Confessions of a Soap Obsessed New Yorker

I Got Nuthin

2012-01-09T09:22:00.000-08:00

Different people like different things about soap. Some like lather, some like a strong scent, some like no scent and no lather.

Me, I like to revel in it. I love when I can smell my soap all day. I love it when it smells more intense in the shower than dry. I love unique scents, textures, colors...I love it when its obvious that a soaper made the product with love. I adore it when there is no SLS but yet the lather is foamy and intense. I like having soap to rave about and soapers to promote.

So imagine my sadness to discover that everything in my soap train case is by Lush. Fail. Epic. Fail.

It seems the only option is to shop. So I went online to check out my past purchases and realized I haven't bought soap since October 2010. This is criminal and must be fixed.

Where to start, where to start, where to start...

The First Shower at the Fella's Place

2012-01-06T08:24:00.000-08:00

It's interesting. The first time you take a shower in someone's place has weight if you intend to do it often. Last night, I found myself packing a bag of toiletries to take over. I'll concentrate on the decisions as nobody wants me to yammer on about love.

So, the question is "what bath products are appropriate to take to your signficant other's apartment when you are trying to take up as little space as possible?" Or...how to get clean without toting 12 products.

I turned to my old stand by Lush for inspiration as I have a literal train case of Lush products. For soap, I decided to pick the classic Alkmaar as it always makes me feel very soft and sexy. Truthfully, my skin is suffering this winter from being bare legged in the cold and probably a bit from the nutritional changes due to surgery. The greatest thing about Alkmaar, other than the fact that it smells like jasmine, is that it goes delightfully with two of my other favorite products Silky Underwear Dusting Powder and Potion. I can't link to Potion as it appears to have gone the way of the Dodo, so take my word for it. It's a jasmine extravaganza that makes me feel clean, dry in all the right places and moisturized in all the right places.

I suppose all I am missing is Lovely Jubblies. Has anyone tried this? Do I need super special cream for my breasts. Will it make them bigger? I'm kidding on the last bit...mostly. I would, however, be interested in someone's review of the product if you use it.

So the big question is regarding hair products. Shampoo bottles are cumbersome and those tiny hotel room bottles aren't cost effective. Luckily, one of Lush's last great remaining products is the solid shampoo bar. I'm typically into Godiva because it smells like jasmine (sensing a theme here?) but today I broke out the Karma Komba. It works beautifully. I don't know how that much lather comes from solid shampoo and, in spite of the SLS in the shampoo bar, I like it. I think I'll go easy lest the suflates turn my red hair pink but I did enjoy the time I spent with the Lush today.

It was a good shower and relatively groundbreaking for me. But what are some good, compact ways to pack an overnight toiletry bag? Does anyone have fave products that travel easily, are handmade and make you smell like something incredible?

Or does anyone have a favorite jasmine soap they'd like to share?

Happy Friday, ya'll.

Pornography of the Soap Variety

2012-01-05T14:42:00.000-08:00

I know, I know...two blogs in one day. Truthfully, I have been perusing soap listings on Etsy all afternoon and simply couldn't resist sharing some things I covet right now.

I have so much soap that I could not possibly use more...right?

Sigh. Check these out:

My roommate, says she is allergic to polka dots. And I love coconut. In fact, I often smell like coconut due to my obsessive use of sulfate free organic coconut shampoo...but I digress.

Etsian Pink Dotted Owl sells THIS little bit of goodness.

The smell is of black cherries and coconut. To me, that seems like an excuse to hang out in the shower for awhile. I also like the shape and pattern of this soap. It is lovely enough for me to want to use it and manly enough to satisfy those of you who may live with a manly type person (yes, I'm looking at you, Heather).

But moving on to something COMPLETELY different...

Although you should check out the store here. There's some good stuff.

Sooooo...I'm kind of a princess. It's ok to laugh. I know it, you know, people in space know it. And I love champagne. And sparkly things...so, when I saw this I giggled and then I got excited. It's called Gold Digger which I don't love because real princesses make their own money. But it is pretty...observe:

It's not pink, which I like because pink would be so obvious for a strawberries and champagne soap. instead, it looks a bit like a ghetto fabulous pair of glittery goal pleather pants exploded into a bar of soap.

Bad analogy? Forgive me, I'm rusty here.

Should I comment on fairies or pixies? Nah.

Should I buy this soap? Probably?

And now for my favorite of the day...I could explain this but I won't. I'll just say that someone I love very much will understand the humor and those who have heard the story will get it too.

I'm sorry my mom is so offensive, baby. Should we buy her this?

It's soap. Made from Polish beer...by Etsian The Soap Magician. In addition to amusing me with Polish beer soap, this soaper also makes the extraordinarily intriguing Aloe and White Lilac soap.
And that's enough soap porn for the day.

That's what she said...

The Perfect Soap to Go With the Perfect Man

2012-01-05T13:24:00.000-08:00

God what a year!

Some highlights include the 91 lbs I lost (so far), the incredible success I experienced at work with regards to bringing in revenue and...perhaps most important...falling in love.

So, when I initially told the new man that I write a blog about soap (or wrote, I suppose, given my recent negligence in updating) he laughed. Hysterically. And teased me. Incessantly.

At first, he just didn't get it. For example, while at a hotel in Westchester, he teased me asking if I would write about the hotel soap...it smelled of mandarin and mint and he thought it may be blog worthy. So I tried to explain that not all soap is created equal. I pontificated that I feel cleaner when I have washed with a soap that was lovingly created by someone in their home or shop. I informed him that I like unique scents. colors and textures. And then I got a little embarassed.

But now I'm over it. And then, while visiting my family and me in Georgia over the holidays, my fella says he wants to buy me soap. I looked at him incredulously and asked him why. Turns out, the blogging is actually "cute."

Whatever.

The positive outcome is I got this:

Again, from Nourish in Savannah. Love.

Ingredient of the Moment

2011-05-29T20:34:00.000-07:00

I've been into B Electro shower gel from Lush lately. It is neon green and makes me smile. I'm not a huge fan of the consistency of the gel but I do love the smell.

This morning, while showering, I finally isolated what it is about this product I love.

It's the scent of fennel.

Fennel is neat stuff. Not only does it take good and smell nice, but it is also a natural heart burn cure

I turned to Etsy to see if there were fennelly soap options for me to consider. Since it's Etsy, the answer is "of course."

Here are some highlights:

Dark Elf smells of green amber, exotic musk, carnations, sandalwood, spice, woody accords, patchouli, fennel and a touch of eucalyptus...yum.

Solarmar Naturals in TN makes Geranium Fennel cold process soap. According to the description, fennel clears the mind. And heaven knows we could all use some mind clearing.

My personal favorite is The Olive Bar Sweet Fennel soap.

Who knew a plant could be so refreshing...

Welcome to the world, Sydney!

2011-05-29T19:56:00.000-07:00

It isn't often we make friends who last a lifetime. I have been so very lucky to have several. Some I didn't see for years and others I have been consistently in touch with since the day I matriculated out of Effingham County High School.

One of my longest standing and most beloved friends, Haley, has been with me through many adventures. She was my accompanist (literally) and coached me through State Literary competition when I had tonsillitis and could barely make my vocal cords vibrate.

She listened to me yammer on when I had my first boyfriend...she was there when he turned out to be a total ass. She was around my senior year when I fell madly in love with an amazing guy. And she was likewise there when he and I broke up the day before I graduated. Haley was always there. She was always a friend.

Haley is one the most incredible, supportive, intelligent and talented people I know.

And this weekend, Haley had a baby.

It never ceases to make me pause when someone with whom I grew up creates life. How are we even old enough to be married, much less having babies.

The time, it did fly.

But I know Haley will be the most incredible mother. And I welcome Sydney to this world wholeheartedly.

Welcome, Sydney, you have an amazing mother and amazing people around you.

Friends...who coming bearing soap

2011-05-29T19:31:00.000-07:00

The nicest note I have gotten in a while...

I came in the door today to a shock. I had a package from Etsian The Dirty Housewife Soap Co. And I hadn't ordered anything.

So, imagine my surprise when I opened the package to find the following:


Moon Garden (Gardenia, white ginger and jasmine soap)


A Lollipop!


Summer Honey Fragrance

My friend Matt and I have been slightly estranged for awhile. It wasn't by choice but by circumstance. So he missed the time leading up the lap band surgery, the surgery itself and all of the surrounding angst.

But I never doubted that he was with me 100%. So imagine my joy and tears at receiving such a gift. And imagine the thrill of having my darling friend back.

I love you, Matt. And I cannot thank you enough.

Where is the soap at Lush

2011-05-22T17:16:00.000-07:00

Got another new hair color today...

I also popped into Lush, which is right around the corner from my salon, as I wanted to see what they had that is new. This is a typically a massive money spending time for me as I find a million things I want to buy and end up walking out with a bag chock full of stuff I don't need.

Backing up a few weeks, my friend Heather sent me a BBM note stating that she had been to Lush and didn't find much she liked. At the time, I was totally confused. Now, I get it.

Lush seems to have no soap anymore. Weird, right?

They have some old staples, like Honey, I Washed the Kids; Demon in the Dark; Bohemian; etc....but nothing really new and nothing really good.

Is Lush moving away from soaps and more in the direction of skin care? Does anyone know?

I hope not!

And didn't it make me feel better?

2011-05-16T15:42:00.000-07:00

Hey ya'll,

Well, it's Monday and I am back to work. It isn't so bad, really, although this may be a very long week. I didn't have any good QT with soap. I need to do some hard core Etsy surfing to make myself feel better. I am also looking forward to the Renegade Craft Fair, which I missed last year and do not intend to miss this year.

I might even swing by Lush sometime.

But, talk of soap aside, I had an interesting reaction to my blog of last week, "I am not broken." It seems I am not the only one who feels the way I do. Many of my friends, even the ones who have chosen to have GORGE families (best of luck, Haley...I cannot believe you are going to be a mommy), showed so much support and understanding.

Then, last night, a dear friend (when I thanked him for his support of the blog I wrote) asked me if I felt better after I wrote it. And, I had to admit that the answer is yes. I did feel better. So, it got me thinking...Maybe I should keep the Soap Blog and get a Soapbox blog as well.

So, for what its worth, I am going to start a completely self serving, blog to wallow in the mire of my own opinions. I will still talk about soap over here...but over there I will talk about other things.

I'm gonna do it anonymously because the language will be harsh and the topics harsher. But, if you're interested, drop me an email at kennedy.rodriguez@gmail.com and I will give you the link.

Until then, happy soaping!

I am not broken

2011-05-12T10:34:00.000-07:00

Just a warning...this blog is not about soap.

A few years, I was told I would probably never have kids. I won't go into the details but I had a few things stacked against me already and a final nail in the coffin of probability came out of nowhere and blindsided me. At the time, all I cared about was being ok and getting through a surgery I didn't want to have. But my doctor was kind enough to let me know that if some super sperm made it through stacked items 1-3 and I did miraculously get pregnant, my body would probably reject the pregnancy.

And you know what? I didn't care.

I was never a little girl who wanted a family. I wanted to be a helicopter pilot, or President, or a Broadway star, or Secretary-General of UN. I didn't want to be a mommy. My mother later told me that she was the same. She never really wanted children. But she loved my father and he did want kids. So she had us. I think it goes without saying that I am glad she did.

So, imagine my surprise when speaking to a potential love interest (PLI)a few weeks back and the following conversation occurred while talking about the toll my job takes on my life:

PLI: I am not too interested in a family where my kids are raised by a nanny

Clean Diva: Oh, I don't want kids
PLI: hmmm...yeah, that would a pretty big deal breaker for me. Well, I guess that is that...

So, I went on to apologize and explain that I thought I had made the fact clear before and that I am just not wired the way a mom should be. And then PLI said:

"Well, I suppose if filling that gap with career advancement in retail fares better for you then more power to you."

The silence was deafening. I wasn't sure which part of the statement was most offensive. 1. That PLI had NO IDEA what I do although I had explained it in pretty great detail or 2. The assumption that there is a gap left by not having kids.

I won't address the first because it is mostly irrelevant but I will say this (not to offend anyone, really) but

THERE IS NO GAP.

Some of the most amazing women I know are mothers. And even more of the amazing women I know will be mothers someday. And I am so proud of them. I have a god son who ALWAYS brings a smile to my face and I think Kingston Rossdale is beyond adorable. But I don't want children. There, I said it. I don't WANT them.

And I feel no gap, no ticking clock, no nesting desire, no lingering pangs for the smell of a clean baby. None. Of. It. I feel free and independent and thankful that I live in a time and place where I can make the decision to stay childless.

And I am putting this out here, on the blog, today because I KNOW there are other women like me. Women who realize that the first time they got passed over for a promotion because they had to leave daily at 4:30pm to pick up a kid from day care (and it happens...don't kid yourselves), they would resent that child for the remainder of its life. Women who know that some of you are going to say that it changes when you create life and that we are going to roll our eyes on the inside because we know ourselves and we know that's not true for us. Women who know they forget to feed themselves and could never support another person. And yes, even women who just don't like kids...don't understand them and don't like to be around them.

I just want to acknowledge you today. Because, just as I got unceremoniously dumped for feeling the way I do, I am aware that it happens to you too. I know that, just like me, you have steadfastly held your ground and watched while people you love with all of your being leave you, marry someone and start a family of adorable little mini-me's. And I know it hurts.

And I want to remind all of my child bearing friends and readers that the next time you are tempted to feel sorry for someone because they don't know the domestic bliss you feel, save the sympathy for orphans in Uganda. We're ok. Really, we are. And the truth is, we sometimes drink champagne in your honor at 2am before going to bed because we know you are asleep, exhausted from a day of child chasing, and have forgotten what champagne even tastes like.

You are not broken because you have kids and I'm not broken because I don't. There is no gap. There is no hole. I am not trying to fill anything except the sales funnel at work (but that's another story for another day).

But to you, former PLI...I wish you the best. I hope you find what you seek.

But I also hope your future children have horrific motion sickness and projectile vomit on you each time you take a car trip.

Summer Scents

2011-05-06T13:02:00.000-07:00

It's no secret I like strong scents. Something about the way a scent comes off of someone's skin is the ultimate in sensuality for me. I'll be G-rated since this posts to my Facebook but you all know what I mean.

We've all had someone walk by us and turned to watch because they smell so good. I once sat by a world leader (I won't disclose which one) and came away talking not about how smart he was or how amazed I was to be sharing space with him. Rather, I could only state that he smelled better than any man I have ever met.

I once was in love with a man I could never really have...and I can close my eyes and remember his scent to this day, although years have gone by since I last saw him.

Maybe I am a glutton for the olfactory or maybe I am just human.

But this leads me to a bit of a conundrum.

I've got it a bit down at this point. If I need to wake up, I reach for something smelling of clove, cinnamon, fennel or mint. If I need to feel sexy, it is jasmine. If I want to feel the sweet Southern girl (and sometimes I do) it is always gardenia. Pear for a day with buddies and vanilla or lavender for for calming. I could go on and on.

But I recently overheard someone talking about switching scents for summer. Hmmm...are there appropriate summer scents versus winter scents. Is the scent of jasmine that tends to cling to my skin too much for July?

I bellied up to my spot at the Bulgari counter to try Mon Jasmin Noir...the "perfect summer scent" for those of us who wear the mysterious, jasminey Jasmin Noir. Ehm...it faded into my skin almost instantly.

I don't like to walk around in a cloud of scent like some kind of flowery Pigpen but I do like to catch a whiff of someone's perfume when they move.

So, the question is: Do you all change your scents in the summer? Do you use different soap when its warm out? Is it like white after Labor Day? Or should we all shirk this notion and rock our fave scents regardless of the temps outside?

Happy Spring, all.

So, here's what happened

2011-04-25T12:39:00.000-07:00

It all happened when I went to Saks. Well, not exactly.

The truth is, in January I had lap band surgery so I have been busy healing. Plus, there is 40 lbs less of me to lather up...not that I am complaining. Maybe when I reach my goal weight I will tell the sad, sad story that led me to start "Confessions of a Soap Obsessed New Yorker." But, in the meantime, I am back for good this time, I PROMISE!!!!!

But I did go to Saks in February and belly up to the Bulgari counter.

BIG. MISTAKE.

I needed a new bottle of Jasmin Noir. We all know how I feel about Jasmin Noir. And somehow the guy convinced me to buy the body lotion and the new soap...which, BTW is SLS free.

OMG. Love love love

So I have been worshipping the Bulgari.

But it is time to get back into the swing of things. Summer is coming and I need my soap time.

Guest Blog Two: Heather reviews Lovin' the Land's Duplin County Wine and Sesame soap

2010-12-26T10:07:00.000-08:00

A Handmade Soap Virgin's First Experience:

When I started reading this blog I had never used handmade, organic soap. My skin is so extremely sensitive that almost every soap I tried in the past caused a reaction such as a rash or dryness to the extent of peeling. I found one brand of soap that worked marginally well (meaning it didn't cause a bad reaction, but it was drying to an extent) for me in high school and have used it almost exclusively since, so I was a bit wary of venturing into uncharted territory.

Having known Clean Diva since college, I was aware that her skin is as sensitive as mine and was confident that if handmade soap did not cause her problems, I should be able to give it a try as well. When I saw that she wanted guest bloggers to review new soaps, I decided to take the plunge.

The Duplin County Wine and Sesame soap by Lovin' the Land practically jumped up and down for me to choose it. Growing up in rural south Georgia, we picked muscadines every year and to this day, the taste and scent are among my favorites.

My soap was shipped the day after I placed my order and arrived a couple of days later. The packaging was very pretty and I could smell the soap even before I unwrapped it. The combination of sesame and muscadine wine creates an interesting aroma - each scent can be deciphered, but together they create an understated and clean smell. I took the time to cut my soap into smaller pieces, as Clean Diva suggests, and then headed for the shower.

The scent of the soap does not intensify much once it's wet, it just smells even cleaner, if that makes sense. It produces a small amount of smooth, silky lather that leaves skin feeling moisturized and soft. Normally after a shower, I put on lotion to keep my skin from getting too dry, so in order to have a moisture comparison at the end of the day, I put the lotion on only one arm. There is very little difference in how my arms feel now, more than 12 hours after my shower. The arm without lotion still smells faintly like the soap, which is a nice surprise. I plan to keep every slice for myself, so I can say with confidence that this soap gets high marks.

I must admit that this experience has made me want to try more handmade soaps. Many thanks to Clean Diva for sharing her adventures in soap so that others can become enlightened!

At a Loss

2010-12-10T13:31:00.000-08:00

Winter is strange. I want to enjoy the Christmas Season. Hell, I work half a block from Rockefeller Center and I should delight in the joyous lights, etc.

But I am so tired. So very very tired.

And there is no good reason. I am sleeping at night. Life could be less stressful but it could definitely be more stressful too.

Something about this season, as we head toward the darknest night of the year saps my strength completely. Getting out of bed in the morning hurts. Going to bed at night, I read about a paragraph before falling into a dead sleep. Boy howdy does it blow.

And, to make matters worse, I have a soap that I have been using. I picked it up at a shop in Savannah last February and it looks like wood. And it smells amazing. Trouble is, I threw out the packaging and cannot find it anywhere online. So I can't even share it with you.

I don't know what to buy my brother for Christmas and I am more dreading the 12 hour drive than contemplating time with family.

You know what I am?

That's right...the Grinch. And his little dog is my poor poor Simon trying to navigate the Christmas season with his extremely cranky mother.

I need a nap.

I'm back and guest bloggers

2010-12-02T17:27:00.000-08:00

How long does it take until one is no longer jetlagged?

At any rate, I have two guest bloggers coming up:

Heather and Alyssa!

One of them is going to win the contest. And you guys get to benefit from their soapy wonderfulness.

And I bought TONS of soap in Europe...stay tuned.

Texture is everything

2010-11-16T12:52:00.000-08:00

I am on the countdown now, kids. In a little over two days, I board a plane to Venice. From Venice, the moms and I will grab a ship and travel to Split, Croatia; Naples, Italy; Rome, Italy; Florence/Pisa, Italy; Marseilles, France and Barcelona, Spain. Then, because we are in the neighborhood, we will spend a day in Paris.

I am beyond stoked.

So waking up these past few mornings has been hell because 1. The day to leave has not yet arrived and 2. Work has a tendency to get crazy when one is about to leave the country for 12 glorious days.

So I have been playing with my soap, so to speak. I've reached for Lush products these past two mornings and both are only available to me due to my uncanny ability to know what works best frozen.

First up is Snow Showers shower jelly from Lush:

Oh how I love this one. First of all, the shower jellies are just unadulterated shower time fun. I drop them constantly (good thing I'm not in prison) and just make a HUGE mess. And this one smells like oranges and cognac. It's a Christmas soap. It doesn't scream Christmas to me but it does scream good times. Also, googling to find the picture above also took me to a new blog, Rotten Otter's, which seems to be a blog by someone with strangely similar taste to me.

But seriously, if you haven't tried a Lush shower jelly, you should. They are a rockin' good time.

And now for the Rest-In-Peace oh favorite soap of mine portion of our program.

Lush used to make something called Buttercreams and they were barely soap. 15% soap, 85% things that smelled yummy and made your skin feel even yummier. They barely lathered and they didn't smell like much dry. But oh it was like rubbing your body with the most luxurious sweet smelling wonderfulness in the shower. Of these, The Emperor of Ice Cream was my favorite. Jasmine, vanilla and...Orange honey. How I coveted the Emperor. How I loved him. How I cherished him.

So, of course, Lush discontinued the buttercreams. I've yet to find anything else that smells like Emporer of Ice Cream. Luckily, I still have some.

And, even now, hours after the shower, I can smell it.

I smell good.

I used the same soap two days in a row.

2010-11-12T14:25:00.000-08:00

Last holiday season, the Romeo Mike (aka Room mate) got a gift certificate to Bath and Body Works for Christmas from somebody at her work. She used it to buy stuff but, most notable, Yuletide Pear Vanilla Body Cream. Because she has this amazing ability to make things last that I don't have (I use or lose things incessantly. It's how I roll).

This stuff smells pretty rockin'. And what's grooviest about it is that she tends to waft that scent everywhere she goes. And when she hugs my pups, they start to smell like it and that's cool. Because I love pears. If you need to know more about that click here or here or even here.

Anywhoodles, when I was picking out soaps over at Lippincott, I came across Vanilla Pear (no link because they don't have it up right now.)

I tried it yesterday and was like...meh...but COME ON it's pear. So I tried it again. And this morning I really really liked it. It smells just like the lotion.

Maybe I should buy the Romeo Mike a bar for Christmas.

Anyway, I know that's a tiny little review but I am pretty brain dead.

Happy Friday!

Stuff I LOVE!!!!! Volume 2

2010-11-10T20:04:00.000-08:00

So far, I only have one guest blogger in my little contest! Are you all going to just let her win?

No worries, kittens. I have a whole new set of Stuff I LOVE! for your perusal. (Please note all pictures are from the seller's Etsy store).

First up, the vegan friendly Refreshing Pear and Berry Soap It's no secret that I love pears and anything that smells like pears so this soap by Island Girl Craft N Gift is right up my alley!

Another thing I love? Champagne. And what's perfect with champagne? Strawberries! And what doesn't give you a massive hangover? Strawberries and Champagne Shea Butter Soap by The Soap Shop. If that isn't a compelling argument to buy this soap, I cannot think of a better one.

Ok so this next one doesn't look like much but it is made with muscadine wine, an amazing Southern secret that I really miss now that I live in Yankee land. (Sorry Yankees) North Carolina's own Lovin' the Land sells Duplin County Wine and Sesame soap.

For other Southern bits of wonderfulness, they also have Sweet Potato Pie Soap, check it out.

For a super unique scent combo, I am intrigued by Grapefruit Gardenia soap by Bella Bath & Body! I like the post on Etsy for this one because I learned something new. It turns out citrus fragrance oils can make you sensitive to the sun.

Some months ago, I published a blog here about the substandard soap at my office. This next little gem (or should I say gems) could be the solution. They are called soap leaves and are made from REAL LEAVES covered in soap. You can use them for one wash and are left with a cute little leaf to throw away and freak people out when they look in the garbage! One order gets you 20 soap leaves and you get to pick the color and the scent. The are made by Outre Beauty Bistro and I am in L-O-V-E. Please buy some of these. I think I may. Check out her other soaps too because they are gorge.

Button's Bubbles brings you Baton Rouge soap. This one is in honor of my colleague, CT. She is from New Orleans, which is not Baton Rouge but the scent description of this soap reminds me of her...oak mixed with a sultry blend of Cajun spices. BAM!

One of my blog readers, Joanna has this incredible shop called Product Body and, in this unbelievable shop, she has this soap called Poison Apple that looks and sounds like a shower dream come true. It has the scent of apples and cinnamon and graham cracker PLUS a little black pepper. Sign. Me. Up. and not just because Joanna posts things that help me learn about soap beyond "I like this. It smells good."

I came across the Gingerbread Sugar Spa Massage Bar while watching the Philosophy people yap on QVC or HSN about how liquid soap is better than bar soap. NO WAY! This soap has nubbies for massaging and sugar for scrubbing. All while smelling like the holiday appropriate but admittedly awesome all year gingerbread. Wowsa. It's made by Nanas Soaps.

Beyond the Christmas Song reference in the description (this is the ONLY non-Chipmunks Christmas song I can tolerate...mainly because my father and I delight in rewriting it every year) Sweet Roasted Chestnuts soap just sounds warm and yummy. It reminds me of the smell of chestnut vendors in NY at Christmas. And while it may be cold, NYC is magical around the holidays. Thanks for making this one, Beacon Creations.

The final soap for this installment of Stuff I LOVE is Bottoms Up by lymonia dawkins. This soap seems to carry the unwritten slogan of "if one thing is good, 10 is even better." This is my life motto too. Everything in excess. So. It is scented with roses, orchids, other exotic flowers, honey, pineapple and spice. LOVE IT! Plus, it is super pretty.

And that's all for this week kittens and puppies. Sign up for the contest!

Oh NO!

2010-11-10T12:00:00.000-08:00

This morning, I got up and opened the trunk of soap I have. I thought I would go with something different than my norm.

My hand grasped my tub of Foaming Sugar Scrub by Hartley Soaps. I've had it longer than I would like to admit but have never used it. Here is the photo from the original Etsy posting.

The scent is Eucalyptus and Spearmint but the smell is somehow sweet and minty. It's unbelievable. I cannot even describe it appropriately. The listing said it has lavender in it. That makes sense. The scent would make an amazing linen spray.

But I digress. The formula of this stuff is incredible. The second water hits it, it gets sort of foamy. Like a bath fizzy but not because the texture remains velvety soft and maintains that incredible smell. The description describes it as a scrub but there is nothing abrasive in the product. If it is secretly exfoliating my skin, I will be completely in love.

The big issue. This product doesn't seem to be available on Hartley's Etsy site anymore.

The Best Absinthe Episode I've Had in Some Time

2010-11-09T18:10:00.000-08:00

Good morning all! I used a soap yesterday that made me think of a story.

Back in the Spring of 2008, I was spending some time in a hotel room with my favorite German, Ronny and some other friends. It was 4am and we decided to do some additional drinking. We called room service and had them bring up spoons. And then we proceeded to consume two bottles of German absinthe. Oy.

I had a meeting at 7:30am during which I had to sit in front of a whole bunch of complaining people. I looked over at the person running the meeting and she said "Hey, I would like to field most of the questions this morning if you don't mind." I replied "I think that's a great idea because I am fairly sure I am still drunk."

It was not my proudest moment.

That was the last time I imbibed Absinthe, even though I still have some in my house.

Shockingly enough, I still love the smell. So when I was cruising Etsy looking for some soap to purchase and I saw this picture...I had to stop.

I had to have it. Plus, I have been eyeing Naiad Soap Arts for some time! So order it I did and waited.

When I received the package in the mail, it had been way too long since I got new soap because it felt like Christmas. The first thing I noticed is how professional this soaper's packaging is:

Now, my photography skills are sincerely lacking but use your imagination. It's nice. And I swear I could smell the soap through the packaging...num.my.

Here is the box once I opened it. It's kind of hard to see what with the bad light, but I adore the stamp in the soap.

So...the big story. How was it? The answer is pretty good. This is a really hefty bar and, even after cutting it up into hand sized strips, I still barely wore down my strip in one long shower. The soap foams nicely and certainly gets the job done. I didn't feel pinched or dry after. So, all in all, a really great soap.,

I only have one complaint, As soon as the soap got wet it stopped smelling. As I have mentioned in previous posts, this is not my favorite thing. But gosh my bathroom smells good from having it in the soap dish.

And now for a gratuitous puppy with soap picture:

I just discovered Regretsy

2010-11-05T20:19:00.000-07:00

Before today, I had never seen www.regretsy.com. I'm not sure if I am glad I've seen it now but it does bring to light that there is some strange stuff going on at Etsy.

Luckily, none of my soapers were attacked by the catch phrase "Where DIY meets WTF" but one Alchemy request showed up that made me laugh until I cried.

**Ahem** Did one of you guys make this soap for him?

Happy Friday!

In Honor of my Simon

2010-11-04T14:29:00.000-07:00

Hello all. Today is November 4th. 2 years since we elected President Obama (for better or worse) and 3 days since the birth of my youngest furbaby and the light of my life, Simon!

Weighing in at a massive 5 pounds, Simon brings so much joy to my life that I cannot believe I got by without him.

When I first got Simon, on Christmas day 2007, he didn't even weigh a pound but he could make some massive noise. He was a gift from my dear friend Dennis and had a big white bow tied around his adorable little midsection. When he came walking toward me, I was in shock. How could I ever keep something that tiny alive?

We had to take him to the vet in order to clear him to fly home. The vet warned me not to take him outside until he weighed at least 3 pounds because NY streets can be dangerous and covered in germs. He spent the entire plane ride from Savannah to NYC perched on his brother's head in the carrier. I loved him instantly but also knew that he was going to be VERY different from his brother Teddy. Where Teddy was light, Simon was dark. Where Teddy is quiet, Simon is LOUD. Where Teddy is mellow and relaxed, Simon is HYPER.

When it came time for Simon's first bath I was nervous. He was so very very tiny and I didn't want to sting his eyes or dry out his puppy skin. I had noticed that Lush sometimes has dog washing parties so I asked them for a mild soap recommendation. I was told that Honey, I Washed the Kids would be the perfect option. Scented of honey and caramel, it seemed perfect for my little boy.

So we gave a bath a whirl. Simon loved it. He licked at the soap and it didn't seem to even bother him. He played with the bubbles. I only dropped him under the water once and he came out soft, clean and smelling amazing. To this day, I only wash Simon with this soap. He loves it. I love it and it's perfect. In fact, at my house, we call it "Honey, I Washed Me Simon."

Happy birthday Simon. I hope we spend many toffee scented years together. Mommy is on her way home.

Stuff I LOVE! (and a little friendly giveaway)

2010-11-03T11:27:00.000-07:00

Other people call this soap porn and, while I love that name, I didn't want to steal it from some of my favorite bloggers.

So for now its the typically descriptive Erin description "Stuff I Love"

I've been combing Etsy looking at soap and falling in love every five minutes. Sadly, I have 36 soaps I have yet to review and an impending trip to Europe to pay for so...I can't.

But maybe you can. And then tell me about it. In fact, if you buy something from my Stuff I LOVE! lists during the month of November, I would love to have you do a guest blog. I'll post the blogs during the month of December. Everyone who blogs here will be entered to win a $25 Amex gift card...to buy more soap (or pay bills or whatever but soap is more fun.)

Here are the rules:

1. You must review a soap listed on my Stuff I LOVE! blogs during the month of November.
2. You cannot review a soap you made
3. You must notify me by emailing me at kennedy.rodriguez@gmail.com no later than December 1st, 2010 of your intent to blog. Please let me know which soap you will review. I will confirm your email by replying. If you did not get a reply, I did not receive the email and you should re-send. No confirmation means I did not receive your entrance.
4. A list of guest bloggers will be listed on this blog on December 2nd, 2010.
5. Completed blog must be received no later than December 15th, 2010.
6. Please try to keep the reviews as positive as possible. We are not trying to humiliate or embarrass anyone or put a soaper out of business. I reserve the right not to publish a blog that I think will harm the soap maker's business or mental status.
7. All Guest Blogs will be posted between December 16th and 31st.
8. Guest bloggers who blog about this competition will get an extra entry. 9. Guest bloggers who blog about this competition will get an extra entry.
9. Winner will be chosen by a random drawing (using a computer generator) on January 5th, 2011 (giving me time to get myself home from Georgia).

10. Winner's prize will be shipped via USPS between January 6th and 10th, 2011.

And now for Stuff I LOVE! I'm going to be prolific in order to give you tons of choices! (Please note all photos are from soapmakers soap.)

Cute Little Duckie Soaps on Ponds by Sheri's Soap Opera:
These typically come in lemon verbena scent but you can choose a different one. They are SO CUTE!

Blackstrap by Alchemic Muse:

Beyond the fact that this is called Blackstrap, which makes me think of all sorts of naughty things but it contains figs. And we all know I would buy poo if it smelled like figs.

Cereal Killer by Anderson Soap Company is an olive oil soap and it smells like fruit loops. Since many of you don't live in NYC and therefore cannot have cereal milk soft serve at momofuku milk bar, this one is for you. It SAYS it's great for the kids but I say eff the kids. Erm...what I mean is use the soap for yourself! Alternately, I am totally into the Spring Salty Bar (second picture)

Vegan friendly Rose Quartz Gem Chunk Soap by Angelic Soap! This one cannot be described. Observe:

For the show obsessed people among us, I recommend SudsNSuch's Magic Slipper Rubberband Bracelet and Ring Bubblegum Scented soap. Not only does it smell of bubblegum, one of my favorite shower time scents but it has take away gifts inside. Give them a friend and say "I thought of you while I was in the shower this morning."

And from my secret favorite soap blogger, Anhoki, Life is Beachy. Reading this incredible soaper's blog always reminds me of how short and important life is. Look at this beauty:

I will just copy her description of this soap because it makes me laugh:

As I sip my flirtini I see the tiki hut filling with babes in bikinis and dudes in Speedos. Guido is at the bar spinning and tossing around bottles. Free drinks! An ukulele, bongos and a few of Eduardo's closest buddies are serenading us as the sun begins to set. As I take it all in the aromas of fresh ocean breezes and bird of paradise fill the air. A tap on my shoulder has me startled. I turn to see Eduardo with nothing more than a beautiful bouquet of flowers and a smile. Life is beachy.

Life is beachy is a wonderful oceanic blend of bird of paradise and ocean. Made with olive, coconut, canola, palm and soybean oils with mica for color. Fresh, clean, simple.

Aunt Nancy's Soap brings you Chocolate Serendipity which sounds like a fudge brownie for your skin. Yum Yum YUM.

The most crunchy all natural sounding soap on my list is Honeyed Lemon Magnolia Granola Bar by Etsian GetLathered. It combines so many things I love and makes me kinda hungry for breakfast. So it's PERFECT for morning.

My last one for this week is in honor of my upcoming trip to Europe. Capricorn Soap Company's With Love From Paris. I'd buy this one for the packaging alone.

This should be plenty to get you started. I hope someone is willing to turn their $10 into $25 and get a new soap. Come one, come all guest bloggers.

To Sick to Blog

2010-11-02T16:00:00.001-07:00

Sorry kittens. I had a nice little shower with Lush's currently not being made soap Pineapple Grunt but halfway through my shower I realized I could barely stand.

So its been sofa sleeping all day for me.

I'll try again tomorrow.

hmmm...something I realized today about Lush

2010-11-01T11:25:00.000-07:00

Hey there folks, it's Old Favorites Monday again. Since its the start of the official Christmas season in my house (the roomie loves her some Christmas) I thought it would be appropriate to dig out some Snow Fairy Shower Gel by my friends at Lush.

I know I have been kind of down on Lush lately and, while I prefer soaps from small hand made soaps, I really do love Lush. It's the first place to show me that soap went beyond Dove and that things made by people's hands are preferable to things made by machines. And while I find Lush's continued use of SLS to be disturbing, I suppose SLS is not some evil baby-stealing ingredient that makes you insane. In fact, many of you reading this may wonder what my problem is and why I keep harping on the evil's of SLS. For those of you, I encourage you to click here and read a blog post written by Victoria, BC based Rocky Mountain Soap Company for a little more detail on why SLS is not our best friend. The bottom line is that it just isn't natural and therefore has no real place in a product that touts itself to be handmade and natural. It's just an opinion, but one that seems many of my sensitive skinned kindreds share.

But moving right along.

I'll tell you the good first. I love Snow Fairy. It's FUN. It's pink. It smells like bubble gum. It sparkles...it calls out to the Debbie Gibson loving tween I was not so terribly long ago. It foams, it bubbles and the smell sticks around long after the shower, something I also like.

However, while showering I discovered something interesting. I was perusing the list of ingredients and saw the following:

Water (Aqua), Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Sodium Cocoamphoacetate, Lauryl Betaine, Perfume, Sea Salt (Sodium Chloride), Lactic Acid, Synthetic Musk, Cocamide DEA, Titanium Dioxide, Iridescent Glitter (Polyethylene terephthalate and Acrylates copolymer), Benzyl Benzoate, FD&C Red No. 4, D&C Red No. 33, Methylparaben, Propylparaben

Who with the what now?

So I get the synthetic musk because real musk is an animal product. Water I know. SLS...yuck...

But WHAT is the rest of that crap? Fortunately, Lushopedia answered some of it but seems icky.

Is it just me or is nothing in there really that natural sounding.

Now, here are the ingredients for Honey, I Washed the Kids:

Honey Water (Mel Aqua),
Propylene Glycol,
Rapeseed Oil,
Sunflower Oil,
Coconut Oil (Brassica napus; Helianthus annuus; Cocos nucifera),
Water (Aqua),
Sodium Lauryl Sulfate,
Sodium Stearate,
Sodium Hydroxide,
Perfume,
Beeswax (Cera alba),
Sweet Orange Oil (Citrus dulcis),
Bergamot Oil (Citrus bergamia),
Aloe Vera Extract (Aloe barbadensis),
Sodium Chloride,
Gardenia Extract (Gardenia jasminoides),
Titanium Dioxide,
*Limonene,
*Linalool,
*Benzyl Benzoate.

Is it just me or do those seem more recognizable? I checked out lots of Lush products and Snow Fairy seems the most chemically. Am I totally off base?

I still love Snow Fairy, though. It's like being Barbie for a few brief moments.

Happy Monday!

I got so excited I forgot to take a picture!

2010-10-31T19:23:00.000-07:00

I had a fantastic shower this morning. Alyssa, one of my wonderful blog readers, recommended that I purchase Pumpkin Apple Butter Soap from Lippincott Soap Co. And OH MY GOD am I glad I did. Before I launch into a total love fest analysis of my morning shower, a little about Lippincott.

My newest favorite soaper is based in Bucks County, Pennsylvania (interestingly, home of some of my favorite clients) and they use food grade oils in making soap. It's cold process and they are moving toward using only organic palm oil. No yucky SLS to be found.

No, onto Pumpkin Apple Butter Soap. I took it out of the plastic and sniffed. It smelled nice but nothing to write home about. Then I got it wet. Seriously, the entire shower was a cloud of warm, spicy yumminess. I tried to ignore it while I washed my hair but kept picking up my little sliver of soap sniffing it.

When the time came to finally lather up I lathered and lathered and lathered because this soap just smells so good. Maybe my nose wasn't sensitive enough to differentiate between the many many scents described by the soap maker but I can describe Pumpkin Apple Butter as fruity, like a warm pie or cobbler without the bread smell...so I guess like the filling of the aforementioned. And the fruit is heavy on the cinnamon.

The lather on this soap is like a dream. Abundant, creamy and silky. I used it to shave my legs and it worked like a charm. There is also something in the soap that is softly abrasive and served to gently exfoliate, which I appreciate.

Post shower, the scent doesn't linger much, which is fine because that prevents a mix with my perfume. However, my skin is soft and feels hydrated.

This soap is definitely on my top 10 favorites list and that is saying something. Thanks for the recommendation, Alyssa.

When soap smells like...well, soap

2010-10-28T10:40:00.000-07:00

Lately, I have been going through my soap collection and cleaning house. I'm getting rid of stuff with SLS and soaps I don't like. It's a shame you cannot donate soap to a shelter or something. I always cut my soap into chunks because I like to preserve and because I like the soap to fit in the palm of my hand so it is fresh. This means I have a hundred little (meticulously labeled, in most cases) baggies of soap.

At any rate, between the past their prime soaps, the soaps I don't like and the soaps that have fallen victim to either the bathroom humidity or NYC bug problems, I am throwing out massive amounts of soap.

Of course, I am also discovering some never used/never reviewed bars of soap. That part is cool.

At any rate, I came upon an unmarked bar of soap in my stash. It is brown and white and looks like it should have some sort of chocolate scent. I suspect I know where this came from: some odds and ends I ordered not thinking that, due to the fact that they are odds and ends, they aren't labeled. I sent most of these to soap loving people who don't take "tasting" notes but this one must be a left over.

I won't announce where I suspect it came from because I don't know for certain.

But this soap...well, it sucked.

It was pretty enough but it smelled like nothing. Like detergent. It reminded me of the soap smell in the showers in my cabin at summer camp. Just plain clean the dirt away soap. I suppose, in theory, there is nothing wrong with soap that smells like soap but I am the girl who prefers her dish soap to have a unique scent (like lavender and lemon grass is that so wrong?) so for me it was like a wasted shower.

I get that some people have allergies (I do too) but why would one want a detergenty smelling soap? I don't get it. But a peruse of my old stand by Etsy shows me that many soapers have a scent free soap. Does scent free mean "smells like soap" or something different? I COULD order one and find out but that would be a waste of money for me.

I tossed this soap out immediately. It was too pretty to smell of nothing.

I must be some kind of aromatherapy addict because it just started my day off wrong.

Happy Dance Happy Dance

2010-10-25T18:22:00.000-07:00

I just bought SOAP!

I won't spoil you too much by telling you exactly what I bought but I bought from two stores I have been eyeing for some time and who have highly covetable soaps!

Lippincott Soap Co. (thanks for the recommendation Alyssa)

AND

Naiad Soap Arts

Can't wait!

OFM...Old Favorite Mondays

2010-10-25T07:38:00.000-07:00

This morning, as I was contemplating my giant bag of soaps (I really should take a picture of the GBS...it really is huge) and I caught sight of an old favorite. At first I thought it was the amazing Lush Demon in the Dark but it was actually another old favorite: Sea Vegetable or just "Sea Veg" for those of us who are hopeless Lushies. I got kind of excited when climbing into the shower with my old friend.

As the lovely lavendar scent surrounding me and my skin started to feel that clean yet hydrated feeling I adore about Lush soaps, I was at least temporarily pulled from my Monday morning slumpfest. And it got me to thinking.

Perhaps I should bathe every morning with an old favorite. Hence, OFM. It sounds like a dirty gangsta rap group but is really very very clean. I dig it.

Interestingly, after getting out of the shower, I notice the shower rash. Not as bad as previously blogged about but there nevertheless. So, I consulted the Lush Web site and yes, SLS. I wonder if I am developing a tragic reaction to SLS.

This week, I intend to invest $20 in new soaps to try. It's like Christmas...but with SOAP.

Stuff From All Over

2010-10-23T12:18:00.000-07:00

Part of learning to be a less lazy blogger is checking out the tremendous backlog of my favorite blogs. Here is some of the awesome stuff going on in soapy cyberspace right now!

The incredible Tierra Verde Soaps is having a ROCKIN Soap giveaway. There are some massively lust worthy fall soaps over there and some lucky person is going to win three bars. I hope its me as I have my eye on Lemon Poppyseed, Autumn Ambrosia and Star Anise! Hop on over by clicking the link above and enter to win!

A Perpetual Clean Diva Favorite, Burnt Mill Candles & Soap is making Lumps of Coal Soaps for Christmas! Check out the pictures over at Burnt Mill's Blog! Sign me up. I think I will make this my bathroom soap for the Christmas Season and maybe even buy some for stocking stuffers.

Super cool soaper, Kylee Lane of Luxury Lane Soap is looking to buy a home outside of her price range so we all have to help her expand the business by buying something. Allow me to make some recommendations. I think the Winter Frost soap is perfect to ring in the quickly approaching winter. The brand new Companion Soap Cube is a super cool innovative soap. If you are more of a "simple bar of soap" type of person, I think that Dirty Hippie looks awesome. But let's help this wonderful soap artist buy her house!

I'll be back to tell you about new shower experiences next week. Until then, enjoy the nippy weather and remember to buy Hand made.

Gardenias again, I must be homesick

2010-10-20T14:41:00.000-07:00

Today I did it! I actually got out my back of not yet tried soapies and tried one. I stuck my hand in the back and pulled out...

Gardenia by Mistral

At first I couldn't remember where on Earth I picked this up...but then I recalled. It was November of *ahem* 2008 SoHo NY with my BFF Viv and the Amazing John who had come to visit from Chicago. Good times.

I have previously blogged about how much I love gardenias...second only to Jasmine, they remind me of Savannah and early feminine and wonderful about soap.

And Mistral delivers. The soap is obviously manufactured and I am a sucker for home made but it's nice. The bar is hefty (it should be at $8) and the scent is heavy. Plus, it says Provence on the bar. Since I will be in Provence in about a month, I was stoked to see that and it helped me temporarily forget that I have to actually work during that month.

The lather is good enough for even the biggest lather lover and it left my skin soft and smelling of flowers.

I'd recommend it, and I may even use it again.

A Long Overdue Soap Review

2010-10-18T19:21:00.000-07:00

Ah...I'm so glad to be bad to back at this blogging business, not the least of all is that I missed all of my little soaps. I've been using the same old same olds down to nothing, not because I adore them but because I have been too busy to change them out.

This morning I reached for a soap that I bought back in August. I was in Las Vegas with a colleague for training and we stopped by Basin White at the Grand Canal Shoppes at the Venetian and were instantly awed by their adorable soaps. We picked up a Birthday Cake bar for another colleague (that's a completely different story) but one soap in particular caught my eye.

Take a look at the promo shot from Basin White's Web site:

Yes indeed, its a soap called Rubber Ducky and it claims to smell of sweet apple. I hadn't tried it until now but, truth be told, I never did smell these supposed sweet apples. So, you ask, how was it?

Well, the lather was phenomenal. Just a few swipes between the old hands and I had tons of bubbles. It's really darned cute and it did seem to get me clean (hell, even my feet smelled ok for most of the day) but it didn't pack a punch of scent and I really do like a heavily scented soap.

If you like adorable soap that won't compete with your natural or man made scent, this may be for you. Alternately, I recommend it for guys with a secret love of duckies but who don't want to smell like girls all day.

And, just to make sure you get the full impact, I'll leave you with a picture of my little baby duck posing with my bar of Rubber Ducky.

Be warned, what you are about to witness is obscenely cute:

Happy Monday!

Horror of Horrors

2010-10-17T11:42:00.000-07:00

One of the ways in which I am incredibly girlie is that I have always had a go-to perfume. When I was in my late teens and through my late twenties, it was ALWAYS, ALWAYS Chanel No. 5. I thought that anything worn by Marilyn Monroe and immortalized by the incredibly amazing Andy Warhol (see below)

had to be the ultimate in femininity. As time went on, I started to see the draw of jasmine, a middle note of No. 5, which seems to be my Achilles Heel of scents.

Anyway...

I was at JFK about to board a plane to Germany in the Fall of 2008 when I came upon Bvlgari's Jasmin Noir at the Duty Free shop. Liking the smell from the bottle, I sprayed a bit on myself and then hopped the flight. 6 hours of being cooped up in the plane later, I could still smell this scent. It's different from No. 5, warmer and homier somehow and it lingers in a way that's not heavy handed or overwhelming. Long story short, I had discovered a new signature fragrance. To this day, I love it, even if I do leave it mainly for night time as it is a slightly naughty fragrance.

I like it so much that I even bought the shower gel. I've been using it for those special nights out for almost 2 years. It helps to layer the scent and has a nice, yummy texture. It's liquid and probably a smidge harsher than my normal soaps but it smells so nice.

I've had two occasions lately that called for the shower gel. Two Saturdays in a row, as a matter of fact.

Both times, I have noticed a red rash on my arms, chest and neck. Could I be allergic to my shower gel? And why would it happen all of a sudden? Why am I having such a horrible time with soap lately?

I wonder if I can find a more natural, less chemically soap that smells something like Jasmin Noir?

Pathetic

2010-10-15T19:49:00.000-07:00

So, my feet stink. I mean REALLY smell. People are always telling me that its because my soles are cloth or because I buy cheap shoes. So I buy some uber expensive leather soled shoes and...guess what...they still got smelly.

*SIGH*

How can someone who is complete obsessed with soap have such smelly ass feet? And what are the tricks to make it stop? Please don't tell me to always wear socks, that just isn't logical. I went to the local drug store looking for something that can help. Sprays barely mask, odor eater soles are bulky and unbearably uncomfy.

...there are some smelly foot soaps but we all know how I feel about store bought liquid soap from drugs stores...shudder.

What's a smelly footed gal to do?

Savannah Soap Finds Day One: Red Clover Tea

2010-02-23T20:27:00.000-08:00

So day one of the Savannah Soaps finds week involved an extremely early shower with Red Clover Tea soap from Nourish. The shop itself is really cool and exactly the kind of place I could see myself opening if I ever got bored being an insurance mogul in training. The smells wafts down Broughton Street and invites me in with pictures of cute puppies in the window and promises of many many kinds of soap made by people in my hometown. You just cannot get more inviting than that.

Of the three soaps I bought this time, I was most enamored at first sniff with the Red Clover Tea. This soap is a glycerin soap that is made by

local artisans and cut to size. It is sulfate free and detergent free. And it has some tea leaves on the top. I was REALLY excited to try this one. Here is a picture I took of it myself.

I am not the best photgrapher so just deal with the crappy quality.

So, it was the first one of the batch I tried and...it was ok. I think someone who is into soaps that smell good but don't have a scent that clings to the skin would like this a bunch. It has a nice lather and a creamy consistency. I will note that the soap has to be really wet to build up a lather but, once it does, it is foamy. For me, however, the scent was not potent enough once in the shower. And that's my favorite part. Plus, the little tea leaf bits kept sticking to my skin.

I do feel as though my skin was moisturized and soft when I got out of the shower, which is really nice. But I didn't get that steamy perfumey quality I like so much. So I recommend this one to those who like a soap that smells better dry than wet.

I am a little sad because it smells SO GOOD when dry. The bulk of this one will be sealed and kept for a potential present.

I have more soap from Nourish coming up as well as the mysterious shamrock soap Haley mentioned.

Stay tuned.

This One's For My Girl

2010-02-23T19:57:00.000-08:00

Whil hanging out in Savannah, Caroline and I had a real opportunity to discuss some important topics in our lives. She talked about the next steps in her career, her incredible work with at risk youth and where she sees herself over the next few years.

I, not being very deep, talked about soap.

Okay, so it wasn't exactly like that but we did get in some soap talk. Much to my astonishment, Caroline actually reads my blog. She told me that she loves peppermint. It is her absolute FAVORITE. So, now that I am home, I did a little research on the aromatherpy uses of peppermint. Some of what I found is below. I found it here.

Therapeutic properties of peppermint: Anti-inflammatory; relieves pain, muscle spasms, and cramping; relaxes the nerves; kills viral infections; decreases gas and indigestion; clears lung congestion; reduces fever

Uses for peppermint: Peppermint helps the digestion of heavy foods and relieves flatulence and intestinal cramping, actually relaxing the digestive muscles so they operate more efficiently. A massage over the abdomen with an oil containing peppermint can greatly aid intestinal spasms, indigestion, nausea, and irritable bowel syndrome.

Erm, interesting.
I bought Caroline a bar of peppermint soap from Nourish. I put it in her shower and even had the chance to use it myself before leaving. It was cool, refreshing and tingly. I must say, my best friend has good taste in scent.

So, I put together a top 10 list of desirable handmade peppermint soaps just for Caroline. Here they are, for your perusal and hers.

(In NO Particular Order)

1. Cacao de Menthe by RoseandRoot. This vegan soap has a healthy dose of peppermint oil but also some cocoa to make it brown and smell a bit of chocolate.

2. Peppermint Denture Soap by LoveLeeSoaps is soap that smells like peppermint and looks like dentures. So Caroline!

3. After the Workout Soap by SoapyBlessings is perfect for Caroline because she has to work out often these days and I know there are aching muscles involved. According to the description, the peppermint oil and eucalpytus help both joints and muscles. Awesome.

4. I'm really into the idea of Beer Soap Rosemary Mint

Made by Juicy Bath, this soap contains beer and peppermint, two of Caroline's favorite things. Plus, it says it is enjoyed by both men and women. ::cough::

5. Intentions makes a soap that looks so much like a cancy cane, I can almost taste the mint on my tongue. Appropriately named Candy Cane Ribbons, it reminds me of the many Christmases I drove to Caroline's to chat and get her amazing gifts. Caroline is the best gift giver on Earth.

See? You can smell it already, right?

6. This next one reminds me of this past weekend and eating peppermint bark from River Street Sweets. On Saturday, Caroline and I loaded up with the stuff and ate and ate. Gosh it was yummy. And this soap from Etsian Aniselle is just what I need to keep around to remind me of that day.

7. Bow-Chicka-Wow-Wow - L'Alchemie has a peppermint soap that looks like a Pride flag!!!!!!!

8. Exploding Frog Soaps by Howard's Home. Frog soaps that explode need no explanation.

9. Ice Storm by Bella Bubbles over at DaWanda looks like a cool piece of ice. It's just lovely.

10. Last but not least, Vanilla and Peppermint Kisses Soap in the shape of feet make this list complete. Thanks to Jay Jay's General Store for making the perfect Peppermint Soap.

I cannot, for the life of me, dear reader, imagine that you have a best friend more wonderful than mine. But if you have one who comes even close, I highly recommend spending 3 or 4 days with that person. You'll be shocked at how much things stay the same even when they change.

So, this soap's for you Caroline. I hope you enjoy the peppermint soap I left in your shower ;)

I went to Savannah and I bought soap

2010-02-22T18:38:00.000-08:00

Hey ya'll! I just got back from a trip to Savannah. I went specifically to see my very best friend of all time, Caroline. I have loved Caroline from snarky comment 1, which occured one afternoon in the sixth grade.

We ate and ate and ate. We went on some tours of our home town like tourists and we went...SOAP SHOPPING.

Savannah has some pretty great places to buy soap, including a super cute store called Nourish where I have shopped before but I got a bit more carried away this time. All in all, I bought six bars of soap.

One I left at Caroline's house because she was using something non-handmade. But the other five I brought home to try. Here is a picture of my loot:

I hope you are excited as I!

Love, Love, Love

2010-02-16T19:47:00.000-08:00

So I just got in from the Shining Stars event for the NGLCCNY. It was fun. I enjoy getting dressed up and having someone do my makeup.

But, wonderfully enough, my day started earlier than usual at 6am. I got out of bed and went, book in hand, to the shower. I sat on the side of the tub while the bathroom filled with steam and I just inhaled the warm air while reading a few chapters of A Girl's Guide to Vampires, which by the way, is hysterical.

Then, after finally deciding I had dawdled enough, I climbed into a steamy shower with my newest bar soap acquisition...

The Loooooooooooooooooooooooooooove Bar...was making its virgin round.

Doooo dooo do dooooo doo dooo

You get the point.

Shaped like a heart and smelling like rose and jasmine, Love Soap was a special edition for Lush deal. So if you want it, run to the closest Lush store and hope they didn't sell out yet because they are going, going, gone.

At any rate, it has been so long since I broke out a new Lush soap and this was delightful indeed. I must confess that, like a small child, I enjoy soap that has colored foam. Using this soap is like painting yourself orangey red like a demon....muahahahaha.

Anyway, ahem, it was fun. Lush nails things like texture, scent and color like no other large batch soap.

This is a real winner. I wonder why Lush won't just break down and make a full time soap that smells like Sex Bomb.

At any rate, I'm sleepy and off to bed.

I went to Lush today and kept it under $25

2010-02-15T16:31:00.000-08:00

Ok, so I clearly need new soaps. So when the roomie announced she needed to go to SoHo to visit the Genius Bar at Chez Steve Jobs I tagged along. I needed shoes for the Shining Stars event tomorrow night and SoHo is ALWAYS fun. Of course, after the Great Bidet Disaster and my realization that I need to cease being the world's crappiest blogger and actually write some blogs, I needed inspiration. And what is more inspirational than Lush?

Ok, so maybe buying from awesome Etsians...but Lush has some things that Etsy doesn't. For example, hipster sales girls who don't judge me for my soap obsession (and who get extra points for being A-DOR-ABLE) and that smell. You know the one. Tourists complain about it and it gives you total headache after 5 minutes but it is still incredibly.

Plus, being the day after VD, I knew something would be on sale.

Well, miracle of miracles, I only spent $22. This has a bunch to do with the fact that I already own just about everything, but I was pleased with myself nonetheless.

Here is what I got!

It's red. It sparkles. It's small. And it smells like Sex Bomb.

Tom Jones once said, when referring to a Sex Bomb: Now you found the secret code I use to wash away my lonely blues. So I can't deny or lie cause you're the only one to make me fly.

And who I am I to argue with Tom Jones?

Riiiiiiiiight.

Second, I bought B Electro...this is some limited edition madness with which I am now COMPLETELY obsessed. It smells like flowers (such as jasmine and rose) mated with things that make you want to wake up in the morning (aka fennel and grapefruit) and had a bastard love child that neither wants to claim but will one day take over the world. One sniff made me want to go to the gym. Appropriate gym soap is hard to find but this one is perfect. Here is what it looks like:

Kinda like the green goo under the streets of Gotham City in Batman. But you get the point. Love Love Love it.

Tomorrow I have to feel sexy, which means soap with some Jasmine (hmmmm....Love Soap?) followed by Bulgari. Bulgari allows me to convince myself briefly that I look like Elizabeth Taylor in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. Which, I don't. And never will.

But I digress.

Soap reviews later.

When Depressing Things Happen to Soap Loving People

2010-02-14T21:16:00.000-08:00

So, a few weeks ago I went to Vegas. We won't discuss the trips because it was frankly dreadful (nothing nice to say...say nothing at all...blah blah) but something TRAGIC happened while I was away.

The neighbors upstairs improperly installed a bidet and, when the hot water pipe melted, the result was an indoor rainforest in my apartment. Everything was basically fine in the end but alas, my favorite soaps in my favorite soap dish were destroyed.

RIP Nectar, RIP Jasmine Jubilee, RIP Wasabi, RIP McCarren Park, RIP I Heart Bacon and...RIP Tiny Bubbles. I think that's all.

As you can see from the pictures above, I have a big blob of used-to-be soap in my favorite dish purchased for me by my favorite mother. It makes me SO ANGRY because I typically don't buy soaps twice because I like to try new ones.

These were my feel good soaps, my go to soaps MY FAVES.

Ugh.

Stupid neighbors. Who puts a bidet in their bathroom in Brooklyn anyway? I could have given them some amazing heinie washing soap for the shower if they had only asked.

Would I be a freak...

2009-09-20T10:34:00.000-07:00

So cats and kittens...

I am firmly ensconced in my new work abode in Midtown Manhattan. I am presently loving it more than words can express. From the several times my boss made me laugh so hard I teared up to the FREEDOM of being trusted to do what I am supposed to do when I am supposed to do it I am all a-twitter with happiness and excitement.

Sadly, changing jobs threw my payment schedule off so I have not had the spare soap money I normally have. So someone else has had to singlehandedly keep the soapmakers in business lately. Sorry soapmakers.

I have been using some of my faves to the nubbies and contemplating a Best of 2009 soap gift for those people on my Christmas list.

So, that's what is going on in the life of The Clean Diva. Well, that an an ever increasing hatred of the soap that companies stock in bathrooms.

So would I be a freak if I replaced the soap in the work bathroom?

The Clean Diva's July and August Picks

2009-08-06T19:33:00.000-07:00

I bathe every day. Like most of you, I suppose. However, lately I have been showering at the gym because of my morning work outs. So handmade soaps have been making the journey with me. I have even used some soaps several times. But July turned up a few faves and I'd like to mention them briefly.

I am currently working through a sample of Dirty Loves Clean's soap, 7 Up Poundcake because it is just a work of genius. Vanillaey and cakey and limey and not at all cloying, it just makes me smile in the gym shower. And it goes really well with the Lush Vanilla something or other kinda lotion I bought a few weeks ago.

Speaking of Dirty Loves Clean, I have been abusing the Sweet Tea scent too. I still don't see it on her site, so maybe I need to slow down. But I also just noticed that she is making a McCarren Park lotion that seems like heaven in a jar. Every time I log onto Etsy to link to her site I discover something new that I desperately need. For instance, I just noticed strawberry rhubarb crumble. Trust me when I say that I have not been unsatisfied with a single item from this Etsy seller.

One of my other new obsessions is Nectar by Atlanta based Rinse Bath & Body Co. If you buy one bar of soap this year, this one would be pretty high on my top 10 list. Beyond being from my home state and super cool, the owner of this lovely little company was awesome enough to warn me to let the soap sit a few weeks before using. I did and I have not taken it out of my shower since. Sometimes when I use it, I smell something wonderful and start looking around for the source before I realize that it is ME. The smell stays on your skin all day long but it blends pretty much with any perfume that has even the slightest hint of vanilla. I like to slather on Lush's Vanilla Delite lotion. It makes me want to spend time alone with me, which is always great, right? Yikes, that reads dirty.

My final fave pick over the last little while is by Etsian DeShawn Marie. I have been reading her blog for many moons and she is also a fave of Jackie's over at Etsy Item of the Day. DeShawn Marie wrote a blog several months ago about how her business had once upon a time gotten to be a bit too large and out of control. So she took that control back and made what she wanted out of HER passion of creating. I was so touched. THEN, she wrote a blog about her Jasmine Jubilee soap and how she came to find the PERFECT jasmine fragrance oil for it. Now, if we know one thing about Erin it's that I love love love jasmine. So I bought the soap.

It's fabulous, as is DeShawn Marie's presentation. From the whole day it took me to get my purchase to the little gold box the soap came in, I was completely in love. And I think she has a scent for everyone.

Well folks, lots more to tell but those have been the mega highlights of the past two months.

Round up

2009-08-06T19:21:00.000-07:00

So, I have been away from this blog for way too freakin' long. I've been doing some interesting things lately. Tomorrow my life is going to change incredibly. I'll probably blog about it when it is over but until the news is official, I keep the excitement to myself.

However, I am pleased to report that my gluten free life is better than ever. I am down over 30 lbs and working out 5 days a week. Not because I think I have to do it but because I have learned to really enjoy my gym time.

We crowned a new Miss New York. Her name is Alyse Zwick and she is pretty awesome.

I've bought soap. Only one bar from Etsy, which is a CRIME. I also bought a Gabbriella's Sampler, which was awesome. Then again, her samplers always are. Kathleen sent me some soaps but I want to make sure to discuss them in a blog all of their own. She is quite the soap maker but her perfumes and lotions are also to DIE FOR, I swear it.

I finally broke down and bought some soap from Etsian DeShawn Marie. I have read her blogs for months and am forever impressed by her scent descriptions and product pictures but her words on how she formulated her jasmine scent blew me away. So I had to have a bar. More on that in another blog.

At any rate, I've been nutso busy.

Not about Soap but maybe even better

2009-06-23T19:57:00.000-07:00

Okey Dokey,

Have you ever wandered across something online and then realized you knew the person responsible and then just had to shake your head in wonder that some amazingly competent and incredible people actually came out of Effingham County?

No? Oh well...

My high school friend who became one of the coolest adults I know writes this blog. It is adorably called Appoggiatura (link to the dictionary for those of you who might not be total music nerds).

I don't know if I am more impressed by her savory delights, such as her mushroom barley soup, her bread baking acumen (she made brioche AND corrected the great Marie Antoinette error in the same post) or her sweets...vanilla peach pie with a praline crumble on top, anyone?

All I know is that I am going to visit her soon hoping to barter soap for food. The rest of you should read her blog, though. I dare you not to salivate

So how much soap did The Clean Diva buy at Renegade?

2009-06-13T22:47:00.000-07:00

I have been laid up in bed with the (not swine) flu all week so this is the first chance I have really gotten to talk about the fun I had at Renegade.

There were so many booths that it was total sensory overload. And it was HOT! But I tromped around seeking out the soap booths and sniffing away. Sadly, there were tons of uninspired soap scents. Maybe that isn't nice but I ended up only purchasing from 3 soapers. The Roomie was shocked.

Of course, the soaps I did buy are brilliant.

I bought a bar of Wasabi Soap by Bunny Butt Apothecary!

I got a little nuts at the booth for DirtyLovesClean

I bought Manhattan (which is not on her Etsy site but she says is curing), Sweet Tea (not up on the site either but transports me back to working through college at Cracker Barrel each time I sniff it) and McCarren Park, which is a MUST HAVE if you live in Brooklyn or totally dig the scent of fresh cut grass. I also have some samples of 7up Pound cake and Boxed Wine that I cannot wait to try! Believe me when I say I could have bought more there!

Finally, I bought a chunky bar of Nectar from non-Esty but still AMAZING Rinse Bath & Body Co. I don't know how to describe this bar except that if I ever smelled an angel, I am pretty sure this is what said angel would smell like. The product description doesn't do it justice. I cannot WAIT to use it but the soapmaker told me to let it cure a few weeks as she had recently made it.

And I have used none of these soaps yet because I was so sick last week I could only tolerate Polar Express by SeaSpriteSoaps seeing as 1. It was the only thing I could smell and 2. The cool tingle it left on my skin was so refreshing.

Where will the Clean Diva be Today?

2009-06-06T07:47:00.000-07:00

Why, at the Renegade Craft Fair in Brooklyn, of course! It is Swedish National Day so the roomie, both puppies and I will be off to Williamsburg and then to IKEA (all dressed in blue).

Some awesome Etsians will be there amongst the over 300 crafters who signed up.

I am sooooo excited!

If you are in Brooklyn, or any other area of New York City, you should come on out and spend some money.

I'll be happy to recommend a soap or two!

I'm singing in the shower again!

2009-05-27T18:20:00.000-07:00

For someone who dedicated most of her young life (and according to her family, should currently dedicate more) to singing, I almost never sing in the shower.

It could be because I am concentrating on the finer details of whichever soap I am using, but whatever...

So, with my many many soaps to try, I know just shove my hand into my wicker basket of unused soaps and pick one. One (way too early for its good) morning I stuck in my hand, fished around a bit and pulled out...

Coconut Lemongrass by Sea Sprite Soaps.

I'll confess that I was pretty stoked for a number of reasons.

The first reason is that I have been wanting to try out one of these soaps for some time. I dig, the soapmaker's blog (she links to Book Slut, hello?) and her banner and packaging is among my favorite on Etsy. It caught my eye from day one. At any rate, it took me far too long to try one of the soaps.

Sooooo...take one is a blend of two GREAT scents: lemongrass and coconut!

As a side note, I once made a soup with lemongrass in it and it completely overwhelmed the other flavors. So there was a small part of me that was afraid that all I would smell is lemongrass.

But I was wrong.

Ok, so I love love love this soap. The scent is nicely layered. It actually blooms! At first you smell the lemongrass but it mellows out to the soothing scent of the coconut that dries on your skin just enough to make you feel as though you are heading to the beach as opposed to Wall Street (although I suppose both have sharks).

This soap has been chilling in my soap dish and, I must admit, I have to force myself not to reach for it in the morning. There is something so cheerful and sunny about it. The soap is downright optimistic.

In fact, this is my new favorite good morning summer scent. The only thing that would make it better is if I could get up at 10am to shower then and if my piña coladas didn't get watered down in the shower.

But I'm singing that darned Harry Nilsson song again!

And the first soap I tried...

2009-05-12T19:02:00.000-07:00

Ugh. What a week. I know I say this a bunch but ever since I became the Executive Babysitter.....erm, Director, of the Miss New York Organization my weeks just gets more and more exhausting.

So I started the great soap test with black raspberry vanilla from Burnt Mil l

And of course I have some random musings:

So my first random musing is about black raspberries themselves. How are they different from the blackberries that grow on the side of the road in Georgia? Is there a difference?

Second not-so-random musing is that you MUST go to Etsy and buy this from Burnt Mill. It is less than $10 and CHOCK FULL of soap samples.

But now on to the good stuff. How did I like it?

Well, first of all, Burnt Mill cuts all of their soap samples like chunky crinkle cut french fries, which makes me immediately smile.

The soap is this amazing swirl of color and smells lightly of juicy black raspberries and fresh vanilla. Now, I am not a big fan of the smell of vanilla. In fact, I find it to be particularly cloying. But this is not like that at all, in fact the scent is nice enough to scent the shower in a wonderful way but it doesn't cling to the skin after the shower.

Also, the lather is really nice. I find this to be a good night time soap because the scent is quite relaxing.

And, on another note, this is the first soap I have used with activated charcoal in it. All of my research shows that this stuff is GREAT for drawing out toxins in the skin. I know it is often used to clear out the gastric tract and can even be used in the case of poisoning.

Neat, right?

In soap, it is a gentle exfoliant and absorbs excess oil and other stuff you don't need from the skin.

So far, I like it.

Forty-five (45)

2009-05-05T19:53:00.000-07:00

Nope. Not my age.

Nowhere close.

Not the number of days until something exciting happens.

None of these things.

But rather, 45 is the number of untried soaps currently in my possession. How COOL is THAT?

So my goal is to feature one of these each day for the next 6 weekish.

So...look out for reviews of soaps by

Tessuraea

Swan Mountain Soap

Hartley Soap Company

Dancing Water

Country Heart

Soap Rehabilitation

Sea Sprite Soaps

Burnt Mill

I am SO EXCITED. Get your wallets ready because you'll want to make some purchases.

Shameless Shout out to Kathleen at Gabbriella's Closet

2009-04-16T19:44:00.000-07:00

Everyone has had a really crappy day.

I seem to be having a really crappy year.

It all began in September with AIG and continued with Madoff and continued with more AIG and then half of my clients got laid off and then my friend John got laid off (and stopped doing his Cripin Glover impression for me) and...ok I'll stop

So one afternoon I came in. My feet ached (why do I wear 4 inch heels?), I was overwhelmed and having a crap day. And I saw a package from Gabbriella's Sampler. Ripping into it, I was pleased to find a milk, honey and oatmeal scrubby soap. After wrestling it from my greedy friend Matt I hid it for myself. It smells unreal. It isn't fragrancy or fake just pure good-for-you yummy smelling.

And showering with it is even better. One side is milky, soft and produces nice, skin softening lather and is a delightful shower experience. The other side is full of nice, exfoliating oatmeal.

And, as a side note, exfoliation scares me a little. Sometimes it feels like the grainy whatever is scrubbing my skin off. This is not like that. It scrubs without peeling off skin. It is soothing to scrub, scrub, scrub and then use the other end to soothe soothe soothe.

Here are some pictures I took myself!

So I cannot find this on Kathleen's Web site or on the Etsy site, which may make me one of the luckiest person on Earth. So I will plug some of the other stuff she sells that I covet.

Click here and scroll to the bottom of the page to see an awesome cobalt perfume bottle key chain that I think I need. (Did I mention how amazing the perfumes she has sent in the Sampler smell?)

On her site you get get all kinds of things. So go there. Buy stuff and send her an email thanking her for all she does to promote other sellers on Etsy. I missed Etsy day but, had I not, I would have been promoting Gabbriella's closet BIG TIME.

A Bittersweet Post

2009-04-08T19:19:00.000-07:00

So as I was doing what I do best (cruising the ever increasing number of blogs I read) I came across a post by the proprietor of Gothic Creations.

She was announcing that she was no longer going to be making and selling soaps. Me being, well me, I decided I HAD to buy some of the remaining soap because it was my last opportunity on Earth the try these soaps.

Ok, so I might be a little unhealthy in my soap acquisition but I own my issues so stop laughing at me.

I bought three scents of the soap Italian Spiced Chocolate, Apricot and Cherry Swirl. All three smell fantastic but my favorite is definitely the Cherry Swirl. I am not normally a big fan of cherries or things that smell of cherries but this is very nice. The soap is heavy, seemingly heavier than most soaps and I got a generous block of it.

On a side note, getting a big block of soap is super awesome because it means I can cut it into pieces and it lasts longer.

So now I am mourning the fact that when the cherry swirl soap is gone, I will be all out of the only cherry soap I ever liked.

So that's sad, right?

The Day a Blog Changed My Purchase Plan

2009-03-22T20:19:00.000-07:00

One morning in early March, I was cruising my long list of blogs while taking a quick break from working working working. One particular one caught my eye.

It was about small businesses and the economy. It sucks out there, folks. People are really struggling and it infuriates me that some of the soap makers who bring me such joy are worrying every day that they may not be able to pay their bills or feed their children.

And now the MTA in NYC announces that our monthly Metrocard is going to increase in cost from $81 to $103 per month. This is a pretty big chunk of my soap buying money and my mother keeps telling me to tighten my purse strings. But I just feel so torn...I need my soap!

But I digress again, a blog that caught my attention led me to buy some soap. I went on the Hartley Soaps Etsy site and saw so many things I wanted to buy. I picked up a Jasmine Mango Body Butter Bar, a Cinnabun CoCo Butter Body Bar and a Foaming Sugar Scrub. Unfortunately, none of these are currently listed on the site but I am sure that what is currently offered is there. And I will review these soaps later as I use them.

In my box of product from Hartley there was a generous sample of Chocolate Drizzle soap. For some inexplicable reason, this is the one I used first. I was feeling the need for something decadent and so I gave this soap a whirl.

I've used brownie soaps and chocolate cake soaps and the like but this one is in a completely different. I love Philosophy and you can, of course, spend $20 on Classic Fudge Cake or Double Rich Hot Cocoa but you can also pay $5 for Chocolate Drizzle and it's even better. Plus, there are no chemicals or nasty stuff and the person who made it has a name and a face.

I could give you a run down of how amazing it is to shower with a Hartley Soap and I am sure I will with one of the others but the point here is a different one. The point is that the economy sucks. People have no jobs. Everyone is panicked.

But every single one of you has to bathe.

In teasing me about my soap obsession yesterday, one of my frequent companions mentioned his penchant for Dove. Allow me to share with you the ingredients in a bar of Dove White.

Sodium Lauroyl Isethionate, Stearic Acid, Sodium Tallowate, Or Sodium Palmitate, Lauric Acid, Sodium Isethionate, Water, Sodium Stearate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium Cocoate or Sodium Palm Kernelate, Fragrance, Sodium Chloride, Tetrasodium EDTA, Tetrasodium Etidronate, Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891).

Now, allow me to share with you the ingredients in a bar of Hartley Soap Jasmine Mango Body Butter Bar

mango_butter, sweet_almond_oil, coconut_oil, olive_oil, palm_kernal_and_palm_oil, distilled_water, sodium_hydroxide, fragrance_oils, mica_color

I'll let that speak for itself.

So here's my point and then I promise to get down off of my soap box.

You have to bathe, so buy handmade soap. I don't want to read that these amazing Artisans are going out of business.

Champagne Toasts, Champagne Cocktails and Tiny Bubbles

2009-03-22T19:05:00.000-07:00

I adore champagne. In a city where everyone has a "signature cocktail," I like anything with champagne. And it really needn't be technically champagne. I am more than fine with sparkling wine (especially prosecco but that's an entire blog unto itself).

In fact, on a Saturday night, I can often been found sipping on a Miss Behavin' at Death and Company or The Bordello Special (seeing a theme here?) at The Bourgeois Pig

So imagine my thrill and delight at seeing Tiny Bubbles listed at the Soap Rehab store. I had to have it. So I ordered a bar of the soap, which was the soap of the month for February, and a massage bar. Then, I patiently awaited its arrival.

When the box came (along with a few others as I am a complete and total soap glutton) I saved it for last and then ripped into it. Lifting this soap to my nose, I was FLOORED. The smell was incredible...seriously beyond incredible. And the packaging was adorable. Here is a picture of that:

Cute right? It prompted my roomie to walk around singing "Erin's soapies had to go to rehab...." and she asked me to hang the packaging on the fridge.

Well, I didn't use the soap for some time. I guess I was going against Soap Rehab's recommendation and saving it for a special occassion. And that time came last week. Sooo...here is the soap in all its glory

So I expected it couldn't smell any better once wet but it does. It really, really does. It has a nice lather and this rich, luxurious in the feeling that is like no other soap I have ever tried. I must have stood in the shower for 20 minutes soaping myself up, rinsing off and doing it again. And then I would sniff my arm. My fingers were pruney and I needed to get ready for work but the steamy hot water and this soap just made me want to shower all day. I think this soap is BETTER than a champagne cocktail. Soap Rehab
describes the scent as "A harmonious and complex blend of crisp wine fruitiness" and I could not agree more. I can't tell what comprises this scent but it smells like a bottle of the most expensive and delicious champagne turned into a soap.

So, after I dragged my silly self out of the shower, I moved on to the Body Balm in the same scent. It reminds me a little of the massage bars at Lush but trust me when I say that they don't have a scent that comes even close to this one.

It goes on feeling a little greasy but don't let this stop you. The balm absorbs thoroughly into the skin. And it leaves behind moisturized and wonderfully scented skin. I just love it. And I smelled nothing but Tiny Bubbles all day. And then, when I got home that evening and walked into the bathroom I smelled Tiny Bubbles. And I got compliments galore. Check out the cute Body Balm!

So right now it looks like neither of these products is for sale on the Soap Rehab Etsy site but I sincerely hope that they'll be back soon (or that Soap Rehab let's me know so that I can use my stash sparingly). They DO, however, have Shea Body Butter and Bath Soak

I'll be buying both of these...in fact, I just did.

By the way, Soap Rehab sent me a few samples that I hope to love just as much.

A conundrum...

2009-03-19T18:33:00.000-07:00

I just finished rearranging my soap collection. I have so many amazing soaps to try and even some I need to talk about that I have already tried. (Definite shout out to Soap Rehab) But I had a shower experience the other day that made me think.

Now everyone knows how much I adore soap of all kinds. Generally, I am thrilled with anything as long as it smells good and gets me clean. But the other day I had a less than exemplary shower time experience.

I didn't like a soap.

And now I don't know what to do. The main goal of my blog is to promote the work of all of the amazing artists whose products I buy.

So do I just gloss over when I don't like something? Do I lie? Or do I honestly review the product?

And no, dear blog followers...not a single one of you made this soap.

Several New Soaps to Discuss

2009-02-22T20:02:00.000-08:00

Gosh I've been away from this blog too long.

by the oft-reviewed and admired Country Heart Gifts. I used about one new soap by them a week and most of them have been absolutely fantastic. But one day last week something incredible happened. I grabbed the sample of tuberose moss.

This stuff is OUTRAGEOUS.

And I am glad I found it because I have been way sick lately. But something about the this stuff smells makes the days seem worthwhile. I definitely recommend it.

And I have been stocking up on some of the greatest products lately. I'll get back to blogging daily now.

Stop whatever you are doing and buy this box...RIGHT NOW

2009-02-20T19:38:00.000-08:00

145, give or take a few.

That is the number of blogs I currently read. I get these from randomly browsing Etsy and then looking at what other people read. Through my perusal I discovered the blog for Gabbriella's Sampler and soon realized what this blog advertised is a SAMPLER chock full of stuff from all over Etsy.

In case you missed that, let me explain again:

If you click here you can buy for $12 (aka VERY VERY little) a box filled to the brim with samples and goodies from some of the most amazing people on Etsy.

So ok...here is a shot of what the box looks like when you first open the package.

There is a huge part of me that wants to tell you one by one every single item in the box but then when you go and buy it the experience won't be as awesome as it was for me. Let's just say that I am completely addicted to two of the products ALREADY and have ordered something from one the Etsy shops that contributed. And you know what, the person who runs that shop turned out to be incredible.

And there are so many great bath products in there.

Here is a shot of the inside:

Go. Buy. One. Now. Seriously, go. This is the best deal on Etsy.

Plus, buying one enters you in a raffle.

Word.

The Great Lather Debate

2009-02-19T15:08:00.000-08:00

I have so many bars of soap on order. Literally, I am awaiting packages from Swan Mountain Soaps, Dugshop, Gothic Creations, Tessuraea and Gabriella's Closet, home of the sampler.

So I will be a very clean and VERY busy gal in the next few weeks/months. I also have to walk by Lush on the way to the salon this weekend so we all know that I'll be snapping up whatever was discontinued after VD. I really want to grab some You Wash My Back Soap, but...as I shower alone.

Always.

I have no need for it. But it kind of seems like something Haley would like for some reason. And no, I am not suggesting a shower with Haley. But it's kind of sweet/naughty and Haley is sweet/naughty.

But I digress.

Today I wanna talk about lather. I have been sharing bits of soap with friends who need to break the commercial shower gel cycle and discover the wonder of handmade soap. So I tossed my buddy Julie a sliver of Patchouli Goats Milk Soap from LostRiverRags and she took off to shower.

Now I was still dripping from a shower with another soap that I loved. And I couldn't wait to hear her review. After all, she is a very natural Patchouli girl. Although our methods of being "natural" tend to diverge a bit.

And when she got out of the shower she told me the most curious thing. She loooved the smell (See? Patchouli. I know her too well) but found the lather lacking. She said she even used her shower poof to generate a lather.

Speaking of shower poofs, I am not sure how I feel about those either. It seems like a germ trap to me. But that's another topic for another day...

So all of this discussion about lather made me think. I was reading a blog the other day about lather. Honestly, I feel no need for it. I do like it when a nice, non-chemically hand made soap provides some soft and and sweet smelling lather but it is by NO MEANS a requirement.

Maybe I have even gone too far to the other end and now and I find that lather makes me a little nervous. Is it going to dry my skin? Are there harsh detergents hidden in that innocent looking little bar? Paranoia about soap is kind of sick, right?

But I wonder what makes us so insistent upon lather? Does it make us feel cleaner?

Stuff from all over

2009-02-11T10:44:00.001-08:00

So I have been unbelieveably busy lately. Last weekend I attend NY Comic Con and had a BLAST. Now, I am not normally into comic books and they don't sell any soap there (although I looked, believe me I did) but I had such a great time. At the heart of my passion for soap is my passion for things that are handmade and for artisans who work their proverbial asses off to make a living pursuing their passion. And some of these comic book artists were outstanding. My personal favorite has to be Colleen Doran whose graphic novels are just amazing. She also sat on a panel entitled "Men are from Krypton, Women are from Paradise Island"

At any rate, it rocked.

I also got a friend to try out a soap by Lost River Rags because I am trying to teach her the value of hand made soap. She uses that squirty stuff that comes out of a bottle and I will be discussing her thoughts in a later blog.

I have been cruising Etsy in my usual style and reading everyone's blogs and all of my normal stuff and I have even been showering but with the inability to breathe my soap choices have been limited to what I can smell, which ain't much.

Sigh. Lots of soap ordered and exciting things to come.

The Sweet, Sweet Smell of...well, Gardenias

2009-02-05T19:51:00.000-08:00

Gardenias are the greatest flowers. Of the sadly few things I miss about living in the South one of the things I miss most is the smell of blooming gardenias in the Spring. So I try to find something that sort of fakes the smell.

And gardenia scents when faked can be obnoxiously cloying. I put one on the other day and it gave me a ridiculous headache.

So this morning I needed a major pick-me-up so I grabbed some gardenia scented soap. And it got me to thinking that maybe I will try several and pick my favorite. Kind of a gardenia soap-off.

But since I have been ordering soap like a mad fiend lately, it might take some time. Plus, my sinuses are still making me crazy. Ugh.

In praise of soapmakers

2009-02-03T17:16:00.000-08:00

I met up with a friend from high school this past weekend. I had not seen him in 14 years. It was interesting because I have both changed and not changed in all of that time. Strangely, he has two. So it was like instantly being transported back to high school. Only with adult thoughts and opinions.

None of this is really relevant except that he let me babble on for 20 minutes about why I love soap. This is a rare treat for me. Not many people have the patience to hear me talk about why soapmakers are artists for that long.

And that brings me to the point of today's blog. I currently follow about 40 blogs and I read them every single day. It delights me so much that there so many amazing people making soap by hand.

This morning I took a brief lukewarm shower with Lush Greenwash soap. I had all of about two minutes of warmth before the shower was freezing cold. So the jolly green lather didn't bring me its normal joy.

Luckily, the blogs I read did make me happy. So thanks blogger for a happy Tuesday.

Vintage Cabernet...an update

2009-02-02T10:48:00.000-08:00

Someone over at LostRiverRags has been reading my diary.

They updated their site recently and now have Vintage Cabernet for sale by the hunka chunka (an official terminology)

Here are some vogue shots from the Etsy listing

Sinuses...ugh...Good God Ya'll

2009-02-02T10:34:00.000-08:00

What are they good for?

Well, I woke this morning and I couldn't breathe. Thank God nobody sleeps with me but Teddy or I might have caused someone a good night's sleep. (Teddy snores so I don't feel sorry for him.)

So I stumbled to the bathroom and guess what...there was hot water.

THERE WAS HOT WATER AND I COULDN'T SMELL A DAMNED THING

So I dug through the train case o'soap and found one from LostRiverRags called Eucalyptus. I figured this would clear me out a bit. And it did. Plus, it is green and pretty. I am kinda sold on this goat's milk soap. Either the folks over at LRR are geniuses or the goat milk/shea butter combo gives a soapgasm or both.

Probably both.

I used my whole sample up in one shower :( That bums me out because I wonder what it smells like when I can smell things.

On another note, I googled sinuses and discovered they are everywhere including your brain and heart. They also exist in a place Southern ladies don't mention because everybody knows Southern ladies only go to the Water Closet to powder their noses.

And anyway, they supposedly serve a function but it is highly debated which to me means "nobody really knows." And they get infected and cause headaches. When my tonsils cause problems they took them out. So can they fill my sinuses in? Seriously, they are completely useless.

That is all. Go buy some soap

Taking a Trip Through Grandma's Kitchen

2009-02-01T12:31:00.000-08:00

Today brought another little trip to my stash from CountryHeartGifts. This time, I decided to try out a little gem called Grandma's Kitchen. And once again, I was not dissappointed.

There was an underlying scent of cinnamon that was warming without being overpowering. It added something to the overall fruitiness that made me want to take the time to really inhale the smells of this creation. It is very much like a nice cobbler and reminded me of my grandmother's kitchen; something I haven't smelled since my young childhood.

And Country Heart really knows how to make a good soap. The lather is creamy and luscious. The scents fill the shower. There is nothing drying and I don't feel itchy in the aftermath of the shower. I have to be honest with you, there is NOTHING worse than a drying soap in the winter time.

Two soaps tried by Country Heart and two very much enjoyed. Now get over there and buy some.

Hot Water and the Art of Bathing

2009-01-30T15:43:00.000-08:00

Maybe it seems strange but my 15 minutes of shower time in the morning are my favorite part of the day. It eases me in, relaxes my muscles and allows me to think about the day ahead of me while enjoying some time with my favorite pleasure...a nice soap.

But lately, there has been something strange going on. There hasn't been much hot water. I have been forced to take numerous lukewarm and even a few ice cold showers. Far from getting me ready for my day, these make me sad. I cannot enjoy a nice new soap in sub zero shower in the middle of a freezing cold New York City January. I am so frustrated.

So I am trying to think why this is happening. Perhaps the landlord put a timer on the hot water heater? Is there something wrong with some pipes or something? Does anyone know a plumber?

Take my Manolos but not my shower time...seriously. Ugh

There was one amazing highlight of my week. I got this super cool little package of soap samples from LostRiverRags. Not only are the adorable little shapes but they smell super nice and there are some unique scents in there.

I keep throwing in the highlights of what I love as time goes on: You know soap, Etsy and my toy poodles. Well, add wine and the spa. In fact, my dream is to own a small vineyard with a winery and a spa but I digress. Moving right along...

In this amazing little cachet of soaps I got is one called...Vintage Cabernet with Shea. Now, I have a confession to make: I had never tried a goat's milk soap before. And it didn't let me down.

I like creamy soaps. They leave my skin feeling smooth. This one helped me suffer through a lukewarm (arg) shower with the soft scent of cabernet while soothing my wind chapped skin. I can hardly wait for warmer showers to try out more of these goat's milk soaps from LostRiverRags.

Sadly this intoxicating (pun intended) scent doesn't seem to be offered in jumbo size. So I will have to use it sparingly and stab anyone with a fork who dares try to use it.

Where the Hell is Clean Diva? A Tribute to an Amazing Lady named Leigh Taylor Smith

2009-01-27T11:00:00.001-08:00

It has been far too long since I have blogged, especially since this blog is my new baby.

The good news is that I have been bathing. I even took a little time and organized my soaps.

I got an awesome soon to be reviewed soap sample from DancingWaters.

And I became the official Executive Director of the Miss New York Scholarship Pageant. It's crazy but something about which I am very excited. I was not in Las Vegas last week because I got official word of my franchise acceptance on Tuesday but I was watching on Saturday when Leigh Taylor Smith, Miss New York, became the 3rd runner up to Miss America.

Words cannot express how proud we, the Board of Directors are of Leigh Taylor. She exemplifies everything that we all want the next generation of young ladies to be. She is intelligent, motivated, well spoken, talented and ambitious. Perhaps most importantly, she knows exactly who she is and is able to show the world. I am so grateful to know her.

Hold the Partridge, I'll take the Pear Tree

2009-01-20T16:18:00.001-08:00

I mentioned on Saturday that I had gotten some soaps to try from Country Heart Gifts. This was the first Etsy soap package I ever received. Boy am I lucky it made it to me. I say this because the scent wafting out of that post envelope was so intoxicating I just held it to my nose and breathed deeply.

Then came the most fun part. I got out all of the beautifully little wrapped soaps and sniffed them individually. After my sniff test came Simon's. Simon is my younger dog and he actually likes baths and getting clean. Whenever I buy soap I like to let Simon smell it and he will lick whichever ones he really likes. I know that sounds incredibly bizarre but it is true. Simon liked many of these, especially the ones that smelled like food.

I want to be able to describe these in much more detail than just one blog post because these soaps deserve credit. Plus, I haven't used them all so I cannot tell you which is my favorite yet.

And, as many would probably guess, I could not resist trying the Spiced Pear first. Now, I love pears and I am always looking for the perfect pear scent. But what I am learning is that there are so many different takes on one scent. And this one is nothing short of unique. I mean,

observe the lovely color in the picture above.

Mostly, I couldn't figure out what made this soap so amazingly warm. I know there is cinnamon but the smell alone seemed to raise the shower temperature five degrees. It was delightful. I literally stood for 10 minutes trying to figure out what made the smell so incredible. In the end, I decided to chalk it up to great soap making and move on.

So hats off to Pam and crew at CountryHeartGifts for making my current favorite pear soap in the "Pear Soap I Want to Eat" category.

My Etsy Obsession...Plus a lovely afternoon bath

2009-01-17T17:17:00.000-08:00

So, it's Saturday at 5pm and I just got out of an amazing soak in the tub. Sadly I cannot give you a link because I cannot find the products I used. Seriously, if you can get them on the internet it takes a better researcher than I.

Today's bath actually started on Christmas Day. Thankfully it didn't involve water until today or I would be completely pruney by now. Or skinless...

On Christmas, my roomie got me a bath set because she knows me well enough to know 2 very important facts about me: 1. I am obsessed with soap & 2. I absolutely adore pears. So she bought me both in one gift. It is a White Lily & Pear gift set which contains bath salts, bubble bath, body scrub, body wash and body lotion with a bonus BATH PILLOW. I love me some bath pillow. This one says "relax" in big green letters. And since I am spending my bath times analyzing the soaps I use I should maybe think about taking that advice...heehee

I started with the bath salt and the bubble bath, which smelled really nice. As I was reading a dirty Space/Travel Romance book I inhaled the flowery and fruity scent until I was a little pruney. Then I turned on the shower and scrubby scrub scrubbed. More of that pear deliciousness wafted to my nose. What I love most about this stuff is it smells exactly the same when I sniff it in the bottle as it does when it is lathered on my skin. The lather was nice. Not overkill but very nicely scented and silky.

I know that many of the products I use are organic, fair trade, hand made and natural. This is not a hard and fast rule for me. My one hard and fast rule is animal testing and, although I prefer the most natural ingredients I am not opposed to something commercial if it smells like white lillies and pears.

So the stuff is made by Body Prescription and, if you see it, buy it. And have a fantastic bath.

Now, on to Etsy. I currently have 8 pages of stores from which I want to buy soap and then review it on here. But it is going to take me awhile. I just got in a shipment today of soap samples from CountryHeartGifts that I cannot WAIT to try. But since it might take me quite awhile to get them all ordered used and reviewed, I am adding several blogs for Etsy stores as links to this one. So check them out.

And now, off to enjoy my Saturday night.

2009-01-16T11:48:00.000-08:00

I did NOT want to get up this morning. What is it about Fridays that just make me want to stay the hell in bed? Whatever happened to TGIF? I used to like Fridays. Now they just seem like the day that REALLY sends me over the edge into exhaustion.

And I forgot to lay out my soap last night so I opened the giant Silver train case where I keep my soap slivers (yes I cut them into pieces and store the rest so it keeps longer, what of it?) and took a gander at my offerings. There were jellies, gels and these amazing soaps I got in Europe but my eyes lit on something I hadn’t tried yet: Miranda by Lush.

Okay, so I admit I cheated a bit in obtaining this one. If you get Miranda on the Lush Web site, it is shown as the adorable light green color you see in the top left corner. I, however, got my chunk of Miranda straight from the Lush store in Vienna, Austria and it looks like the multicolored bit of wonder to your right. I wonder why the difference, the ingredients appear to be the same. And no offense to the lovely Canadians who make my American Lush because I delight in their offerings and own more of their products than anyone should but the Austrian version is way more fun. And this is coming from the girl who only speaks in primary colors. For example:

Clean Diva’s Roomie: What are you wearing tonight?
Clean Diva: My blue shirt with jeans
Clean Diva’s Roomie: Which blue shirt?
Clean Diva: You know, the one with the big sleeves…
Clean Diva’s Roomie: OH! The Turquoise one!
Clean Diva: Right. Blue. The blue shirt

So seriously, Lush, make the pretty Miranda for North Americans. If even I noticed, it’s a HUGE difference.

Anyway, this soap was wicked fun. I pressed my nose up against it and sniffed with little effect. Miranda is chock full of kiwi, bergamot, juniper berries and ylang ylang but it doesn’t pack much punch dry. As soon as I got it wet, however, I was whisked away in a shower of tropically fruitiness. The kiwi scent is awesome. It doesn’t smell fragrancy (something I adore about Lush in general) but I felt like singing that Harry Nilsson song about limes and coconuts and shaking it all up right there in the shower.

The lather is nice too. As I have mentioned before, I am not attached to lather in a “I’m not clean if there aren’t bubbles” sort of way but man oh man was this luxurious. I didn’t want to wash it off. In fact, I regretted having to wash my hair because my shampoo smells so strong.

On a side note: Does anyone know of a scent free shampoo that actually bloody works?

Now for the sad fact portion of the blog: Miranda is a Retro Lush product for North America. It was discontinued for some bizarre reason and is now only available for a limited time (Le sigh) on the Lush USA or Canada Web site. So unless you live in Europe, frequently go to Europe or have friends in Europe who are willing to send you soap, I recommend you get yourself online and order Miranda now.

Bring Me Some Figgy Pudding

2009-01-15T06:13:00.000-08:00

So this morning was not so bad. I felt sort of awake when the alarm went off and I had prepared for the shower by laying out my soap.

So I know figs aren't for everyone. I know a woman who cringes at the very thought of them. I, on the other hand, happen to love them. On a side note, if you too are a fig lover (and I'm not talking about Newtons) I recommend you nosh on the Parisienne Mac Smac NYC.

But back to the soap. This morning I lathered up with Le Deliziose soap by Nesti Dante, which is made in Firenze, Italy. I just love how this soap smelled when I took it out of its wrapper. The spicy, pungent smell of black figs hit me hard. I suspect that knowing it was in my bathroom made getting up this morning much easier. But on to what happened once the soap was wet.

I was disappointed. It was like the water squelched the smell almost immediately. The lather was nice, very soft and adundant but I COULDN'T SMELL THE FIGS. That folks, made me sad. And now, a few hours later, I feel a bit itchy and tight.

I will say that this is a glycerine based soap and contains more soap than I usually seek so I could just be readjusting to "big girl soap." At any rate, I will probably use this up but not buy it again. I do want a wonderful fig soap in my collection so I will keep looking for that perfect one. Nesti Dante also makes a Fig and Milk soap so maybe I will give that a whirl. If you like luscious lather and a soap that leaves no trace of scent on the skin but does smell FANTASTIC in the soap dish, I still recommend Le Deliziose - Fico. You can buy it online here. I haven't found it for sale anywhere else on the interwebs.

For New Yorkers, you can also buy it at The Bathroom at one of their two locations (94 Charles St. and 112 Greenwich Avenue). I love this store not only for its amazing collection of soap but also for the awesome people who work there. These people GET soap obsession and will help you find the perfect bar (or gel or foam or whatever) for you.

Wednesday

2009-01-14T19:30:00.000-08:00

For the past few months, one of my toy poodles (I have two) has been sleeping with me every night. He likes to snuggle really close to me and I must confess that his contributions to my comfy and cozy sleep space have made it super tough to climb out of bed in the morning.

Luckily my phone alarm went off in the living room so I had to hustle to get it.

Anyway, I digress. There is nothing more wonderful when I am bleary eyed and stumbling to the bathroom than a nice chunk of that wonderful spicy white buttercream by Lush known as Skinny Dip.

...Now that I think about it, it would be a nice addition to naked swimming...

Lush seems to call attention to the violet when they describe Skinny Dip but I honestly don't smell it. What I DO smell is the yummy blend of clove, cedar and sage. It just fills the entire shower with its powerful scent. And whenever I rub it on my skin, I am suddenly awake.

What I love most about Lush buttercreams is that there is so little soap in them. I am not someone who needs lather having given up sulfates in my shampoo about a year ago. And Skinny Dip doesn't lather very much at all. I don't find that a problem.

I love Skinny Dip. Not only do I get out of my shower awake and moisturized from head to toe but the bathroom smells a-MAY-zing while I finish getting ready...win/win right?

As one last compliment for the lovely Skinny Dip I will allay the fears of those who think that strongly scented soaps will counteract their perfumes. As with most Lush soaps, I can smell Skinny Dip if I literally press my nose against my skin but not really. It really just wakes me up, sets me on my feet and sends me off to enjoy my day.

You can buy Skinny Dip at a Lush store near you or here

Confessions...an introduction

2009-01-14T19:08:00.000-08:00

So I love soap. It's funny really. Once upon a time I viewed showering as a hassle. I mean, I did it daily (duh!) but I didn't like it.

Then I discovered Lush. Standing in the shower with a bar of creamy, buttery Jasminey wonderfulness changed my life forever.

So now, 60 or so bars of soap later...and I mean in my current rotation...I am completely obsessed.

And I would like to document it. So now, my dead readers, you have to suffer the consequences of my obsession.

I'll keep trying new soaps and reviewing the ones I try. If you love soap as much as me, make a suggestion. I am always open to try new things.