More Wonderfully Fun SOAP Testing

My adventure in SOAP testing continues with Mystery fragrance #3. 

The Idea:  I need more swirling practice..love swirling.  I am going to do a regular 2 color swirl, nothing exciting, just a chance to practice my swirling skills.

The Fragrance:  My first impression of this fragrance was mulberry, plum, tart cranberry, and just a whisper of spice.  My husbands first impression was grape and plum.  It is very fruity and one of my FAVORITES!!  This is a fragrance that if Bramble Berry decides to keep it, it would become a regular part of my Purely Indulgence line year round, yes it's really that good!!

The Color:  Continuing with the Fall/Holiday theme, I decided to do a puple and black swirl.  I wasn't sure I would like using Black Oxide in soap...but I love it!  It really goes with any color/theme and makes the other colors really stand out.  I went with Ultramarine Violet mixed with Red Oxide for the purple part, both from Bramble Berry of course.

The Recipe: 

Olive oil-30%

Coconut oil-30%

Palm oil-20%

Grapeseed oil-6.67%

Castor oil-5%

Shea Butter-5%

Sweet Almond oil-3.33%

Becaue I used Extra Virgin Olive oil instead of Pomace, the Purple turned a bit muddy.  I noticed no color change when adding the fragrance oil.  I like it though, it's more of an earthy purple.  I was going for a plum color, which I think I managed to get.

I practiced a different sort of swirl, instead of a pattern I just looped it with a flick of my wrist to give it a more contemporary/elegant look.  I have been struggling with my swirling abilities, so with all this testing I figured it was the perfect time to get in some swirling practice!

The Result:  This one turned out GREAT.  The fragrance was fantastic to work with and didn't accelerate or discolor at all.  The tartness came through in the soap a lot more than out of the bottle, and it's a bright fragrance that I really like.  It is on the light side, so if using again I would increase my fragrance usage just a little, maybe up to 4.5-5% (I used 3% fo).

The color combination turned out super pretty!

As always I will keep my eye on it and watch as it cures.  I am looking for any color discoloration, and scent retention.  I decided to call it Blackberry Marmalade, this Limited Edition Fall/Holiday soap will sell out fast I think!!

Success #2 This one goes to ME!!

Monica: 2 Fragrances: 1

Keep on checking back, next post is going to be numbers 4 and 8.
Make sure you check out my favorite blog The Soap Queen, if you are looking for more soapy inspiration, and instructions for making your own wonderful soap.