Red Dragon Apothocary SoapScription Review for my January Box

Once a month for January, February and March I will be receiving 2 bars of soap for the 3 month SOAPScription I won at a Top Hatter auction held on the first Sunday of January's 8pm auction.  The lot  was sold by Red Dragon Apothocary.  I have been wanting to win a soapscrption of their's for months now but the auctions are usually at 10pm on Sunday and I am unable to attend at that time. 

The 3 month SOAPScirption includes 2 bars of 4-5oz goat milk's soap for the 3 months and a surprise gift during your birthday month.  The bars of soap are hand wrapped in decorative sparkly paper with pretty labels.  The scents are relevant to the month they are sent out in.

I received my January box today and boy was I surprised with the package I received.  The shipping box was wrapped in red paper.  Inside the box was 2 wrapped boxes of soap, two cards including a coupon code to use for my next etsy purchase from their store and a $ 20 gift certificate to use in conjunction with the coupon code.  I almost didn't see the gift certificate in the box and threw it out into the recycling bin but I noticed that the paper wasn't the same colour as the box and pulled it out and so pleased I checked the box again.  That would of been sad to of thrown out.  I have already placed an order at her etsy store and used my GC.  

The scent for this month is Eucalyptus Mint.  Scent Description:  A bright, refreshing blend of mint, citrus and ginger with clear notes of fresh eucalyptus and jasmine. Fresh cut mint leaves add a little extra to this invigorating blend.  It is the perfect scent for the weather that the GTA gets: cold, crisp and windy.  The soap is very therapeutic if you have a cold.  Eucalyptus is wonderful if you are congested and have a runny nose.  The mint isn't so strong that it is overpowering of the eucalyptus.  When you use this soap it doesn't make you smell like a pharmacy.  The scent perks up your senses and makes you smile.  It clears your head and makes it easier to think.  This is not a scent I would normally pick for myself but am so glad it was sent to me.  I see myself using this soap in my rotation during not only the cold months but also warmer months.  It is perfect for year-round.

The soap is make of goat's milk so it is very moisturizing and creamy.  Red Dragon Apothocary's soaps do not contain coconut oil.  Their soap's descriptions state:  Goat Milk soap is great for people with dry or sensitive skin, or conditions such as eczema and psoriasis. Goat milk contains alpha hydroxy acids which help make skin smoother and younger looking. Goat milk is very moisturizing and won't dry out your skin. The milk contains natural emollients, vitamins and triglycerides that are beneficial to all skin types. A mild soap with creamy lather! 

The soap has a raised dragon design on the top of it.  It is rectangular shaped and came in a hand wrapped box.  It would be perfect to give away as a gift.  Due to the dragon design and the non feminine scent this bar of soap would even be appropriate to give away to that special man in your life.

The soap lathers nicely and makes your shower smell like a beautiful day at the spa.  I have some dry areas; elbows, knees and tops of my hands.  After 1 use of this soap those areas are smoother and less itchy and dry.  I can't wait for my February box to get here!

Tips on keeping your bar soaps lasting longer:  Keep them in a well drained soap dish and allow them to dry between uses.  I have bought soap savers that are hand croched bags made of cotton.  I hang them at the back of my shower on the top of my conditioner bottle so the wet soap can dry out.  When soap bars are left in standing water they turn mushy and waste away.  Pus no one wants to use a mushy, slimy bar of soap.

If you are looking for Tarot Readings by Red Dragon Apothocary on Etsy please click on the link.

My Use It Up List for September 2012 with Product Reviews

For the month of September, I plan to keep a log of what products I use up and include reviews after finishing each item.

The Body Shop Pumpkin Nectarine HFO
Dove Go Fresh Cool Moisture Body Wash with NutrimuesMoisture - Sample
Ponds Cold cream with the green lid - Full size (6 oz)
Jaqua Passion Fruit Cocktail Hydrating Shower Syrup (8 oz)
Nivea Smooth Sensation Lotion sample
Lasting Scent Candles Tart in Voodoo Doll
BBW Simply Divine Cherry Pie HFO
Jaqua Pink Champagne Shower Syrup (4oz)
BBW Pumpkin Pie Scrub
Trapp Rain Candle
C.O. Bigelow Lemon Body Cream - Sample

Reviews:


TBS Pumpkin Nectarine HFO is a nice refreshing Fall and even as a Winter scent.  It has a good balance between the pumpkin and nectarine scents.  I would use it during Spring as it is a refreshing fragrance.  I would purchase this HFO again.

Dove Go Fresh Cool Moisture Body Wash with Nutrimmoisture is an ok product.  It smells refreshing but with the lotion included in the body wash it doesn't lather at all.  I prefer my soap and body washes to lather. My skin was somewhat softer when I got out of the shower.  The last thing I do in the shower is wash my body.  I prefer to put lotion on after I dry off.  I don't see myself using this product int he future.  If you don't care if a body wash lathers and you need moisture for dry skin then this product would be great for you.

Ponds Cold Cream with the green lid is a fantastic product!  When I purchased this one I also got a bonus of a second container of it.  This stuff is awesome.  I have oily skin and wondered if using an oil base cleanser would help stay hydrated and be less oily.  It worked!  My skin looks plump and hydrated and I have very little oily days.

Jaqua Passion Fruit Cocktail Hydrating Shower Syrup smells so good.  I would definitely purchase this scent again!  It is a thick body wash that lathers well and is moisturizing.  My dry skin soaks up the moisturizers that are in this body wash.  The scent alone is worth the price you pay for a bottle of this pure heaven in a bottle.  It has a true passion fruit scent.

Nivea Smooth Sensation Lotion sample feels nice on the skin.  I would consider purchasing this lotion in the future.  It is absorbed quickly into the skin.  It has a gentle scent and nice texture.  I wish the sample was more than a few ml in a packet.  It would of been better to give it a better try in a small tube or container.  I keep a list of lotions that I like for after I use up my stash of lotions and creams.  I have severe dry skin, esp on my hands, elbows and legs.  When applied to my hands at bedtime I instantly felt them softer and moisturized.  When I woke up in the morning my hands were still soft and moisturized.  This is a huge deal to me.  I want to be able to feel the softness the next morning.

Lasting Scent Candles Tart in Voodoo is a good sized tart in a circular dixie cup with a lid.  Sometimes the lids come off or the fragrance oil leaks out of the tart.  LSC tarts are very strong in scent and have an awesome throw.  You need less than a quarter of a tart in a tart warmer to scent a small room like a bathroom.  As this was my first LSC tart I was impressed by the throw and strength of scent.  However, I did not like this spicy kind of scent.  I have other LSC tarts and look forward to melting them.

BBW Simply Divine Cherry Pie HFO is awesome!  I am not big on cherry scents but this scent is simply divine.  It smells exactly like cheery pie.  You can smell the pie crust scent in this HFO.  The lingering note is the baked cherry.  It smells tart and sweetened by the pie crust scent.  I wish I was able to buy this HFO still but BBW hasn't carried this scent in years.  I got it at the bi-annual sale five years ago.  I didn't think I would like it so I only purchased one bottle. It did not give me a headache.  When I purchased this HFO I also purchased HFO in Pumpkin Pie Paradise, I got 5 or 6 of them as the body products in this scent was awesome but unfortunately the Pumpkin Pie Paradise HFO gives me an awful headache.  I now wish I had purchased 1 of those and 5 or 6 in the Simply Divine Cherry Pie scent.

Jaqua Pink Champagne Shower Syrup (4oz)

BBW Pumpkin Pie Scrub

Trapp Rain Candle

C.O. Bigelow Lemon Body Cream - Sample smells absolutely delicious.  I love citrus scents and this cream fits that bill.  It is thick and luxurious.   

Sweet Pine Soaps Order Review

I finally got around to purchasing Cold Pressed (CP) soap off Etsy.  I ordered from Sweet Pine Soaps.  TAT was very fast.  I was searching Etsy for unscented organic soap and came across this nice store.  I ordered 3 soaps to try homemade soaps before making a bigger order in case I didn't like them.

It's official!  I will no longer buy store bought soaps, other than the Dove Sensitive Skin soap bars for my husband.  The lather and fragrance is amazing!  I got unscented, Triple Lemon and Orange Grapefruit Clove.  These are all cold pressed.  She also included a small slice of Primrose Orange soap.

The Triple Lemon has three different lemon essential oils in it.  I cut the bar into thirds.  I used it in the shower and it has fantastic lather.  It smells fantastic.  I also used part of the bar as hand soap.

First sniff of Orange Grapefruit Clove is very strong of citrus and spice.

I cut the unscented bar into thirds as well and used it also in the shower on my sensitive skin on my upper arms.  It moisturized my skin greatly and has a very organic scent to it.

Unscented soap ingredients: saponified oils of olive, *coconut, *palm, (sustainably harvested) & *castor; filtered water.
*denotes organic ingredient

Note: 'saponified' is a term to indicate sodium hydroxide (lye) has been used to turn the oils into soap, none left in the finished bar. 

For the triple lemon, the base ingredients are the same, organic turmeric to color it and scent it with lemon, lemongrass & litsea cubeba essential oils.

For the pink grapefruit, the base ingredients are the same, rose clay to color it and scent it with orange, pink grapefruit and clove essential oils.

What soap brands do you prefer? What scents do you like? Leave your answers in the comment section below.

Making my home welcoming with fragrance

How I prefer to make my home warm and welcoming

I love a good smelling home. I have a 2 storey home with a basement. It is on the smaller size but very cute. The size gives it a welcoming feel but a good fragrance when you come in the home adds a warming touch to the home.

I use both wax tarts and home fragrance oils (HFO). I have a few tea light warmers upstairs and in the dining room to give a warm ambiance along with a gentle scent. By the front door which is attached to the living room I have a plate warmer. I tend to put a third, half or quarter of a wax tart in the warmer, depending on the warmer. Once the scent is gone from the tart I then add a few drops of home fragrance oil in the wax. This keeps the oil in the burner from evaporating or burning.

I prefer bakery, clean, citrus and subtle floral scents. Strong florals and sugary sweet scents like brandied apple give me headaches. I love to wake up in the morning to the scent of coconut in the bathroom. I have a tea light warmer in there. After work and on the weekends I use the other tea light warmers and my plate warmer along with scents that compliment each other and the difference areas of the home.

Always remember when using tea light warmers stay close to them so you can keep an eye on them, you wouldn't want your warmer to start a fire and do damage to your home.

I get my tarts from various etsy shops, Yankee Candle and Walmart. I get my HFOs from Bath and Body Works and little boutiques. The flea market always has great candle stalls. You can cut voltives in half and use them in your warmers as well if you don't want to burn them. I find that burning candles don't give me the throw I want.