daniedb

It's adorable! I'd definitely be attracted to look at your stuff with that name.

Those are beautiful! I've never had a mango pap, though, is it very different from a regular pap?

I use LiquaPar Optima for my scrubs, it's recommended when you have all oils/butters and no water.

Oh, and I just die for Trapp's Frankencense and Rain fragrance, but I haven't actually burned that candle since I started making them, so I have no idea what it burns like...seemed fine then, but as you mentioned, I had no idea what to look for!

A picture certainly would have been wonderful, but I also think it's great the way it is, I'm so excited for you! I'd love to hear if you get increased business from the mention!

SC has an amazing True Mango that smells exactly like the freshly peeled fruit. It's pretty amazing. I hate Mango, I think it smells like vomit, and so it's with great trepidation that I use it, but I mix it with their Yuzu, which is also AWESOME for a grapefruit and it's knock you out of your shoes delicious.

Is it mixed with veggie additives, or is there any non-veggie stuff in there, did she say? Sounds interesting.

Michael, I also like to buy others' candles as well as burning my own. You're not alone! Another place I like for complex scents is Sweetcakes. They have a terrific selection, but the FOs are hit and miss in candles, because they don't review them for wax, only for B&B, and you have to just test to see if it works. I sell their Citron et Figue and Blackberry Martini (a mix of two of their FO that they suggest) as well as a mix of their Yuzu and Mango - they throw great and they are nicely multilayered scents (esp. the first two I named), and I'm very happy with them, you may try them as well! I plan to send the Citron and Black. Martini in the luxury candle swap, if you can wait that long before ordering some FOs!

I actually really like GC, they didn't smoke for me, either, if I kept the wick trimmed. I think they have increased their base price for their consultants, I have a number of friends who are consultants under the old plan, and I can guarantee you that they wouldn't have been able to afford $5000 to invest in candles. I really like their Christmas scents, esp. Cozy Christmas, but I think that MC's Christmas Splendor smells exactly the same, so I haven't bought one in a year!

Ah, that sucks, I'm sorry.

Can you give more details, please? How much of each butter, oil, how long did you whip, etc. It's hard to not get it feeling greasy when you don't use an oil that is light and absorbs easily. SAO is a heavier oil, so you just may not be able to get rid of the greasiness with the combo of oils/butters you have.

Yep, I get it when I pour too hot. Also, I've found that warming my jars slightly (not above 100*) helps. And not to jump in on an unrelated issue, but have you thought about not pouring all the way to the top of the mouth of the jar? Seems like you'd have a MUCH easier time with the wick issues if you pour to the top of the wide part. Also, when you start selling or giving away the candles, I think you'll find that the lids will give you difficulty when you fill the candles that full. Just a thought, I LOVE the color of those candles, they're beautiful!

I refuse to make anything with my B&B favorite, Lemon Verbena from MMS, for sale. The ONLY time I made it for someone other than me was for my good friend and neighbor on her birthday, after she almost ate my arm for 6 months every time I wore it. I just love it too much to get sick of it.

It certainly can get expensive, but I find that since I only use ~1 inch of it (about an ounce or so) in the foaming bottle and the rest water, it takes me forEVER to go through a bottle. The thing I love so much about it as a body wash is that it's super mild, so I can use it on Henry, and it's also incredibly easy to wash off. There's never a residue. You can certainly use lots of other things, it's really the bottle that produces the foaming stuff, I just like the Dr. Bronner's because it's such a great, basic, TRUE soap instead of a detergent like a body wash. Purple Lilac makes an amazing liquid castile soap that I've used in the foaming bottle and it works wonderfully, as well. Just to clarify, ladysj, it's just a little of the soap, a few drops of EO and th rest water...no additional ingredients.

I know you already decided, but I just had to add that I'm normally not drawn to metallics, I prefer the matte, black look, but your packaging is stunning, and I would snap it up in a heartbeat.

Yep, it's just a liquid soap. They sell it at health food markets like Whole Foods, Central Market (if you're in TX), Sunflower Markets (in the West) and lots of smaller venues...not GNC, but other healthy living stores. You can also get it online, but then there's shipping. The co. makes like 6 kinds, but the only difference is the EO they're scented with...I buy the unscented (called Baby Mild), and add my own EOs to it before I add the water, they blend with the soap and that way I don't have to buy three different kinds. They're super concentrated, so a little goes a long way. Just know that Dr. Bronner, the founder and creator of the soap, is a total nutjob and he's got this totally whacked out stuff on his label about his religion that he invented, it creeped me out at first, but now I just read it and crack up. It's like a combo of all the major religions thrown together, with some good ol' spaceship theology thrown in there, LOL! His site sells their products too, you can check out http://www.drbronner.com/main.html

I've noticed that Lav will cling to EVERYTHING when I use it...and since I got pregnant, I've suddenly hated it, which makes it super pleasant.

Hi Georgia! If you click on the search button along the top toolbar, and then type in "add FO temperature", you'll find a plethora of info!

Oooooh, I really like the idea of cards/stationery. I have a good friend who does handmade stuff, she's really talented and just starting out, if you want me to pass her name and contact info along. I always love to look at paper and beautiful stationery, it's such a great draw.

It's certainly coming along nicely! You have really been working hard on it. Looks good, I like your country look! I would suggest that before you start advertising it, make sure you get someone to proofread all your pages...I noticed a number of spelling and/or grammatical errors...and someone who is great at that sort of thing would be an asset to you in that area...maybe you can exchange some candles for a thorough proofread and maybe some editing.

fmsojka - I've actually read where a lot of people don't heat their shea before they whip...since shea is softer than a lot of butters, they just dump it in the pot and whip the heck out of it...think of it like you would with room temp. reg. butter, it'll whip up nicely, and take less time than whipping from liquid. I haven't tried it personally yet, so I can't attest to it, but a lot of B&Bers here do it that way. lindsay - are you talking about getting it from the bowl into the jug? I tried to do that with a funnel, but it's so time consuming and messy. Now I just leave it in the Rubbermaid container and scoop it out with a measuring cup when it's time to scent and bottle it...then I pour it into the bottle with a funnel. Easier for me that way, rather than trying to get it into the jug as a whole gallon.

You know what I love for a body wash in the foam pumps? Dr. Bronner's Liquid Soap. If you want to make your own, I like a combo of olive oil, hemp seed oil and coconut for your liquid base. I add about 1 inch of soap to the bottle and fill the rest with water, works like a charm!

I wick my 3" containers with a CD16, I think you may have too large a wick going on in there. I have some 2 1/2 in tins that I wick with a 10, but since it's glass, you may try a 12 - that will probably do much better.

Oh, I don't see anyone necessarily jumping on ebarnes, no one has been overtly ugly...it just seems like there is a very low tolerance for what other people perceive as lack of knowledge, and instead of being kind about it, there's an attitude of condescension. That's what I was commenting on...that's what gets boring to me. I think it's helpful when people are kind, instead of belittling.

I get the whole honesty thing, or getting irritated when someone asks a question that can easily be answered by visiting the FAQs or using the search button, but it seems like lately, there's a selection of responses that are really condescending. It's getting boring.