In the Spring Soap Swap, I decided to be a participant for the first time. That meant my ten soaps were swapped with the others, and I received a box filled with ten unique bars. It was so much fun, I had to do it again for the Fall 2016 Swap. If you’d like more information regarding the Soap Swap, check out this blog post to read the details. Want to participate in a future swap? Sign up for our newsletter; the date of the next swap will be announced in advance for newsletter subscribers.

I’m sure you can imagine, I see a lot of soap on a day-to-day basis. But, most of it is online. One of my favorite things about the Soap Swap is the ability to see, touch and smell a variety of handmade soaps. It’s fun to admire the packaging, and eventually use it in the shower. Like my previous Soap Swap box, I was blown away with the soaps in this box! I didn’t choose which bars made it into my box. My team randomly entered my soap into one “round” of swapping. Check out each soap in my box below, and learn a little bit more about the soaper who made it. Then, check out my unboxing video on Facebook!

SOAP #1: The first bar is Loofah Edge Soap made by Shannon of Elderberry Edge. Shannon started soaping about a year and a half ago, and is also a farmer. On her farm she grows a variety of crops including elderberries, blackberries, watermelon and garlic. She also grows her own loofah gourds for her soap! You can read about her loofah production here. Shannon’s beautiful soap is scented with Gardenia Cybilla Fragrance Oil, and also contains goat milk. I can’t wait to try it!

Find Shannon
Website
Facebook

SOAP #2: This gorgeous bar was created by Merrie. To create the beautiful flowers on each bar, Merrie first piped the shape of the flower. Then, she used a wet cake decorating brush to pull the edging down to make it look like embroidery. Merrie also sprinkled iridescent glitter on top. I just love the wonderfully feminine look of these bars! They bars are scented with Energy Fragrance Oil. Merrie also attached a wood tag to the bars, which really elevates the packaging.

SOAP #3: This showstopper was made by Aileen of Soap Fixations. Aileen used to be a competitive pastry chef, and is a graduate from the Culinary Institute of America. Her skills in the kitchen can obviously be seen in her gorgeous soap. These bars feature Apple Moss Green Mica, Light Gold Mica, Super Pearly White Mica and Raspberry Mica. They are scented with Apricot Freesia Fragrance Oil for a floral scent. I’m blown away by the gorgeous swirl and intricate flower details on top. I also really appreciate the packaging of these bars; the sturdy box did a great job protecting the soap and looks very professional.

Find Aileen
Website
Facebook
Instagram

SOAP #4: The next soap is this adorable bar made by Haruna. Haruna started making soap when she was 14 years old in Japan. She now resides in Oregon, but was inspired by her time in Japan to create this cherry blossom soap, scented with Cherry Blossom Fragrance Oil. The soft pink color is achieved with rose clay. I just love the unique and adorable shape of these bars, and the soft swirl. The green and pink cigar band complement it perfectly.

SOAP #5: This bar of soap was created by Lindsey of Kirkland’s Creations. Scented with Grapefruit Bellini Fragrance Oil, this soap is actually a rebatched bar after the first batch didn’t quite turn out. I love how Lindsey made lemonade with lemons! They look absolutely beautiful with a gold mica line and sparkle on top. The bars feature a plethora of amazing ingredients including aloe vera liquid and goat milk.

Find Lindsey
Etsy
Facebook
Instagram

SOAP #6: Created by Kim, these beautiful bars are scented with White Ginger and Amber Cybilla Fragrance Oil. I love how the warm color palette complements the scent. The bars include Tussah silk, kaolin clay and aloe juice. I love the idea of framing the swirl with two mica lines. It really makes it pop! The packaging on these bars is really fun as well.

Find Kim
Instagram

SOAP #7: This bar created by Tabitha is the perfect example that simple can make a big impact! Scented with Spearmint Eucalyptus Fragrance Oil, Tabitha kept the bars simple with Super Pearly White Mica and Titanium Dioxide for a crisp appearance. Tabitha is currently in the process of starting her own soaping business. I love that Tabitha included a wood soap dish with the bar. It’s great for a marketing standpoint, and soap dishes are essential for handmade soap! That makes it so easy and appealing for the customer.

SOAP #8: How adorable is this French Vanilla Creme Soap created by Anika of Lillia Nikita? I just love the layers, soap frosting and pink embed on top. This bar is scented with Vanilla Select Fragrance Oil. I like how Anika made the fragrance discoloration work for her design. The center layer of these bars contain oats, and the bottom has a cute honeycomb pattern. Anika’s bars contain beeswax and vanilla bean.

Find Anika
Website
Pinterest

SOAP #9: Speaking of foody bars, this Pumpkin Patch Soap made by Barbara of J.L. May SoapMakers looks (and smells!) good enough to eat. It’s scented with Pumpkin Spice Fragrance Oil, and includes real pumpkin puree in the recipe. I really like how Barbara created a rustic yet totally polished look with this bar. The various colors and layers are complemented by a cute pumpkin stamp. The mica on top gives a great finishing touch with the textured top.

Find Barbara
Website
Facebook

SOAP #10: Last but certainly not least is this beautiful soap made by Desiree of Mexico Beach Soap. Scented with Blackberry Sage Fragrance Oil and Vanilla Select Fragrance Oil, these bars smell both sweet and fruity. The scent is complemented perfectly with the swirls of purple and green. The swirl appears to be a combination of a drop swirl and hanger swirl. It really makes an impact!

Find Desiree
Website

A big thanks to all the soapers who participated in this Soap Swap. And thanks to everybody who was in my box, I can’t wait to use your soap! If you missed out on this swap, we will have another in the Spring. Sign up for our newsletter; we will announce the dates of the swap ahead of time to newsletters subscribers. 

The post Inside Anne-Marie’s Fall 2016 Soap Swap Box! appeared first on Soap Queen.

In addition, a variety of colorants and fragrance oils are 25% off with the code: RAINSOAP. See the sale items here.

The new Green Smoothie Fragrance Oil is a perfect fit for any green project. It has notes of fresh cut kale, citrus, pear and florals. It was added to the Green Smoothie Body Butter for a crisp, refreshing scent. The recipe also contains avocado butter, grapeseed oil and green tea extract to moisturize dry skin.

The Refreshing Lemongrass Soap is made with – you guessed it – green! It’s made with Green Chrome Oxide Pigment and earthy lemongrass essential oil. Poppy seeds add contrast to the top. The soap is one of the options from the new Natural Soap Kit for Beginners. It comes with ingredients like oils, tools and printed instructions so you can make soap from scratch. It also ships free to the lower 48 United States!

If you’re looking to save a little money on your green projects, using recycled containers as molds is a great way to do so. Buying cost-effective oils can help as well. They include canola, castor, coconut, olive oil (pomace), palm oil, rice bran oil and sunflower oil. Click through the How to Save on Soapmaking post for more money saving tips.

Using ingredients from your kitchen can help save money as well. Aileen with Soap Fixations used pistachio milk in her gorgeous Pistachio and Magnolia bars. They’re this week’s Facebook Photo of the Week.

Aileen’s bars feature a beautiful red and white swirl that pairs perfectly with the green. The colors are also swirled together on top for a cohesive look. I love the tall shape of the bars as well! If you love the swirl in the Pistachio and Magnolia soap, check out the Monarch Butterfly Swirl Cold Process Tutorial to learn how to get the look.

Above (clockwise, top left) are Aileen’s White Pumpkin and Lilac Soap, Volcano Soap, Jamocha Almond Buzz Soap and Bamboo and Green Tea Soap. For more caffeinated goodness, click through the Espresso Shot Cold Process Tutorial. The Whipped Coffee Body Butter smells like your favorite cafe.

Find Soap Fixations
On Facebook
On the web
On Instagram

This week’s #SoaptheRainbow green winners are (left to right) Triple Butter Palm Free Soap by Sophie Nicole Soaps, Avocado Soap by Iriy Soapworks and Wheaties Soap by Mama Bass Handmade Soap.

As part of our #SoaptheRainbow series, we are having a Grand Prize giveaway for a Soapmaker Super Sampler Business Kit worth more than $250! Read more about the #SoaptheRainbow series here. For a chance to win, all you have to do is join the Bramble Berry Newsletter via the Rafflecopter widget below. To sign up for the newsletter, you can sign in using your Facebook account, or you can manually enter the email address you’d like to use. If you’re already signed into your Facebook account, the widget may automatically use the email associated with your account. If the widget didn’t ask for your email, it’s because you’re already signed into Facebook. =)

After you sign up, you can earn extra bonus entries by completing tasks within the widget. These are completely optional, but the more you complete the better chances you have to win! The contest ends on August 9th at noon PST. The winner will be chosen randomly by the widget.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Post pictures of your crafty creations on the Facebook page each week for a chance to be featured on the Soap Queen blog and receive a sweet soapy package from Bramble Berry. Photos are chosen based on consensus from the Bramble Berry staff, so the best way to increase your chances of winning is to show us lots of photos!

For those of you who have been featured on the blog, we now have an official “Featured on the Soap Queen” badge! You can include that badge on your website, blog, pictures, etc. To save the badge, click here. =)

The post Facebook and Instagram Photo of the Week (July 18th ~24th) appeared first on Soap Queen.