XMAS Swap

I recently was lucky to take part in a XMAS Swap from the Soap Forum that I follow, TeachSoap.com.  I was lucky to have been matched to Toni from Morris, Il.  She sent me the most amazing gifts.  I could not wait to tear open the box when I finally got it. 

Here is a pic:

Let's start Clockwise.

The candle: At first I picked up the vanilla scent but the more I smelled it I can definitely start to smell the chocolate.  Toni used "Dark Rich Chocolate" FO to scent it.  It smells really nice and can't wait to use it.

Whipped Shea Butter:  I LOVE THIS STUFF!!!  I attempted to make some last year and mine came out a little too oily.  Toni's Whip Shea Butter has a really nice creamy, whipped texture to it.  As soon as you rub it on your skin the oils just shine and it absorbs really nice.  I noticed that she added Tapioca Starch to cut down on the oiliness and I may just tried that next time around.  Toni scented it with "Cranberry Chutney".  It is really nice :)

The Soaps:
The dark soap on top is "Black Berry Vanilla" and it smells really nice.  I enjoy "Berry" scents so this was a really nice treat.  I can't wait to try it out.

The Orange Soap is "Pumpkin Spice Soap".  This one has me excited.  I was intrigued as to how she kept it orange.  I tried pumpkin soap this year and it turned brown :(.  So I wanted to know her secret.  Come to find out that she may have come to it by accident.  She had some trouble with the soap mix when she attempted to swirl and ended up remixing it.  She did add Vanilla Color Stabilizer to help keep the color from fading to dark sooner.  She suspects that eventually the soap will turn darker but for now I am enjoying the nice pumpkin color :)

Now for my other favorite...LIP BALM!
I have been playing around with lip balms lately.  Trying to come up with a decent recipe to use and have been frustrated by the results.  Toni's lip balm is really nice!  She used Hemp Seed Oil, Coconut Oil, Shea Butter and Aloe Vera Extract.  Very nice!  This is the first time I have tried anything with Hemp Seed Oil and I am enjoying it.  It will certainly help as the winter months settle in and I reach out for something to help keep my lips from getting chapped :)

Thanks to Toni for the wonderful gifts, and to Heather from Winbergbathworks.com for helping to organize it!

Thanks for checking out my blog!
Happy Soaping
Roxana