Rei Hino? Now the beauty secrets really will come out. I always thought she was the most beautiful senshi of all, especially in the manga.
She could look a little like you now that I think about it, especially since her eyes are almost more dark purpley. Definitely the svelte yet intense look with the long straight jet hair and flawless skin is yours.
Oh, thank you my dear! If anyone has perfect skin, it's you! Your skin radiates with a wonderous healthy glow, I'm dying to know your secret.
Well, I have always liked luxurious bath products, and would often browse a Moravian gift shop in my town that sold things like candles, hand-carved picture frames and as well beautifully crafted artisan soaps. I would stock up on their rose-scented and lavender soap. The farmer's market was also a place I sometimes acquired soap from. There I discovered a good coffee bean bar that was great for my skin.
I started making my own soap many, many Christmases ago. My mother, who has the gift of gardening, was growing Loofah, and she had harvested of bunch of exfoliating sponges. For the holidays she arranged baskets with her sponges to send to love ones. That was when I first started experimenting with soap. I figured the sponges need to go with something! So I ordered a soap making kit to make something to add to her gift baskets. My first tries were pretty whacky. I tried to make a lavender bar, and used fresh lavender from the garden instead of drying it, so the plant rotted. Yikes! But I have gradually got better over the years XD
The primary methods I know of to make soap are melt and pour, rebatch, cold-press, and a variation on the cold process known as hot press.
I started with melt and pour, and that's definitely the best way for beginners to see if the soapmaking process is something they might be interested in because it will make your experience in the kitchen easy and safe.
Soap is a science, weighing water against percentages of lyes, melting down solid substances and combining oils to the right temperature and it can be hazardous. Melt and Pour is a slab of soap that already underwent the aforementioned saponification process, so you don't need to add any chemicals or get any protective gear. You just heat the brick down in a pot on the stove until it becomes liquid, and stir out the bubbles. You make the soap yours by adding drops of your favorite fragrance/essential oil to the mixture, putting in a colorant you like and pouring the combination into a mould to give it a nice shape like and let it cool and dry. In an hour or so you will have a bar of soap. There are a lot of YouTube videos and online tutorials to walk one through this process.
Soap-making seems like quite a complicated process! You certainly sound like an expert to me! It seems as though you have everything down to a T. I'm tempted to purchase myself a soap-making kit and give it a go! Although, I can guarantee I'll make a mistake but mistakes are beneficial, as they provide opportunities to learn! One of my mother's friends has a skin-care business and I believe she makes homemade soaps and exfoliating scrubs with ingredients from the Dead sea. So I'm sure I can consult her if I require any further assistance. If I can locate a soap-making kit I will be sure to let you know. (Of course, it isn't an ideal time as my province is currently under a state of emergency and most non-essential businesses have closed down temporarily, but we'll see what I can do!)
Sam, if you have pictures of any of your homemade soaps, I'd love to see them! Share your mastery with us all! Soap making can be considered an art form, after all! ^-^
Yes, every scent works on you different, some essential oils are good in skin care and hair products, some are natural insect repellents, some are stimulants that wake you up and help you concentrate, some are the opposite and relaxing and help sleep, some are aphrodisiacs, others are naturally cleansing and disinfecting, there are oils that can help with cramps or headaches or nausea. It's worth having a whole pantry full of oils!
What you have described floating in the bath surrounded by candles and oil is just decadent! Don't forget the bath salts too and rose petals! I also like to play a little music for the proper ambiance. Something peaceful like a Celtic song by Lorena McKennit.
My favorite is probably lavender too! I want to be a rebel and say something different because everybody loves lavender. It's so versatile though, I also have it on because it smells good, and it's not a heavy scent that anyone could object too, it's light like natural spring. You would be cross with me because of how much lavender I use, since you jealously guard those lavender candles. I like to put spritz a little lavender water on my closet of clothes, and I am always adding drops of lavender essential oil to my conditioners because lavender is supposed to soften the hair. Putting a little lavender in the dryer with my linen is another one I can't resist.
I have tried lots of different types of lavender, and have a strong preference for either French lavender or South African lavender because they are really sweet and more floral.
Gardenia might have been my favorite if it was easier to find gardenia essential oil, when they come into bloom that's actually my favorite smell in the world, but I have never found anything in a bottle that smells like a real gardenia. So I'll stick with lavender :p
Smells I don't like? Hmmm, that's a toughie. You go first, and then I will think of something.
I am a fragrance enthusiast! I truly do adore perfume and I fancy a plethora of different kinds.
First and foremost, I tend to enjoy soft, more natural, yet relaxing scents, often ones used in aromatherapy. It may sound absurd, but I truly believe in the healing power of fragrance! Lavender is my favourite! Though it can be quite a powerful aroma, it's fills one with a sense of serenity and truly eases the mind, spirit, and body. I also enjoy other scents with ingredients such as driftwood, jasmine, coconut, tea tree, sandalwood, cotton blossom, chamomile etc. I also enjoy very fresh-smelling fragrances, ones that remind me of the sweet ocean breeze, or of a picturesque autumn eve, scents that'll transport me to a isle of pure tranquility.
Secondly, I tend to favor floral scents. I tend to have a slight aversion to overly pungent floral scents such as rose, although I love the vast majority of other floral fragrances. I especially enjoy the smell of lilacs, as they remind me of my grandmother who has a lilac tree in her backyard. I also enjoy the aroma of peonies, lilies, cherry blossoms, mandarin blossoms, hydrangeas, and countless more! Whenever I get a hint of anything floral, it fills my heart with sunshine and I whisked away to a whimsical flower garden.
I also love saccharine aromas! Give me anything sweet, be it vanilla chai which has a hint of spice, or a mouth-watering caramel cheesecake, anything that smells sweet and light, I adore! Who doesn't want to smell like a freshly baked batch of sugar cookies? Or like a steamy cup of warm cocoa? Or like a decadent blueberry crumble? I want to smell good enough to eat! Who doesn't? I love to bake and I adore the smell of baking so it's no wonder why I love such saccharine fragrances!
Lastly, I do love perfume scents. Ones that smell rich and luxurious, that when I get a whiff of them, I feel elegant and beautiful. These sort of scents are perfect on a night out of the town with your girlfriends, they're perfect for formal events or when you desire a bit of spice to your life. Gorgeously feminine, whether it's Patchouli or luscious Bergamot, the possibilities are endless! My favourite fragrance that captures this essence is
Flowerbomb by Viktor & Rolf.
Lastly, I love anything that smells remotely like Christmas! This is so surprise, as it's my favourite time of the year! The smell of freshly baked gingerbread, peppermint, the aroma of an evergreen, or of a fresh snowy morning, I love it all! These fragrances fill my heart with light and joy! (I also love autumnal scents as well. Anything pumpkin-scented I'm sure to love!)
In terms of fragrances I dislike, I'm not fond of anything black-cherry scented. I find it's reminiscent of alcohol, which is not something that I want to smell on a daily basis. I also am not fond of apple-cinnamon, as the combination is one I consider to be quite foul.
I ordered a large batch of essential oils this weekend from Puritan Pride. I was out of pretty much everything except jasmine oil and a few drops of geranium oil, went a little wild and binged, buying half of the store. What is expected to arrive on Wednesday is rose oil, lavender of course, rosemary, peppermint, ginger, chamomile, neroli, bergamot and pine.
I was thinking, perhaps this club would be a good platform where users can review new products they bought, find out if the perfume, clothes, makeup, new blow dryer was worth the purchase. Just something that popped into my head.
Yes, please give a full review if you'd like! This is the perfect setting for product reviews! The good, the bad, tell us all of it, hun! I might have to do a product review myself, although I haven't tried anything new for quite some time in terms of skincare and makeup.
