New Product Launch: Bellissima Mineral Makeup Setting Spritz

As I mentioned in yesterday's post, I'm working on several new product launches for Fall - and in time for the Holidays!

The one I'm most excited about is a product that's been requested for a few years now - yes, I said years. When we first introduced Bellissima Mineral Makeup, I believe it was during the first week that a customer asked if we had a Mineral Makeup Setting Spray. We didn't, but the seed was planted... and we've been working on it ever since!

The thing is, I didn't want 'just' a mineral setting spray - I wanted something that would be great for all skin types, would improve the look of skin and the minerals, that would be skin-healthy - and would actually work!

And of course, in true Bellissima style, it had to be as natural as possible and completely free of oils, alcohol, parabens, synthetic fragrance and, as I found out through my research, propylene glycol.

Propylene glycol, while 'natural', may cause eye or skin irritation, and as far as I'm concerned, just doesn't belong in a leave-on product that will be misted on the face. Since it's main purpose in this type of application is moisturization, I figured I could replace it with ingredients more appropriate and certainly less controversial.

And so, after much research and testing, I developed Bellissima Mineral Makeup Setting Spritz!

The ingredients are simple and healthy:

• Floral Waters of Rose, Rosehip and Lavender for astringent and antibacterial properties, their vitamins and nutrients, as well as for their aromatic and aromatherapeutic qualities
• White Willow Bark Extract for its astringent, moisturizing and toning properties
• Green Tea Extract for its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and soothing properties
• Chamomile Extract for its anti-inflammatory, soothing and healing properties
• Rose Canina Extract for its emollient, astringent and antioxidant properties
• Vegetable Glycerin for moisturizing and emolliency
• Citric Acid for balancing ph
• Aloe Vera Juice for its moisturizing, anti-inflammatory and healing properties
• Vitamin E (Tocopherol T-50) for its antioxidant, photoprotectant and moisturizing properties
• Silver Citrate, which in conjunction with Citric Acid, is part of a natural preservative system known as Tinosan SDC - which is free of parabens, formaldehyde and phenols.

And I'm so, so pleased with the finished product and it's performance!

It's main purpose is to set your mineral makeup application to help prevent smudging and smearing and help reduce the need for touch-ups throughout the day. It provides a protective layer that seals the minerals and helps in resisting water, humidity, even tears. And the vitamin and nutrient rich ingredients will also help provide moisture, reduce inflammation and provide anti-aging benefits!

It can also be used as a gentle leave-on toner after cleansing and as a primer beneath your mineral makeup. I leave mine in the fridge during the summer months to provide a cooling, refreshing spray of moisture anytime I need it!

Bellissima Mineral Makeup Setting Spritz, 2.4oz in a conveniently sized spray bottle, is now available at two of our online shops:

http://www.bellissimatruccominerale.com
http://BellissimaMinerals.etsy.com

If you have any questions or have given it a try, feel free to leave a comment!

Back From an Unintentional Blog Vacation!

I feel just horrible...

oh so neglectful...

Here I was, thinking I was working towards a lifelong habit of daily journaling and a true love affair with my Blog.

One of my goals for 'The Lather Project: 30 Soaps in 30 Days' was to develop a strict routine of posting to my Blog on a regular basis - and I've dropped the ball already. I posted several times after the Series ended (and actually thought I was doing pretty well!), but haven't since.

I can be quite hard on myself, especially about things like this, but I don't plan to drag on about it.

What I will do however, is update on what has been occupying all my time when I haven't been blogging:

• I've been working on reorganizing and streamlining the Bellissima shops. We have several shops, as well as a 'Main' website (www.bellissimamineralmakeup.com) and working on those and getting them organized and updated has been very time consuming!
• 
  I've been recruiting new Bellissima Affiliates. Bellissima has a wonderful work-from-home Program that allows people to get discounts off of our products, promote Bellissima and earn money while doing it! We have some amazing and successful women working with us now, and I'm personally proud of each and every one of them!
• 
  I've been working on producing more beautiful product photos! Selling online means being as visual as possible - with both pictures and words, so I've been trying to improve on our photos and product descriptions!
• 
  I've been developing some new items for the Fall Season. We've got some big product launches in store for our customers, including the much requested All Natural Mineral Makeup Setting Spray!
• 
  I've been preparing for the Holidays! It's never too early to start getting ready for retail's biggest selling season, and we've all been scurrying around like elves planning and strategizing for the Holidays!
• 
  I've been working on ideas for the next Blog Project! I had so much fun doing The Lather Project that I want to make sure I've got two blog series' planned a year. I don't want to give anything away, but we're planning on expanding our Spa, Bath & Body line soon - possibly in time for the Holidays!
  
• 
• All of these activities (and more, trust me!) has kept me pretty busy - but I never want to be so busy that I can't update my blog. No more unanticipated, unintentional, unplanned blog vacations! I am publicly re-dedicating myself to blogging on a regular basis, and making Bellissima's Blog a huge priority for my and my business.

So stay tuned - there's a lot more to come!

The Lather Project: Soap Updates

I wanted to do an update on a few of The Lather Project Soaps, since they’ve had some time to ‘sit’ now for a few weeks.

If you recall, there were a few soaps that used fragrance oils that I knew would ‘morph’ a bit - change the color of the soap. Many fragrance oils with a vanilla scent base will do this - and I used several of them during The Project. There are color stabilizers and non-discoloring fragrance oils, but I prefer to use some ingenuity in combating this issue. I used layering, blind swirls and a few other techniques to actually take advantage of the discoloring and try to create a pretty bar of soap.

Amber Vanilla Shampoo Bar (Soap #15) is one that I knew would discolor over time, and I tried some layering that wouldn’t be visible for a week or so, so I didn’t post photos then - but here they are now! This is one of the prettiest bars - although not the best layering job - with the cream and browns. And I love that the coloring is all completely natural!


Another one was Soap #10 - Lemon Poppyseed. With this one, I had 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 had hoped I’d get a beautiful brown & cream swirled bottom half with a yellow-poppy seed top half - but it didn‘t quite darken as ‘brown‘ as I‘d expected.

And the last one with a big change is my Botanical-Infused Lavender Vanilla (Soap #6)! The Vanilla half turned a beautiful deep brown and created a really interesting-looking bar! And it smells soooo delicious…

Overall, I’m quite pleased with all The Lather Project soaps - even the ones that didn’t turn out exactly as I’d anticipated! But that’s all part of the fun!

I’m still offering The Lather Project Soaps at 10% off in my etsy shop http://BellissimaMinerals.etsy.com using the Promo Code ‘Lather Project’!

Choosing something else? Receive a free sample bar of a Lather Project Soap with any purchase using the same Promo Code!

Thanks again to everyone who followed The Lather Project! It was great fun and I look forward to my next blog series!

The Lather Project Fun Facts

Sadly, The Lather Project is over. I’m not sure what to do with all this extra time on my hands! Actually, I’m busy dreaming up a new Project…

But anyway, I figured it might be fun to post a few fascinating facts about The Lather Project. When I look at the numbers like this, I’m just plain shocked!

Here's Some Interesting Lather Project Fun Facts....

Soap Facts
The Lather Project resulted in:
~ 30 3.5lb Soap Loaves
~ Over 105lbs total of Soap
~ 240+ Full Size Bars of Soap
~ 120+ Sample Size Soap Bars

Ingredient Facts

During The Lather Project, I used:
~ Almost 19lbs of Coconut Oil
~ Over 11lbs of Olive Oil
~ More than 7 Gallons of Distilled Water

~ Over 6lbs of Sunflower Seed Oil
~ Almost 6lbs of Fragrance and Essential Oils
~ Over 2 lbs of Botanicals

~ More than 2lbs of Goat's Milk

Types of Soap
~ 5 Men’s Soap
~ 2 Soaps with Shea Butter
~ 9 Goat Milk Soap
~ 3 Botanical Infused Soaps
~ 9 All-Natural Soaps
~ 8 Vegan Soaps
~ 1 Pet Soap
~ 2 Shampoo Bars
~ 2 Facial/Complexion Bars
~ 1 Shave Soap
~ 1 Pumice Bar
~ 1 Kitchen Soap
~ 1 Sea Salt Bar

I posted:
~ 1 Tutorial

Blog Facts during The Lather Project:
~ 293 Entries to Lather Project Giveaway
~ 164 Comments left on the Blog
~ 73 New Blog Followers
~ 4 Posts/Write-Ups on Other’s Blogs
~ 2 Blog Awards Won
~ 39 Tweets Referring to The Lather Project

Time Invested in The Lather Project:
~ Hours spent soap making - over 46.5
~ Hours spent writing posts - over 22.5
~ Hours spent taking photos - at least 7.5

~ Hours spent listing soaps in my shops - over 12.5

And there were so many things I wanted to do during The Lather Project that I just didn’t get to: Whipped Soap, a Cold-Process SoapMaking Tutorial, Cream Soap… but I’m hoping to cover these and more during The Lather Project II! Look for it either in the Fall or early next year!

Remember, too, that I’m still offering The Lather Project Soaps at 10% off in my etsy shop

http://BellissimaMinerals.etsy.com using the Promo Code ‘Lather Project’!

Choosing something else? Receive a free sample bar of a Lather Project Soap with any purchase using the same Promo Code!

Tune in next time for photo updates to some of The Lather Project Soaps!

I'm Honestly Honored - By The Honest Scrap Award

Bellissima‘s Blog has won another award - my 2nd - and I couldn‘t be more pleased and incredibly honored!!

I actually won The Honest Scrap Award during The Lather Project, but decided to wait until after it was over to post on it - but boy, was it hard… I’m so excited!

I want to thank Invites By Jen for honoring me with this fun and wonderful award! You can read her post and visit her Blog here:
http://invitesbyjen.blogspot.com/2009/05/honest-scrap-award.html

Jen has a super blog and an absolutely amazing shop at etsy. Take a moment to visit for creative handmade cards, stationery & invitations - http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=6121975

There are a few requirements to accepting the Honest Scrap Award:

1) The Honoree must thank the person who gave the award and list their blog and link it (please see above!).

2) The Winner must list 10 honest things about themselves - and here are my ‘Confessions‘:

• I find old episodes of ‘Frasier’ hysterically funny


• My bookshelf is filled with horror novels


• I wish I had earplugs every time my husband puts death metal on - or Howard Stern


• I put mineral makeup on whether I’m leaving the house or not - because I know it’s so good for my skin


• I like listening to ‘80s pop music while I’m working in my 'lab'


• I love to watch old movies on TMC when I’m not feeling well


• I know all the words to every Abba Song - I love ‘Mamma Mia’


• My Mom, my Husband & my Step-Daughter are my best friends


• I cringe whenever I look at early pics I took of my products


• I believe I could live on shrimp, watermelon and brie (not together, of course!)
  

3) The Winner must put a copy of The Honest Scrap Logo on their blog (please see sidebar).

4) The Winner must select at least 7 other worthy bloggers to pass The Honest Scrap Award on to & list their links - and here are my choices:

Boutique By Bonnie
Its just me, Amber
Random Splashes of Thought
Sweet Cuddle Cakes
My Little Aura
Living The Mid-Mod Life
The Seasonal Cottage

5) The Winner must notify the bloggers of the award and advise of the acceptance requirements.

Congratulations to all the 'Honest Scrap' Award Winners!

Thank you for offering such interesting posts and fabulous photos. You're all incredibly talented and have given me lots of joy - and I can‘t wait to learn a bit more about each of you!

If you have a moment, take some time and get to know a few of the Award Winners by clicking on the links and visiting their Blogs & Shops!

Things I Learned During The Lather Project

I learned so much during The Lather Project: 30 Soaps in 30 Days - mostly things about myself that I had never really thought about before, but a few other things as well. So I figured that - in a moment of self-revelation - I’d post a few here:

1. I have the most understanding, supportive and loving husband in the world.
2. Necessity breeds creativity - requiring a new soap every 24 hours for a month sparked tons of ideas that I might never have come up with otherwise
3. I love writing - almost as much as creating
4. I really can take a decent product photo!
5. Forcing myself to be creative and produce something new every single day allowed me to discover that I can be a resourceful, inventive and imaginative person
6. Inspiration comes from everyone and everything - I’ve opened my eyes and gained new insight into just about all that exists
7. Experimentation is the mother of invention - not necessity (see #2)
8. I can be a success at time management - I don’t have to let it overpower me and surrender to it
9. I am surprisingly much more organized than I’ve ever given myself credit for
10. Procrastination is the devil’s handiwork - and will lead you down the wrong path every time
11. Murphy’s Law applies to everything - especially when it comes to scalding hot oils and caustic lye
12. Some stuff that smells incredibly awesome just plain stinks when added to soap
13. Apparently, I will never get tired of or bored with making soap - ever
14. Perfect strangers are wonderfully willing to encourage, support, cheer on and wish luck on a project that you truly believe in
15. I have a lot more stamina, resilience and determination than I ever thought I had - my own stick-to-it-iveness and never-give-up attitude sincerely astounded me
16. I genuinely love a challenge! And I honestly enjoy pushing myself to do more - and do it better
17. I get a sense of pride and much more satisfaction out of my little indie business than I’ve ever gotten from working for someone else
18. Failure builds character and success builds self-esteem - it’s a win-win situation
19. Did I already mention that I have the most appreciative, accepting, encouraging and devoted husband in the whole-wide-world?
20. I would do it all over again - any day!

I looked forward to each and every new batch as if it were my very first time making soap. And my own wide-eyed wonder at sniffing, slicing and testing each new soap came as a total and complete surprise.

I want to keep this incredible child-like fascination and amazement when it comes to my craft throughout my entire life. And I sincerely believe the secret to it is to keep creating, designing and inventing, continue experimenting and testing and trying new things and definitely keep challenging myself on a daily basis.

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

It’s (still) Day #30!

If you missed the announcement of the winners of The Lather Project Soap Giveaway, be sure to scroll down to today’s earlier post!

So, for the very last soap of the Project, I thought I'd finish up the last of the necessary inventory replenishment - with Red Rose & Ivy! I was down to a single bar! I’m now completely & fully stocked with all my regular soaps and have dozens of new soaps to offer to my customers and in my shops!

I’m sad to have The Lather Project end. I’m incredibly moved by all the support I received and I’ve enjoyed every wonderful comment that's been posted. I’m also pretty proud of myself for sticking with it and absolutely thrilled with the results! I’m already focused on dreaming up my next blog series…

I’ll be adding lots of post-Lather Project updates, including follow-ups to several soaps, some observations I noted during the series and I have a great list of interesting and fun facts to post - so be sure to come back and enjoy!

And for the very last time, here’s the description for Soap #30:

Our line of Botanical Infused Bath Bars are a special treat for your skin - infusing teas, flowers, plants and herbs in oil or water and using it to create soap not only imparts their amazing benefits, but also allows for the most nutrients and enrichment possible from the botanicals! And with real red rose petals, this soap offers gentle - and beautiful - exfoliation!

Our incredible Red Rose & Ivy Soap offers a harmonious blend of sweet, red rose petals in bloom and fresh green ivy. And in true Bellissima style, this is not your average floral rose scent! Intoxicating red rose, fresh geranium and tropical lily merge sensuously with cool herbs, lush greens and subtle earthy moss to deliver an unforgettable twist on a timeless fragrance!

Soap #30 is available for sale at my etsy store

http://BellissimaMinerals.etsy.com!

Remember to use Promo Code ‘Lather Project’ to receive 10% off your Lather Project Soap purchase!

Choosing something else? Use the Promo Code to receive a free sample bar of your choice of Lather Project Soaps!

Tune in Next Time for Post-Lather Project Updates!