Update On Fraiche

I received this email from Katie, Fraiche's PR contact:

Yes, Johnan still hand crafts the soaps and swizzles. She does have a small team helping her – 4 people that she taught how to make the products. Even with the help, Johnan goes to work every day to make the soaps and swizzles.

Thanks again!

Have a happy and restful Thanksgiving!

Best regards,
Katie

------------------------

Now, I am even more impressed!! She makes it all.

Fraiche

Honeysuckle Soap Bar from Fraiche

I received a box with two soaps and two bath bombs from Fraiche.  They have beautiful packaging down to the soaps that were housed in plastic flip top boxes.  The bombs were individually shrink wrapped and then boxed in beautiful chocolate brown flip top box with a peek-a-boo window. 

I did take pictures, but somehow, the bath bomb ones came out all wrong.  Here are pictures I've taken off their site instead.  The soaps were:  

Cinnamon Hazelnut (with coffee beans on top) which have some delicious sounding ingredients such as organic cocoa butter, ground coffee, coffee beans and cinnamon dust.  Smells like coffee and cinnamon and a little soap like, too.  Haven't tested this one.  

The Honeysuckle soap has goat's milk and unrefined shea butter as two of the many wholesome ingredients listed on their site.  The scent is pleasant and the soap feels lovely in the shower.  The wavy top served as nice finger notches (like the ones they make for steering wheels).  That bar did not slip out of my hands at all.  Always a plus, because I can't seem to hold onto a bar for longer than a minute in water.  It is kind of a joke.  The lather was copious and the bar itself felt so smooth as I washed.  So smooth.

Now, their swizzles are pretty impressive.  They say swizzle, I say bath bomb.  All the same, but the fancy name made me want to try it right away.  They were instantly usurped by my kids, but I have plenty to say on the matter, because I watched it fizz and felt the babe's skin afterwards.

Hula-la Swizzle

The Hula-la Swizzle fizzed incredibly for a good three minutes!  My son was truly fascinated by the fizzing action and the smell was intoxicating.  It was sweet with papaya and other tropical smells.  When that thing finally stopped fizzing, the bath had a soft pink hue and my son's skin was baby soft for days.  There is unrefined shea butter in there, but I will warn those who bathe with butters of any kind, whether it be bath bombs with butters or bath melts, bon bons, etc.  Wash your hair in the shower afterwards because shea butter does not look good in your hair.  Greasy greasy.

The other swizzle was beautiful but the scent was overwhelming.  No review on that one.  I couldn't stay long enough to see it "go" in the bath.

The PR rep sent me the products, so I have had no contact with the founder, Johnan Ratcliff.  I don't know if Johnan makes the products, or if they are made by hand at all.  I know she started the company making them, but since it all looks so well done, I don't know.  

Products were nice, presentation enviable, but a bit pricey for soap.  The swizzles are $17.50 for a box of three.  The soap is $12.50 per bar.  Typically soap bars of the same size (4 oz-5 oz) go for $3.oo-$6.00. 

It all is quite beautiful, though, I must admit!

MMM Lime

Gianna Rose Atelier :::

The website is fun to browse with so many cute, cute soaps to look at. Here are a few that I particularly thought deserved some space here...

Citron Vert Soap Gift Box

These are really nice looking. I wonder if they smell as good as they look. I often crave limes and in particular, a lime drink that I started making when I was a bartender (way back when). It consists of juice of a lime, over ice with about 2 ounces of seltzer. Sometimes I add a dash of freshly ground salt. This is a tart, delicious and refreshing beverage we call here at the Schmidt house: Limey.. so as you can see, this soap has a special meaning for me because of my Limey addiction.  

Lime green:  The color of my hallway at home.

Pear Fruit Soap (Poire)

These pears?  The color of my kitchen.  Love it!

Robin's Egg Soap

Artful Soap Boxes

Pop Ink Soap ::: soap boxes with flair.


The artwork is varied and there is so much to choose from! Soaps are "made in the USA with triple milled. all natural essential oils, and lathering up with a fresh verbena/lavender scent...."

So I guess they are all the same with different artwork. I like the art, but the soap sounds as if there's a bit to be desired.

Yummiest Handmade Soap Contest

Crystal of Cute Indie Finds and I have joined forces and are running the "Yummiest Handmade Soap Contest" together, her in California and me in South Florida. Talk about logistics.

Here is the scoop:

From now until December 15th, anyone interested in participating in the Yummiest Handmade Soap contest should contact Crystal via email at info@cuteindiefinds.com. Please be sure to put "Yummiest Handmade Soap" in your subject line.

Here's the GOOD STUFF.
First Place: Will receive 6 months of free banner advertising here at Cute Indie Finds and at The Soap Bar. And, of course, the bragging rights as the purveyor of the Yummiest Handmade Soap!
Second Place: Will receive 4 months of free banner advertising on both blogs.
Third Place: Will receive 2 months of free banner advertising on both blogs.

All eligible entries (handmade soaps) must.....

1. Be your own creation. That means YOU MADE IT.

2. Send two full sized bars in order to be considered.

3. Judges will include myself, Crystal of http://www.cuteindiefinds.com and Joanna of http://thesoapbar.blogspot.com/

5. "Entries must be received by December 15, 2007 to be considered for this contest. Please consider shipment times and/or possible shipping delays before hand so that your package arrives to me by the deadline. International entrants should allow extra time for shipping."

5. "Winners will be announced at some point during the month of January. The announcement will be broadcast for three consecutive days. The winner will be notified of these days prior to the announcement."

6. Only winners will be announced. All others can email myself or Joanna if they would like feedback on their soap."

7. Judging will be as follows
50% on the soaps moisturization qualities (ie: how the
skin feels after being rinsed.)
30% on the soaps appearance (packaging, how the product
looks and feels, color)
10% on the creativity of the soap
10% on the scent of the soap

8. We are not responsible for lost entries. We recommend delivery confirmation or signature confirmation.

9. Please submit a list of ingredients (unless they are already on the label) with your submission.

Please mail contest entries to only one of us (whichever address is closer to you):

Crystal Astolfo
CONTEST
834 Banyan Dr.
Redlands, Ca 92373

or to:

Joanna Schmidt
CONTEST
PO Box 3773
Tequesta, FL 33469

We welcome any questions, comments or suggestions. Please email Crystal at info@cuteindiefinds.com or Joanna at jo@productbody.com

-------------

And if you make soap, send it in to one of us, and if you don't, then come back to see what the Yummiest Soap is so you can scoop some up for yourself!!

Reviews To Come

The next 3 soap companies will be getting reviews this week.

Fraiche
- Soaps and Swizzles

Swizzle : Dewy Cactus Flower

Herbaria
- Soaps

Pink Grapefruit Soap

Raven Moon Soaps
- Whipped soap!

Whipped loaf ready for action

"Full Moon"

Sharon of Morgan street Soap sent me this picture of her soap shortly after the deadline of the soap photo contest. Sorry it couldn't be included in the contest, but it certainly gets my mention. I love the uniqueness of it. Reminds me of Mars or some far off distant planet not in our solar system.

Maybe she'll send me a bar and I can review it .... ;-D

And The Winner Is......

This was hard. There were lots of different kinds of soaps that were sent and considered, but I had to pick one. Kelly DeVries of Molly Coddle Etsy Store won the prize with her PEEPS! Here is a peek (below) from her etsy shop of some unusual goodies I wished were in MY house!





There were two other soapers in close second:

Stephanie M. from Playing With Soap
I have a love for her soaps, even though I have never tried them. This one speaks to my heart because of the coconut creamy topping. I almost picked this one!




Irena from Ginger's Garden
Nice glitter and swirl control. The butterflies are lovely and whimsical, too!



I have good news for the rest of you.....Crystal from Cute Indie Finds and I will be running a contest together as a team in search of the Yummiest Handmade Soap. See the contest rules on her site.

Congratulations Kelly DeVries of Molly Coddle Etsy Store.
I will be mailing the oils and butter to you on Tuesday. I hope you use them well... :)

How DO you make those peeps anyway!? They look edible!

Last Night For Contest Entries!

jo(at)productbody(dot)com

Come on, go take the picture of it. It IS beautiful and unique! Don't second guess yourself!!!!

Pretty Soaps on Trunkt

Found these on Trunkt and couldn't resist putting up photos of the works of art.(above) Roses Love Patchouli soap Flower Peddler

Clary Sweet

Jelly Bean

Twilight

above 3 soaps by Mickey Byrd Soap

Black Raspberry Vanilla

Sweet Pea

(above) These 2 by Morgan Street Soap