Thanks for sending in a request! Just a warning, this is going to be a very, very long post. There are just so many different styles and kinds of flower crowns out there!
And my haul just came in the mail and I just had to yell about it for a bit, Iām so excited. X3 (Forgive the somewhat crappy photos, Iām still getting used to my phoneās camera)
First Impressions Shipping was prompt and quick from both companies. Packaging was pretty professional on both accounts as well, though I will say that I do think Royalty Soapsā packaging was cleaner and more commercial looking. Customer service-wise, Sorcery Soaps seemed more personable;
when I placed my order,
I received an personal email from the company owner thanking me for my order and that she thought my email handle was cute. I was also sent a bunch of little surprise freebies with my package from them, which I appreciated immensely.
Royalty Soaps Review
Harvest Moon
I LOVED the design of this soap when I first saw the making of video for it, and I just had to have it. I wasnāt crazy about the scent at first when I first smelled it, but after using it, itās actually really pleasant. The website describes it as āAn alluring fragrance filled with fruits of nectar and exotic florals
blended with sweet vanilla and honey for an evening filled with romanceā and… yeah, I can see it. This was also my guinea pig soap to test out how these soaps perform (since they use the same recipe in every artisan bar). The first thing I noticed was how much prettier it looks when itās wet; the colors get a lot more vivid and the swirls and micas show up better. It produces lots of big bubbles, which I liked a lot. The lather was also colored black from the mountains down there. The bar is also freaking HUGE; I can barely even wrap my fingers around it to properly use it. I can see why they recommend to cut the bars in half before you use them now, good grief.
Mermaid Treasure
Yaāll know me, if it says mermaid on it, I have to have it. š I just love how bright and shimmery this bar is, and the scent is super strong, sort of a fresh, clean, effervescent fragrance that reminds me of the ocean without smelling like ocean, if that makes any sense. This is definitely one of my favorite bars.
Artisan Soap Sampler Pack
A pack of 4 random bars that have been chopped up into small pieces. I didnāt get to choose which ones were sent to me, so I ended up getting these four. Design-wise, I actually like all of these; you canāt really see the little pear seed embed in the Guilded Pear soap, but itās there and itās really cute. I like the golden glitter on top of the apple pie soap and the color palette on Mod for Men, but my favorite would probably be Stormy Seas, I just love that swirl. Scent-wise… Iām not that crazy about any of them, tbh. Not that any of them are BAD, because theyāre not, theyāre just not scents that I personally tend to gravitate toward. Of the four, Stormy Seas has my favorite scent, sort of a bracing, briny smell that does definitely remind me of the ocean, and most people would probably say itās a more āmasculineā scent. Mod for Men, has, as per its name, also more of a āmanlyā scent, sort of woody and herby. Apple pie does genuinely smell like apple pie; I just donāt like apple pie. XD As for Guilded Pear… I just flat out donāt like it. Itās kind of fruity, but is overwhelmingly caramel/burnt sugar/honey, and it just doesnāt do it for me
Mini Diamond Soap Sampler
Same as above, this is a sampler of mini soaps in the Diamond Soap series, which is a separate line from the normal artisan soaps. I actually really like all of these smells, though if I had to pick a favorite, Iād probably pick Limoncello in all its sugary, lemony goodness. As the Diamond soaps are a different recipe than the artisan soaps, I tested out Vanilla Fairy to see how it performed. Very bubbly, good lather, and the fragrance lingered for a long time. No complaints from me whatsoever.
Sorcery Soaps Review
Steampunk Seahorse
I think this is my favorite soap in terms of design of all the ones I got. This soapmakerās schtick is that she molds embeds out of soap dough to put on the top of her soaps. All the items like the keys and seashells and gears were hand crafted. They donāt really show up well on the picture, but the swirls in the soap are also really gorgeous. The scent is very clean and calm, with notes of musk and florals, quite nice.
Arctic Fox
I got this solely because of the little soap dough fox on top (I named him Mattie), and really, can you blame me? LOOK HOW ADORABLE. The scent is very woodsy and musky, but in a way thatās subtle and not overpowering, so I like it. But mostly I just like the design of this soap a lot. Itās almost too cute to use.
Pink Grapefruit
This one smells really nice. Bright and fruity, but the fragrance isnātĀ overpowering or even that strong. I also just really like the design of this soap. Itās simple, but it works well.
Lemongrass
The descriptor says this fragrance is supposed to be lemongrass and coconut, but honestly, any lemongrass notes there might be get covered up by the coconut, at least to my nose. As someone who doesnāt much like straight coconut scents, I actually donāt mind this one, in part because this
is far more mild and subtle than any coconut fragrance Iāve ever
smelled, which might be actually be the work of the lemongrass, now that I think about it.
This was the Sorcery Soap I decided to test out for this write-up. It lathers well, with small, silky bubbles. Itās a very gentle soap. I can see someone with a skin condition really benefiting from this brand. As with Royalty Soaps, Sorcery Soaps uses the same recipe for all their soaps, so the performance would be the same on the other bars, Iām assuming. My one real gripe about this bar is that I really wish there was more glitter and flowers on top, like on the Pink Grapefruit bar.
Mistletoe Bunny (freebie 1)
This is a smaller bar than what they normally sell, hence why I think they gave it to me for free. The little molded candy cane pieces on top have a tendency to fall off easily, but the smell is AMAZING. It smells just like a candy cane. As someone who really loves the scent of peppermint, this is definitely one of my favorite fragrances in this entire batch of soaps I received.
Cinnamon Cocoa sample (freebie 2)
This literally smells edible. Not that I personally would eat it, since I donāt really like cinnamon, but if I were the type, I might actually be tempted.
Soap Cookies (freebie 3 and 4)
Arenāt these just darling? Such a good idea, too; these seem like theyād be perfect if youāre traveling somewhere and staying for only a couple days. The unicorn one smells woody, like a piece of furniture, which… Iām not quite sure how that matches up with the unicorn theme, but yāknow, whatever. Itās certainly not bad. The rainbow one has no scent at all, as far as I can tell. Still super pretty, though.
All in all, Iām really happy with my purchases! This amount of soap is going to last me quite a long time, too, lol. Iād definitely recommend checking out both soapmakers and giving them some business if youāre ever in need of some hand-crafted soaps with good, healthy ingredients. ^^
Part two of the Fourth of July party posts belongs to Duckie from Virginia.
Duckieās family wrote:
Kind Stuffed Animal Doctor, Do you think you can assist in rejuvenating āDuckie?ā Ā He is three years old and continues to be much loved by my 4 year old. Ā She has taken good care of him: no amputations, no eye enucleations, and no vivisection. Ā All his war wounds come from constant love and attention.Ā
We agreed Duckie would enjoy the cleaning, restuffing, and fluffing of a spa. Here he is on arrival at the hospital:
A bit gray, a bit flatā¦ he started with a bubble bath, as many patients do:
But unlike many patients, the photo of Ducky in the bubble bath went to his little girl and I got another photo back, of her hugging the ipad photo of Duckie! š
While he was drying, a letter came from Duckieās four year old person:
Dear Duckie,
I really miss you. Ā So much. Ā I got a little baby bear from Mary and Aunt Leigh Ann and his name is Baby Bear. And I really really really really hope you have a good time there and have lots and lots and lots of friends. Ā
Come home soon and have a good time there. Ā I still love you more than the baby bear. Ā
Love,
L
Of course, Duckie wrote back:
Hi L, I really miss you tooā¦ but I loved my bubble bath and the doctor thinks Iāll get my heart in early next week. Ā Then Iāll be able to come home. I love you tooā¦ maybe Baby Bear will be my friend. Love,Duckie
This is a transcript of the response Lās dad sent me:
She loved the letter. Ā āHow did he write that letter?ā Ā āHe didnāt write it, he told the doctor what to say and she wrote it. Ā Just like you did when I wrote what you said and sent it to Duckie.ā Ā "Did Duckie really SAY that to her?ā Ā "Duckie didnāt need to talk. Ā The doctor knows how to understand what stuffed animals are saying without their talking. Ā She is a stuffed animal doctor.āĀ
Ducky got his heart as promised, yellow to match his fur:
Ā And then he was restuffed, enough to sit up a bit more but not too much to hug and squish. Ā And his fur was fluffed:
Duckieās people planned a party for his return home too, and they sent photos! Ā Here is the entire gang waiting for him (including some older duckies and a brand new one who acted as a substitute huggee while Duckie was in the hospital):
And just in case youāre hungry, hereās a closeup of those cupcakes:
Duckie isnāt in these photos because heās busy being hugged! Ā I have many photos of that too, but as you know, I donāt put humans on the blog without explicit permissionā¦ but the photos are in the hospital to encourage all future patients!
And THIS is why lace was a worn primarily by royalty and aristocracy for so many centuries..Ā It was expensive and time-consuming to produce.Ā Wearing it, and wearing LOTS of it was a blatant show of wealth and excessive consumption.Ā Ā
Mechanically-produced lace wasnāt really a thing until well into the 20th century, but there remains a wide gap between the quality ofĀ mass-produced and hand crafted
In general textile arts are highly underated considering the amount of skill and time needed to execute pretty much anything.
after two months of work, tiny jester is finally complete!!! i learned a lot through the process, and iām so glad she came out how i wanted her to. she also has her spiritual weapon, her pink haversack, donuts, and a little potion of healing!
odin is like āwhen thor was born the sun shone bright upon his beautiful face. i found loki on the sidewalk outside a taco bellā
OĆ°inn spake:
Bright the sun shone | at the time of Ćorās birth, And bathed his count’nance fair. Loki, wolf-father, | the trickster, the liar, I found on the cold pavement While returning in glory | from a grand hunt For a 3 AM quesadilla.
XI's Archived Tumblr Blog 