Giveaway Winners!

Hey Love Buds!  It's time to announce the winners of the Petals Bath Boutique Winter Release Giveaway as well as my Feminine Cleansing challenge.

For the Feminine cleansing challenge, I will be changing up the gift selection based on the winners, but all posted gifts will be awarded.  And the winners:

1. DANI! Because of your sensitivities, I would like you to try the unscented apple cider vinegar soap from Artisan Bath & Body and the lotus flower water from Cream & Coco.

2. KARRI! You will receive the honeypot soap from Cream & Coco and the che bella from Petals Bath Boutique.

3. TRACEY! For sharing the funny story about your friend, I'd like you to try pink cookie from Cream & Coco and down there soap from Jakeala.

4. HENRIETTA!  My new fan, for you I have the che bella soap from Petals Bath Boutique.

Ladies, I can't wait to read your reviews of these items!

 And the winner of the Petals Bath Boutique Winter Release Giveaway:

Petals Bath Boutique Winter 2015 Release Giveaway    

Congratulations to all of our winners!  Please e-mail me at 4theloveofbubbles@gmail.com with your full name and address so that I can mail you your prize. 

Recipe: Homemade Lavender Coconut Oil Salt Scrub

Love Buds!

I previously gave you my recipe for a homemade sugar scrub that I make all the time.  Recently, I have really begun to enjoy salt scrubs too.  Looking around I found this amazing salt scrub featuring coconut oil (have I said that coconut oil is good for EVERYTHING?), lavender oil (one of my favorite natural scents) and ordinary epsom salt.

While sugar scrubs are great for exfoliating skin to reveal healthy, glowing skin, salt scrubs do the same thing with the added bonus of helping to draw out toxins and providing some additional nutrients to skin like magnesium. 

Click on the picture below to get the details on this quick and simple recipe by One Good Thing by Jillee 

 

Try adding some Pink Himalayan Rock Salt for color and additional nutrients.  I wonder how a black salt would work in this?

Tell me what you think!

I know, I know... I have giveaway winners to announce!  I will do that tomorrow along with my Feature Friday post.  

 

Until Next Time,

Peace, Love & lots of skin softening bubbles!

A.    

GIVEAWAYS!

Hey Love Buds!

#mashupmonday will return next week, but I just wanted to remind you about the giveaways I'll be selecting winners for this week.  Make sure you've entered for your chance to win some great stuff!

Personal Cleansing Giveaway

Winners selected on December 9th

Petals 2015 Winter Release Giveaway*

*Due to the massive response to this release, the prize pack may change, but the value of the prize pack will exceed the gifts originally offered.  All items will still be items from Petals Bath Boutique.

Winners selected on December 11th

Good Luck!

Petals Bath Boutique Winter Release

KIA!!!!!

This summer I traveled to York, Pennsylvania to visit with my sister in suds, Kia, owner of Petals Bath Boutique.  We had such a good time, we had to do it again!  This time, Kia and I sat down and talked quite a bit, unfortunately, most of which was not caught on camera.  

As I entered the soaping area of Kia's lovely home, there was a delicious, lemony, sweet aroma wafting through the air.  I was later informed that it was the scent for a new batch of foaming butter scoops!  Kia went on to demonstrate how she creates these amazing scoops that her customers are raving about.  Oh, the scent was lemon squares and when they become available, during her winter launch on December 3rd THIS THURSDAY at 8:30 pm EST, you need to RUN and grab them immediately!  

BUTTER SCOOPS!

 This release will feature winter favorites Wonderland, Sleigh Ride, Mayan Gold, Sugared Almonds, Rock Candy, Sultana as well as Rock Star and some other super secret goodies Kia has up her sleeve plus BUTTER SCOOPS!!!!!!!

After her demonstration we sat down to talk about the direction Kia wanted to take Petals Bath Boutique in 2016.  

We have so much fun!

Kia plans to shake things up in the new year.  She is ready to play around with some new scents and will be making some changes to upcoming releases.

Also, "Petals is ready for another facelift", she said.  From my last visit with Kia, you know that the thing that she likes least about owning Petals Bath Boutique is the labels.  Kia wants to make some changes to the packaging to make it look more professional as well as reduce the amount of man hours it takes to wrap and label soap using the current process and materials.  This move to a more professional appearance will also help facilitate shopping her products to larger retail outlets.  But Kia is a perfectionist and she's not going to make that move until she has all of her ducks in a row with coordinating bow ties, LOL.

Going into 2016 Kia is exploring some new soaping processes and products, as well she will expand the offering of the foaming butter scoops.  "We've been having so much fun with the Butter Scoops, so look for a larger variety of flavors", Kia says with a wink and a smile.

What does Kia love best about Petals Bath Boutique?  Moonwater and her customers.  Kia exclaims her love of moonwater soap - it's fresh, aquatic slightly salty scent is her absolute favorite and the added dead sea clay leaves her skin smooth and silky.

When asked what she loves best about her customers, Kia smiles and says "Their encouragement".  You would not believe how touched Kia is by the awesome message, cards, letters of appreciation and gifts she receives from her customers.  It really keeps her motivated.  *HINT* Let's keep sending her positive vibes and warm wishes because that equals more Petals products for us to enjoy.  Its the circle of soappppppp!

Lastly I asked Kia what did she like least about dealing with her customers.  Her response was thoughtful and introspective.  Kia's biggest concern with her customers is the level of their expectations.  She is truly a one woman shop and does her best to make each customer feel special and provide each with personal attention.  However, with small companies customers can sometimes expect things that are illogical for a small business to handle or worse, expect to be apart of the personal life of the owner.  Maintaining a business life/personal life balance is extremely challenging, especially for the reclusive, Kia.

Winter Release soaps curing

We talked on and on for a few hours, but some things have to be kept between us soapy sisters.  Not to leave out Susan! Kia really appreciates all of Susan's hard work in helping to spread the word about Petals.  Even though I get to visit with Kia every once in awhile and grab my favorite goodies, Susan always gets the 411 on what's going on in the Petals universe - and usually before I do.  We love you Susan!  :)

OOOOOOO....Giveaway time!  So a new release, a new giveaway.  We're going to go into 2016 with a giveaway of 6 items in twos.  I'll have 2 soaps, 2 lip balms and 2 of the coveted butter scoops to giveaway this month!  The soaps will be my favorite fragrances for winter - Wonderland and Sultana.  The other item fragrances will be a surprise with a few extras thrown in as well.  How can you enter for a chance to win this prize package?  Check below.


Petals Bath Boutique Winter 2015 Release Giveaway
Until Next Time Love Buds,

Peace, Love & Lots of Buttery Bubbles!

A.

#Mashup Monday: Lola, Lola was a Mermaid

What's up Love Buds!  It's back to the grind after an extra long weekend of all kinds of splurging, be it good food, family and friends and grabbing Black Friday deals!  But don't dread it, I've got a new mashup just for you!

This week's mash up is brought to you by Petals Bath Boutique and Clawfoot Bathworks.  

As you may know, I am a product ambassador for Petals Bath Boutique.  Hands down, Kia creates some of the best soap and body custard formulas I have tried.  The amazing, rotating scents aside, the way her products condition my skin has to be one of the best experiences I have had with bath and body products. 

This body custard is a rich cream, not a whipped butter and is perfect for nourishing thirsty skin and keeping it soft and moisturized all day long.  The "Lola" fragrance is a playful, fruity scent that blends summer berries, orange zest and sparkling pink moscato.

I happened upon Clawfoot Bathworks on Facebook.  I was happy to receive the "Mermaid's Purse" soap from them.  The bar is firm and lathers well.  Scented with a combination of orange blossom, honey and grapefruit fragrances, the resulting aroma of this soap has an almost jasmine like scent that is brightened with the citrus.

Together, these two products worked wonders for my senses that aren't quite ready for winter, taking me back to a beautiful spring day with it's fragrance.  The overall combination was like frolicking in a meadow of sweet berries and beautiful flowers while sipping on a glass of bubbly wine.  What could be better?

Until next time ~

Peace, Love & Lots of frolicking Bubbles!

A.

Have you entered to win a chance to review some handmade feminine cleansing products?  Click Here for details

Feature Friday: Hot Process Flowers in Bloom

Hi Love Buds!

I know it's not Friday, but for me, it's like Friday since I don't have to work for the rest of the week, sooooo, the Friday Feature is happening on Wednesday!

I recently visited with my Sista in Suds, Kia of +Petals Bath Boutique and she was really excited about a new hot process soaping method that has recently been introduced by Sharon Johnson of Rose of Sharon Essentials Skin Care.  Ms. Johnson has formulated a way of preparing hot process soap that takes only about 10 minutes and produces a more fluid soap batter, allowing soapmakers a medium capable of creating more intricate swirls and designs than standard hot process soap.

I previously featured the Thorns & Roses soap video by Soapish and it just so happens that this very video inspired Sharon to create a similar soap using her new hot process soaping method.  Today's feature is Sharon Johnson's video creating the Flowers in Bloom design.

How gorgeous is this????  If you're interested to learn more about Ms. Johnson's method, she does have an E-book available on the full process (linked in the YouTube video).  

That's it for me, for now.  Until next time,

Peace, Love & Lots of pink petaled bubbles!

A.

Review: Scent Bird

Due to some technical difficulties, #mashupmonday didn't happen this week, but look for it next week.  But I'm excited to share something else with you!

As you are aware, my motto is "variety is the spice of life".  I love trying new things and having a large selection of body treats from which to choose.

One thing that I have a hard time doing is creating a wardrobe of perfumes.  First, its hard to try to select a complex fragrance blend based on a scent description alone.  Even if you are able to select something online, you never know how that fragrance will work with your body chemistry.  For me, it even goes a little further.  I have found several scents that I liked in a store, tried it on and loved and purchased only to realize that wearing it all day gave me  headache.  With quality perfumes/colognes going for over $50 for a half ounce, this just hasn't been a risk I've been willing to take.

Scentbird offers an great subscription service where each month you receive a quarter ounce spritzer of one of their hundreds of designer fragrances for just $14.95 each month!
The fragrance come packaged in one of these cute purse/pocket sizes misters protected by a black velvet drawstring bag.  The best thing about this service is that you get to select the fragrances that are shipped to you!  If you're not sure which to select, you will receive the featured fragrance of the month.  

Here you can see what I've received and what I have coming up.  Each member has full access to the website and can choose any number of fragrances to add to your queue.  You can even move around the order and if you want, you can get more than one vial of a fragrance shipped to you.  You can also upgrade to receive 2 or 3 vials per month (for an additional cost).


The subscription indicates that you receive the fragrance vial each month and with your first month's shipment you receive a black carry canister that you can slip your vial down in.  The vial then twists up so that you can spray the fragrance.  Scentbird offers specials on different colored canisters as well.  The first one I received was red.  I then purchased the violet (because I love purple), but then my second shipment came with the black one.  I am not sure if now you receive a new canister each month or if I just lucked up and received an extra one - I'll keep you posted.

With all of these great ways to enjoy this service, great price, cute containers, the ability to choose what I receive each month, I feel the best thing about Scentbird is the way they visually display a description of each fragrance.

If you hover over the pictures, it will reveal the name of the fragrance note depicted.  It even breaks down the scent by type, personality, occasion and season.  With this guide, I have chosen numerous fragrances to try and I'm happy to report the first two that I have received were awesome!  I can't wait for my next shipment to arrive.

What are your favorite perfume/cologne scents?  I'm loving these light, fruity, aquatic scents but I'm building up the courage to try something a little more sultry...

Until next time Love Buds ~

Peace, Love & Loads of sensationally scented bubbles!

A.

Did you see my video visit to Hejin Soaps?  Check it out!

 

Feature Friday: Hejin Body Works

 

Love Buds,

This is long overdue.  This past summer, I traveled to Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania and visited the cutest darn soap shop with a piggie mascot on the face of this planet!

Hejin Body Works is an awesome soap company owned by Christina & Matt. They started selling soap about three years ago.  In the pursuit of a healthier lifestyle, the couple began to take note of the ingredients and prices of commercial bath and body products.  The crazy names of the stuff in these items coupled with the outrageous prices spurned Matt & Christina into action.  All of those products looked so clinical and serious.  What fun was there in that?  With those thoughts in mind, Hejin Body Works was born with its owners striving to be the "Ben & Jerry's of the Natural Bath & Body world".

The smell of the shop was so amazing and shout out to Melissa!  She was an awesome host in Matt & Christina's absence.  The only thing more awesome than the quality of the products I picked up has to be the price.  Each 4 oz bar of soap is only $3.99!  You can't beat that with a stick, and why would you? LOL.  

Now for the sad news... Due to some medical issues, Matt & Christina will not be able to operate Hejin Body Works for much longer.  They are looking into options including turning the company over to new ownership.  I wish them all the best, my interactions with them have always left me with a smile.  
 
This means don't delay!  Head on over to hejin.life (yes, that's the website), and grab tons of goodies.  At these prices, it's like Black Friday prices all the time!

Share your haul with me on Facebook or Instagram and hastag it #4theloveofbubbles #hejinhijinks 

Until Next time~

Peace, Love & Loads of piggy pink bubbles!

A.

Have you entered to win our feminine cleanser giveaway yet?

 

#Mashup Monday: Girly Ghoul

It's Monday again!  This #Mashup Monday experiment is brought to you by Fortune Cookie Soaps and A Life Deliberate Soap Company. 

When I received the Zombie Survival Kit box from Fortune Cookie Soaps this year, I really liked many of the apocalyptic themed items it contained, but my absolute favorite was the liquid courage fragrance oil.  I missed the release of the full sized version and had to content myself with the small vial of sugary, fruity with a soft floral finish, amazballness.

In October, in honor of breast cancer awareness month, Fortune Cookie Soap released the "Pink Courage" set of whipped cream and hand sanitizer in the liquid courage scent!  I jumped on it and open it up to sniff daily!

This whipped cream moisturizer is a water based cream that is thick and rich.  It absorbs nicely into skin and does not leave a greasy feeling.  It's great hydration for thirsty skin.



Shapesifter soap from A Life Deliberate Soap Company smells like a fizzy, fruity combination of ripe blackberries, pink moscato, citrus peel, heirloom strawberries, golden fall raspberries and a hint of sage.  I love the way many of the soaps are molded from this company, they look like pillows to me.  The lather on this bar is creamy and bubbly and the scent is a wonderful sweet, fruity blend.

Together these scents are like a candy bomb!  The fruity notes though different in soap and the whipped body cream blended well yet weren't overpowering because each is grounded with just a touch of earthiness.  

Both of these companies offer great seasonal items and are rolling out their winter items as you read this.  So don't delay, check them out today!

What are you mashing up this week?

Until next time,

Peace, Love & Loads of candy filled bubbles!

A.    


Read More #MashupMonday posts

Do you want to help me review some personal items?  Check this out!

 

Is Your Puss being Properly Pampered?

 

 Is Your Puss Being Properly Pampered?

 Love Buds,

Being a woman isn't easy.  Seems like everyone wants to give you advice on how to breastfeed, how to do your hair, what not to wear, how to loss weight and of course how to care for your vag.

You will notice that I am not a person who writes or gives directives on how to do what you do.  I believe as adults we have earned the right to do with our bodies as we please.  So what I am sharing with you today is based on my own research and understanding and in no way should be taken as medical advice.  Please consult your physician with questions regarding your health, wellness and care.

What should be common knowledge is that everyone's body chemistry is different and all properly functioning vaginas can be likened to a self cleaning oven with its own unique characteristics just like each person is unique unto themselves.  Vaginas are not supposed to smell like a fresh summer's eve or chocolate covered cherries.  That is not NATURAL.  Please do not try to change the biochemistry of your vagina by douching it or dousing it in perfumes or body sprays.  

The vagina is a cave of wonderment! This warm, damp and sensual location is protected by loads of good bacteria and high acidity.  This dynamic duo are like crime stoppers in Gotham City ensuring that harmful bacteria don't get a chance to wreck havoc up in there.  When you douche or spray harmful disinfectants (yes, Lysol used to recommended for feminine hygiene.  Seriously, I can make this stuff up) up there, you remove these two factors, making you more susceptible to infection.


That's the basic science.  Now for my opinion - take with as you wish...

Many "experts" (and I use the term loosely, but I need to include actual experts too) say that all that you really need to clean your box is warm water.  Now first let me give a little clarity (ok, a little more science) - the vagina itself is an internal organ, so when I speak of your vagina I am speaking of the birth canal itself.  Outside of this are your labia minora and majora (lips) and then your pubic area is that area below the abdomen.  So to be clear, I do not recommend putting any cleansers, douches, sprays into the vaginal canal.  But for me, just warm water for my pubic area and labia is not enough to feel fresh.  I personally sweat just a bit too much in that area.

My choice is for external cleansing is a mild handmade soap.  Commercial soaps contain detergents and some even have propylene glycol, which is an irritant to my skin in general.  

As a handmade soap lover and advocate, I would be remiss in not stating here that there are many handmade and natural soaps made specifically for your personal space. These soap offer chemical free cleansing for your external areas.  Most of these include pH adjusters such as vinegar, yogurt or clays to help "maintain proper feminine pH" and absorb odors.  

Personally, I do not see much of a difference when washing with my favorite handmade soap versus one specifically designed for feminine cleansing. Proper pH is necessary for the vagina to maintain a healthy environment, but your external parts are skin and in my opinion, does not need the pH adjusted.  DO NOT SHOOT ME!  Many women swear by these specifically formulated soaps. If it works for you, then continue.  If you're not satisfied, don't be afraid to try something new.  That's all I'm saying.  Be Happy, just don't destroy your vagina in the process, LOL.

A couple of facts that I did find in my research:

1. If your partner is concerned about taste, try virgin coconut oil (coconut oil is great for everything!!!!), it has a sweet taste and coconutty aroma. 

2. Though many people wax or shave their pubic hair for a host of reasons, some experts say that it is not a good idea to go completely bald down there.  Pubic hair, through the process of evolution, is intended to protect that sensitive area from the elements.  It helps cushion that area from rubbing against your undergarments or jeans which can cause irritation.  Also, shaving or waxing can leave micro tears in the skin, making it more susceptible to infection.  You might be better off just keeping the hedges trimmed.
 
3. Just because something is labeled as a feminine hygiene product, does not mean it is good to use it.  Do your research and always check the ingredients!  I found some feminine cleansers on Amazon that include irritating and possibly harmful ingredients like tea tree oil (irritant) and triclosan (anti-bacterial ~ kills off the good bacteria).

I cannot stress enough, if you have concerns, please consult a physician. 

NOW for the challenge!  I throw down the gauntlet to some of you brave souls who are willing to share your experiences.  Comment Below with what you use, any personal tips or funny stories you have about feminine cleansing.  Please, no names other than your own. I would love to hear your thoughts on a couple of handmade feminine cleansing soaps.  I will choose 4 great stories and they will each receive one of the following feminine cleansing product sets to use and review:  

• Pink Cookie AND Honey Pot Soap from Cream & Coco
• Lotus Flower Water from Cream & Coco 
• Che Bella Soap from Petals Bath Boutique AND Apple Cider Vinegar Soap from Artisan Bath & Body
•  Che Bella Soap from Petals Bath Boutique AND Down There Soap by Jakeala.

YOU MUST COMMENT BELOW TO ENTER!  Winners will be selected on December 9, 2015.  You must be able to answer 4 questions regarding each product after using within 30 days of receipt.

Wait, but what about vaginal steaming??!?!?  That's a topic for another post...

Can't wait to hear your stories!

Until next time Love Buds ~

Peace, Love & Loads of Bubbles!

A.

#MashupMonday: Skinny Dipping!

Skinny Dipping!

Buck Naked Soap Company is a vegan artisanal soap making company located in Cambridge Ontario, Canada.  When I received my package from them, the fragrance was intoxicating.  The intermingling of the Cranberry & Mint aroma with the scent from the Magosteen, Green Tea & Aloe bar was so exquisite, for the first time, my #mashupmonday post this week will feature two soaps from the same manufacturer!

These bars are very firm, 5.5 to 6 oz rugged, cold process soaps.  The Cranberry mint has a refreshing peppermint aroma along with exfoliating cranberry seeds.  I was a little concerned that the seeds would be a little irritating to my sensitive skin, but the level of exfoliation was great and in combination with the peppermint left a tingling sensation that was really great to experience.  

The Mangosteen, Green Tea and Aloe has a fresh green tea fragrance that is elevated by addition of sweet, tangy mangosteen.  The soap has a lightly exfoliating texture with the addition of both mangosteen and green tea powder.  

When using the bars, I cut each in half and placed a half of each of the bars into a soap saver.  I was blown away by both the lather and the combined experience of using both of these refreshing soaps at the same time.  I highly recommend the Buck Naked Soap Company's high quality, natural soap bars.  This is something no soap connoisseur should miss!

What are you mashing up this week?  

Until next time Love Buds,

Peace, Love & Loads of tingly bubbles!

A.

 

 

Feature Friday: Thorns & Roses Soap

Hey Love Buds!

It's time for another Friday Youtube Feature.  Today, I want to share another beautiful floral soap design by Soapish.  She uses an interesting technique to keep the colors separate and then creates some beautiful swirl patterns.

I truly appreciate that her videos don't have a ton of overpowering background sound and that it is detailed enough so that you know how and why she's doing what she's doing but short enough not to be a full length feature film.  Great Job, Soapish!

For previous Friday Features from YouTube click here

Until next time,

Peace, Love & Loads of Bubbles!

A.

Social Media Fan Giveaway Bonanza WINNERS!

LOVE BUDS!!!!! We have winners!  First, I want to give a huge, heartfelt Thank You to each and every one of you who followed, liked and subscribed to my various social media outlets to win a chance at these prizes.  I reached my goal much sooner than expected!  

Now to announce the winners:

$100 Bath & Body Prize Pack goes to Cathy T.

Petals Bath Boutique Special Pack goes to Sherece B.

Petals Bath Boutique Favs from Fall Pack goes to Tara M.

Handmade Cartel October Box goes to Shari W.

Cream & Coco October Hot Coco Box (cookie edition) goes to Renee L.

CONGRATULATIONS again to the winners, your prizes will ship out tomorrow.  Don't forget to take pictures and share with me on Facebook and/or Instagram.  I want to hear how you like them.  Maybe, you can do a guest post of your review of something received.

Again, thanks to everyone who participated.  More giveaways and all around bubble love is on the way!

Love ya Loads!

A.

Social Media Fan Appreciation Bonanza!

#MashupMonday: Peary Sweet Tea

Hey Love Buds!  I'm back with a new #MashupMonday for you!  This one features +DANDI CREATIONS' Ice Tea Twist Brine Soap and Prickled Pear Whipped Body Cream featured in the September +Handmade Cartel box.  

I purchased several soaps from Dandi Creations and they came packaged in such a cheerful box!  Finally I had the heart to open one of the bars of soap.  I have been using the lip balm and it is a great lip butter that coats well and isn't too shiny - great for how dry my lips get in the colder months.

I will say that I was slightly disappointed in the color of the bar.  The decorative lemon wedge and ice cubes were adorable, but the soap itself was a light chalky grey color - however it was extremely firm.  The fragrance was barely discernible, even after lathering the bar vigorously.  I was really expecting that sweet lemony tea aroma I have experienced with similarly scented products. I will also say that it did not lather very much.  However my skin felt clean and soft after using the bar.

I then moisturized with the prickled pear whipped body cream from Handmade Cartel.  I really love the fragrance, it is a tangy, fruity scent with a unique freshness.  This cream, though very moisturizing, I would consider to be more of a lotion and not a whipped body cream.  The consistency is loose enough to be dispensed from a bottle.  Even with its lotion-like consistency, the cream penetrated my skin quickly with no greasiness, leaving my skin feeling and smelling great!  I still have a few other soaps to try from this company so I reserve final judgement until I try some of their other soaps.

What are you mashing up this week?  Stay tuned, we've reached all of our social media goals and I'll be picking the winners of my social media fan giveaway bonanza in a couple days.  If you haven't entered yet, you still have some time!

Until next time,

Peace, Love & Loads of Bubbles!

A.

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