camoflauge

after i posted this i came across this site http://www.organic-creations.com/servlet/the-Containers-%26-Packaging-cln-Bottles-cln-4oz./Categories which carries 4 oz ones for 30 cents each and the 8 oz ones for 35 cents, no min. qty either!!! and you can pick ups or post office whichever is cheaper. does anyone here use them? or know of a good clear premade bath base to use in these? Heather

saw these on a few different websites. would love to know where to order from, i did a google search and have only come up with places that sell products in them, I haven't found any suppliers yet. i would rather they were the clear ones. Thanks. Heather see this link for the clear bottles.. https://www.pioneerheritageshoppe.com/littleartistbathgels.htm

here's another flower

here's an idea if you called your biz Bert's flower power... you could do your name above and then a flower filled in with Flower Power... lol, just an idea...

i love that color mix. those flowers are so pretty. it does give it a retro "girly" feel. i can see a logo with some sort of flower girl surrounded with a few of these pretty flowers. Heather

regarding the use of the name bert, i found this gal's site... http://bertscorner.com/ and if you read down you will find out why she uses the name bert. Okay, I've decided to start over from scratch. I'm trashing the whole "Bert's Candle Corner" name and the "bubble" logo.....it was my first attempt and it flopped. But that's okay, I really wasn't overly excited about it. What about Bert's Bubbles? sounds more like a b&b line though... so, i think finding something to go along with bert would be just fine. and as far as the logo-do you really need one? you could just do whatever name you pick in the wild color font that was shown above. i'm not very inventive with names-my husband actually picked mine out. we kept throwing names out there cause i wanted something "natural" to go along with cabins, but he threw out Dakota Candleworks and the name just seem to fit, of course now i'm selling more than candles, but i think candleworks seems to allow for more than just candles... if you look in the wikpedia dictionary, under the word retro, it also says A love of retro objects (things from the past) is called retrophilia. so, does that mean you are a retrophilliac? lol!!! what about using the word Psychedelic in your name? if you only want to do candles (which i wouldn't suggest) you could put "Candles by Bert" or i'm sure someone could help me out here with a generic term before that. Handmade by Bert... you get the idea... Scented by Bert.. some other things i'm just throwing out to get you thinking Out of this world... flower power i saw a business named daisy girl.... maybe your favorite flower? or how about "Bert's Flower Power"-then you could use NG's flower child fragrance as your "signature" scent. i saw something about rainbow on a site talking about flower child... ok, that's all i've got. i don't think using bert's is bad, if that's what you like then go for it. i agree with posting about names on here. in the end it's all about what you like because i don't think unless you have a really horribly named business that it will stop people from purchasing from you. hope that at least inspired you to create something you'll love!! and as far as a logo - i think keeping it simple-and just doing the colorful thing around the lettering would be enough. a logo really isn't much. i had a cabin and a bear, and it is so hard to work with in making a banner and printing etc. that i am re-thinking my logo at this point and making it something very simple!!! good luck-i wish i could say this was the hardest part of owning your own business, but it's not!!! ambert is cute too, you could do "Aroma's by Ambert" without committing yourself to any special product. Heather

don't forget aloha pineapple here's the description: Slip on your lei and get ready for the tangy pineapple scent in this tropical smelling smoothie. Aloha pineapple is paradise that treats your body right, from the outside in! this is a fresh, tropical scent that is sure to knock your socks off. i just love it, makes me want to take a vacation-there are no coconut notes in this, it is just a pineapple smoothie type smell. also, their caramel nut cluster (snowtop) and pecan twist mixed with their coffee is good too. the other ones i've tried are ok, but i recently found a new supplier that has more scents i like. if i don't find one similar to aloha pineapple, i will be re-ordering from them when i run out. it is also b&b safe. hth, heather

found this on candlesupply.com hth Tips: Making less than a full gallon and need measuring help? Click here for measuring chart! Fragrance oils will not all preform the same, so always do a small test batch! Some fragrances can cloud or discolor the product, some can thicken or thin the base, etc. If heating a base for easier pouring, remember to use a thermometer and make sure the temp never gets hotter than 100 degrees (F)! Overheating the bases can compromise the preservative and lessen it's effectiveness. No more than 1% fragrance, and 1% of any additive should be used in the bases in order to maintain the preservative's effectiveness. Make sure to stearilize your work area and any tools used, such as mixing bowls, spoons, pumps, measuring cups, etc. Clean thoroughly with hot water and dish soap, then wipe down with alcohol to avoid contamination. Always wash hands before working with personal care products. Keep animals and children out of the area. It's also a good idea to wear a hair net or keep long hair pulled back so none falls into product. Read FDA's Cosmetic Good Manufacturing Guidelines for more detailed info. Before filling, make sure bottles or jars are clean and free of dust. Make sure to properly label all personal care products & cosmetics according to FDA Labeling Guidelines. List all ingredients in order of predominance with their INCI names. We provide complete ingredient lists on our website for all of our bath & body products. Do not make medical claims on your products! For example, on a vitamin E product you could state on your website or brochures that vitamin E is "said to have" certain properties. But if you make a direct medical claim like "heals burns & scars", your product is now considered an over the counter drug by the FDA and is subject to much stricter guidelines and FDA approval. Many times a fragrance will seem too light when first added and mixed into the bases, but once allowed to cure for a few days it will strengthen in smell. It is common for many bath & body products to discolor with age, exposure to air and light. Keep this in mind when displaying your products. Never add any ingredients that are not approved as safe for skin contact! Candle dyes can not be used in bath & body products! Pricing: Typically an 8 oz bottle can be sold for around $8.00 to $10.00 retail. Lip Balms usually sell for $2.00 to $3.00 retail. Lotion bars (1 oz push up stick) commonly sell for $5.00 to $6.00 retail. This all depends on your market, your packaging, quality of product & ingredients, etc. Marketing: Different things appeal to different markets. Soy is very popular, especially in the Midwest, so soy based products are selling big! Cater to your market and feature the ingredients that appeal to your customers... such as with our lotion base. It contains Cocoa Butter, so you could call it a cocoa butter lotion. But it also contains Shea Butter, so you could call it shea butter lotion, etc. You can also add soybean oil to it and market it as a soy lotion! Use creative wording to make your products sound appealing and they will sell better!

ok, i'm not the expert here-and hopefully one of them will come along and help me out, but i do use bases. from the research i've done you don't want to to anything to the bottles and caps-you introduce more germs doing that then if you use them directly after you get them from the company you ordered them from. lotion bases already come with preservatives-it's when you start adding a lot more of your own oils-not just the fo's-i'm talking extra soybean, extra olive, whatever, then you have to start adding more preservatives. as far as bleaching, i don't see what more you could do to "sanitize" your work area-a suggestion-wear those plastic gloves you can throw away-that way your hands never touch the products. i love meredith's idea of the smoothie maker and if you can mix directly into the smoothie maker, i'm going to target to buy one-the one i posted has a glass base so it would take up to constant dishwasher cleaning-the only way i believe that most dishes, etc. can be "germ free"-or at least better than just handwashing. looking forward to more "expert" advice as this is fairly new to me too. Heather

meredith-do you actually use the smoothie blender to mix up your lotion? and if so, how well does that work? i'm thinking that would be a better way so that you would never have to touch anything, plus, you could wash it in a dishwasher? depending on size etc. and get rid of germs. is there anything special any of you do to get rid of any germs before making lotion? i haven't don't anything special and have not had any problems, but if there is a better way i would change now before i do run into any problems. i'm going to go check prices on a smoothie blender-which one do you use? edited to add i found this one from target that is about $40 on sale and has a glass "pitcher". is this something that would work? i'm heading to bloomington, MN for the BCN convention and would love to pick up something there. this would save a LOT of headache for sure!!! thanks for the idea meredith, i hadn't even thought of that. would love it if you can use the smoothie attachment to mix it. would be better than trying to use a bowl and scrape all the lotion out of it to fill my "tube" thingy... lol. does it get most of the lotion out of it? and do you find you have to warm up your lotion a bit? my base is a little thick unless i warm it up, but after you get the fo and color in there it does get thinner-but it does thicken back up after i've warmed it up-i just warm it up enough to make it easier to "blend in the fo, etc". Heather

I just wanted to say that i only posted this to "thank" JS and to let everyone know i got great service and loved the oils i got-and the free samples. That being said, i never asked for this "bashing" of JS or of each other. I hope that others will follow my suit and just be done with this thread. If no one else posts this thread will die-every time someone else posts, you keep the "bickering" going. I for one have better things to do than "listen" to all of this bashing/bickering. If you have any helpful advice about JS and their scents, pm me, or join me over on the JS message board. I will NOT post any more on this thread or waste my time reading any more of this "bashing". I like JS, Becky seems like an awesome person-as witnessed by my posts over there, and i will not sit here and be a part of any bashing that is going on. If you have a beef with her or her company, that is your problem. I agree that not all companies can be everything to every customer-like i said earlier, that is why there are so many suppliers, so many different waxes-why does there have to be so many waxes. it would be nice if there was just soy, parrafin, and a blend of the 2.... anyways, i have ordered from companies that their scents didn't throw well for me. i never posted about them though, because what didn't work for me might be awesome for someone else and i'd hate to ruin their experience based upon my results. That's it, the end, story over. Let's all move on!!! Heather

Professional Style Icing SyringeIcing Syringe 7" long overall, 4" long barrel, 1-1/2" diameter, Barrel may arrive in different colors, Takes regular size decorating tips USA$8.99 #3961 http://www.fantes.com/pastry_bags.htm#syringe sorry the pic is so big-i tried to resize and it wouldn't let me. i use something similar to this-mine is like a grease lube type thing. you can't suck up the lotion etc-well, not the one i use anyways, but what i do is use a rubber spatula to scoop it into. i can easily fill 2 8 oz. bottles with mine. not sure if you could do 2 with this or not. i'm guessing probably only one. i tried the plastic bag and the funnel-my lotion is too thick for a funnel and the plastic bag seemed like a pain in the butt-plus, i like to use my mixer to really mix up the coloring and scents so there aren't any pockets. i did try the cake icing bags, but since i had to wash it out between uses, i had to make sure it was dry and it was a pain getting it completely dry when i wanted to make a doz. in a row... i have also used a plastic syringe-without the needle. i had to spoon it into them and it took forever. now, i just mix my lotion in a bowl, use my rubber spatula to scoop it into there, fill 2 bottles and i'm done, wash it out-comes apart at both ends-just like the frosting one. i won't go back to my old ways-i save so much time now that i can do many more than i used to. fyi-mine is completely metal so if i don't get it washed out and dried good, it does rust. HTH, Heather

I couldn't have said it better myself!!! Thanks for making me realize it is just that easy.

I just wanted to say thanks publicly for those of you who sent me pm's. I appreciate all the help finding some AWESOME scents that i am placing on my wish list :tiptoe: off to see what i could sell around here- that noone would miss (lol) so i can buy more fo's from JS!!! hmm. who needs the tv-do you think my hubby would notice? My experience with JS has been awesome-loved their customer service, the quick shipping, the free sample fo's, and their awesome scents. You rock becky!!!!! Heather

at the risk of stirring the pot yet again, why is it that a simple post on my great experience with JS and the smell of the oils oob has taken such a twist? it seems like every other thread i open up on this board has been taken over by rude comments-i realize we are all entitled to our own opinions and that's fine. i did try the cinnamon crunch cake in lotion last night and yum, smells great-can't believe it's skin safe. i also tried the glamor girl in lotion. i loved this oob, but haven't made up my mind in lotion yet. this was a free sample so wasn't something i picked. i'm sorry, but i also have a hard time believing you ordered 100 samples and they didn't throw well, but you ordered 75 more? did you have to pay for these samples or were they free? i'm not trying to upset anyone, but if i ordered 100 samples and not one of them threw well, i sure wouldn't spend the $$ to order 75 more of them. i realize every wax, body product etc. gives each scent a different smell, so what works for you may not work for me and vice versa. but oob reviews have been given on this board many times-you take it for what it's worth-i only gave my oob reviews so that people would know what they smelled like to me. besides, if i gave a review for every application, you'd have to say how it smelled in wax, how it smelled in lotion, how it smelled in soap, etc. i have had some awesome scents in wax that i expected to smell the same in my lotion-unfortunately it was not to be. i started this thread to "thank" JS for being such a great supplier -and i still feel that way, and that i was excited with the oils and CS i received. then, i decided i wanted more so i asked for some reviews of scents i was "on the fence about". i've tried a few JS in different things-from oils i got through the classies-so i'm not new to JS-just was new to ordering from them. thanks to everyone who has helped me-i really have listened and appreciate your reviews. :tiptoe: Heather

can you describe it-besides being creamy? the description doesn't really give me much to go on, is it really different than a regular vanilla? too many choices makes my head spin, lol!!!! it sounds yummy!!! thanks, Heather

instead of weeding out scents, i'm adding to my wish list. aackk... maybe the better question would have been to ask what scents from JS don't you like, lol!!!! :tiptoe: heading off to write/rewrite my wish list.... on the upside i got a drop in kid for daycare for 2 days this week that will pay for my new samplers. i should use it to pay something else, but nah. what fun would that be? after this set of samples there will be no more nuthin for a while until i make some more $$ back. i've got a craft show in june so we'll see how that goes, then i have a HUGE one in august, one in sept, then who knows how many. but i don't want to spend my busy season "testing" fo's in wax, b&b, etc. Heather

yes, and thanks for understanding-i've just seen way too many posts here lately that go south and the whole topic is forgotten about, just didn't want this to be one of them-wasn't directed at any certain person!! i just tried cinnamon crunch cake in my lotion-and yummy, i want to eat my arms now!!! keep the suggestions coming!!! they are very helpful!!! i appreciate ALL the responses i've gotten!!! Heather

ok, back to what's important here-what are the must haves for JS. we all realize that not every supplier can be everything to everyone, that's why there are so many of them!! some of the other ones i'm on the fence about is the sugar cookie-i haven't gotten a sugar cookie yet that is as strong as the ones i used to buy from the store. also the sassy sweet tarts-would probably more of a kid scent? snickers coffee-does this have enough different scent? and their jlo dupe-i tried one from somewhere else that was good, but don't need anything else from them right now-was a place where their oils were ok, but not "wow". and one other one-the macadamia nut cake is this "wow" or just ok? i love macadamia nut cookies and have daystar for that, but this sounds yummy!! and the starbucks coffee? is this different than regular coffee scents? thanks for all the advice-i really appreciate it. trying to narrow it down to 20 more scents is hard. they really shouldn't have so many good smelling/sounding oils. it makes it hard to pick. Heather

Thank you so much, lavender is not my fav. scent anyway, just seems like it is popular-i hate pouring it too. makes me want to gag. i had the ultimate vanilla on my list and i think i will try that one. i do have the daystar buttercream-i hate to say it, but i guess when i'm out i'll have to break down and order from them again. it's not that there oils aren't good, they are just too spendy for my taste. may add the berry lemonade to my sample. now, to explain to hubby why there are more oils coming in the mail and where we're going to find the $$ to pay for them. does this mean i have a problem? trying to hide my addictions from my hubby? lol!! if i could quit my full time job, i'd just be a tester for JS and make candles and lotions for her. wouldn't that be a horrible job-well, if there was too much floral it might be for me. hmm. cours i live too far away from anyone to do anything like that. i live in rural SD and am glad to have my internet cause it's my main form of entertainment!!!! i'd probably have more $$ if i didn't have it though cause i hear all these recomendations for all these oils and you know you have to listen to the voices saying "try me"... now, it's time to figure out how to start making more $$ while still spending it on fo's. thanks to becky for being such a great supplier!! Heather

thanks michi, sounds like it's between the buttercream and the silky "v" vanilla then... not looking for a cakey smell, i got the cinnamon crunch cake and i love that, but don't need too many similar scents/ Heather

ok, for those of you "users" of Just Scent, i read the differences on their website of buttercream frosting, silky "v" vanilla and vanilla buttercream crunch. if you HAD to pick just one, which would you pick? and the lavenders-how strong and true is her lavender? most i've tried smell pretty "fake" but so far her oils have been awesome as far as "right on" for the smell. -i thought about lavender vanilla but thing i will just experiment mixing with a vanilla scent. i've got about 42 on my wish list-can order 20-if i don't tell my hubby!! lol at least i'm not at the bar drinking, or spending my $$ on cigarretes. so, i can justify spending $$ on my candles/b&b stuff, right? thought so. btw, are there any "tini" reccommendations that i just can't live without-well, i already know i can't live without any of them they are so awesome, but can't afford to order 1 of each oil she has... will put 3 on my "wish list" for the samples so that will help. thanks. Heather

here ya go www.justscent.com i must be lucky because everything i've ordered that i've had a chance to put into wax has thrown well. now, keep in mind i don't do anything with wicks whatsover. i do mostly tarts-will start doing some wickless jars-which will hopefully throw as well as the tarts do.... lotions-every once in a while i have a great scent that throws lightly in the lotion at first-but if i let it sit for a few days the scent does come back. i will however say, that when doing the wax dipped bears-something changes with a few scents-like pink sugar. not even sure where i ordered the scent, but oob was awesome, on the bear-smelled horrible!!! same with the "lick me all over" scent. and peach jam cheesecake from daystar sucked on the bears and for me sucked in everything i tried. which was a shame because oob it smelled good enough to eat. i think everyone's noses picks up different scents, and the "undertones, base, etc." in the scent-must be why there are a million different scents and the fact that there isn't just 1 supplier-and you can order the same scent from 2 different companies and they can be totally different!! man, i'm not sure how i'm going to whittle down my list with all these reviews!! eenie, meanie, minie moe, catch a tiger by his tail... lol!!! Heather

i want to order more!! but i think hubby would kill me!!! i may just get 2 more sample packs which wouldn't be too bad since they are still on sale for $15.95 for 10 of them. which would be about $40 with the shipping. i'd better start making some $$ instead of spending it!! one thing i really enjoy is being able to make scented products that you may not find at b&b type places-because they have to pour 100's or 1000's to make it worthwhile. whereas us "small potatoes" can do one at a time. now, to narrow it down to 20 more to try... i can't stop at just 10.... i'm addicted. guess i need to attend the 12 step addiction program. i can't help it. i'm in love with all the scents. i think i still have 48 of them on my list (not counting the 10 samples i already got, the 4 free ones, and the 4 big size ones) hmmmm... off to ponder which ones are can't live without-well all of them-but which ones to make sure i order. wish i would have tried them sooner. i wasted $ on fo's that were ok, but nothing special, but these oils are "wow, i can't wait to test that one in wax, b&b, etc." i'll search through past posts and see if i can find any must haves, but for anyone else reading this, let me know what your must haves are. I use soy from BCN and i haven't had any problem getting most any oil to throw hot or cold. usually it's just the fact that i don't like that particular scent, but customers might. i'm not a floral person-i'm allergic to many types of flowers and even the fo's of the flower scents cause me to get stuffed up, allergy eyes, etc. why, i don't know.... i've had a few "light" scents but i think they are ones that are meant to be light as they smelled that way oob... :tiptoe: off to make my list without hubby knowing.... hehehe. Heather

i have a hunter green and a nice red to try-they'll be here wed. another thing i tried was mixing some cocoa powder with the cocoa butter and for the most part it worked, except that the 'bottom" of the chip ended up lighter colored than the tip. maybe i didn't mix enough cocoa powder? also, another thing i found was from this website http://www.sweetcakes.com/default.php?cPath=29 .These gel dyes (originally designed to tint cake frosting) are our favorite way to color melt-and-pour soap, shampoo, shower gel, and lotion. The dyes are incredibly rich and concentrated -- a tiny dollop on the end of a toothpick will color 8 or 16 oz. of shampoo/shower gel -- so start with the tiniest amount imaginable and add more color as desired. They mix in almost effortlessly; use each shade alone, or combine them to create a veritable rainbow of colors. I know i found a thread here that said not to use them because of discoloring? but if it's good for eating? i don't know how they could sell them for the purpose of coloring lotion etc. if it wasn't safe? it's not like you would need much of it. maybe i'll do the cocoa powder and the red and green and see what i come up with, and if all else fails i'll try to frosting color. i just really don't want to have to make another order unless i really have to. thanks for the hint aj-i never even thought about mixing colors, duh!!! Heather