Happy Birthday, Pisces!

I wanted to do a short message here to encourage all of my dear, dear Pisces friends to have a happy birthday! 

Pisces is the last sign of the zodiac, interpreted as incorporating attributes and lessons of the prior 11 astrological signs.

Translation? 

Pisces are old, weary souls who understand everyone else, but rarely find the reciprocal understanding (and acknowledgment) they so compassionately dole out to the masses. They get used more often than not ... and they suffer silently. 

I created a beautiful soap for my Pisces friends. It is loaded with coconut milk and cocoa butter, decorated with shades of blue and scented just this side of heaven.

What better way to celebrate Pisces than the gift of immersion in water? Oh - right - a nice vino, (preferably a bubbly vintage),  music and fragranced candles to accompany that soak.....

What do Pisces really want for their birthday? Universal peace, love, beauty and understanding....and a friend to listen to their troubles just once in a little while.

Consider this - Pisces (Fish) is the only astrological sign that cannot breathe and live on land for long periods of time....they need water. How can the Fish  live on terra firma?

They live on this land by doing for others....and they are very humble about their acts.

Theirs can be a lonely life - especially when their nature is compromised as is so often the case in the current world which devalues sensitivity and emotion. If you ask me, this battle-scarred planet could use many more Pisces and their immeasurable gifts!

In Love and Beauty ....

PS  This soap is only available for a very short time and is in very short supply. Pisces! Fan me on Facebook for a chance to get your soapy gift.

Lady Gardener's Soap (for Phyllis)

I have been thinking about New Harmony, Indiana a lot over the past few months. I have been pondering, in particular, the many wonderful and accomplished people that I had the privilege to meet there. 

New Harmony is never far from my mind, as I grew up around the area. 

I was fortunate to work at the New Harmony Gallery of Contemporary Art just after I completed my graduate studies. It so happened that during the particular time frame I happened to "land there", New Harmony was enjoying a Renaissance of sorts...and it was flourishing with many talented and creative people.

One of my fondest memories is of my friend, Phyllis, planting scented geraniums at the perimeter of Jerry Wade's patio. 

I have never forgotten the fragrance of those cherished plants.

With the memory of those wonderfully-scented geraniums, I created a soap for my friend, Phyllis. Phyllis was the "Botanist in Residence" at New Harmony during my all-too-brief tenure.

Here we go ....using the new pine mold again ....

 

I created a batch of basic soap with rice bran oil (good stuff!). I scented the whole lot with lemon, geranium and rose geranium essential oils. I threw in some cornmeal for scrubbing and exfoliation.

I

I tried to make the soap as lovely as possible, so I split the batch and only added green oxide to one part. I layered the soap in the mold and textured the top like a meringue.

 

I think this soap is lovely, but not as lovely as the Lady Gardener, the scented geraniums, or New Harmony.

These will be cured on the first day of Spring!

In Beauty....

Mid Winter and Ready for Spring!

In anticipation of Spring, I whipped up two different batches of cold process Gardener's Soap. The first soap is scented with a nice Lemon Balm fragrance oil and Geranium essential oil. I colored the soap with bright  green oxide and turmeric - because I am sick of gray days. I also threw in some cornmeal for scrubby action.

It is a tad bright! I am going to call it "Green Thumb Gardener's Soap". 

Here are some photos -

In the new mold after the pour....

 

Out of the mold after 15 hours....cut into blocks...now, these should be ready by March 21st!

Warming Aromatics for Winter

Well, it is still winter and snow is in our forecast.
In cold weather, I prefer woodsy, spicy and resinous scents. Additionally, my skin needs an incredible amount of moisture in the cold months.

Above is my "Aromatic Sandalwood", a superfatted, cold process soap that is scented with sandalwood, rose, neroli and a few other pricey goodies. The swirl was created with French pink clay and Sandalwood powder.

This soap is popular for many reasons....there is something intensely purifying and warming about sandalwood in any form.

Below is a soap that is lovely to look at and transformational to smell! "Cedar Swirl" is another cold process soap that features cedarwood, orange, cinnamon, nutmeg, vetivert and some other top secret ingredients.

"Cedar Swirl" reminds me of my Grandmother's cedar chest. There is no other smell in the world like a good cedar oil.

Keep warm, be well, and use good soap - not detergent!

In Truth, Love and Beauty...

Help for Winter Blahs....Sweet Citrus & Ginger

The Sweet Citrus Gingerbread Soap has finally cured. This is a hot process soap with a sweet scent that coordinates perfectly with the sharp ginger essential oil. I added colloidal oats, blackstrap molasses and a touch of dark baking cocoa to further enrich the moisturizing properties of this recipe.

My skin has been very dry this winter - more than usual - so I concocted this soap a month or so ago (see older post) to benefit my skin and perk me up with a little spice and citrus!

And here it is, all dressed up with gold jute ribbon...so nice in mid-winter! You should know by now that I am a sucker for bling!

In Love, Peace and Beauty.....

St. Valentine Soaps and Love

A huge chunky block of hot process soap with a composed look (thanks to a rebatch). This handful is heavy on the olive oil, weighs a whopping 7.5 ounces, colored with mica and scented with Turkish Coffee and Cherry Chocolate blend. A gentle, subtle scent of jammy fruits (fig and dark cherry) and mild chocolate more than coffee. Quite nice ... decidedly feminine.

Cold process Dark Chocolate Marbled Petite Soap.......cut into 2 ounce slivers. Made with real baking chocolate, you know what this smells like! Enriched with cocoa butter and other emollient and moisturizing oils, this soap is a "good for your skin bar", disguised as a dessert!

I cannot eat, therefore, I wash!

No guilt. Promise.

Tuberose Hearts created from castile base.....sweet and tender. Each heart weighs 3.3 ounces, but visually looks larger. Castile (olive oil) is so good for your skin! The tuberose (actually a white flower) lends a heady, perfumer's signature and the pink = LOVE.

These soaps are only here for a short time. Supplies are limited.

If you have any questions or interest, please contact me at angelicsoap DOT cs AT gmail DOT com.

In LOVE, Truth and Beauty.........

A Surprising January Pleasantry

After all the flashy swirls, decadent ingredients and seriously complex fragrance blends for winter, I found a new soap to be surprisingly fresh and pleasing in every way.

This is a cut and stacked loaf of soap that I have christened "Black Tie". This is a simple, but elegant, cold process soap with wholesome ingredients that produce a well-balanced lather with creamy bubbles.  "Black Tie" is a nice blend that offers conditioning, emollient, moisturizing and gentle cleansing properties. Sensitive types appreciate that this soap is unscented with no added color.

Translation? A great soap for facial and body cleansing. Super-fatted to be kind to winter-weary skin.

Perfect!

If you are interested in a price and shipping quote, please contact me!

In Light, Love and Beauty....