Body Language Essentials

Gearing up for the Holidays

2011-10-19T18:21:00.001-06:00

It's been a crazy couple of months around here, and well, we honestly don't expect them to slow down much until, oh, maybe March. LOL! But it's been a good crazy. Kids are obviously back in school. Our show up at Sundance Resort went really well. Silly us left the camera in the car, so we have no pictures at all. Which really is a shame, because a lot of the displays were brand new, and we finally had a banner created for us.

Holiday sales have definitely started rolling in, and Etsy is trying to do their best to make things difficult (soooo many changes in such a short time, and they always seem to do this right before the holidays). We really do hope to get back to our regular blogging, especially with new Get the Looks. If there are any shades or looks you'd like to see, let us know in the comments, and we'll see what we can do!

Get the Look: Matte Pink & Brown Eye Shadow Look

2011-07-29T09:00:00.008-06:00

I wanted something soft & delicate for today, and something simple. It's all too easy to get wrapped up in the fancy elaborate looks and forget to do stuff on the simple looks that are perfect for quick every day looks.

Two colors, can't get much simpler than that.

1. Start with SHADOW BOOST Eye Shadow Primer across the entire lid.

2. Apply MOCHA Mineral Eye Shadow along the crease and outer corner, and along the outer lower lash line.

3. Apply BUBBLE GUM PINK Mineral Eye Shadow on the main lid, and gently blend out into the MOCHA. You can also apply it lightly along the brow bone if you wish.

4. Softly blend, then finish off with your favorite mascara. Simple as that, and utterly gorgeous. The soft matte finish with both eye shadows keeps it nice & subdued without being boring.

Get the Look: Harvest Goddess - Warm Metallic Smokey Eye Shadow Look

2011-07-27T09:00:00.003-06:00

Get the Look: Harvest Goddess

This warm metallic smokey look is perfect for the upcoming fall months. It's warm burnished golds & browns is perfect for autumn celebrations!

To Get this Look:

1. Start with SHADOW BOOST Eye Shadow Primer over the entire lid.

2. Using our Fluffy Crease Brush, apply RHEA Mineral Eye Shadow along the crease & outer corner. The use our Angled Eyeliner Brush to apply RHEA along the outer lower lash line.

3. Apply DEMETER Mineral Eye Shadow across the main lid & inner corner, and along the inner lower lash line with our Smudger Brush.

4. Apply CHAMPAGNE Mineral Eye Shadow along the brow bone and lightly around the tear duct.

5. Touch up any areas as needed, gently blend, then finish off with your favorite mascara!

You can buy the colors individually, or purchase them as a set here:

Harvest Goddess Eye Shadow Collection

Get the Look: Neon Spring - Vibrant Fuchsia & Emerald Green Eye Shadow Look

2011-07-25T09:00:00.002-06:00

I wanted to do something bright & in your face for today's Get the Look. I honestly don't wear looks like this out of the house much, but they sure are fun to create!

First apply SHADOW BOOST Eye Shadow Primer across the entire lid.

I started with ENVIOUS Mineral Eye Shadow (emerald green eyeshadow with black undertones) in the crease & outer corner with our Fluffy Crease Eye Shadow Brush. Gently blend the crease line up to soften the top edge, but not too much. I love this color, but the more you blend, the more the black undertones tend to creep out. And we wanted a nice vibrant green with this look, so very very light blending!!!

Then using our Angled Eye Liner Brush, apply ENVIOUS along the upper lash line, the outer lower lash line, and gently on the lower waterline.

Then finish off with APHRODITE Mineral Eye Shadow (vibrant fuchsia pink eye shadow) on the inner corner and main lid.

So if you're feeling brave, daring & playful, then you gotta try this look out!!!

Get the Look: Witching Hour

2011-07-22T09:00:00.001-06:00

Get the Look: Witching Hour

Our WITCHING HOUR Mineral Eye Shadow Collection is a dark mysterious look with a sparkly finish. A gorgeous blend of navy blues, pitch black, and sparkly glitter.

Included in this Collection:

TWILIGHT Mineral Eye Shadow
ASTERIA Mineral Eye Shadow
NYX Mineral Eye Shadow

✥ ✥ ✥ GET THIS LOOK ✥ ✥ ✥

SHADOW BOOST Eye Shadow Primer was first applied over the entire lid.

TWILIGHT Eye Shadow was applied across the entire lid with our Smudger Brush.

NYX Eye Shadow was then applied to the crease & outer corner with our Fluffy Crease Brush. We used our Smudger Brush to darken up the corner just a bit, and smudge along the outer lower lash line.

We followed up with the lower lash line with TWILIGHT and smudged in some of the blue over the black with our Smudger Brush.

We finished up with ASTERIA Eye Shadow along the brow bone and around the tear duct with our Fluffy Crease Brush. We also lightly smudged it along the lash line, then dusted it very lightly over the entire eye.

Then finish up with your favorite mascara!

Get the Look: Retro Beach Babe

2011-07-20T09:00:00.002-06:00

Get the Look: Retro Beach Babe

Our RETRO BEACH BABE Mineral Eye Shadow Collection is a warm playful look with a softly shimmery finish.

Included in this Collection:

ANEMONE Mineral Eye Shadow
POOLSIDE HOTTIE Mineral Eye Shadow
HADES Mineral Eye Shadow

✥ ✥ ✥ GET THIS LOOK ✥ ✥ ✥

SHADOW BOOST Eye Shadow Primer was first applied over the entire lid.

HADES Eye Shadow was first foiled and applied as an eyeliner with our Angled Eyeliner Brush. Since we wanted a retro look, we applied a thick top lash line, and winged it up slightly at the corners. We added just a tiny tiny amount on the outer portion of the lower lash line.

ANEMONE was applied across the entire eye lid from lashes to brow with our Fluffy Crease Brush.

POOLSIDE HOTTIE was applied in the outer corner & along the crease with our Smudger Brush. We also smudged along the lower lash line and darkened up the color in the corner.

Get the Look: Night Goddess

2011-07-18T09:00:00.004-06:00

Get the Look: Night Goddess

Our NIGHT GODDESS Mineral Eye Shadow Collection is a dark smokey plum look with a delicate sparkly finish. A gorgeous blend of vibrant plums, pitch black, and sparkly glitter.

Included in this Collection:

PERSEPHONE Mineral Eye Shadow
ASTERIA Mineral Eye Shadow
NYX Mineral Eye Shadow

✥ ✥ ✥ GET THIS LOOK ✥ ✥ ✥

SHADOW BOOST Eye Shadow Primer was first applied over the entire lid.

PERSEPHONE Eye Shadow was applied across the entire lid with our Smudger Brush, then lightly foiled to draw out it's metallic features.

NYX Eye Shadow was then applied to the crease & outer corner with our Fluffy Crease Brush. We used our Smudger Brush to darken up the corner just a bit, and smudge along the outer lower lash line.

We finished up with ASTERIA Eye Shadow along the brow bone and around the tear duct with our Fluffy Crease Brush. We also lightly smudged it along the lower lash line.

Then finish up with your favorite mascara!

Makeup Tutorial: Star Gazing

2011-07-17T09:00:00.000-06:00

Today's Mineral Makeup Tutorial is a soft delicate mauve/plum look that can easily be worn either day or night.

STEP 1: Apply SHADOW BOOST Eye Shadow Primer over the entire eyelid.

(Step 2)

STEP 2: Using our Fluffy Crease Brush, apply Galaxia Mineral Eye Shadow along the crease and then form a "V" at the outer corner. Don't worry too much about fall out. You can clean that up at the end.

(Step 3)

STEP 3: Apply Dreamy Mineral Eye Shadow across the main lid with our Smudger Brush. And also lightly smudge along the inner lower lash line.

(Step 4)

STEP 4: With a Smudger Brush, gently smudge Galaxia Mineral Eye Shadow along the lower outer lash line. You can also darken up the corner slightly if you want a darker look.

STEP 5: Blend lightly, touch up any color if needed. Then finish off with your favorite mascara!

(Finished Look)

NEEDED FOR THIS LOOK:

Shadow Boost Eye Shadow Primer

Galaxia Mineral Eye Shadow

Dreamy Mineral Eye Shadow

Fluffy Crease Eye Shadow Brush

Smudger Eye Shadow Brush

Get the Look: Green Eyed Monster

2011-07-15T09:00:00.001-06:00

Get the Look: Green Eyed Monster

Our GREEN EYED MONSTER Eye Shadow Collection is a stunning smokey green look that will make everyone envious!

Included in this Collection:

JADED Mineral Eye Shadow (dark green)
NYX Mineral Eye Shadow (black sparkle)
CHAMPAGNE Mineral Eye Shadow (sheer gold)

✥ ✥ ✥ GET THIS LOOK ✥ ✥ ✥

Apply SHADOW BOOST Eye Shadow Primer over the entire lid.

Apply JADED to the inner corner & main lid with Oval Smudger Brush. Then smudge along the inner lower lash line for a soft eye liner. Then carefully applied along the lower waterline.

Apply NYX to the outer corner & lightly along the crease line with our Fluffy Crease Brush. Then smudge underneath for a soft eyeliner look with Angled Liner Brush.

Then apply CHAMPAGNE along the brow bone as a highlighter with Oval Smudger Brush. (champagne was NOT applied yet for the closed lid photo)

Touch up JADED if needed. Then finish off with your favorite mascara!

Get the Look: Strut (Peacock Inspired)

2011-07-13T09:00:00.002-06:00

Get the Look: Strut

Our STRUT Eye Shadow Collection is was inspired by the gorgeous colors found in a peacock's plumage. Stunning teals, blues & greens, and bursts of vibrant gold!

Included in this Collection:

HERA Mineral Eye Shadow (teal blue shimmer)
THEIA Mineral Eye Shadow (vibrant blue shimmer)
MAIA Mineral Eye Shadow (spring green shimmer)
POT O GOLD Mineral Eye Shadow (metallic gold)

✥ ✥ ✥ GET THIS LOOK ✥ ✥ ✥

Apply SHADOW BOOST Eye Shadow Primer over the entire lid.

Apply HERA over the entire lid area and carefully along the lower waterline with our Oval Smudger Brush. Then lightly smudge along the lower lash line.

Apply THEIA to the outer corner & lightly along the crease line with our Fluffy Crease Brush. Softly blend out the crease line with a clean brush.

With our Angled Liner Brush, apply MAIA (we foiled for a bolder color) along the upper lash line, and along the outer 3rd of the lower lash line as an eyeliner. Since we were going for a bold look, we added the heavily winged out liner at the outer corner.
Then apply POT O GOLD to the inner corner and around the tear duct, and lightly smudge along the inner lower lash line. We also added a bold streak of gold along the outer corner. To get the bold line, we applied a fresh line of primer with a narrow brush, then dabbed the eye shadow along the line so it would only stick to the line of primer. We used our Oval Smudger Brush.

Then finish off with your favorite mascara.

Get the Look: Pink Blaze

2011-07-11T09:00:00.001-06:00

Get the Look: Pink Blaze

Our PINK BLAZE Mineral Eye Shadow Collection is hot playful look with a metallic finish.

Included in this Collection:

EOS Mineral Eye Shadow
BRAZEN Mineral Eye ShadowGILDED Mineral Eye Shadow

✥ ✥ ✥ GET THIS LOOK ✥ ✥ ✥

SHADOW BLAST Eye Shadow Primer was first applied over the entire lid.

EOS was applied across the entire eye lid from lashes to crease with our Oval Smudger Brush. Then smudged along the inner lower lash line, then carefully applied along the lower waterline.

BRAZEN was applied in the outer corner & along the crease with our Fluffy Crease Brush. Using our Angled Eyeliner Brush, we also smudged along the outer lower lash line and darkened up the color in the corner.

GILDED was applied along the upper brow bone, and around the tear duct using our Oval Smudger Brush.

We touched up BRAZEN just a bit along the crease line, then finished off with our favorite mascara!

Makeup Tutorial: Super Easy Smokey Brown Eye Shadow

2011-07-10T11:23:00.005-06:00

Makeup Tutorial: Super Easy Smokey Brown Eye Shadow

This is a super easy look to recreate, and the techniques used can be applied with pretty much any color combo you can think of.

In this look, we used two colors to create a very simple, but still super sexy smokey eye look.

STEP 1: Apply SHADOW BOOST Eye Shadow Primer over the entire lid.

STEP 2: Apply HADES Eye Shadow along the upper & lower lash lines. It doesn't need to be neat or pretty, but you do want it to be a fairly thick line, and heavily pigmented. Because of the dark shadows used in this look, you will have a little bit of powder fall out, so you probably will want to do your eye makeup FIRST, then do the rest of your makeup after.

Brush Used: Angled Eyeliner Brush

(step 2)

STEP 3: Apply MOCHA Eye Shadow into the crease line and across the main lid. Then smudge a little along the outer lower lash line.

Brush Used: Fluffy Crease Brush

(step 3)

STEP 4: Apply MOCHA Eye Shadow along the lower waterline.

Brush Used: Smudger Brush

STEP 5: BLEND BLEND BLEND!!! The key to create a good smokey eye is blending! With this look, blend Mocha up into the brown bone area to soften the top 'line'. Then blend Hades up into Mocha. With our Smudger Brush, blend the lower lash line down slightly, and soften the eyeliner line. You want the liner to be soft looking without being overwhelming. Smokey without looking like a raccoon, LOL!

STEP 6: Clean up any fall out, then finish off with your favorite mascara.

NEEDED FOR THIS LOOK:

Get the Look: Violetta Collection

2011-07-08T09:00:00.001-06:00

Get the Look: Violetta Collection

Our VIOLETTA Mineral Eye Shadow Collection is a soft & delicate look with a matte finish.
Included in this Collection:

ICED VIOLETS Mineral Eye Shadow
VIOLETTA Mineral Eye Shadow
MEDORA PANSY Mineral Eye Shadow

✥ ✥ ✥ GET THIS LOOK ✥ ✥ ✥

Shadow Blast Eye Shadow Primer was first applied over the entire lid.

VIOLETTA was applied across the entire eye lid from lashes to crease with our Oval Smudger Brush.

MEDORA PANSY was applied in the outer corner & along the crease with our Fluffy Crease Brush. Then using our Oval Smudger Brush, we also smudged along the lower lash line and darkened up the color in the corner.

ICED VIOLETS was applied along the upper brow bone with our Oval Smudger Brush, and around the tear duct.

We then finished up with a hint of HADES Mineral Eye Shadow as an eye liner, and applied with our Angled Eye Liner Brush. (Hades Mineral Eye Shadow is NOT included in this Eye Shadow Collection)

Get the Look: Green Pixie

2011-07-06T09:00:00.007-06:00

Get the Look: Green Pixie

Our GREEN PIXIE Eye Shadow Trio is a stunning green look that will surely bring out your mischievous side!

Included in this Collection:

JADED Mineral Eye Shadow (dark green)
LUCKY Mineral Eye Shadow (golden green)
GILDED Mineral Eye Shadow (pale gold)

✥ ✥ ✥ GET THIS LOOK ✥ ✥ ✥

Apply our Shadow Boost Eye Shadow Primer over the entire lid.

Apply JADED to the outer corner & crease with our Fluffy Crease Brush. Then smudge along the outer lower lash line for a soft eye liner with our Oval Smudger Brush.

Apply LUCKY to the main lid & inner corner, and then on the inner lower lash line with our Oval Smudger Brush. Then carefully apply along the lower waterline.

Then apply GILDED along the brow bone as a highlighter with our Oval Smudger Brush.

Touch up JADED in the crease if needed, and softly blend. Be careful not to blend out JADED too much, or the black undertones will muddy up the look. Then finish off with your favorite mascara!

Get the Look: Sunset Fire

2011-07-04T09:00:00.001-06:00

Get the Look: Sunset Fire

Our SUNSET FIRE Mineral Eye Shadow Collection is a warm blend of golds and pinks with a metallic finish. You get three full sized mineral eye shadows with this collection.

Included in this Collection:

AZTEC GOLD Mineral Eye Shadow (vibrant gold with chocolate undertones)
EOS Mineral Eye Shadow (metallic golden pink - not vegan)
CHAMPAGNE Mineral Eye Shadow (delicate light golden highlighter)

✥ ✥ ✥ GET THIS LOOK ✥ ✥ ✥

Shadow Boost Eye Shadow Primer was first applied over the entire lid.

AZTEC GOLD was applied in the outer corner & along the crease with our Fluffy Crease Brush. Then we smudged along the lower lash line and darkened up the color in the corner with our Oval Smudger Brush.

EOS was applied with our Oval Smudger Brush to the inner corner and over the main lid. Then lightly smudged along the lower lash line along the inner corner, then carefully applied to the lower waterline.

CHAMPAGNE was applied along the upper brow bone, and around the tear duct with our Oval Smudger Brush.

With a clean Fluffy Crease Brush we made sure the look was well blended. Then we finished off with our favorite mascara.

Get the Look: Syrena

2011-07-01T09:00:00.005-06:00

Get the Look: Syrena

Our SYRENA Eye Shadow Duo is a playful mermaid inspired look that uses bright blue and rich teal shades! It's incredibly easy to create, and fun way to punch up your look without going over the top.

Included in this Collection:

HERA Mineral Eye Shadow
THEIA Mineral Eye Shadow

✥ ✥ ✥ GET THIS LOOK ✥ ✥ ✥

HERA was applied with a soft eye shadow brush along the inner corner and over the main lid area.

THEIA was applied in the outer corner & along the crease. Using a detail brush, we also smudged along the lower lash line and darkened up the color in the corner.

We touched up the center of the lid a little with HERA. We finished with a clean soft blender brush and blended thoroughly to make sure there weren't any distinctive lines between the different shades.

Get the Look: Forbidden Love

2011-06-29T09:00:00.002-06:00

Get the Look: Forbidden Love

Our FORBIDDEN LOVE Eye Shadow Collection is a bold sparkly combo that is inspired by the Goddess of Love herself, Aphrodite. Bold Fuchsia, Seductive Blacks, and sheer sparkle! GORGEOUS!!!

Included in this Collection:

APHRODITE Mineral Eye Shadow (fuchsia pink sparkle)
NYX Mineral Eye Shadow (black sparkle)
ASTERIA Mineral Eye Shadow (sheer sparkle)

✥ ✥ ✥ GET THIS LOOK ✥ ✥ ✥

Apply Primer over the entire lid.

Apply APHRODITE to the inner corner & main lid with a soft eye shadow brush. Then smudge along the inner lower lash line for a soft eye liner.

Apply NYX to the outer corner & lightly along the crease line, and then smudge underneath for a soft eyeliner look with a firm detail brush.

Then apply ASTERIA around the tear duct & inner corner. Then dust a little along the brow bone as a highlighter, and a very light sweep over the lower lash line.

Touch up APHRODITE if needed. Then finish off with your favorite mascara!

Buy 2 Get 1 FREE Sale!

2011-06-28T21:41:00.000-06:00

Just a quick note in case you didn't catch it on Facebook or in our Newsletter....

Buy 2 Get 1 FREE Sale!

Mix & Match as much as you want, then get a 3rd item of equal or lesser value absolutely FREE!

WEBSITE

ETSY SHOP

When checking out, put your purchased items in the cart but NOT your freebie items! In the notes, let me know what you'd like as your freebies.

And yes, you can buy 4 get 2 free, buy 6 get 3 free, etc.

Sale ends at Midnight (EST) July 4, 2011. Cannot be combined with other offers, sales, coupons, etc. Gift Certificates are not included in this sale.

Get the Look: Stars & Stripes

2011-06-27T21:00:00.000-06:00

Get the Look: Stars & Stripes

Just in time for the 4th of July, it's time to show your USA Pride! Our STARS & STRIPES Eye Shadow Collection is a gorgeous Patriotic combo that is sure to draw fireworks!

Included in this Collection:

FEMME FATALE Mineral Eye Shadow (red)
THEIA Mineral Eye Shadow (blue)
SNOW QUEEN Mineral Eye Shadow (white)

✥ ✥ ✥ GET THIS LOOK ✥ ✥ ✥

The look was applied over a dry lid. No primer or foiling medium was used.

SNOW QUEEN was applied at the inner corner & in the center of the eye lid.

FEMME FATALE was applied in the outer corner & along the crease with a soft bristled crease brush.

THEIA was applied along both the upper and lower lash lines as an eyeliner, and along the lower lid waterline.

A Quick Note on Some Small Changes

2011-06-23T23:34:00.000-06:00

Hey guys, I just wanted to drop a quick note on some changes that have either just happening, or will be soon.

We have changed suppliers for our 20 gram mineral makeup jars (foundations, blushes, veils). They are slightly smaller than the ones from the previous supplier. All listings are being updated with the new weights. Prices have already been changed (lowered) to reflect the difference.

Ironically, the eye shadow jars are slightly LARGER. We will be making a few small changes in listings, but the prices are staying the same on those for now.

In case you haven't noticed yet, we are selling the smaller 3 gram Eye Shadow jars individually instead of just in sampler sets. The 3 gram jars are filled by weight & volume. I know, that sounds a little weird. The jars simply can't all hold the same weight. If we did it by weight only, some would be filled to the brim, and others would look practically empty. The ingredients that go into the mineral makeup all weight differently. Which is why our eye shadows all have different weights listed. It's not as simple as saying a 10 gram jar holds 2 grams worth of product. Our 10 gram jars hold anywhere from 1.2 grams to almost 3 grams of eye shadow.

Anyway.... LOL.... I got side tracked a little....

At the moment, the MINI 3 gram jars are $3.50 each, and only in our Etsy Shop. We are hoping to add them to our website at some point. You know, in all my free time (hahahahaha)!

Quick 'warning'.... during the summer months, we CANNOT promise our lip balms, lipsticks and sugar scrubs will arrive without melting damage. The scrubs become more fluid and sometimes will leak, despite the foam liners. We pack them in individual bags to limit any 'damage' to other products. Lip Balms & Lipsticks may melt up into the caps. Some tips. If they're still fluid when you open the box, put them upright in your refrigerator until they've completely cooled. It shouldn't take long. If they're no longer fluid, but completely stuck up in the cap, go stick it upright in the cup holder in your car. By the end of the afternoon, chances are it will have remelted back into the tube. LOL! But after that, DO NOT KEEP THEM IN YOUR CAR! LOL! You can clean out the lids with q-tips.

I know this is kind of a boring blog post. It happens.

Have fun guys!!!

Lindsay

Get the Look: Neapolitan Ice Cream

2011-06-20T20:24:00.000-06:00

Get the Look: Neapolitan Ice Cream

Our NEAPOLITAN ICE CREAM Eye Shadow TRIO is fun & playful, and definitely unique!

Included in this Collection:

BABY DOLL PINK Mineral Eye Shadow (strawberry pink) - Matte Finish
SNOW QUEEN Mineral Eye Shadow (white vanilla) - Pearl Finish
ESPRESSO Mineral Eye Shadow (chocolate brown) - Matte Finish

✥ ✥ ✥ GET THIS LOOK ✥ ✥ ✥

Apply Primer over the entire lid.

Apply BABY DOLL PINK to the inner corner with a soft eye shadow brush.

Apply ESPRESSO to the outer corner & lightly along the crease line with a soft eye shadow brush, and then smudge underneath for a soft eyeliner look with a firm detail brush.

Then apply SNOW QUEEN to the center of the lid, lightly blending outwards into the colors on either side. Dab more color on if you want a more intense white. A short bristled detail brush is best for this. Then dust a little along the brow bone as a highlighter.

Get the Look: Mermaid

2011-06-19T09:00:00.002-06:00

Get the Look: Mermaid

Our Mermaid Eye Shadow Trio is a bold & playful look that is softly shimmery. With a gorgeous blend of bright ocean blue & gorgeous greens, and topped off with delicate glittery sparkles, this is a look that is always fun!

Modeled Photos are shown applied over Primer.

Included in this Collection:

MAIA Mineral Eye Shadow
THEIA Mineral Eye Shadow
ASTERIA Mineral Eye Shadow

✥ ✥ ✥ GET THIS LOOK ✥ ✥ ✥

PRIMER was first applied over the entire lid.

THEIA Mineral Eye Shadow was applied at the inner corner & in the center of the eye lid.

MAIA Mineral Eye Shadow was applied in the outer corner & along the crease with a soft bristled crease brush. Using a detail brush, we also smudged along the lower lash line and darkened up the color in the corner.

ASTERIA Mineral Eye Shadow was applied along the upper brow bone, around the tear duct, and underneath the lower lash line. (we lightly applied a little more primer with a clean brush to help the glitter in this eye shadow really stick & pop out).

Get the Look: Strawberry Lemonade

2011-06-18T09:00:00.003-06:00

Get the Look: Strawberry Lemonade

Our Strawberry Lemonade Eye Shadow Duo is a playful look that is softly shimmery. It's a fun look that is perfect for summer, and it's also super easy to create! Modeled Photos are shown applied over Primer.

Included in this Collection:

DAFFODIL Mineral Eye Shadow (pearl finish)
EOS Mineral Eye Shadow (shimmery metallic finish)

✥ ✥ ✥ GET THIS LOOK ✥ ✥ ✥

PRIMER was first applied over the entire lid.

DAFFODIL was applied at the inner corner & in the center of the eye lid.

EOS was applied in the outer corner & along the crease with a soft bristled crease brush. Then lightly blended up to the brow line for a more subtle look. Using a detail brush, we also smudged along the lower lash line and darkened up the color in the corner.

Get the Look: Still Waters

2011-06-17T14:40:00.001-06:00

Get the Look: Still Waters

Welcome to our very first "Get the Look" Blog Post! We're excited about this new feature on our blog where we'll be bringing you amazing new looks that can be created with our mineral makeup products!

Our Still Waters Eye Shadow Duo is a subtle dusty blue look that is very modern. You definitely don't need to worry about looking like you got caught playing in your mother's makeup! The eye shadows are matte in finish, and blend beautifully with each other. In our modeled photos, they were applied to a dry eye lid. No primer needed.

Included in this Collection:

FROSTBITE Mineral Eye Shadow
LORELEI Mineral Eye Shadow

✥ ✥ ✥ GET THIS LOOK ✥ ✥ ✥

FROSTBITE was applied over a dry eyelid with a soft eye shadow brush along the inner corner and up along the brow bone.

LORELEI was applied in the outer corner & along the crease, then blended out for a more subtle look. Using a detail brush, we also smudged along the lower lash line and darkened up the color in the corner.

We finished with a clean fluffy brush and blended thoroughly to make sure there weren't any distinctive lines between the different shades.

As usual, finish off with your favorite mascara!

Behind the Scenes: Creating Color Grinds

2011-04-03T14:59:00.007-06:00

As part of my Transparency Promise, I wanted to add some sneak peaks into the day-to-day workings of our business.

So I decided to start with creating Color Grinds. This involves the blending of various powdered colorants to make various mineral makeup products. I needed to make some more of our Persephone Mineral Lipsticks today, and also more of the color grind, so I decided to take a few photographs along the way.

I ALWAYS start with a clean sanitized work space. I go through insane amounts of 91% isopropyl alcohol, LOL! I sanitize my table along with all my equipment (measuring spoons, my electric grinder, etc). Then I start measuring out all the different colorants that go into this particular formula. I use a very accurate mini scale that measures out to the 0.00 grams. Each powder is measured into a disposable plastic souffle cup.

The Persephone Color Grind uses three different shades of black (each has a different finish, and adds its own little 'oomph' to the formula). Then a shimmery red to warm things up a little (otherwise it was practically identical to our Hades formula). Those 4 colorants are all ground together thoroughly (roughly 3-5 minutes). Then the sparkly red glitter is added in, and given just a quick swirl in the blender to mix it thoroughly, but not grind down the glitter, which would cause it to lose its sparkle.

This is what the final color grind looks like:

(we took our gloves off to take pictures so we would get colorant all over our camera!)

It's a gorgeous dark color. Mostly black, with a little bit of warm red, and red glitter sprinkled through it.

The color grind is then mixed in with our Lipstick ingredients (we make up big batches, then separate it off into smaller batches) once it's warm. Again, carefully measured so each batch is consistent!

My dad made me these awesome filling trays to hold my lipstick tubes so I would stop knocking over the tubes and spill them everywhere! I fill each of these tediously with a plastic pipette. Luckily, I find it calming (it's kind of like meditation time for me, lol!), so I don't mind sitting there and filling lipstick and lip balm tubes for hours at a time!

Persephone Mineral Lipstick

Each color and shade that we offer, whether it is a lipstick, eye shadow, blush, etc, has a unique color grind that we create. And the actual grinding process (mixing in a powered blender) is CRUCIAL to the final product. Simply shaking the colorants together isn't enough. Trying to do so results in inconsistent mixing, colors streaking in the final product, and weakened color payoff. While some colorants (typically glitters) need to avoid being ground. As you can see in the photos above, we added the glitter at the very end, AFTER the rest of the colorants had been thoroughly ground together.

As a quick demonstration to show you the EXTREME difference that grinding can make, I took pictures last week while I was making up a fresh batch of our Hades Mineral Eye Shadow. If you aren't familiar with our Hades Eye Shadow, it is PITCH BLACK. But the various black colorants are blended with white base ingredients.

If I just shake the ingredients together, I get this:

It's gray. And while it's still a pretty color, it's NOT the shade it's supposed to be.

After grinding for 5 minutes, this is what it looks like, and this is what it's SUPPOSED to look like.

Hades Mineral Eye Shadow

It's PITCH BLACK. Even the flash is lightening it up a little bit! By sending it through the grinder, the TRUE final color comes out. It's thoroughly blended, and as a result, you will have no weird streaking when you put it on, it will have stronger and better color payoff, and it will simply function better overall (because the base ingredients are blended so well with the colorant powders).

It takes more time, it definitely requires more clean up (I often spend an hour cleaning out the blenders at the end of the day.... I have 3 of them [and want at least 2 more!], so I can get more done in a session without having to stop for cleaning!), but the result is products that are consistent, and function the way they are supposed to function.

I hope you enjoyed this peek behind the scenes with me!!! If ever there is something you'd like to watch, let me know!

Lindsay Goodwin

Body Language Skin Essentials
..... Speak Louder than Words

http://blsoaps.com
http://www.etsy.com/shop/BLSoaps

It's SPRING! Wait, nope, it's still Winter...

2011-04-01T19:26:00.007-06:00

We can't decide around here if it's still Winter or if we are finally moving into Spring. But for the next 24 hours, it is DEFINITELY SPRING!!! And my kids are enjoying it thoroughly, rallying against the forecast of more snow on Sunday, and they put up the new tent in the backyard, and are having an overnight camp out!!!

(ignore all the ugly construction next door.
The school is building green houses for the horticultural department)

HOWEVER.....

I don't think it can qualify as a true camp out...

Unless they can disconnect from the gaming devices.....

Camping FAIL

New Focus

2011-03-21T14:38:00.005-06:00

Sometimes I really hate it when I have to sit down and get REAL about my business. But it has to happen occasionally, and it happened in a BIG way last week. After sitting down and trying to kill myself with spreadsheets, I realized we needed to make some drastic changes to our product line or it would end up burying me.

OLD FOCUS

I'm sure some of you have heard of the 80/20 rule in business. Basically, it's when 80% of your business comes from only 20% of your clients or product line. Well, we're experiencing that. So we are going to be culling some of the 'dead weight' out of our shop. It's not that the products aren't good, or aren't loved. Far from it. But the sales on certain products or scents have been slowing in favor of newer ones. It happens. It's all part of a business evolving.

We are starting with cutting a few scent lines. Okay, more than a few.... Ironically, it is our main line that is hurting. The one that this business was originally founded on. It's part of why this hurts so much. It's personal.

Blackberry Sage
Chocolate Decadence
Eden's Allure
Enchanted
Lilac
Purity (unscented)
Vanilla Cream

The new scents that we just introduced will be given time to prove their 'worth' before they get evaluated fully.

All of the discontinued products are currently listed in our Etsy Shop. We'll be pulling them completely off our website later tonight.

At the moment, we are going to keep offering all of our scents in perfume oils, so that you can still enjoy these amazing fragrances without their being too much burden to create and store them on our end. When the original fragrance oils that have created these blends run out, we will decide at that time whether or not to repurchase them for the perfume oils, or to let the scent go completely. We have pretty decent stocks on all the fragrance oils, so the perfumes should be sticking around for quite a while there.

We are considering bringing in the retired scents back in occasionally on limited edition sales down the road. Kind of like a 'break them out of the vault' kind of sale. We haven't decided on this one way or the other, but it is something we are considering.

NEW FOCUS

What we ARE going to focus on is our Facial Care Line. It's going stronger than ever, and creates more loyal customers than our original line. We recently expanded our Facial Toners, and it's been very well received. We also just barely got in our supply of soaping oils, so I have plans to be restocking all of our facial soaps, so hopefully the threatening & pleading emails for those will stop soon! LOL!!! And I have some plans to expand the facial lotions as well, offer some more custom formulas there. I just didn't have the time or space before, but all the ideas have been brewing forever!!!

And then we are going to be heavily focusing on our Makeup Line. We introduced the Mineral Lipsticks in the middle of last year, and they immediately took off. It was honestly the beginning of the focus shift for our business. When we introduced the eye shadows in January, the shift became even more pronounced. Enough of a shift that in less than 3 months, 80% of our business was from the makeup & skin care lines.

I'm not complaining, so please, no one think that. I've known for a while that I needed to cut back somewhere. I was spreading myself too thin. I'm still mostly a one woman show. I occasionally bring in help, mostly for shipping, but the production work all falls on my shoulders. And my to do list was always getting longer each day, never shorter.

PERSONAL FOCUS & PROMISES

So even though it is still a little painful to be cutting out products that helped our business get its start, I am excited about freeing up the time to fully dive into these two areas. I often feel like the kid who just got one of those boxes of Crayons with a gazillion different colors, and I just want to play with all of them! LOL!

Also, over the last few weeks, I've silently watched two companies self implode on what seemed to have started out as small lies that became so big that they were caught in telling new lies to cover up the old ones. It made me incredibly sad to watch this happen. They were both companies that I had always respected, and admired for putting out beautiful products.

I've always believed in running my business with transparency. I got into this business in 2003 because of allergies and skin sensitivities. It's something I DON'T mess around with. I've always believed in disclosing full ingredients up front and in public view. In watching these implosions, I want to step up my 'transparency' levels. As long as you don't ask questions about exact formulas, my suppliers, or money questions, I want to be an open book.

Everything I sell is made from scratch. I don't use bases for anything. My soaps are cold processed (lye solution mixed with soaping oils). With all of my products, I make a large batch of the base products (lotion, lip balm, etc), then split it off into smaller batches to scent, color, etc.

With our Mineral Makeup, each color is personally blended, and the base ingredients (the stuff that makes it 'stick' to your skin) is added based on what that particular shade needs. Some micas need more help sticking than others, so in my opinion, a one size fits all 'base' doesn't work very well with eye shadows. But all of our products and our colors are unique to us and us alone. We don't even have any shades that are a single mica color. EVERYTHING is blended with at least 2 colors, and measured out on a very accurate scale (1/100th of a gram) so that the formulas are repeatable with accuracy. We have some other things that we'd like to share about our process, but I wanted to include some pictures, and my camera battery is charging right now.

But like I said, I don't have anything to hide with my business. Some things obviously will always stay private, like our formulas, but we always strive to be completely honest with our dealings. Our business is only as strong as our integrity. So if you ever have any questions about us, our business, our products, please don't hesitate to ask.

lindsay@blsoaps.com

Thanks again for listening. I know this was a long rambling. It's been weighing on me for a couple weeks now! I love you guys!!!

Get FREE Mineral Makeup!

2011-02-09T18:02:00.008-07:00

We are looking for models for our Mineral Makeup line, and if you fit what we are looking for, you could earn FREE Mineral Makeup!

What we need from you to get things started:

1. Photos of you WITH makeup on. It doesn't need to be our makeup, but this is to see if your photo quality is what we need, your style fits what we are looking for, etc. Photos need to be crisp & in focus. Lighting needs to show the true color of the makeup worn. If you are taking photos of eye shadow, the photo can be cropped down to just the eye(s). And please feel free to show off your application skills with any eye shadow shots!

2. Information on your skin tone (warm, cool, neutral, etc) & type (oily, dry, combo), and if you have known allergies, or ingredient restrictions (for example, let us know if you are vegan).

3. A list of which type of products you are interested in modeling (eye shadow, lipstick, foundation, bronzer, blush, etc).

This can all be sent to lindsay [at] blsoaps.com. Please keep in mind that not everyone will be accepted, so if we choose not to go with you, it's nothing personal. If you are accepted, you will be sent more details regarding the process. Thanks again & please feel free to share this with anyone you think might be interested!!!

Say Hello!

2011-02-04T20:16:00.004-07:00

We took January to gain a little sanity, play around a little, and re-evaluate a bunch of things. Now that it's February, I'm finally starting to feel like I know where my head is at again (besides totally missing, lol!). We have a number of updates to share with you.

1. SAY GOOD-BYE!

We are discontinuing several scent lines. Citrus Glaze, Lavender, Plumeria, Mint Tea & Dainty. A lot of these have been 'missing' parts of their product line since before Christmas. So it's more that we are making it official. They have been marked down to their final clearance prices in our Etsy shop. Just search 'Clearance' within our shop, and it will pull everything up.

Shop our Clearance Sale

2. SAY HELLO!

However, we do have several new scents lined up to come in over the next couple months. If you've ordered from us recently, then there is a good chance that you got a mini lotion sample in one of the upcoming scents! Stay tuned for more details (we're mostly waiting on labels & photos to launch).

3. SAY HELLO GORGEOUS!!!

In case you're still hibernating, we began releasing our mineral makeup line in January! At the moment, we have a wide variety of mineral eye shadows and a handful of blushes. We have foundations & concealers in the works, and a few other goodies up our sleeves! If anyone is interested in providing model photos in exchange for free makeup products, please email or convo me! lindsay [at] blsoaps.com . Please include an example photo of yourself (do your makeup!!! LOL!) so I can see if it fits the aesthetic we are looking for, as well as photo quality.

Take a look at our new Mineral Makeup Lines!

On Our Website:

Mineral Makeup

On Etsy:
Mineral Makeup

4. NEW SITE!

We are building a completely separate website for wholesale & bulk orders. I'm hoping this will help my sanity a little with wholesale orders, which usually get processed through email, and changed a half a dozen times or so before it's complete, lol! It's not quite done yet, but I am so excited about this big step for our business this year!

Body Language Wholesale

So while we spent January pulling ourselves back together after the holidays, it was by no means SLOW! LOL! We spent a lot of time figuring out exactly where we want to be moving this next year, and I CAN'T WAIT!!!

I'm glad it's October

2010-10-01T20:44:00.008-06:00

Mostly because that means that September is OVER!!! It was an absolutely crazy month. Some of it good, some of it bad, all of it insane.

To start with, we moved. The bad news: We moved, I'm still living in boxes, and we moved. Good news: We LOVE the new place! It's an older house with lots of storage. And I have tripled the space that I have for the business. Can we say YAY!!!

The 'oddest' feature of the house is what actually makes it invaluable to me. It has an unfinished 2nd kitchen. So it's got the counters & cupboards, but no sink and no appliances, but still! I'm just thrilled! Here are a few pictures of it! (all of these were taken within the first few days after we moved in)

(I share the room with the washer & dryer, but it actually helps keep me caught up a little more on laundry, lol) Those are now scooted back against the wall. The cement was still wet when we first moved in)

(the room is just huge! It's roughly 15'x15')

(we actually changed around the table set up after getting everything in there. I'll probably take new pictures once I actually get everything organized)

Then I have a 2nd room (also 15'x15') that will be my office/shipping room. I'll keep all my finished product in here, along with my shipping supplies. I have a 2nd table set up in here for shipping orders.

The black shelves are holding all of my wrapped soaps. The white shelves (and other black shelves) are now filled with the rest of my product. I will probably need one more set of shelves to hold everything & not feel crowded though.

This is A LOT more organized now! LOL! We're still figuring out the homes for everything, but it's coming along nicely.

But this honestly is what I lived with for nearly 2 weeks after moving in. I was constantly digging through boxes to find everything I needed. It was NOT fun!!!

And I also have this wonderful space to store bulk oils, cases of containers, show supplies, etc. I DO have to share the space with the rest of the family (darn them for wanting to store their crap in here too!!!), but it's still an invaluable space to have!

So there is a quick recap of the first 3 weeks of September. Trying to get everything moved over & moved in! (heck, we're still working on the moving IN part, lol)

Then I had a big show up at Sundance Resort the very last Saturday of the month. So I had to PREP like mad for that when I should have been unpacking, organizing, sleeping... Alas, no, it wasn't meant to be.

But the show was AMAZING!!! I more than doubled what we made last year at the show. I managed to snap off a couple pictures before the show officially started & we ended up slammed for the day!

Lots of stuff going on with this table! We got Indulgence Creams, Bath Salts, Sugar Scrubs, Facial Products.

This is the first show we've done since introducing the Mineral Lipsticks. We were a little creative with the displays for them. We found these great triple trays that fit them perfectly. Then we stacked white boxes underneath them to create the tiers. I was VERY happy with how they turned out!

We also got those adorable white lip balm boxes for the show! They hold 12 lip balm tubes, and just showed them off so nicely! This display really sold well for us!

We always try to have a few soap logs to cut by the slice. It's such a crowd pleaser, and really draws in the crowds. Although we always get a lot of people asking if it's fudge! I want to get this table better signed next year. It was kind of a last minute load it into the car thing this time! Oops!

That yellow & green log was our new Lemongrass Essential Oil Soap. I hadn't even offered it online yet. It SOLD OUT at the show! I was so amazed! It was an 18 inch log too! So we are planning on making another log this week, then a large batch once our Lemongrass EO arrives later this month.

And everyone wave to my husband, David! That's him hiding out at the back! I LOVE it when he comes to shows with me. It's always hard on his back, so he doesn't come to a lot of them, but he's always been such a better sales person than me (he's so much more outgoing than I am). That and it's always a lot of fun!

The last week of the month wasn't much fun though. I had a root canal the Monday after the show. My mom had hip reconstruction surgery the Wednesday after that (she went home from the hospital today). I was fitted for a crown yesterday (and still ache enough that I'm on a soft food diet). And I get to repeat the root canal/crown appointments next week. Joy.... (a different dentist cracked both my back bottom molars when he removed my wisdom teeth, so all this is fixing what he screwed up)

And in between all that, we're still shipping out tons of orders, and making stuff constantly so that we're ready for the big holiday rush!

So September was crazy. And I'm SOOOO glad it is over!!!

Temptress Reborn

2010-06-22T18:07:00.007-06:00

Temptress has always been a classic in our scent line. The haunting Amber & Vanilla blend has been popular, but I admit, I've seen more than a few raised eyebrows over our label for them. Doesn't help that I live in Utah, and they tend to like things a little.... tamer... around here.

I also never felt the soap colors truly fit the name either. So we're taking this opportunity to breathe some new life into this wonderful scent! We'll relaunch the scent line with the new labels when the soap comes off the curing rack (end of July).

I hope you enjoyed these sneak peaks at the new soap!!!

Stay tuned for more updates & the new Temptress relaunch date!!!

Save 25% on all our current Temptress Products:

Temptress on Website
Temptress on Etsy

Fluffy Duckie, you're the One!

2010-06-17T21:18:00.007-06:00

Fluffy Duckie, you're the ONE!

You make bathtime lots of FUN!
Fluffy Duckie, I'm awfully fond of you!

Fluffy Duckie, joy of joys!
When I squeeze you, you make noise!
Fluffy Duckie, you're my very best friend, it's true!

Every day when I
Make my way to the tubby
I find a little lady who's
Cute & Yellow & Chubby
(rub-a-dub-dubby!)

Fluffy Duckie, you're so fine
And I'm lucky that you're mine!
Fluffy Duckie, I'm awfully fond of -
Fluffy Duckie, I want a whole pond of -
Fluffy Duckie, I'm awfully fond of you!

NEW Lip Balm Tints

2010-05-20T18:52:00.017-06:00

Introducing our New Lip Tints The same conditioning from our traditional lip balms, now with a sheer natural looking color that enhances the natural beauty and color of your lips. We've started out with these fabulous shades, and have more in the works!

Sweet Venom Lip Tint
This lip tint is HOT! We started with smokin' hot fuchsia tones and darkened them with a fabulous black mica that also adds the tiniest bit of shimmer. The result, a super hot lip tint that will be perfect for whenever you're feeling a little frisky!

Alchemist Lip Tint
Alchemists believed in the art of taking base metals and turning them into something precious. We've done the same with this lip tint! An average peach tint has been transformed into something beautifully stunning, with rich hints of gold & bronze shimmers!

Andromeda Lip Tint
As deep and mysterious as Andromeda herself, this deep red lip tint contains a gorgeous shimmer so beautiful, only Andromeda can be its true rival. Just make sure your mother isn't caught bragging about your beauty by the Gods!

Smudge Lip Tint
The perfect Red Hot Color to leave a smudge on HIS collar! This stunning ruby red lip tint has a subtle hint of shimmer but lots of sex power! Go ravish you man & leave your mark!

Pomegranate Pucker Lip Tint
You've got a whole new reason to smile! Pucker up with our Fabulous Pomegranate Sheer Tint! This lip tint is a beautiful warm red color, better suited for warm skin tones than cool. The color is sheer, unlike our other lip tints, which are colored with powdered micas and oxides.

Morticia Lip Tint
This lip tint is a beautifully dark rich plum color. Deep Dark & Slightly Shimmery, this lip color will speak to your inner goth child. Or even if you're just looking for something deep & rich in color, this lip tint is the one you're looking for!

Mistress Lip Tint
Mistress, the Forbidden Lover. A deep brick red with a hint of trollop! Matte in color, this lip tint has no shimmer, just pure color.

Honey Kissed Lip Tint
Sweet Juicy Peaches Kissed with Sweet Honey, this Lip Tint is rich with color, hints of shimmer, and super sweet & kissable! Warm peach and honey tones with a hint of shimmer.

Bitten Lip Tint
You'll be tempted to take a bite out of this sexy lip tint! Or maybe he'll be tempted to take a bite out of you! Deep Raspberry Red with just a hint of shimmer - Absolutely gorgeous, and my personal favorite!

Here a Quack, There a Quack, Everywhere a Quack Quack!

2010-05-20T18:03:00.007-06:00

Meet Peanut!

My husband, David, has always had the biggest soft spot for animals. So when he found this little cutie flipped on her back in the middle of the road, he HAD to pull over! Once verifying that she wasn't hurt, he searched and searched to try to find her ducky family, but they were no where to be found. So he brought her home.

After a quick crash course on how to raise ducklings, we have outfitted a nesting area for her (a big box filled with wood shavings, a small water dish, bowl of special duck food, and a heat lamp), and we're raising her until she's old enough to survive on her own. (btw, the she is just an assumption. It's next to impossible to tell whether a duck is male or female until they are almost full grown)

In the week since he brought her home, these are the few things we have learned about her (and ducks in general)....

1. They love & need to stay warm. She was only about 1 week old when he found her, and they need to stay roughly 95 degrees during that time. Hence the heat lamp. BUT, they're very very very social creatures, so she spends a lot of time cuddled up with us. Her favorite place is up around your neck, cuz it's nice & warm. Especially if you're wearing a collared shirt!

(A little Hot Duck under the Collar!)

2. They imprint on whomever they feel is their mother. So David is finally a MOTHER for the first time in his life! LOL!

(Following Mommy around like a good little Duckling)

3. All that bread, popcorn, etc that you feed the ducks at the park? It's pure JUNK FOOD for them. It's like Duck Crack. They're totally addicted to it, but it's not really good for them.

(Sitting in a bowl full of Duck Crack)

In the meantime, we've totally fallen in love with her. I can't imagine how difficult it will be to set her free in 8 weeks, but I know we need to. We'll just treasure every moment we have with her in the mean time!

(Peanut running around at the Park)

A little bit of Humor...

2010-02-17T13:44:00.005-07:00

We've been busy with restocking our products and planning out our 2010 product line up. Not to mention we've also had some major upheavals since the beginning of the year that have put us a little behind schedule, but we're pushing through, just like always.

And because those dark & frustrating times ALWAYS look better with a little laughter, I want to leave this with you....

Attending a wedding for the first time, a little girl whispered to her mother, "Why is the bride dressed in white?" The mother replied, "Because white is the color of happiness, and today is the happiest day of her life." The child thought about this for a moment then said, "So why is the groom wearing black?"

A little girl, dressed in her Sunday best, was running as fast as she could, trying not to be late for bible class. As she ran she prayed, "Dear Lord, please don't let me be late! Dear Lord, please don't let me be late!" While she was running and praying, she tripped on a curb and fell, getting her clothes dirty and tearing her dress. She got up, brushed herself off, and started running again. As she ran she once again began to pray, "Dear Lord, please don't let me be late.... But please don't shove me either!"

A police recruit was asked during the exam, "What would you do if you had to arrest your own mother?" He answered, "Call for backup."

This one is true in our house..... A Sunday School teacher discussed the Ten Commandments with her five & six year olds. After explaining the commandment to 'Honor they father and they mother,' she asked, "Is there a commandment that teaches us how to treat our brothers and sisters?" Without missing a beat, one little boy answered, "Thou shall not kill."

And from my own children....

This past Sunday, my boys learned about creation and Adam & Eve in their Sunday School classes. We like to talk about what they've learned so that we can help them retain some of that knowledge. We asked our boys, "Who were the first people created on the Earth?" Our 7 year old piped up, "Eve!" We said, "Good job! Who else was created along with Eve?" Our 6 year old chimed in, "Wally!" ...Um.... I think our kids may be watching too many Disney Pixar movies! LOL! So now you all know, that if Walt Disney had created the Earth, the first two beings would have been named Wally & Eve.

Time to Come Clean!

2010-02-09T20:05:00.005-07:00

Have you taken the time to come clean lately? I mean REALLY clean! Our new line of facial masks are designed to help deep clean your pores, leaving you squeaky clean and fresh faced!

Our new line of facial masks are what are called "Dry Face Masks". What does this mean exactly? To start with, exactly how it sounds! The mask arrives completely dry. There are no liquids in these masks. By not adding any liquids we've done two things. 1. We've eliminated the need for a synthetic preservative. These products are 100% natural. And 2. You get to customize the mask to fit your skin perfectly by changing the liquid you add to use your mask!

What mask should I get?

Normal or Combination Skin: Pomegranate Power Mask, Triple Comfort Mask

Oily or Acne Prone Skin: Zebra Face Charcoal Mask, Parisian Glow Mask

Sensitive or Dry Skin: Soothing Lavender Mask, Milk 'n' Honey Mask (coming soon)

What a few of our customers have had to say so far:

Soothing Lavender: "WONDERFUL! Very refreshing for my sensitive skin!"

Triple Comfort: "I absolutely love this mask! I love the smell of it as you open the jar, and wow, I so noticed a really visible improvement on the look of my pores! This definitely a must have!"

Zebra Face: "I really feel like this cleaned out my pores - thanks!"

Parisian Glow: "I'm so impressed with this mask! My face does literally glow!! Really perfect mask to use before a big day when you want to look radiant! Lindsay, I've become a huge fan of your masks! Another must have!"

You can find these wonderful new masks on our Website or in our Etsy Shop.

Mommy to Mom to Mother

2010-02-08T21:41:00.003-07:00

REAL MOTHERS

Real Mothers don't eat quiche, they don't have time to make it.

Real Mothers know that their kitchen utensils are probably in the sandbox.

Real Mothers often have sticky floors, filthy ovens and happy kids.

Real Mothers know that dried play dough doesn't come out of carpets.

Real Mothers don't want to know what the vacuum just sucked up...

Real Mothers sometimes ask "Why me?" And get their answers when a little voice says, "Because I love you best!"

Real Mothers know that a child's growth is not measured by height or years or grade... It is marked by the progression of Mommy to Mom to Mother.....

The Images of Mother

4 Years of Age - My Mommy can do anything!

8 Years of Age - My Mom knows a lot! A whole lot!

12 Years of Age - My Mother doesn't know everything!

14 Years of Age - My Mother? She wouldn't have a clue!

16 Years of Age - Mother? She's so five minutes ago.

18 Years of Age - That old woman? She's way out of date!

25 Years of Age - Well, she might know a little bit about it!

35 Years of Age - Before we decide, let's get Mom's opinion.

45 Years of Age - Wonder what Mom would have thought about it?

65 Years of Age - Wish I could talk it over with Mom.

The beauty of a woman is not in the clothes she wears, the figure she carries, or the way she combs her hair.

The beauty of a woman must be seen from in her eyes, because that is the doorway to her heart, the place where love resides. The beauty of a woman is not in a facial mole, but true beauty in a woman is reflected in her soul. It is the caring that she lovingly gives, the passion that she shows, and the beauty of a woman with passing years only grows!

(Author Unknown - This was sent to me from my own mother a few weeks ago)

New Scents, New Products

2009-12-13T18:31:00.006-07:00

I just LOVE rolling out Brand New Items! And we've got several for you!

Introducing Vanille Noir:

Vanilla grew up and got all sophisticated on us in this sexy little blend! Rich Notes of Vanilla blend with the dark sexy tones of Sandalwood to create a mysteriously alluring blend.

Currently Available:

Vanille Noir Handmade Soap
Vanille Noir Shea Butter Lotion
Vanille Noir Perfume Oil

Coming Soon:

Vanille Noir Indulgence Cream
Vanille Noir Sugar Scrub
Vanille Noir Bath Salts
Vanille Noir Body Gloss

Introducing Velocity for Men:

ve⋅loc⋅i⋅ty = Rapidity or speed of motion; swiftness. Let's get your man moving in high gear with this sexy Sandalwood & Leather .

Currently Available:

Velocity for Men Handmade Soap
Velocity for Men Shea Butter Lotion

Coming Soon:

Velocity for Men Body Spray
(at the moment, this is all I'm planning on offering. If you'd like to see it in other products, please let me know!)

Newsletter Reminder!

Don't forget to sign up for our newsletter for all kinds of wonderful news, product updates, and special member only sales!

Birthdays, BOGOs & a Blog Giveaway!!!

2009-11-22T19:34:00.006-07:00

It's going to be a BUSY BUSY BUSY week in the Body Language Soaps house!!! To start with, there's Thanksgiving. Luckily hubby & I just have to make my husband's fabulous mashed potatoes and show up at my parents (gotta love parents!).

We also have two birthdays this week! Tanner turned 7 today! And Ashton turns 6 on Wednesday (yes, you did that math right, they're only 1 year and 3 days apart!).

We are also having an awesome sale through the end of the month!

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Holiday BOGO Sale!

Through the end of November, helps us ring in the holidays with our HOLIDAY BOGO SALE! Buy any 3 products and receive a 4th product FREE! (details for how to purchase are listed on each site since it's slightly different depending on where you shop)

www.blsoaps.com
www.blsoaps.etsy.com

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Blog Giveaway

We're also offering an awesome giveaway on Cherry Blossoms Blog! There are lots of ways you can enter, so make sure you enter as many time as possible for a chance to win a soap of your choice from Body Language Soaps!

Read the details here!

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So it's going to be a hectic week for us, especially considering we're still half living out of boxes! I figure we can unpack after Christmas! LOL! Who needs sleep??? Not me!

Wordless Wednesday - The Richness of Fall

2009-11-04T17:59:00.002-07:00

Lesson & Laugh of the Day

2009-11-03T18:27:00.004-07:00

I LOVE funny blogs. Seriously, absolutely LOVE them! There's nothing better on a blah day than to head over to my short list of funny blogs and be immediately cheered up. Heck, I even have a column on my TweetDeck called 'Humor'. This was good enough that I just HAD to share it!

HOW TO CHANGE YOUR OIL

Women:

Pull up to Jiffy Lube when the mileage reaches 3000 since the last oil change.
Drink a cup of coffee.
15 minutes later, write a check and leave with a properly maintained vehicle.

Men:

Go to O'Reilly auto parts and write a check for 50 dollars for oil, filter, oil lift (AKA kitty litter), hand cleaner and scented tree.
Discover that the used oil container is full. Instead of taking it back to O'Reilly to recycle, dump in hole in back yard.
Open a beer and drink it.
Jack car up. Spend 30 minutes looking for jack stands.
Find jack stands under kid's pedal car.
In frustration, open another beer and drink it.
Place drain pan under engine.
Look for 9/16 box end wrench.
Give up and use crescent wrench.
Unscrew drain plug.
Drop drain plug in pan of hot oil; get hot oil on you in process.
Clean up.
Have another beer while oil is draining.
Look for oil filter wrench.
Give up; poke oil filter with Phillips screwdriver and twist it off.
Beer.
Buddy shows up; finish case with him. Finish oil change tomorrow.
Next day, drag pan full of old oil out from underneath car.
Throw oil lift (AKA kitty litter) on oil spilled during step 18.
Beer. No, drank it all yesterday.
Walk to 7-11; buy beer.
Install new oil filter making sure to apply thin coat of clean oil to gasket first.
Dump first quart of fresh oil into engine.
Remember drain plug from step 11.
Hurry to find drain plug in drain pan.
Hurry to replace drain plug before the whole quart of fresh oil drains onto floor.
Slip with wrench and bang knuckles on frame.
Bang head on floor board in reaction.
Begin cussing fit.
Throw wrench.
Cuss for additional 10 minutes because wrench hit Miss December(1992) in the left boob.
Clean up; apply Band-Aid to knuckle.
Beer.
Beer.
Dump in additional 4 quarts of oil.
Beer.
Lower car from jack stands.
Accidentally crush one of the jack stands.
Move car back to apply more oil lift (AKA kitty litter) to fresh oil spilled during step 23.
Drive car.

(courtesy of Swap Meet Dave)

I'm married to a very handy man. Changing oil is easy for him. I have even helped him completely replace a car engine. Let me tell you, there seriously is something very hot about a man covered in car grease who knows what he's doing underneath the hood of a car. But I digress! (fans self!)

Anyway.....

Even HE sees the advantage of delegating things out to people who have the skills & tools to do them properly and efficiently. YES, there are many things we could do for ourselves. But sometimes, it's better to let the pros do it!!!

Harvest Market Success (and pictures!)

2009-09-27T15:32:00.008-06:00

We had so much fun at the Harvest Market at Sundance on Saturday! Even though I was in pain most of the day and drugged up for all of it, we had a lot of fun (I severely sprained my ankle Thursday night, had a splint on it, and honestly, wasn't supposed to be on it nearly as much as I was!).

We arrived right at eight, and I hobble through FROST to get to my booth space (seriously, my splint was caked with snow by the time I got there), only to find out I was on a hill. Even if I thought I could set up without all my product rolling off my tables, I knew I would never be able to navigate on anything but a level surface. Luckily the coordinator sympathized, and he moved me down to a more level location!

My parents were kind enough to come help me & David with the set up. I could lift things, but not walk. David could walk but not lift things. Yeah, we were a GREAT pair! As we started to unload the van, David panics. He forgot the tent!!! Miraculously, he was able to run home in my parents' truck, grab the tent, and get back down with it before the show started, but it was a lovely little wrench thrown into the plans! But we survived!

While he was getting the tent, my parents helped me set up as much as we could. I went to put the black table cloth down on the 8 foot table, and found out that my cute little WHITE puppy must have somehow found it. It was covered in dog hair! So we were forced to use the green cloth that was provided with the table. It looked okay, but not quite what we were planning!

Although I really like how the burgundy runner looked draped over the table. I think it'll be really stunning on the black cloths for future shows. We did have another one for the other table, but forgot to put it out, and I'm going to blame my forgetfulness on the percocet! (which sadly, is probably accurate)

We also added sheer burgundy tie back panels to each of the front corners (sorry, no pictures!). It really added a nice final touch to the booth and helped tie things together.

Oh, and our other freak out moment during set up...

My mom asks me, "Lindsay, where are the rest of your lip balms?"

Me, "They're in one of the boxes."

Mom, "No they're not."

WHAT?!?!?!?! Guess what, I left two entire boxes of lip balms at home. We had about 7 flavors out of our normal 40 flavor line. Of course we discovered this AFTER David had texted me to let me know he was on his way back, otherwise we would have had him bring those with him as well. So... big change of plans in set up! We originally had one more 4 foot table running along the right wall. Without all those lip balms, I didn't have enough product to fill all 3 tables. But in hindsight, the good thing about pulling the table, it gave me a place to sit and elevate my foot during the day.

(our booth is the one to the left of the big american flag)

Finally it's 10am, our booth is set up, I'm not completely freezing, and the buyers are starting to stroll in. My parents head home and David & I are up and ready to have a great day in sales.

And we really did! I am so glad he came with me. Even if I'd been at 100%, I wouldn't have been able to do it all on my own! We were kept busy busy busy all day long. We handed out at least 150 business cards (I'll need to get more before the next show!), we handed out all our 1/4 oz lotion samples (those were a hit!). We sold out of several soaps and a couple of lotions. We also took some custom orders that we'll be shipping out this week.

Highlights of the day:

Someone came to the show because she read about it on my blog! That was awesome!

I met one of my regular Etsy customers! She and her friend walked around the corner of my booth and all of a sudden I hear her shout, "Oh my gosh, come here! This is who I buy all my lip balms from!" As soon as she told me her name, I knew exactly who it was! It was so much fun to meet her in person!!!

I also had two ladies ask me about wholesaling! They're both unique local business, and they'd be a lot of fun to work with! So here's crossing fingers that that works out!

Finally 4 o'clock rolled around, and my brothers showed up to help us break down. I was actually sad to go! We had sales right up until the very end (and some people looking even when we had almost everything packed up). It was so cool to be hauling EMPTY product boxes back to the van. We brought 8 or 9 bankers boxes filled with product and we went home with 4 empty ones! WooHoo!!!

I'm now utterly exhausted (I slept for 12 hours last night!!!), and I'm forcing myself to take Sunday completely off (more for my ankle than anything else). But I'll be jumping back into the swing of things Monday morning again! (and we'll be adding our soaps back into our shop as we double check our post show inventory since we also have a new wholesale account that we'll be filling as well)

If you'd like to see more pictures of the show, we have some posted on our Flickr.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/blsoaps/sets/72157622467673770/

Harvest Market at Sundance

2009-09-24T12:41:00.006-06:00

If you live in Utah, come visit us this Saturday (September 26, 2009) at the Harvest Market at the beautiful Sundance Resort! It runs from 10am - 4pm.

We will have our booth set up there and we'd love for you to come meet us in person (not to mention the opportunity to smell & try before you buy!).

If you mention you read about our show on our blog, we'll give you 10% off your purchase!!!

(discount applies to purchases made at the Harvest Market only)

Soaping Madness!!!

2009-09-23T15:31:00.008-06:00

We've been trying to get our soap inventory bumped up before the holidays hit us too hard. Well, guess what, it's here! Orders keep coming in, shows are going well, and we keep scraping the bottom of the barrel when it comes to our soap inventory! We're making soap almost daily, usually double batches at least. So if you don't see what you're looking for in our shop, let us know you're looking! If it's not already on the curing racks, we'll do what we can to bump it up on the production schedule!

In the meantime, enjoy some soapy pictures!

Charcoal Cleanser: I just love how these swirls turned out! I don't want to cut them into bars!

Zebra Face: We've made extra batches of this one since it keeps selling out on us so fast!

Rebel: A new Mens Soap - this will be coming out hopefully the first of next week. We still need to take pictures of the final product.

Pakalana: Also a new soap we're adding to our line! Look for this early next week!

The Soap Creation Process

2009-08-14T06:58:00.012-06:00

There is something about making soap, the creative process, that is inspiring. I love picking out the ingredients, the scents, the additives, and blending them together to make something unique and beautiful!

I am constantly asked about the soap making process, so I thought I'd take a few pictures along the way! This is our Mint Tea Handmade Soap. I didn't take pictures of every step, but took pictures of the more interesting ones! LOL!

I started by measuring out my oils and lye solution. I then added Green Tea Powder to the lye solution (as evidenced by the brackish muck in the pictures below!).

Once the oils and lye solution both cooled down, I added my essential oils to the oils (peppermint and rosemary essential oils for this batch). Then I added my lye solution to my oils and blended. This batch, because of the botanical ingredients, as well as the essential oils used, it tends to heat up very quickly. When oils & lye are combined they naturally produce heat. Certain ingredients can add to that heat. I always have to watch this soap carefully, or it will volcano up out of the mold on me!

But once the solution has achieved a light trace, I pour it into my pre-lined molds.

I then sprinkled green tea leaves onto the top for texture and aesthetics.

And after the soap mixture has thickened a little more in the mold, I took a knife and added some texture to the top of the soaps.

After several days, the soap is ready to cut into bars. They then sit in my curing rack for 3-6 weeks till they are fully cured. Once cured, they are wrapped and labeled, and ready for some lucky buyer to purchase them!!!

Each soap is a little different, with different scents, different colorants, different additives. They are all beautiful, they are all unique, they are all special in their own way!!!

Getting Into the Swing of Things!

2009-08-10T22:09:00.007-06:00

We are working on getting back into the swing of things after our move. The move was hectic, crazy, insane, but it is almost completely behind us now! We still have a few random boxes here and there to unpack, but we mostly have things settled in. YAY!!!

I know I promised pictures of our new soap kitchen once it was set up, but I haven't taken them yet. *blushes*

I HAVE, however, been busy making soap. OMG, I LOVE MY KITCHEN! Having everything all in the same room, totally awesome! LOL! So I've been making soap as often as I can squeeze in around work, family, life, and lately... sick kids.

Several of them are new soaps, so I wanted to give you a little teaser to let you know what was coming!!! (sorry, all of the pictures are of the soaps still in the molds, not cut into bars)

MEI LI: A fabulous Asian scent of jasmine with hints of bamboo. It's absolutely beautiful, hence the name, Mei Li! It's not nearly as yellow now that it's done. This picture was taken while it was in the gel phase, which intensified the yellowness.

NO NAME SOAP: I haven't figured out what I want to name this one yet. It's a fabulous Orchid scent, deep, mysterious, enticing. The pink has also deepened to an awesome dark purple. But so far, a name for this beauty is absolutely eluding me!

I have several other new soaps made (no pics yet), as well as new batches of our tried and true line.

Also on the Curing Rack:

- Parisian Glow (fabulous new facial soap made with French Green Clay and a to die for Essential Oil Blend!)
- Tangerine Souffle
- Another No Name Soap - It's new, it's awesome, and it currently has no name.
- Mint Tea Soap
- Dead Sea Mud Facial Soap
- Gingered Orange Spice Soap
- I know there is something else, but I'm totally blanking at the moment and don't want to get up out of my comfy chair to go look! LOL!

Essential Oils vs Fragrance Oils

2008-11-12T07:53:00.002-07:00

There is always going to be a debate over these two ingredients. Natural versus synthetic. You'd think natural would always win, but in this case, there are arguments to be made for both sides.

Fragrance Oils are synthetic, man made with essentially inert ingredients. Unless you happen to have an allergy or a sensitivity to one of the components they are very safe to use. In fact, they are often safer to use because so few people have any kind of a reaction to them. Also, they provide such a broad range of amazing scents, virtually anything your heart desires.

Essential Oils are natural, usually pressed or steam distilled from the natural plant material. They have wonderful medicinal properties. For example, Rosemary Essential Oil is wonderfully invigorating. It can help with exhaustion, muscle cramping, arthritis. It can revitalize dry and dull skin, help keep dandruff under control and encourage healthy hair growth. Sounds great, right?

(Mint Tea Soap - Peppermint & Rosemary Essential Oils & Green Tea)

However, you know how the medicine commercials are now filled more with warnings than the benefits? Essential Oils need to be treated the same way. Rosemary Essential Oil should be avoided by those with high blood pressure. It also should be avoided during pregnancy and those who suffer from epilepsy. It can cause severe complication for people with these conditions.

I've spent years researching essential oils and their uses. I also am very blessed to have a certified aromatherapist in the family (my mother in law). I've developed a very healthy respect for essential oils, all of their properties (good and bad), and use them carefully.

So which should you choose? That's completely up to you. I personally use both in my products. I love being able to use natural essential oils, and I also love to use unique and exotic scents that are only available to me in a fragrance oil. My only caution is this. If you choose essential oils, make sure that you trust the person creating your bath & body products. Ask them questions about their knowledge in the aromatherapy field. If they know their stuff, they'll be more than willing to share that with you.

500 Sales on Etsy!

2008-10-26T22:07:00.002-06:00

500 Sales on Etsy!
Originally uploaded by blsoaps

After one year and one week on Etsy, I passed this wonderful milestone!!!

We've had such a great year. We've made some great friends, joined wonderful teams, had some rough bumps, learned a lot of new things, and have grown so much. It's been an awesome ride!

And I'm just thrilled that I get to spend so much of it with such wonderful people! Thanks for making this such a great year! And here's to hoping the next year is even better!!!

Introducing Jezebel - A Handmade Soap Story

2008-10-25T00:21:00.004-06:00

Jezebel Handmade Soap
Originally uploaded by blsoaps

A sexy little bottle walked into my soap room and seduced me into soaping her. The beautiful scents of juicy berries, rich coconut milk and decadent roses blended with Egyptian Vanilla and Amber Musk, and enticed ALL my senses!

When it came to naming this sexy little scent, I wanted a name that captured the full beauty of its depth. When someone suggested Jezebel, I knew that was her name!

Name Contest Winner

2008-10-11T11:08:00.004-06:00

You know what? Sometimes I really suck at time management! LOL! Back on September 22nd I started a contest to help me name a soap. I had information both here on my blog, as well a thread on Etsy.

I have had the name picked out for a while now, but I wanted to get a photograph of the soap before I blogged about the winner.

Urbbody suggested Grinch Stole my Fragrance and immediately told me she was joking. But you know what? I TOTALLY fell in love with the name! I dug through some photos to see if I could find something that worked with it, and I did!

Urbbody, I'll be contacting you privately about sending you these two bars of soap! And I wanted to thank everyone for all the help they've given me! There were so many awesome names in that thread, but this one just tugged at my humor, and I fell in love with it! Thank you so much!!!

Holiday Goodness! Handmade Soaps

2008-10-09T15:12:00.009-06:00

Our Holiday Soaps are finally arriving in our Etsy Shop! They're off the curing racks, photos are being taken, and they look and smell absolutely amazing!!!

Spiced Cider Handmade Soap
Rich Juicy Apples blended with Sweet Spices, like cinnamon and clove! Makes you want to curl up with a mug of Hot Spiced Apple Cider!

Perfect for Autumn and Winter, a great option for a gift, or simply indulge in this amazing bar for yourself! I know I definitely will!

Available in our Etsy Shop

Gingerbread Dreams

I have always loved Gingerbread Cookies, and these bars smell so good that it's hard not to take just a big bite out of them!!!

This bar FLEW out of our shop so fast last year, make sure you stock up on this one early! This is one you will absolutely love! Perfect for gift giving!!!

Available in our Etsy Shop

Name That Soap Contest!!!

2008-09-22T17:07:00.005-06:00

I admit it, I goofed. I was making soap recently, I wanted a nice pretty green on green swirl for my Christmas Pine Soap. It turned out wonderful. Then as I was cleaning up, I saw the bottle of fragrance oil STILL sitting on the counter.

So I now have 5 lbs of a beautiful, but unscented, green swirled soap.

Sigh....

I always name my soaps based on their scent. So I am at a complete loss as to what to name this soap. So I am leaving it up to all of my readers! Help me name this soap!!! PLEASE!!!

Please post your suggestions in the comments section, and once I choose the name from the choices offered, I'll send the winner a free bar of this beautiful soap, as well as a bar of our Christmas Pine (you know, the scent this was SUPPOSED to be! LOL!). So two bars of soap just for helping me name my new soap!

Let the creative juices flow!!! Feel free to make as many suggestions as you'd like!

Super Busy Soaping Week!

2008-09-14T15:38:00.007-06:00

We've had a super busy soaping week! So busy that we actually have completely run out of Shea Butter and Castor Oil, and we're almost out of Coconut Oil and Palm Oil. Luckily we have a big shipment of oils that are scheduled to arrive on Wednesday! Yay!!!

We've also had an AWESOME experience using the new soap molds my dad made for me. These molds are exactly the same length as the freezer paper that I use to line them. So no more trimming!!! Yay!!! No more Waste!!! Double Yay!!! These new molds really are a dream come true! (you can see them in the first picture)

Currently on the Curing Racks:

Oceania Shea Butter Soap
Vixen Shea Butter Soap
Wisdom Facial Soap
Gingered Orange Spice
Breakfast Bar

New in the Soaping Line Up!!!

That gorgeous Red Loaf up at the top is a new Fragrance. It is absolutely amazing!!! Smells like a delicious mug of Spiced Apple Cider! Then that light green soap is a new essential oil blend, Winter Wonderland. It has Virginia Cedarwood, Balsam Fir, Wintergreen, Spearmint and a hint of Cinnamon. It's really awesome, I love it!!!

We absolutely LOVE this soap though >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

We originally made our Gingered Orange Spice last year as a holiday soap, but it was so popular, we decided to keep it year round! It's rich scent is all natural, a blend of essential oils. Ginger, Orange, Cinnamon & Clove, and the top is dusted with ground cinnamon, clove and nutmeg. This is one you definitely need to try! We only have one bar available in our shop right now, but this batch should be ready by early October!

Handmade Soaps on the Curing Rack

2008-08-24T05:31:00.005-06:00

I'm trying to get stocked up for Christmas, and I keep finding myself behind! But we're cranking out the soaps as fast as we can with our schedules right now!

Currently on the Curing Rack:

Gingerbread Dreams - I absolutely LOVE this one!!! We sold out of it so fast last year. We did a nice big batch, and we're hoping to do another batch in the next two weeks. Look for this soon in our shop!

Blackberry Sage - Back with a brand new look! We don't have pictures of the new look in cut bars, but here it is in the soap mold right after we poured it! (for more pictures of us making soap please view our Flickr Account)

Oceania - If you haven't tried out this great new scent, you really need to! Nice fresh and clean, like a beautiful ocean breeze!

Vixen - Sweet and Sassy, just the way we know you like it!

Purity - Our super gentle Castile Soap completely free of all scent or color. As pure as soap can possibly be!

Overdrive - Our best selling mens scent! This scent is super sexy. Great for gift giving!!! (picture at the right)

Mulberry - A new scent for the holiday line up. This soap is a beautiful deep purple color, and the scent is just fabulous! Perfect for a fall evening!

We'll be adding some new scents before too long, as well as our holiday scents! So keep checking back for more!

Good News!!!

2008-08-12T02:20:00.003-06:00

August has been good to us. To start with, David met with his neurosurgeon today, and they've scheduled surgery for the Tuesday after Labor Day. But if our insurance approves it quickly, they might move it up for us.

The back surgery is still a long shot. The chances of it being successful is about 50-60%. But considering that there is 0% of him getting better without surgery, we're taking those chances. They'll be going back in through the original incision in his back, and making it longer. They'll then basically clean out the disks that are causing the problems, put in a 'cage' along with some bone grafts, then metal plates along the side of the vertebrae. They'll be fusing 3 together.

Then he'll have a 3 month recovery period to get him back up to 80%. So we still have a very long road ahead of us, but at least we're finally starting down that road.

In the mean time, he's finding as much as he can to keep himself entertained and occupied. He started back to school with online classes last month. He's also opened a shop on Etsy for his photography. While he won't be able to take many NEW shots after his surgery, he's trying to squeeze as many in right now.

You can check out his shop at ViviDesigns. It's been a lot of fun to watch him. His excitement over his first sale, he loves listing new items, watching for new hearts, and new views. It's been a lot of fun, and he's really been enjoying it.

Silver Linings

2008-06-24T21:05:00.002-06:00

As many of you know, we've had a tough time of things lately. David had emergency back surgery the beginning of May and has been on disability since then. We recently discovered that he'll need more surgery.

Well, this morning he woke up in a great deal of pain. After calling our doctor's office to find out our doctor wasn't even in, we decided to take him to the Emergency Room. From there, we were shipped off to a neurosurgeon's office, who promptly told us they wouldn't work on David. We came back to the hospital to get him a new MRI (hoping to find the source of this new sudden pain), and we're told that our appointment for it had been canceled (even though they'd told us that morning that they'd hold the appointment for us).

So we come home hot and tired (AC isn't working in our car), David still in pain, and more than a little frustrated with the lack of communication with the various doctors we saw today.

So I prop myself in front of my computer, with a floor fan blowing on me full strength, and open up my Etsy Shop. First, I'm happy to see that one of my newly listed Pomegranate Soaps has sold. I finally relisted them last night after them being sold out for several weeks.

Then I start moving through my convos, and find out that the Pomegranate Soap Set that sold was also on the Front Page! Earcmra put this treasury together yesterday, and it made it to the Front Page today! It's a beautiful treasury, all about Pomegranates!

Then right after that, we found a message from a neurosurgeon at the University of Utah Hospital who is hopefully willing to work with us.

I also had some other wonderful convos that just brightened my day. So even when things look absolutely dismal, there is always that silver lining on those dark clouds!!!

It's SHEA Beautiful!

2008-03-04T07:59:00.010-07:00

One of my favorite Ingredients has ALWAYS been Shea Butter. So much so that I created a Treasury on Etsy chocked filled with Shea Butter Goodies!

Many people nowadays have heard of Shea Butter. It's even in baby wipes now! To the big companies, it's a marketing ingredient. To me, I use it because of it many wonderful properties.

Shea Butter is a solid fatty oil made from the nuts of Karite Nut Trees that grow in the savannah regions of Africa. Shea Butter is often called "women's gold," because the extraction of the butter gives employment to hundreds of thousands of rural African women. Shea butter is also so non-toxic and beneficial that is used in foods and cooking as well as soaps and beauty products.

Shea Butter is said to have the following qualities and more:

Creates a soft pleasant skin sensation
Protects the skin from drying out
Accelerates the Healing of superficial skin wounds and skin irritation
Well tolerated by the skin

It also has been shown to provide relief from the following:

Dry Skin (face & body)
Skin Cracks
Shaving Bumps
Eczema
Loss of Skin Elasticity
Wrinkles & Blemishes
Stretch Marks During Pregnancy
Relief of Rheumatism
Eases Muscle and Joint Pain

It only has one major caution... If you are allergic to Latex, please do a skin patch test first.

When shopping for products with Shea Butter, keep one major thing in mind, the placement of the Shea Butter on the Ingredient List. All ingredients are listed in descending order, meaning that the more there is of a certain ingredient, the closer to the top it'll be listed. You want Shea Butter to be as close to the top as possible! One of my biggest pet peeves is when a company markets their product as being so great because it contains Shea Butter, only to find out that the amount it contains is so pathetically small they may as well have not bothered including it! Unfortunately it happens all too often. So if you haven't gotten into the habit of reading labels, don't you think it's time to learn what it is you're putting on your body?

The Fast and the Furriest!

2008-02-27T16:06:00.008-07:00

A few weeks ago my husband signed our kids up for Hamster Races. They were held at Animal Ark in American Fork. After being sick for a week, I went mostly to help him keep reign over the kids and because I wanted to get out of the house! LOL!

Well, I had the time of my life!

My boys each have these little itty bitty hamsters, Robo Dwarf Hamsters, named Max (short for Maxine), Robo, and Bitsy. These tiny troopers went up against hamsters of all sizes, and well, let's just say they more than stood their ground!

Robo and Max went up against each other in the first heat, and easily took 1st (Robo) and 2nd (Max) place, automatically qualifying Robo for the finals. Bitsy ran in heat 5, and if her car hadn't gotten stuck against the wall at the last minute, she'd have won as well!

We get to the final heat, and Ashton lines Robo up. He's racing against the best of the best, the fastest of the fast!

On your Mark!

Get Set!

Go!!!!

The cars are dropped, and the hamsters are running! They fly down the track and at the very laast minute, another car pulls in front of Robo! But Ashton was ABSOLUTELY thrilled to come in second place!

He's been carrying around his 2nd place ribbon with him all week, and he's been telling everyone about his hamster race and how he won!

What a great way to spend an afternoon! I think we may sign up for the August Races as well!

The Great Soap Debate!

2008-02-26T07:34:00.010-07:00

I absolutely love Etsy, and the Forums, well, they're addicting to say the least. It's a great place for all crafters to come together to discuss their work, their businesses, and naturally, some debate can get going. One that has come up several times over the last few weeks has been the great soap debate...

Which is better? Cold Process, Hot Process or Melt & Pour?

It's a question I personally hate, because I have ALWAYS felt that it is not the method that makes or breaks a good soap, but the ingredients IN that soap. But in the guise of educating, I wanted to share a few things about each soaping process so that you can decide which is best for you.

Cold Process (or CP)

This is my soaping method of choice. Basic explanation is you take your oils and butters and mix them with your lye solution. The mixture is blended until trace (resembles thin pudding), and poured into molds. In these molds, they then set up. Once they are hard enough to remove from the mold, they can be cut. They then must cure, typically for another 3-8 weeks, before use. This curing process produces a milder soap (as the saponification process finishes, although most of the process happens while it's setting up in the mold), and allows for excess water evaporation (resulting in a harder and longer lasting bar).

Cold Process Plus:
--Complete control over all ingredients going into the formula.
--Better design control - all those pretty swirls! Like these --->

Cold Process Negatives:
--Cure time. You definitely have to plan ahead. Not always the best for impatient people.
--You are working actively with lye, which is a very dangerous and caustic substance, but when used with respect and care, it can be used safely. The comment about those with kids shouldn't make lye soap, I disagree. I have three boys. I try to make all my soap when they're not awake, but I still make soap sometimes when they're awake. They simply know that when mommy is making soap, they stay out of my way.

Hot Process (or HP)

Basically the same as cold process, but instead of pouring into a mold at trace it's cooked. This forces it through the saponification process. Once it has fully saponified, it's poured/pressed into molds. It still has a cure time, but not nearly as long since it's only for water evaporation.

HP Positives
--Soap can be used right away. So if you're impatient, it's a good choice!
--Complete control over ingredients.
--You're able to work with more scents, because some scent oils make CP seize.

HP Negatives
--Still working with the lye.
--The cook time can be very laborious.
--Not as much swirl or design control.
(HP soap picture provided by AJ's Country Cottage)

Melt & Pour (MP)

MP Bases have come a LONG way in the last few years. You can now get an MP Base that ingredient wise is equivalent to a CP soap. Most MP soapers also add some wonderful ingredients to their base to make it their own and that much more wonderful. And the artistic ability with MP soaps is limitless. Take these for example! They're little pieces of art!

MP Advantages
--You don't have to work with lye.
--Artistry capable with these is only limited by the crafter's creativity.

MP Disadvantges
--You're limited to the bases available and the ingredients contained in them.
(MP Soap picture provided by Midohana)

All of these soaping methods have the glycerin retained, which is often a point brought up in favor of one or the other. Also, MP soaps are often called glycerin soap, making it seem as though the other soaps don't contain glycerin.

What I'm basically saying is this...

Every soap (and B&B product) is only as good as the ingredients in it. Which is why they should ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS be disclosed in full in the listings as well as on the labels. One type is NOT better than the other, it's just different. Like beads versus gems. Or watercolor versus oils. We are all crafters, artisans. We use different mediums and achieve totally different results.