long as she makes soap, I shall get my hands on it.  If you haven't watched her videos, you absolutely should.  You can see all the time and thought she puts into every loaf of soap she creates.  You should find a few minutes to watch at least one video from the Soaperstar video arsenal:  You Tube Soaperstar.

Today, I am reviewing Orange Pippin Nectar, beer soap with amazing other ingredients. First let's talk about the scent.  Totally not what I expected.  I thought it would be orangey, but I don't smell it as a strong participant.  Pippin is a type of apple called a Cox's Orange Pippin.  Apple?  A tad.  Beer?  Not a wee bit.  So what is this crazy good smell?  On the wrapper, the description of the scent is this:  Fragranced with a smooth blend of pure Irish ale, crisp red apples and zesty orange in a base of warm golden ginger with a dash of cinnamon.  But, to me, it is almost floral with hints of fruit....definitely nectar of a flower, but it isn't in the ingredients.  The essence is gentle, pure and understated and yet I sit here sniffing it trying to figure out where it is taking me. On a journey to my childhood.  I can close my eyes and be lifted away for a few seconds.  Thank you, Celine, for that.

Celine's packaging is very beautiful.  The soap is wrapped in soft natural fibrous paper, then banded with colored ribbon and then a card holds it all together.  Not a simple task to get that baby unwrapped, I'll tell ya!  

I have had this bar for months and months, so when I stripped it down to nothing a few tiny fibers from the wrap stuck to the soap top - it's not dust and the fibers come right off in the water.

Top

 

Body swirl

I have tried a bunch of soaps with silk added to the mix, but Celine's soap is so smooth and slippery, it makes me wonder if there is some mystical magic she adds at trace.  ;)  Could be a combination of the clay, silk and cocoa butter.  Yum, all of which makes for a smooth skin experience and makes it fun and easy to swirl the soap in my hands to create bubbly lather.

Silky smooth soap with tight creamy bubbles

The soap produced wonderful lather.  Not the super big fat bubbles I half-expected, but between the additives of clay, the white clay and Australian Red Reef clay for the red color, they are sure to shrink bubbles, but, to me, create a creamier and skin-loving lather that my skin prefers.  You will notice that the bubbles are a pale pink.  Obviously it comes from the red clay, but it is of no consequence.  The bubbles washed right off in the water and the bonus of red clay is far superior over the big bubbles.  Australian Red Reef clay has a high iron content and essential minerals that are great for your skin.

Not only does Celine rock in her design techniques, but she makes a high quality soap, yet each one is different.  This beer soap is different than her others, but I'm not sure how it differs.  I do know, that it is smooth, hard, nourishing and smells divine.  What more can you ask for in soap??

Check her company website out: I Am Handmade - and the current soaps that are available.  Sadly, the Orange Pippen Nectar is not available, but every one of Celine's soaps is a treasure.

iamhandmade in Ireland.  Way to go, baby!

 

 

 

Bubbles bubbles bubbles!

 

 

 

 

I Am Handmade - Upcoming Review on Soaper Star

Celine Blacow is the creative artist at I Am Handmade.  She lives in Dublin, Ireland and creates absolutely gorgeous artisan soap and other body goodies.  I will be posting a review of a few of her soaps over the weekend, but let's just pause for a few minutes and take a look at some drool-worthy photos of her soap while we wait.....shall we??

I won't share which soaps I'll be reviewing, but stay tuned! :)

Go check out Soaper Star, Celine, at iamhandmade!

***

Shieh Shieh Shieh

Emily Evily, of Shieh Design Studio, sent me soaps many months ago, before I moved across town...only to have to wait ions for my soap review.  It has been a stretch to keep up with reviews, as the move, life, kids, new puppy and restructuring my entire company has been eating up all my time.

But she deserves this, because her soaps are so fine.  And gorgeous.

Gelato Twist Soap

First of all, Emily is an artist and every bar she produces is a work of art.  I'm not really sure how she does it, because every new soap of hers that I see tops the last one.  How is that possible?  Because she is a true artist.

The soap:  I took that baby in the shower with me, and it performed with lovely lather and silkiness I hadn't expected.  The blended fruity scent was not overpowering but gentle on the nose.  I'm not a big fan of overly scented soaps, so I was very pleased to be in that shower for a good 20 minutes.  The soap left my skin nourished and clean.  Just the combination we all hope for in a bar of soap.  Not tight and dry.

With the bar wet and rubbed out a little, the swirl design popped and I could see the delicate nature of the soap.  Three or four colors, gently co-mingling together and perfectly swooped with such a delicate nature.

You can take a look at some of her recent works of art at her shop, but here are a few of my faves:

Oatmeal, Milk & Honey

Dark Star

Teakwood Cardamon Buttermilk Banana Soap  (YUM) I want this one!!

As you can see, the all look scrumptious and sound heavenly.  Every ingredient, every nook and cranny...all make for a luxurious experience. 

Thank you, Emily!

Mianra Artisan Soaps - A New Love

 

I'm having trouble writing this review for Mianra because there were yummy soaps and cakes she sent from Ireland, and I am kind of beside myself.  A small box of lovelies, but an abundance of quality minis.  Here a picture of the gift I received from Hajni Kele, owner of Mianra.  Wish the picture was better...

First of all, I know Hajni makes mostly cold process soaps, but I quite fell in love with her hot process soap, Cashmere Gold.

My photo of the gem

"A gorgeous blend of Vanilla, Amber, Mimosa Flower and Clove, made with cocoa butter and silk"

SCENT:  Well, I can really only add that I had to breathe slowly in to fully grasp the scent.  Ever changing gorgeousness, really.  When I first smelled the soap, I detected the vanilla and amber and then as the moment passed, the (normally sharp) clove scent slowly wafted in with the slightest hint of cocoa butter and then just when I had a grasp of it, the note changed yet again and went to the softest floral.  The scent itself was so gentle as if caressing my senses, and teasing me with delight.  A simple looking bar with gold mica glittering the top; the off-white color grounded the exotic level of scent that consumed me but not overwhelming at all.

LATHER:  Fantastic!  Super-sonic fat bubbles that quickly tightened and became a creamy lather.  Ah, a soap that soothes my love for seeing big bubbles, but my skin's need for the tight and creamy moisturizing bubbles.  As quickly as the bubbles arrived, they quickly washed off leaving my skin smooth and without a stitch of film.

MOISTURE:  My skin truly loved the way Cashmere Gold left my skin feeling.  AND smelling.  I felt moisturized without feeling overly soft and I felt clean and lovely.

She sent more beautiful looking soaps and they all left me happy and they are truly eye candy with simialr results, but my heart goes to Cashmere Gold, which was a surpise, really, because I don't know if I normally would go for such a scent.  I love it when soapmakers send me things I wouldn't have normally chosen.

Well done, Hajni!  Thank you again for sending me the lot of yums.  I absolutely have loved every second that I've had with them in my new home.  I have a big bathtub I have yet to use the bath treats in.  I will surely be relaxed on that day!

***

Let's see some soap porn of her work of absolutely stunning soaps.  I drool at my computer when I see her masterpieces.

Please go visit her website here:  http://www.mianrasoaps.com/

Santa Barbara Soaps : A Soap Review

I had decided not to do soap reviews anymore. Since then, Julia, of Cocobong Soap, ended her soap review duties, I thought I should get back into it. I'm glad I did, because I am going back to what I love to do on my spare time. See, touch and use other handcrafted soaps. There is an deep-seeded pleasure I get from holding a bar made with care and thought from another person in this world. I am going back to the beginning when I was eager to begin my soap blog and got an overwhelming response with soaps from around the world...I loved giving back to the handmade community with reviews, which at the time, didn't exist on the internet.

Tracy Wells, of Santa Barbara Soaps, sent me bamboo charcoal when I was clean out of it for my Detox soap.  WOW...she sent it for no other reason than she had some and I didn’t.  What a generous gesture -- I was so impressed by the offering, I can't even tell you.  Two weeks later I received a soapy package from her, including Salted Lavender Salt Soap.  Now, as many of you know, I am not a huge lavender fan.  I mostly like lavender blends…yes, it has grown on me, just like patchouli has (in a blend, mind you).  But Tracy's soap was so pleasant smelling.

Tracy’s soap popped into the shower with me when I received the package from California.  The smell was mellow, not medicinal, and the color, a calming light lilac with a swirled top.  The soap was shaped like a cake instead of a straight up bar and the edges were smoothed when it arrived.  Because salt soap is typically hard and rigid, I found the smoothed edges to be much more gentle as the bar slid over my wet skin.  A stroke of genius, I say.

Bubbles, big and lovely, came to fruition quickly in the shower and then went to the tight, creamy bubbles that soothed my skin.  Washing with Salted Lavender was a delight and my skin felt so nice afterwards.  Sometimes with salt bars there is a slight tightening of the skin, which I did get with her bar, but I didn’t feel dry necessarily, just more firm, I guess, is the way to describe it.

I've tried a few others of Tracy's and they are quite nice.  Check out how pretty her Frisky Kitten Soap is.  So cute and feminine!

Photo of Frisky on my dining room table.....

At the moment, and perhaps even forever, Tracy is only doing wholesale, so this post may be a bit of a tease, but I leave you with photos and maybe in the future, she will sell to the public.  Her wholesale clients are currently in the Santa Barbara area, so if you live there you can find them.  Go to Tracy’s FB page for info or to browse some of the photos she has posted…. https://www.facebook.com/SantaBarbaraSoaps

        

One of Tracy's Salt Soaps....so you get the idea. Photo: courtesy of Tracy.



Black Beauty By Tokyo Factory

kimono

Ayu, of Tokyo Factory, sent me this gorgeous soap that I have been staring at for weeks. Kimono has a presence of its own, and sitting on my shelf, with such grace....well, I just couldn't bring myself to use it.  I loved the stamp and the look of the soap so much that I just needed to savor its beauty.  That never happens to me.  Usually I race into the shower with whatever new bar has been sent to me, in such a hurry, I usually have clips dangling from my hair, or (yes..) socks I forget to remove. (no teasing)

The beauty of this black beast is quite stunning.  I love the soap bits present in the pitch black mass.  It breaks up the stillness of the bar and adds beauty, playfulness and charm.  And of course each bar looks different.  I had myself a one of a kind.

I tried Kimono this morning and the smell was delightfully simple and evolved completely in my shower from simple and kind to complex and frisky.  It felt almost like I was bathing with a perfectly found rock, geode, mars stone because of its grace and natural pureness.  Lather:  Tight creamy bubbles instead of big fluffy ones, but the lather was plentiful.  As I already know from my own experience, charcoal soaps create grey lather, and that's my least favorite element of this soap.  Not a huge complaint being that the soap was a luxury to use, fabulous to smell and my skin felt conditioned and soft when I was through with my bathing ritual.  

grey bubbles ensue

On Ayu's website, here is the information on Kimono:

Scent: A Luxury Blend of Rosewood, Clary Sage and Anise.

One of Our Signature KIMONO Soap.  This soap contains luxurious ingredients such as Coconut Water, Rose Clay, and rich Bamboo Charcoal Powder.  Pure Bamboo Charcoal is known to clean skin pores deeply and clean body odor. Soap is packaged in a beautiful custom designed, recycled paperboard box.

Would I recommend Ayu's soaps?  Absolutely!

xoxo Jo

Little Package From Gloi

I received my little bundle of Gloi and I got Picaroon Pumpkin Butter (OMGILU*), Perfume Oils: Elevenses, Honeysuckle Lemon Curd and Haus Amber.

I just love Picaroon and the pumpkin butter.  So thick and nourishing.  (I also love Future Primitive's Body Whip.  I have it in Malt N Milk and it is milky sweet and I am devastated she doesn't carry it anymore.  Must. Get. Fragrance.- erg.)

Haus of Amber perfume oil is on my skin.  At first, I wasn't sure where it was going and now it has been on for about forty-five minutes and I like the way it's changing.  I smell a little bit of Moon Dog in there.

Honeysuckle Lemon Curd is heavenly and as soon as I opened it, it smelled like my company's, Lemon Scone (a blend of, like, 6 essential and fragrance oils), but it quickly made a sharp right turn and all of a sudden I could smell soft flowers.  Love the way this perfume changes, even in the bottle.

Elevenses:  Not my favorite of the three, but I haven't given it the time it deserves,  I need to wear it when I don't have Haus of Amber on my inner wrists and Picaroon Pumpkin Butter on my hands.  Actually, the combination of those two scents are making my head filled with temporary bliss at this moment.

So I will come back after the weekend to report back on my other experience with Elevenses.

Britton and Matt- Thank you.  I love your products.
xo Jo

I. Need. These. Now.

Honeysuckle Lemon Curd

Peach Mama Handmade Soap

Depravity

 

Moon Dog

_______________________________________________

Other Haus of Gloi mentions here:

Haus Of Gloi, July 2009

My Dog, May 16, 2010

_______________________________________________________

footnotes:

*OMGILU:  Oh my god, I love you.

7 Sins Committed Before Heaven

I have had the best experience in the shower lately.  Tiggy of Future Primitive sent me a gift with some soap.  I ordered something (and I can't remember what) on her website and she sent me bubble bars, soap and her Body Whip in Malt N' Milk, which I don't see listed anymore, but here is the photo on her website that makes her such a temptress.

You temptress!

 

Body Whip

just give me a spoon, ok?

It's nice and thick, creamy and soothing.  I've always preferred the buttery, thick creams, more so than lotion.  It just sinks down deep into the dryness of my hands and arms which are constantly beaten up by water, making soap and always washing washing. It makes me think that I need to reevaluate the products I make.  :P  Why am I not making the buttery ones?  Hmm, more thought on that later.  Back to Future Primitive!

7 Sins.  The soap.  It is a complex scent and one that makes me swoon when I sniff it.  The blog describes it like this:  

 Banana cake infused with Ginger, topped with Vanilla Frosting and drizzled with melted Dark Chocolate. Toasted Madagascan Vanilla bean with a dribble of Honey and finished with a scattering of Hot Buttered Popcorn.

I'm not sure I smell the popcorn and the description is too cake-y and sweet for what it really smells like to me.  I have smelled teeth-aching sweetness before and this is not it.  It is much more laid back, tempting the sweetness and bringing a load of heaven up my nose, but it isn't coying, or overly sweet in the least.  The chocolate pulls all of the scents together into a cadence of sorts and in short, a slice of heaven.  Sinfully heavenly...

Honestly, the soap is perfect.  Bubbles, big and wide tapering off to tight bubbles that are cream-like that left my skin quenched.  Clean, moisturized and quenched.  Thank goodness.  The design is lovely, too.  But then, all of Tiggy's soaps are just so pretty to look at.  Here are pictures of 7 Sins soap:

Sadly, I am reviewing this when there is no stock of them on the website, so you may have to wait, but I couldn't wait on my review because I had to share my experience.  I have yet to try the bubble bars.  Who has time to soak in a tub?  I never feel that I have time for much these days, as you can see, I am rarely updating this blog, which I intend on doing more of soon.  I need to spend more time pampering myself and keeping track of my soapie gifts.

A note about Tiggy:  She is a true soaper.  One that really has the passion and determination to create good products and anyone who has ever been in touch with her will tell you she is aces.  She is funny, sweet and honest and above all, dedicated to her craft.

Give a shout to Tigger and tell her I sent you.  Tell her I love her stuff - and her!

xxoo

Pure Cocobong

A while back, Julia, of Cocobong, sent me gifties in the mail:  her soap.  Soap as pure as a first snow and Julia is sweeter than honey.

Here is what she sent:

 Wrapped all gorgeous and stuff!

 PURE stands in the center.

Ingredients:  Palm oil, olive oil, coconut oil, castor oil, avocado oil, palm kernel oil, sunflower oil, goat milk, coconut milk, (and I can't read the last ingredient because I ripped it and didn't notice that I ripped off the last material).  I had to translate from German to English, mind you... I am not well versed in other languages, sadly.  Yeah, I am a typical American.   But I know some American Sign Language and I took 4 years of Spanish in my teens!

________________________

I have been using PURE exclusively for about 2 weeks now in my shower, and I quite love the simplicity of it. Unscented, pure handmade milk soap.  LOVE milk soaps... they are a slice of heaven.  PURE has a natural scent that is unique, gentle, nutty almost, but ever so faint.  The lather is creamy with small bubbles, the way you know that the bar will be soooo conditioning on my skin.  Big BIG bubbles in a bar of soap doesn't mean the opposite, however.  I make plenty of conditioning bars of soap that are crazy in the fat bubble department.  Don't ask me how.

PURE washes on smoothly, slowly, silky.  Stealth-like, rippling with muscles and smoothness.  Then the soap rinses off cleanly as if the bar came, washed and then vanished exposing the skin left behind with nothing but softness.  I'm trying hard to give it the visual impact it gave me, but I'm not sure I am recalling it as powerfully as I experienced it.

Knowing a dear friend made this soap added a greatness to it.  A balance of excellence, skill and love went into it, and I feel it when I bathe.  With every bubble.

Julia, you are my Queen.

Maleficent Megtron

Meghan's fingers!

We got a wonderful product review from Meghan Runyon who writes Maleficent Megtron.  She is the owner of Dreaming Tree Soapworks and has become a good friend of mine.

She wrote a glowing review stuff she bought from us.  Now let me tell you this about that:  Meghan has high standards and is very critical of body products so, suffice it to say, I feel pretty good about this review.  I didn't ask for one and I didn't know it was coming.  She blindsided me with compliments and I am blushing. (Loving it!)

You must visit the very talented Meghan, of Dreaming Tree Soapworks, who makes excellent B+B stuff including the best candles.  My favorite candles burning in my house, like ... always burning, are Hobbiton Banana Bread and Naboombu Isle!  Ahhhhh.

She rocks.
Thanks, Meggie!
xoxo

Meghan Runyon

Please go visit her blog and read the awesome review!


*

Little Pudge

pudge by CURAT

Curat-Romania/ Curat Clean hit the floor running. Misty Renee Al-Eryani, the proprietor/soap maker/ owner has introduced her soaps with a unique bang and a flair. When I look at her soaps and packaging, I see independence, fun, freedom, creativity and love eeking from every part of Misty's process. I don't know Misty, but I'd guess she's not the quiet and timid type that wouldn't fight for her beliefs. How do I get that from a website? Do you get that, too?

Ok, moving on....

So I was looking at her wall of soaps and a little soap named Pudge popped up and I instantly bought it. I thought it was the name and that it said limited quantities. I had to have Pudge.

Pudge arrives with some other soapy samples. Here's a picture of the sample line up:

Misty thinks they look like a dysfunctional family.

I love the Pudge. First I used it as was intended - as a facial soap, but as I lathered it my hands I noticed it has some light exfoliation, and you KNOW how I love exfoliation in the shower, so I decided to use it in the shower instead. Well! Let me tell you, it was perfect. I have been showering with it exclusively and it doesn't seem to be shrinking. Whatever the scent is, it's super light, because I don't smell much even though is is really pleasant. I think perhaps the oils in there are supposed to be intended to tone the skin and not for being smelly. In the shower, it isn't a rough exfoliant. It has the perfect balance of exfoliation, lather and good soapie qualities.

This is how it says to use it: "Break off pea sized amount and place in the palm of your hand. Work into a small lather with a tad of water, apply to face avoiding the eye area. Leave on for 5 minutes...then rinse with warm water. Finish with a natural toner and moisturize your skin."

Here are the ingredients: "Saponified soy, olive & coconut oils, bananas, pineapple, mango, currant oil, citrus essential oil - avg size 2.0 oz bar lasts 2 months."

Pudge - 2 oz - $6

I raise my glass to Misty!! Love your soap!

Go check out her online store and blog and tell her I sent you ;)

*