Etsy and ArtFire both are full of wonderful items, unfortunately they often get buried under hundreds of thousands of listings and it's impossible to find all the gems floating about. In an effort to share some of my personal favorites, I'm going to start hosting "Etsy/ArtFire Finds" with a theme to tie it all together. ;)
I was honored this week to be interviewed by the lovely Cindi of Handmade News, doing the interview itself was a lot of fun and the response so far has been spectacular. Truly, the Indie community never fails to amaze me in its unending support of fellow artisans and small business owners. I can't believe it has only been a few years now since the handmade movement began picking up momentum, and now it seems like every other person I run into has taken the Handmade Pledge. We're taking over the world, one niche market at a time. ;)
Last night I put the finishing touches on a fully cured batch of gorgeous True Rose soap, and set out on the curing rack a fresh batch of a brand new fragrance- Cucumber Spa. It's so good, I can't wait to get it out to you guys! This next week I'll be finalizing gift packaging for the holiday season, keep an eye out for pedicure packs and fragrance lover gift sets in the near future!
Introducing the newest addition to the Blushie line, Sun & Surf. I grew up moving between Seattle, Whidbey Island, and later Newport Beach on down to San Francisco. Living close to the beach my whole life has given me a huge love of water, and I have a soft spot for the cold, wild oceans of the northwest. This fragrance blend, unique to Blushie Bath & Body, was inspired by those rugged beaches. It is a combination of cold, salty breezes and warm, earthy sands.
That lovely scene on the label is a photo taken by yours truly in the small town of Shelter Cove, CA.
Scent of the Week Sale!
Strawberry Champagne soap will be on sale for $4.00 from 08/20/09-08/27/09. On the 27th a new scent will be chosen to be offered at a discounted price!
A bright, effervescent blend of fresh picked strawberries and bubbling champagne make this bar the perfect way to celebrate every shower.
Oatmeal & Honey soap will be on sale for $4.00 from 08/12/09-08/19/09. On the 19th a new scent will be chosen to be offered at a discounted price!
A classic comfort fragrance, oatmeal & honey is rich, warm, and a little bit sweet.
There are a huge variety of scrubs available on the bath and body market today, and the choices are at times overwhelming. In this post, I'm going to outline the ingredients included in my very popular Sugar Body Polish so you know just what it's all doing for your skin.
Sugar: By far the most ubiquitous ingredient in body scrubs and polishes, Blushie scrubs used refined white sugar, with a small grain size. I chose this particular type of sugar as it is very gently exfoliating, and lasts just long enough in the shower to get the dry skin off while still dissolving to rinse cleanly down your drains.
Shea Butter: Crushed from the fruit of the karite tree, Shea Butter almost needs no introduction. This rich, creamy butter is an excellent emollient (skin soother and softener) while also performing well as a moisturizer. Shea absorbs rapidly into the skin without leaving behind a greasy barrier.
Coconut Oil: I use a form of coconut oil know as "92 degree," which means that it has a much higher melt point than the usual 72 degree version, but will still melt when it comes in contact with the body. The addition of this oil, besides being an excellent emollient in its own right, helps the scrub keep its dense form while still being extremely rich and creamy.
Avocado Oil: Hands down my favorite oil in skin care, avocado oil is extremely nutrient dense containing vitamins B1, B2, A, D, and E and is loaded with multiple proteins and amino acids. This combination makes it an extremely soothing oil with regenerative properties. It skins into the skin easily and leaves the skin feeling dewy and soft.
Cocoa Butter: They make chocolate out of this, what's not to love? Cocoa butter is loaded with natural antioxidants and leaves behind a non-greasy barrier that helps retain and restore the moisture in your skin.
Polysorbate 20: What the heck is this? Well, Poly20 is an excellent, gentle emulsifier. An emulsifier is something that allows water and oils to combine, to create an emulsion- like a lotion. With the addition of Poly20 to my scrubs, when the oils and butters combine with the water in your shower or tub, they emulsify in use to create a soothing lotion that rinses completely clean instead of leaving behind a greasy feel.
Fractionated Coconut Oil: This is a version of coconut oil in which the long-chain fatty acids have been removed, making the oil liquid and room temperature. Due to the very small molecular size of fractionated coconut oil, this adds considerable glide and smoothness to the scrub.
Poppy Seeds: Add a bit of color and fun to the scrub.
Fragrance: A propriety blend of natural and synthetic fragrance components to create a delightful aroma.
Mica: A mineral-derivative coloring agent that adds a bit of sparkle to the scrub.
Phenoxyethanol & caprylyl glyvcol: A gentle, low-impact preservative designed to protect the user from environmental contaminations such as mold, yeast, and bacteria. Never ever use a body product that contains, or comes in contact with, water that does not contain a real preservative.
Scent of the Week Sale!
Vanilla Sugar soap will be on sale for $4.00 from 07/22/09-07/29/09. On the 29th a new scent will be chosen to be offered at a discounted price!
This bakery-sweet vanilla is lusciously rich and deep, a favorite of all vanilla fans! And I am a *huge* vanilla fan.
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