Beacon Creations Soap

I am a floral lover. Always have been, and probably will always be one.

Most bath items that I've bought (and love) are floral scented simply because I love flowers and nature. I'm what they would call a tree-hugger lol. Flowers make me happy with the way they seem to be smiling and how their colours seem to jump out at me, it's like being surrounded by goodness and all things bright and happy. I sound like I'm on crack rofl!

A little while ago a friend of mine on YT recommended me to a soap company called Beacon Creations that makes cold process soaps. I have heard of this company but because the focus was more on bakery scented soaps I was reluctant to buy for a long time. I love bakery scents but I like them in food rather than to smell of them, and so I debated repeatedly with myself whether I should just take the plunge and buy some soaps from Kia (which is the owner's name btw).

The top recommendations were Cider Barrel Soap and Oatmeal Milk & Honey (OMH) Soap. My friend like many others raved about these and especially Cider Barrel for a good while now. But then again my friend likes bakery scents like Blueberry Muffin whereas I'm into the fresh florals / clean scents so I was skeptical. What made me decide to take the plunge was because I was on the hunt for a good Oatmeal bar because Oatmeal is apparently very gentle and good for the skin. I wanted something that was scented nicely but yet gentle enough for my skin during hives season. I have bought tons of Oatmeal scented soaps but never did manage to find one that has completely blown me away yet... until I met Kia's OMH.

Right from the moment I picked up Beacon Creations' OMH, I was sold. Here is a bar that smells of all the goodness of oatmeal without the common oat scent that most soaps have, coupled with a slight floral intertwined with a dash of smooth honey and just a splash of milk. From the moment I inhaled, I knew that my search for the perfect OMH is over. I have found it.

Then there's Cider Barrel. Where do I begin? This soap brings me to my favourite alcoholic drink, which is the Swedish Apple Cider. The sweet aroma of warm apple cider and a tinge of spice makes the scent out of this world. This is one of the few soaps that drives me INSANE. I just want to bite into it. And it's just soap LOL There is a right balance between apple cider and spice which many soaps do not have.

And if these scent descriptions aren't enough to entice you, well there's more. Kia's soaps are one of the best in terms of lather. Expect rich, foamy and soft lather that is similar to your whipped cream from a hot cup of mocha. They lather in hot or cold water and requires almost no effort. Scent lasts for more than half hour on my skin and it is so moisturizing that I don't really need to apply lotion afterwards.

OMH (left) & Cider Barrel Soap

There are many scents that Beacon Creations have that are simply fantastic. Floral lovers should check out Geisha, which is reminiscent of a Cherry Blossom with feminine sweet notes yet non overpowering. Fresh clean scents include (but not limited to) Aoibheals Kiss and Haleakala Sunrise. Bakery lovers should not miss Cider Barrel, OMH, #9 Memory Lane, Brown Fig & Sugar as well as Honeybee Harvest.

Geisha Soap

Aoibheals Kiss Soap

So if you have not tried out these oaps, you are missing out. Really. Kia's soaps are now on my list of staples that I will always have with me in my home. Soaps are a good size bar that lasts for a good amount of time, lathers obscenely well and smells incredible. Design wise the swirls are amazing and in my opinion they cannot be regarded as soap, but rather an art piece. Packaging is immaculate and neat, and the labels have a soft romantic look, which sets me in a relaxing mood right from the beginning. What more can you ask for in a soap??

Commercial soaps just do not compare really.

Bare Bumm Bath Soaps

Although Bare Bumm Bath soaps are not the first ones I've tried out on Etsy, they are for certain the first ones that became my top favourites very quickly, and I am equally fond of them as I was since the first time I've used the soaps.



Dianne's (soap maker) soaps are easily one of the best ones I've tried so far, and her customer service is excellent, making it so easy to head back to her shop for return purchases. She responds fast to questions and is more than willing to help me out in terms of checking on shipping by exploring other postage options that might be possible for shipping internationally. She is one of the easiest soapmakers to communicate with on Etsy, and buying from her is always a very pleasant experience.


What I like about Bare Bumm Bath's Soaps:

• Colours : Soaps are always colourful and pretty. They are simple looking bars with an old-fashioned look but at the same time the vivid colours make them look so pretty.
• Texture : They feel somewhat soft to the touch and are easy to cut with a knife. The creaminess of the soap can be felt from the moment the knife sinks in.
• Lather : They lather so beautifully without effort in hot or cold water. The foam is rich and thick sorta like rich whipped cream.
• Scent : Dianne's got alot of seriously outstanding scents! I have tried so many scents and almost every single one was a hit with me. They are so pleasing to the nose and it's so easy to love them!

Her Etsy shop can be found at : http://www.etsy.com/shop/barebummbath

Favourite scents of mine include Magnolias in Bloom, Acai Berries & Satin, Angelic, Pleasures Delight and Enchanted Apple.

The soaps are pretty strongly scented but they do not linger for long on my skin, which can be good and bad actually, depending on what you like. I find myself being able to use alternate fragrances after my showers without worrying about scent clashes. And if I want to "layer" the scent, I can always use Dianne's body butter and body splash so that the scent lasts longer. I love having options! :)



Pebbles Soap



Acai Berries & Satin Soap



 





My first handmade soaps

All along, I was mainly using the shower gels bought from any drugstore or from certain brands like The Body Shop and Bath & Body Works. I love my Bath & Body Works shower gels and other body items, the scents are downright incredible. Until this day I am still using their shower gels once in a while, because I can't bear to part with those scents that I love - Moonlight Path, White Cherry Blossom (discontinued scent) and Magnolia Blossom (also discontinued). Not to mention the Aromatherapy Range that they have, which is simply outstanding

And then last year I found out about handmade soaps by watching YouTube videos and how everybody was raving about the benefits for the skin ever since they made the switch from regular shower gels. So after watching more than enough videos later, I decided to try out some for myself and see if the benefits are for real.

Judging by the number of videos made, I found out that Etsy was the place to go if I wanted to find handmade soaps. It's correct... but.... when I hit the search button on Etsy, I was given hundreds of handmade soaps and it was just mind boggling!! So I was back to square one again lol WHO do I buy from??

So I returned back to YouTube to research on which seller to buy from, and narrowed my choices down to a selected few - BubblesUpByBethieB, Dennis Anderson and Mad City Sue. I checked out their ratings on Etsy and all three had very positive feedback and were also recommended by many youtubers. In the end, I went with my gut - BubblesUpByBethieB - and bought Rose Garden, Blueberry Cobbler, and Oatmeal Milk & Honey soaps.

Here is the link for the Etsy store: http://www.etsy.com/shop/BubblesUpByBethieB

BethieB's soaps looks just like desserts!! They are so realistic looking that I had to summon all my will power not to bite into them ;)

 Blueberry Cobbler Soap

 Oatmeal Milk & Honey Soap

 Rose Garden Soap

Blogging about Soap??!!

Yeah I know... seems really lame to be blogging about soaps really but I figured it's for people who are interested to know more about handmade soaps from a customer's point of view especially those who are completely new to this and may want to know more but don't really have the time or inclination to research on where to buy, what to buy etc. After all when I first started I was faced with so many choices and frankly it got quite crazy because everything looked so good but I couldn't possibly buy everything could I?

That being said, what's being posted is gonna be purely my own opinion and based on my own buying experience. I am not a professional soap critic and I am not a soapmaker either, so what I'm writing is based on a customer's point of view. I may not get the terminology or processes 100% right, and that's because I'm blogging from a buyer, not a soapmaker and how I feel about the item right down to the overall buying process.

I also have a YouTube channel under the same name - Snowblume. From there you can see my purchases on video which some may prefer because you might get a better idea of the soaps than just static photos. On my channel you can also see the soapmakers that I buy from and their channels as well as other soap reviewers who are also not professional soap critics but are basically nice ladies who share the same love for soaps and scents as I do.

Occasionally I will also write about other matters not related to soap, depending on the mood or subject. It can also be beauty or bath related and again these will be my two cents worth, not to be taken as a FACT. However, this is not a personal blog about myself, so I will not be posting much (if any at all) that is related to my everyday life, so the general focus will be on soap, bath and beauty items.

Unfortunately it is not possible for me to post only good things all the time, because it's not possible for every purchase that I make to be 100% perfect. So if there is something that I'm not crazy about, I will write it but it is not to be taken as a personal attack on the company/product, but rather it is my opinion so what works / does not work for me might not be the same for you as we all have different skin types / noses right? I'm gonna keep things simple and blog, for those who want to find out more and also for myself because I actually enjoy writing more than making videos and talking.

I hope you all find this enjoyable reading in time to come :)