wookie130

I actually bought one of these a while back...I can't remember the scent, but it was an orangeish-colored "foodie" fragrance. I HATE admitting this, but the candle wasn't half bad at all...nice cold throw, good burn, and strong hot throw. Not bad at all for a cheap discount store candle!!!

Wine can be used as the liquid in your soap, but all of the alcohol content will need to evaporate before it can really be used. It will definitely need to be boiled for a while on your stove to accomplish this, and yes, I'd freeze it to the slushy stage right before SLOWLY adding your lye to it. It will STINK to high heaven when you're dissolving your lye in it, but that does dissipate after the soap is poured into your mold, and even more so while the soap cures. As far as champagne goes, you will need to let your bottle sit out and open for 3 or 4 days, making it very flat. Then, boil away, freeze it to a slush, and proceed.

I too have always used the squeeze bottles! Wal-Mart sells opaque-ish/semi clear ones in their kitchen gadgets aisle, right next to the regular yellow/red ketchup and mustard squeeze bottles. What I don't do, is your elaborate pattern!!! But, I'm about to!!!!! Thanks so much for sharing your swirling techniques! They've always been to die for!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Are you referring to The Scent Review? www.thescentreview.com

Drewsmom, that recipe sounds really great too!!! To answer the question about olive oil, I just use the cheapo "Great Value" off-brand stuff from Wal-Mart. I have no clue as to whether this makes a difference in a lye/ soap calculator in terms of different varieties of olive oil, but I've had good results. Oh, and I'll definitely throw some castor oil into the mix! I do like my bubbles!!!

Thanks, I appreciate the feedback. I just want to try something really basic and inexpensive...for once! :smiley2: I like using shea butter, palm, and apricot kernel oil in soap, but the shipping is too much $$$ sometimes for me. Thanks again!

I'm trying to throw together an inexpensive and very basic "grocery store" recipe for CP soap, and I'd like to hear from anyone who uses a very similiar recipe. I've run in through a couple of lye calculators, and it looks decent for hardness, conditioning, bubbliness, creaminess, what have you, but I'd like to hear some comments from some REAL LIVE EXPERTS!!!!!! :smiley2: Here it goes, and believe me, it's not fancy!!! 24 oz. Olive oil 12 oz. Coconut oil 12 oz. Lard 6.75 oz lye / 17.9 oz water (5% superfatted) What do you think? Does anyone use a similar or the same recipe? If so, how is it for a good every day bath soap? Drying? Not bubbly enough? I'd appreciate any feedback or comments. Thanks!

I TOTALLY second this!!!!!!!! It is not cost effective, but certainly is more fun!

Oh, that is a good suggestion! It really does help to add the FO at a hotter temp, as it does bind better with your wax. Maybe this is all it will take to help your situation!

Just marvelous! Well done!!!!

Ooh, I do believe that's gorgeous!!!!!!! Congrats!

I used to use C-3 as well, and loved CD wicks. I now have to switch soy waxes, and was contemplating GB 415, which is a 100% soy wax, and have heard that ECO wicks (and LX) work well.

I totally hear you. I stopped making candles for 4 years because of the expense, and I just started to buy them... Now, I am realizing that I wasn't really giving myself enough credit. While there are good manufactured candles out there, and nice hand-crafted candles available as well, I never have gotten the satisfaction burning any of them that I get from burning one I slaved on for two hours making in my kitchen. I miss the process...the mad scientist aspect was always kind of fun. And once I found something that really worked, and I could share the end-result with friends and family. There's no accomplishment or fun involved when I burn my store-bought candles. And quite frankly, when I was making candles, I did work hard to create something that surpassed the quality of product one can find just anywhere. But I DEFINITELY get the love/hate thing. :rolleyes2

I'm with you there. If I hate it, I won't go to another's expense to gag myself in my own kitchen, thank you very much! I personally hate Patchouli, Hemp, Nag Champa, or anything else that smells like a head shop. I'm not terribly fond of my kitchen reeking anything remotely like pine needles or balsam wreaths. Yuck!!!!!!! Come to think of it, I really don't like too many florals. I LOVE LILAC, however. Gorgeous, gorgeous, lovely!!!!!!!!!

When I used the C-3 wax, I always used CD wicks with good luck as well. It helps to "wick up", or use the next size larger wick with really heavy oils, as sometimes your wick can drown out while burning if the fragrance oil is quite potent. Ahhh, the days of testing. And who is ever done? :smiley2: