Blog Neglect - Am I the Victim or the Perpetrator?

My poor, poor Blog.

Yes, I've neglected you for quite some time now.

But things got in the way... life got in the way.

And even when I knew I needed to pay you some attention, I still chose to neglect you. And the longer I neglected you, the harder it got to come back to you. I was afraid: afraid of how long it had been, afraid of having lost that connection - that flow of continuity that existed when I was with you every day.

And afraid I could never get that back.

So I decided to just bite the bullet and come back. Face the empty box that had been the basis of my fears for so long.

And admit my faults and admit that my ability to commit is my fatal flaw.

But I also thought it might make me (of course me, who else?) feel better to post just some of the things that have kept me from my Blog for so, so long:

Bellissima now offers 3 Facial Masques for different skin types:

~Sea Clay for Oily/Acne Prone Skin

~Green Tea for Normal Skin

~Gentle Floral for Mature Skin

Facial Masques come in a Set including Clay Mask Base, Toner, Stir Sticks, Cotton Pads, Spa Bag & Instructions.

Bellissima's new All Natural & Vegan Gentle Makeup Remover is designed to thoroughly & efficiently remove makeup while softening and moisturing the skin. Non-greasy and 100% alcohol-, fragrance- and colorant-free.

Bellissima introduces PediWorx! All natural, spa-quality products to help you put your best feet forward!

PediWorx Grapefruit & Peppermint Foot Scrub & Cream with Tea Tree and Neem Oils work together to tenderly remove surface skin cells & condition and soften skin and nails to reveal smooth, healthy-looking & feeling feet!

And there are more 'excuses': 3 new Mineral Correctors, Bellissima Triple Butter Body Souffle, Shea & Sugar Body Polish, Hydrating Body Lotion, Solid Lotion Bars - all natural, of course!

I won't make any promises... I can't.

But what I will do is: if I need to be away from my Blog for a while, take some time to post the reasons why.

Thank you for hanging in there and waiting for me!

The Lather Project: 30 Soaps in 30 Days - Day 16, Soap 16

It’s Day 16 - and we’re past the halfway point in the Project!

And our last of this week’s utility-themed soaps is a Doggie Shampoo Bar! Now normally, I like to do a liquid soap for doggie shampoos, but I had a request for a bar, and this was the perfect time to do it!

There is some controversy over handmade soap for pet use, due to the ph factor. Since it’s difficult to control the ph of soap, and a dog’s skin does not tolerate temporary ph changes as ours does, the question remains how healthy lye soap can be for animals. However, if you’ve ever read the ingredient listing on the bottle of any commercial pet shampoo, you’ll wonder how any of that stuff - chock-full of chemicals and wholly unnatural ingredients - could possibly be good for any animal. Handmade soap has got to be better!

And the greater advantage is not only in the ability to choose the healthful oils, but also in selecting beneficial and all-natural ingredients to take the place of those chemicals. There are some wonderful herbs and botanicals that will help achieve similar results - repelling fleas, ticks and mosquitoes while nourishing and soothing the skin and fur.

Comfrey and chamomile can help in soothing and calming dry, stressed and irritated skin. Eucalyptus and sandalwood may aid in repelling fleas, ticks, mites, mosquitoes, chiggers and other annoying critters. Aloe, oatmeal and lavender can help to calm and heal bug bites, scratches and sores. Rosemary has antibacterial properties.

I also added essential oils - but only in the absolute lowest therapeutic amounts - tea tree oil and peppermint essential oil to aid in repelling bugs and black pepper as an antiseptic.

But this soap’s not just for dogs - people who plan to be in the outdoors and want a more natural bug repellent will benefit from use, as well! And since most of these ingredients are antibacterial, antiseptic, soothing and gentle - it also makes a great soap for acne-prone skin!

So, here’s the description for Soap #16:

Bellissima Handmade Comfrey & Tea Tree Dog Shampoo Bar Soap

Our Comfrey & Tea Tree Dog Shampoo Bar is incredibly lathering and wonderfully creamy with our luxurious blend of vitamin- & nutrient-enriched veggie and plant oils. I include olive & coconut for cleansing, castor oil for extra lather and lots & lots of shea butter, sunflower, grapeseed and rice bran oils to leave your pet’s coat soft and shiny and their skin healthy and nourished.

Both comfrey & chamomile are added to sooth the skin, eucalyptus & sandalwood included to help repel bugs, aloe, oatmeal & lavender help in calming itchy skin and rosemary acts as an antibacterial to help in healing sores and scratches. The lowest - and safest - therapeutic amounts of tea tree oil, peppermint and black pepper essential oils are added as well, to pump up the repellent and antiseptic qualities of this Dog Shampoo Bar!

Look for Soap #16 for sale in our shop in the next few days:

http://BellissimaMinerals.etsy.com

Tune in Tomorrow for Soap #17!

The Lather Project: 30 Soaps in 30 Days - Day 13, Soap 13

Today is Day 13!

And time for another soap that serves a purpose: shaving soap!

The first time I shaved with handmade soap a tear came to my eye - and not from pain for a change!

I spent years investing in higher quality and more expensive razors, testing various hair removal products even trying hot wax and sugaring. When those Smooth-Away sandpaper-style pads came out, I had to practically restrain myself from picking up the phone and ordering! Shaving has just always been an issue for me.

But handmade soap has solved so many of my shaving problems. I rarely nick, scrape or cut myself anymore, there’s no stinging or cringing, no peeling, chafing or dry, flaky skin afterwards. I get the closest shave I’ve ever been able to achieve and my skin looks and feel fabulous! I don’t even need to use the gallons of lotion afterwards like I used to!

There are so many wonderfully emollient oils and soothing ingredients that can be added to a handmade soap, making a shaving soap that really works and feels fantastic. It actually helps to make shaving a pleasure rather than a chore - well, almost!

And here’s the description for Soap #13:

Bellissima Shaver’s Companion All-Natural Luxury Shaving Soap

Our amazing All-Natural Shaving Soap is incredibly lathering and deliciously creamy with our lavish blend of vitamin- & nutrient-enriched all veggie & plant oils. I include lots of both mango and shea butter to make this bar super-velvety, castor oil for plenty of lather, and sunflower, sweet almond and grapeseed oils to leave your skin feeling soft, smooth and hydrated.

I carefully infuse aloe juice with soothing oatmeal, and infuse water and oils with gentle chamomile and calendula to produce a gentle and moisturizing bar of shaving soap. Kaolin clay is added to provide ‘slip’ to help the razor glide smoothly across the skin. We’ve chosen to leave this bar both fragrance- and color-free for a completely natural shaving experience.

Look for Soap #13 for sale in our shop soon at

http://BellissimaMinerals.etsy.com

Tune in Tomorrow for Soap #14!

The Lather Project: 30 Soaps in 30 Days - Day 10, Soap 10

Today is Day 10 of The Lather Project!

Time is just flying by and there’s still so much I want to do! So many soaps, so little time…

Soap #10 is a bit of a follow up to yesterday’s hot-process soap making tutorial (Day 9). We used a very simple recipe, ready available tools and even an cardboard box mold to show how accessible soap making is for the home crafter.

So, I wanted to use the same 3 oil recipe for Soap #10, but show how we can dress it up! And even though iron oxide colorants, additives and fragrance oils are not as readily available, I still wanted to show that even a simple recipe can produce a beautiful bar of soap with a little creativity!

I know from past experience that my Lemon fragrance oil will, over time, darken my soap to a deep brown shade. Many fragrance oils with a vanilla scent base will do this. There are color stabilizers and non-discoloring fragrance oils, but I prefer to use some ingenuity in combating this issue.

I split the raw soap into two batches, coloring one with a little yellow oxide and adding the poppy seeds - but no fragrance oil - therefore no discoloring. I then added the fragrance oil only to the second half of the soap base, after removing about 2 tablespoons of raw soap. Then I swirled in the leftover 2 tablespoons - since this soap has no fragrance oil either and won’t darken, I’ll get a beautiful brown & cream swirled bottom half with a yellow-poppy seed top half.

I hope. it’ll actually take about 10 days to 2 weeks for the fragrance oil to completely discolor the soap, so I’ll have to update you at the end of the Project! But you can actually already see a bit where the soap will darken.

So here’s the description for Soap #10 on Day 10:

Bellissima Handmade All-Veggie Oil Lemon Poppyseed Soap

Our amazing Lemon Poppyseed Soap is incredibly lathering and luxuriously creamy with our simple blend of vitamin- & nutrient-enriched all-veggie oils. Coconut oil makes this soap super-cleansing and one third olive oil leaves your skin feeling soft, smooth and hydrated.

Lemon Poppyseed Soap delivers a citrusy-fresh and totally tempting bakery-style fragrance! Tart lemons, a hint of orange & lime and just a pinch of mint merge harmoniously with buttery graham, sweet vanilla cream and spicy nutmeg & cinnamon to produce a rich and deliciously inviting scent! Poppyseeds add a touch of gentle exfoliation and dash of authenticity!

Soap #10 won't be available for sale until the color finishes 'developing', but be sure to look for it in about 10 days at

http://BellissimaMinerals.etsy.com

Tune In Tomorrow for Day 11!

The Lather Project: 30 Soaps in 30 Days - Day 5, Soap 5

Soap #5 is purely for stock replenishment - and one of my scent faves!
It's so complex & sophisticated!

I was down to one bar of my Avocado & Lime Soap and couldn’t relist it in the shop until I made more!




I tend to sell my soap in pairs - it may not be the smartest marketing choice, but I think it gives buyers the most bang for their buck! I can ship two bars for slightly more than it costs to ship one, so I can offer a much better deal to my customers on the purchase of two bars. And with the size of my bars, it’s like getting four bars for the price of two!

Now, I could possibly sell more by offering them as single bars… probably would sell more. And actually, I have this internal debate quite often, but I feel like I’m being a bit stingy sending out one bar or a single soap sample - irrational and ridiculous, I know. And I am honestly so passionate about the benefits of handmade soap that I really should be doing everything I can to get some into the hands of potential users.

Okay, this is it. I am officially announcing that Bellissima will now be selling sample bars and single bars of handcrafted soap! Aahhh, I feel so much better now that the decision’s been made!

So, onto the description of Soap #5 on Day #5:

Bellissima Handcrafted All-Veggie Blend Avocado & Lime Soap

Our amazing Avocado & Lime Soap is incredibly lathering and deliciously creamy with our luxurious blend of vitamin- & nutrient-enriched all-veggie oils. I include olive & coconut to make this super-cleansing and sunflower and rice bran to leave your skin feeling soft, smooth and hydrated.

Avocado & Lime - thinking Guacamole? THINK NOT!!! This incredible scent offers one surprise after another: an amazingly complex blend of ripe avocado, cilantro, sweet lime, sugared lemon, mint and lots of delicate white florals. This is a bright & confident, refreshingly different and oh so sparkling fragrance!

Soap #5 is available for sale at http://BellissimaMinerals.etsy.com

Mention Promo Code ‘Lather Project’ in the Message to Seller Box for a 10% discount off your Avocado & Lime Soap purchase!

Choosing something else? Enter the Promo Code to receive a Free Avocado & Lime Sample Bar! (Either wait for a revised invoice or I’ll refund the discount back after payment)

Tune In Tomorrow for Day 6!

The Lather Project: 30 Soaps in 30 Days - Day 3, Soap 3

We’re on Soap #3 - and a yummy #3 at that!




When I ordered this particular fragrance oil, I was really looking forward to the first sniff. It was named Tropic Winds (or something similar - ‘name changed to protect the innocent‘). Having been a travel agent for over 10 years, I’ve inhaled the breeze on many islands and I really looked forward to all the fabulous memories this scent would bring back!

When it arrived in the mail I swiftly opened the bottle and took in a huge whiff - and it smelled nothing like Tropic Winds! Certainly not of the winds I had ever experienced tropically. Oh I sensed an undercurrent of hyacinth, maybe a touch of hibiscus, but nothing that resembled the ‘winds’ of any island I had visited. I was expecting red florals, a touch of tropical fruit, a bit of exotic greenery and lots of ozone and sea air.

But didn’t it smell exactly like my favorite Red Sangria from my very favorite Spanish restaurant!?! And once I soaped it, the fruity, wine-y aroma prevailed… and there we have it!

Oh! And this was my first attempt at layering hot-process soap - I have to work on my technique quite a bit, but overall I was pretty pleased!

And so, Soap #3 on Day #3 is:

Bellissima Handcrafted Red Sangria All-Veggie Oil Blend Soap

Our amazing Red Sangria Soap is incredibly lathering and deliciously creamy with our luxurious blend of vitamin- & nutrient-enriched all-veggie oils. I include olive & coconut to make this super-cleansing and sunflower and rice bran to leave your skin feeling soft, smooth and hydrated.

Red Sangria imparts the scent of a medley of fresh fruits and the invigorating aroma of a variety of red florals. Pineapple, tangerine, plum & lime mix melodically with hibiscus, amaryllis, hyacinth & even sweet orchid. The robust undercurrent of smooth, red wine makes this a unique, brisk & energizing, fun & fruity fragrance! And the mica-tinted top layer makes this soap a visual delight!

Soap #3 is available for sale at
http://BellissimaMinerals.etsy.com
Mention Promo Code ‘Lather Project’ in the Message to Seller Box for a 10% discount off your Red Sangria Soap purchase!

Choosing something else? Enter the Promo Code to receive a Free Red Sangria Sample Bar! (Either wait for a revised invoice or I’ll refund the discount back after payment.)

Tune In Tomorrow for Day 4!

The Lather Project: Day 2, Soap 2

I've had so much fun with Soap #2!

I’ve been meaning to add to my line of completely natural, vegan soaps - no animal byproducts (like tallow or beeswax), no synthetic fragrance oils, no chemical dyes - and this project is such an awesome opportunity to develop fabulous new products for this line!

So, Soap #2 started with my all-veggie oil soap recipe and I decided I’d create a fragrance blend with my essential oils - something uncomplicated to start with. Since I’m a beginner at fragrance blending, I wanted something straightforward and traditional - a two-note blend well-loved and instantly recognizable.
I chose orange & clove.

And getting the blend right was much easier than I thought - probably because I already knew that I wanted just enough clove to ‘warn up’ the scent, but not overpower the orange. A ratio of 2:1, orange to clove, worked perfectly.
And then I took to my spice grinder.

Orange essential oil is famous for it’s ability to cleanse and cut grease, so I felt it would be a natural progression to add in some exfoliants. I ground up some dried orange peel and added about 1.5 teaspoons to the cooked soap (since I have a 3 pound batch). I knew I also wanted a really pretty soap - so I ground up some cloves for a bit of color contrast and texture. I added only about ¼ tsp to the batch, since the clove - even finely ground - is quite abrasive.

And lending to the pretty factor, I noticed that the orange essential oil added a gorgeous light peachy tint to the soap, so I couldn’t resist a mica swirl - I chose a deep orange, almost pumpkin colored mica to swirl in.

And to ‘top’ it all off, I dropped a few whole pieces of the dried orange peel and just a pinch of the ground cloves into the mold before I spooned in the soap. This gave me an elegant and colorful surface to my loaf.

And so, here’s the description of Soap #2:

Bellissima Handcrafted All-Natural Vegan Sweet Orange & Clove Soap

Our amazing Sweet Orange & Clove Soap is an all-natural, vegan soap including luxurious all-veggie oils - featuring olive - but also with sunflower and rice bran to nurture and leave your skin feeling soft, smooth and hydrated! With real ground orange peel & cloves, this soap offers gentle exfoliation for the shower or makes a wonderful super-cleansing, super-moisturizing hand soap!

Sweet Orange & Clove is a year-round, uplifting and rejuvenating fragrance favorite for both men and women. It offers a well-balanced blend of citrus - pure, sweet orange - and just enough spicy clove to warm up and round out this refreshingly clean, classic scent.

Soap #2 is available for sale at

http://BellissimaMinerals.etsy.com

Mention Promo Code ‘Lather Project’ in the Message to Seller Box for a 10% discount off your Sweet Orange & Clove Soap purchase!

Choosing something else? Enter the Promo Code to receive a Free Sweet Orange & Clove Sample Bar! (Either wait for a revised invoice or I’ll refund the discount back after payment.)

And here’s wishing you all a Happy Mother’s Day!

Tune In Tomorrow for Day 3!