Sad its over…..But so happy I got to play!

Well I am so sad that this testing is over. But I am thankful that I was chosen to do it.   When I got word I was chosen I was so excited !! I received the box and then realized I was getting sick .I wrote all my first impressions down and then the next morning I could not smell anything . I had to do something so I took them to my work place and did a blind test there writing down their favorites and least favorites . It was so much fun having them all involved. Cooks , managers, host, servers and even guest!

Then I wanted to make the most out of it and wanted to make them in as many products as I could . I have a lot of mini containers and molds that I use to send to stores for test products (ALWAYS GOOD TO GIVE THEM SOMETHING THEY CAN FEEL ,SMELL, SEE AND USE) I have some 10ml little sprayers (great for room spray /linen , body spray samples and I see www.brambleberry.com is carrying them now. Yeah!

I have 1 oz lotion bottles (great for travel and samples to your big shoppers as a little bonus)

I really wanted to make this in a candle so we made little tea lights (it would have taken too much of my little bottle to use in a big candle)

CP soap I recently had bought a tote of molds/candy/soap ones at a yard sell (you never know when they will come in handy)like now there where some oval thin ones that held 2 oz of soap and they were perfect .

MP I am not a professional on the MP side but I am so drawn to the possibilities you can do with it that you can not do with CP I had never done MP until last year at conference and I had to choose to take a class that I really needed or take this class with Soapylove owner Debbie Chialtas and I have no clue of what it was Oh my Gosh Love!!! I made mini birds with the test scent and they are so cute.check out www.soapylove.com to see all of her amazing products!

I also made mini lotion bars in a heart-shaped mini ice tray , I had to make them they are a staple of Lotion Bar Cafe  and they where the perfect size.

Well there you have it! My Favorites where number Number 1, 2, 4, 6, 7 and 8. Number 6 was my absolute  favorite!!!!!!

I am really thankful to Anne-Marie and her amazing staff  at bramble berry. I have been using her products  going on 5 years and have never had a complaint. I only order my scents from her anymore and I am never disappointed. I would love to test ANY product for them !!

Thank You

Holly

www.lotionbarcafe.com

 

Keep that light burning,Tea light testing for Bramble Berry S.O.A.P panel

By now I do not need to tell you my favorite scent!!!!!! lol …but  I will 🙂

I use 100 % soy wax and Cotton wicks in our candles.

You can see there was a little discoloration in a few but not much. 

I burned these in my bathroom (small space ) for an hour then brought to the kitchen area for the rest of the time.

Soy wax I like using it because it  does melt at a lower temp and burns “clean” all the way down. But be careful when you sell at an outdoor market in the warm months.

Number 1  great throw great fresh floral scent

Number 2 again great throw and favorite of the 3 gardenias for candle

Number 3 this makes a great candle this was not as strong as the others

Number 4 very fresh lilac scent~ I think this mixed with a vanilla would be awesome

Number 5- sweet, sweet ,sweet smell ,creamy has a spice note (Honeysuckle)

Number 6 I was worried because I love this scent that it would not perform well. IT DID NOT DISAPPOINT ! love……love….love……LOVE! I think I could break out in song and dance!

Number 7  hmm I like this scent ! 😦 but I do not think it makes a great candle though …so sad (but ok it still is great in other products! Smells like green grass

Number 8  Herbal, powder, eucalyptus , creamy I liked it in candles!!

Number 9 I know I sound like I always seem to give it a negative review , but I think I have found what this scent will be good for. My sushi soaps!! yeah , this did not smell very good in my bathroom but it did have a good throw . I did not burn a candle the next day because I could still smell it! so yeah for that!:)

Number 10  Rose is what I smelled  not overpowering , notes of green mixed in too!

That was Fun! I took all the rest of the half  burned tea lights to Kansas this week to my husbands apartment ( he is working on a school out there , hopefully on for a few more months) His apartment never smelled so good!!!

Coming up next is my conclusion……. So sad Its over!!

Holly 

My Fizzy People for S.O.A.P panel For Bramble Berry

I love baths ! I take one every night ! I love bath fizzies packed with skin softening butters! I wanted to make sure I tested a batch of these guys!

I know they are Gingerbread men ! But in my soapy world they are my Fizzy People . I wrote soapy people but it was really late when I made these , and when I took the picture I fixed it! lol

I made my batch of fizzy mix that is packed with oils and cocoa butter and shea butter. I mixed in a little cup and used my dropper and a spoon ti mix fast and pack in the mold. I made two one for me and one to share . I love paying it forward ! So for my fizzy people there where no discolorations .

These were tested in my bath for 10 days!!  I am not complaining….:) I love my bath time I was a little worried if I was going to like 5 or 9 though so I saved for my last two days..

Number 1 ~ it was nice and floral but not over powering

Number 2~this make a great bath fizzy scent great for summer!!!!!

Number 3~ This was my favorite of the 3 gardenias! Refreshing

Number 4~ Lilac bath it had creamy notes in the bath I really liked this too

Number 5~ It has a sweet note , It was not bad ( I tried to put my feelings aside ) really was not bad

Number 6~ HEAVEN really needs to be called that!!!!! 🙂 I was so sad that my bath had to end. And for some reason the one I had  to give disappeared………:) I do not know where it could be. OK I have it and no one is taking it!  ok back to the list people –

Number 7~ Fresh I liked it a lot!

Number 8 ~ Herbal bath time , with a cup of tea! love this in bath fizzy!

Number 9 ~ This scent is going to bug me so bad ! It has an earthy , seaweed, gingerish?

Number 10 ~reminded me of my Grandmothers rose-water but not Frenchy like , very fresh

Thanks for stopping by and reading all my ramblings of the s.o.a.p. panel results and I want to thank 

 Bramble Berry  too!   Holly

Testing New Scents in Cold Process Soap~

Wow what can I say , fresh Cp soap curing = yummo!

As I sit here and smell them one by one I have found my favorites ! As you can see number 3 is a light tan and number 5 is a darker tan (brown). Number 8 turned a mustard yellow. I used my goat’s milk recipe  with a little TD mixed in with this batch and used a shallow oval bar mold.

Now for the scents……

Number 1 Gardenia ~sweet, clean , true flower scent , not over powering ,creamy

Number 2 Gardenia~floral (I dont want this to sound bad but this smells like the spray they have in those atomatic sprayers in the public bathrooms) I like it lol

Number 3 gardenia more earth like , floral ,sweet

Number 4 lilacs fresh-cut with stems( green grass) love not over powering smells like grandmas back yard!

Number 5 creamy sugar note~ from the browning maybe vanilla

Number 6 I can not wait to find out what this one is!!!!!1 It has such a familiar smell  (maybe something that bath and body works sells) It was the winner of my blind test at work!! Very fresh clean , Refreshing calming scent maybe sweet pea? I love this one and will be buying this in 16 oz as soon as possible!!! ok moving on lol

number 7  smells like carnations and cucumber lol i know but that’s what i smell !! it’s on my top 5 list

Number 8~ eucalyptus!!! hmm it turned yellow brownish color , There does not seem like vanilla is in it.  It should be called sleepy time! I will be ordering this also!!

Number 9 ~ ok this one I get an earthy note but also a seaweed smell, not an overpowering  hyacinths flower I am sure once I find out the scents I am going to laugh at these notes lol

Number 10 ~rose I know there is  rose in there!!!! It smells just like smelling a long stem rose!

I can not wait to order my favorites!!! This is such a blast. I am testing in my shea ~aloe lotion tomorrow!! And I will try to guess again 🙂

Happy soaping

Little Birdie’s Getting in on the Testing

So I picked Goats milk Melt and Pour as my first test. I Did two test for each one. The first test I did was the birds with  color after I filled the bird mold I added one to two drops of color to the rest and did a little flower . The first impression from the Birds after taking them out of the molds . They were all creamy white with no color change . A few hours later #5 has a  discoloration to it (like vanilla is present in that one). It is a very light brown. So far no others have changed.

The flowers have not shown any color change , even the one with #5 in it!

Everyone had a “smelling ” good time

Having a cold and not being able to smell is the worst for a soapmaker! especially when you are on this awesome S.O.A.P Panel that Bramble Berry has put together. Well I brought the samples into the restaurant that I work at and asked the staff to help me out. It was so much fun and the restaurant never smelled so good.
There were 15 people that included cooks, management, servers and even a few customers! yeah! They wanted to get in on the action.
I had them pick their favorite Gardenia out of the 3 and then put their favorite in order from the best (something they would use) to the NOT (something they would not use)
So out of the 15 people that “sniffed” here are the results
Gardenia #1 —-6
Gardenia#2—–5
Gardenia#3—–4

The one with most votes—#6 13/15 people!!!!
wow, I have that one on my wish list!
The Next one #7 9/15
Then # 9 10/15
The one with the least votes….. was number 10~
I think that it has a bit of rose in it.

There were 3 men that had a blast (they all like #10)
It was fun letting them smell them and participate, they feel like they are part of the FUN and they have been there from the begining of my business.
Always listen to what your customers LIKE when selecting new scents. They are the ones that will be buying from you!
Thanks for to all my SNIFFERS!

Can’t Smell!!!

Oh boy! Nothing like being excited to finally get to do something and BAM! you are sick as a dog and can not smell a darn thing! Well not so good when you have and amazing box of goodies from Bramble Berry!
As soon as I got my box I opened them all and wrote down a first impression of each!
#1 Gardenia – floral-sweet undertone smells like Gardenias from my grandmothers yard.
#2 Gardenia- Sweet Floral
#3 Gardenia- floral-little bitter note
#4 Mystery- Fresh , Floral,green grass (maybe lettuce note)
#5 mystery-warm , sugary ,carmel note
#6 Mystery-this scent seems familiar to me!!! very clean scent..hmmm
#7 Mystery Crisp, citrus, maybe grapefruit!
#8 Mystery notes of Eucalyptus, herbal
#9 Mystery clean, crisp, cucumber
#10 Mystery floral , blended with notes of rose?
Well that was first Impressions , I will have Melt and Pour Project Tomorrow and will post the finnished Project!