It's Imbolc!

That's right, it's nearly Spring! Imbolc means 'In the belly' or 'Ewes milk' and it falls halfway between Winter Solstice, when the sun is at it's lowest point and there is the greatest lack of light and Spring Equinox, when the light and dark are once again in balance.

Originally the festival was dedicated to the goddess alternately known as Brighid, who is said to breathe life into the dead of winter using her white wand. Hence why we start to see glimmerings of the new life to come in the form of tiny buds on trees and daffodils starting to peek out of the earth. It's a time of year that's full of potential, so now is a great time to clear out the old and welcome the new (spring clean etc...)

Good soaps for Imbolc

To reflect the potential of this time of year, the seed is quite symbolic. So I thought I would show you a couple of my products which contain seeds - poppy seeds in fact! Poppy seeds are great, as they provide gentle yet affective exfoliation and they also look aesthetically pleasing.




Summer Kiwi Fruit Soap with added Apricot Kernel Oil.

This soap is also in my sale happening right now!




Black Raspberry and Vanilla Foaming Scrub

I hope you all have a wonderful day, whatever you're up to!

Love is in the air!

It's about 2 weeks until Valentine's Day, and I've been preparing for this by making some Love inspired soaps. Here's a small selection of what is available to buy from my website.

'Mathilda' - Limited Edition Strawberry Shea Butter Soap

Treat your Valentine with this luxury SLS-free glycerine and organic shea butter soap, coloured with a creamy strawberry pink with romantic red swirls throughout.

Fragranced with a gorgeous mouth-watering strawberry aroma and comes specially gift-wrapped (as pictured) with a handmade heart-shaped gift tag for you to write a personalised message to your loved one.

Mini Gingerbread Soap Valentine Couple

This happy couple is made lovingly out of luxury SLS-free glycerine soap consisting of two layers: a 'gingerbread' layer - scented with a custom blend of spicy ginger and buttery biscuit and a pale pink cherry almond layer, giving these soaps a gorgeous snuggly fragrance, reminiscent of a hug from your loved one.

They come giftwrapped in their own little box with a love poem inside.

There are also three different sets to choose from: gingerbread man and woman, gingerbread women and gingerbread men (all pictured above).

Champagne Kisses Sugar Scrub Soap

A gorgeous SLS-free glycerine soap bar, made with added moisturising apricot kernel oil and topped with a sprinkle of exfoliating sugar.

This soap is scented with a light and fruity sparkling sweet Champagne fragrance oil and coloured with iridescent gold mica with a cheeky hint of pink.

Cherise Pink & Classic Red Heart Soaps with added Apricot Kernel Oil - choose your own fragrance!

The perfect gift for your Valentine!

Pretty hearts, made with luxury SLS-free glycerine soap and lashings of moisturising apricot kernel oil. Personalise by choosing your own fragrance - just pick an option from the drop down menu on the website.

Comes gift wrapped in a cello bag, tied with a matching ribbon.

Why not take advantage of the Sale happening on all Valentine soaps on the site at the moment - prices marked down by 15%!

Blog Giveaway at NRjewellerydesign

Hello and happy Monday morning.  I was just browsing around the Blogiverse and found this amazing giveaway over at NRjewellerydesign.

By entering, I have a chance of winning this beautiful bracelet:

Fingers crossed!

Vetivyr Satyr Soap with added Natural Hemp Oil

I'm so proud of my latest soap, I just had to show him off!




Vetivyr Satyr Soap with added Hemp Oil

This cheeky chap is made out of luxury SLS-free glycerine soap with added natural hemp oil. Hemp oil is very easily absorbed and is excellent for dry, irritated, aging and damaged skin.

Fragranced with deep woody vetiver and coloured a moody shade of black with dry-brushed chocolate brown mica to highlight his features, this satyr makes the perfect soap for any loveable rogue!

Available to buy now from www.melusinesoap.com.

Solid Shampoo Experiments

A few days ago, I received a much awaited delivery of supplies, which contained an extra special ingredient for me to use in my soaps. This ingredient is Polyquarternium-7 (yes, try saying that after a few glasses of wine!) which is used in shampoos and conditioners as a conditioning agent.
It works by reducing static build-up in the hair, making it smoother, easier to comb and better at holding styles. What everybody wants in a shampoo, right?

So, I got straight into the kitchen and made up a little solid shampoo sample to try. I used some left over soap from a batch of Peppercorn soap, which contains Shea butter. I thought I'd better not add any other oil or butter to the soap as Shea is quite a good 'all rounder' and my hair tends to be quite greasy so went for less is more!
I then stirred in some Polyquarternium-7 and poured the soap into a little mould. Here's a picture of the finished product:




So far, I have used this beauty for 4 hair washes - just this as well, no extra conditioner or serums. I must say I'm very happy with it so far!
It's made my hair feel completely different than it normally does - which is fine, flat, straggly and greasy again within a day.
Now it feels thicker, manageable and no frizz or straggly bits. It's also retained it's shine (which is something I've always had the luck to have, even when using commercial shampoos).
Only one slight complaint - my hair isn't very easy to comb anymore. Which isn't a huge problem, but it would be nice. Maybe I need to add more Polyquarternium-7 or use something other than Shea butter.

Here's my plan anyway: keep using this sample for a few more days, then try out a different formulation (I'm thinking one with Golden Jojoba oil) and see how that compares. I may need to try out several different samples, but that's all part of the fun, isn't it?!

I will also be looking for some volunteer testers with dry/damaged hair. Please apply by leaving a comment or writing a message on my Facebook page wall (Sorry, UK residents only please). I'd love to hear from you!

Oh, and a belated happy new year/2011 to all my readers! May this year bring you much prosperity and happiness.

Merry Yule Everyone!

Just a quick note to wish you all a fabulous Yule, filled with love, laughter and of course good food and drink with friends and family!

For the first time in at least 15 years, we'll be having a white Christmas here at Melusine Soap HQ (i.e. deepest darkest Somerset!) It started snowing last Friday, stopped on Monday, and has been frozen in place since then.  It's quite dangerous on the roads...but I have to admit that it's just too pretty to feel grumpy about the disruption it's been causing (rubbish collection is 5 days late and probably wont happen until after Christmas now!)  So I thought I'd end this post with a few pictures of the 'snow days' we've been having....enjoy!

 The view across the fields toward the River Parret

 My daughter figuring out what to do first with all the snow!

 Snow covered yew trees

 St. Martin's Church

 A few of Burrow Hill (where they make zider!)

 Across the Levels

 Mathilda enjoying the snow :)

Have a great Christmas everyone and all the best for 2011!  I'll be back soon in the new year to showcase my Valentines Day soaps (because that is not far off now either!) xxx

First Ever Christmas Range

Hello everyone, long time no blog! This is mainly because I've been busy making soaps, foaming bath butters and scrubs in time for Christmas.

I've thoroughly enjoyed doing this as it's got me into the festive mood and it's also reminded me of my first Xmas as a fledgling soap maker which was last year.

I made Christmas cake soap slices and cocoa marshmallow bars and gave them to family and friends as presents.

They were a hit and it got me seriously thinking about making soap to sell to the public. So within a few weeks I had my Safety certification sorted and by May this year I was selling soaps locally and via Folksy.

So what's changed this Christmas? Well, I'm now selling a range of festive soaps, scrubs and bath butters via my website, my Folksy shop, Bower Hinton Stores (a local shop) and will also be attending 3 craft fairs. A very exciting time!

So here's the Christmas 2010 range from Melusine Soap, starting with a revamped version of my Christmas cake soap:

Christmas Friut Cake Shea Butter Soap with added oatmeal.

Luxury SLS-free glycerine soap, with added moisturising Shea butter and exfoliating oatmeal and scented with a fruity, warm and spicy Christmas cake fragrance oil.

This limited edition soap is made especially for Christmas and resembles a slice of traditional fruit cake - red and green soap chunks embedded in shea butter and oatmeal laden soap, topped with a yellow layer of 'marzipan' and finally whipped soap 'icing'.  A great stocking filler or something to give your bathroom a festive flair!

Peppermint Foot Scrubbie Soap with added Pumice stone

Luxury SLS-free glycerine foot scrub soap made with real ground pumice stone. Clean and buff your feet at the same time!

Luxury Chocolate Orange Foaming Bath Butter

Made with lashings of sweet almond oil and topped with an individual sugar scrub soap. Scented with a delicious chocolate orange fragrance oil.

Iced Gingerbread Man Soap

A luxury SLS-free gingerbread man shaped soap, scented with a spicy ginger and cinnamon fragrance oil.  A perfect stocking filler gift for Christmas!

Christmas Cranberry Shea Butter Soap

A luxury SLS-free glycerine soap, with jolly red 'berries' suspended in a snow white bar and scented with an uplifting tangy and fruity cranberry fragrance oil.  Also contains moisturising shea butter, a real treat for your skin!

Luxury Black Forest Gateaux Foaming Bath Butter

Luxury foaming bath butter, scented with a delectable custom blend of juicy cherries and rich chocolate, giving it a very realistic black forest gateaux fragrance.

Festive Magic Shea Butter Soap

Luxury, SLS-free glycerine soap, in the shape of a teardrop with intricate Victorian style patterning. With added moisturising shea butter and coloured with shimmering red and green micas, capturing the spirit of Christmas!

Comes in a choice of fragrances - just select your choice from the drop down menu:

'Christmas Spice' - A blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, basil, balsam, fir and warm spices.

'Frankincense' - A sweet resinous aroma, highly prized in ancient times and valued as highly as gold.

'Mistletoe' - A gentle green festive mistletoe and pine fragrance

'Mulled Wine' - A cosy blend of festive fruits, wine and warm sweet spices.

Ice Skating Penguin Soaps

A fun Christmas bath-time treat! Glittery blue SLS-free glycerine soap, shaped like a star, with a squirty rubber duckie 'skating' on top.  Scented with a familiar toffee apple fragrance oil.

Yuletide Goddess Soap with Apricot Kernel Oil

Celebrate Winter Solstice with this luxury, mica laden SLS-free glycerine soap, depicting The Goddess in shimmering frosty mica on a dark blue-black winter's night background.  With added apricot kernel oil to moisturise and soothe and scented with a beautiful ethereal blend of pine, spruce, fern, ozone, amber, musk and cosy spice on a background of vanilla.  

I Love Irish Cream Soap

A luxury SLS-free heart shaped glycerine soap, made with lashings of moisturising sweet almond oil and scented with a sumptuous Irish Cream fragrance oil.  A perfect little stocking filler for lovers of the famous tipple!

Luxury Candy Cane Foaming Sugar Scrub

Luxury foaming scrub, scented with a sweet but fresh peppermint fragrance and packed full of lovely scubby sugar to massage your skin and provide gentle exfoliation.  Topped off with a festive sprinkling of red sugar, giving this scrub the traditional red and white candy cane colour combination!

Christmas Tree Decoration Soap

A great little novelty stocking filler!

Luxury SLS-free glycerine soap, shaped like a Christmas tree and threaded with dark red organza ribbon to use as an actual tree decoration! 

Coloured a sparkling green with red 'baubles' and scented with a truly festive fragrance: a combination of pine tree (a fresh strong pine tree fragrance with a hint of light forest flowers, earthy woods and sweet rain) and mulled wine (A cosy blend of fruit, wine and warm sweet spices).  Comes gift wrapped in a silver presentation box.

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