Creme Caramel

I took a little break from studying and made some creme caramel soaps. I'm happy with the design but am really confused about the smell!



The top is scented with Special Edition Vanilla fragrance from Sweetcakes and the bottom part of the soap is scented with Brown Sugar Fragrance from Save on Scents. The reason I switched the two scents was due to the vanilla's discolouring agent. However, when I first removed it out of the mould, the soap smelled like a cross between eggs and cake. Not unpleasant but not great either.



Now, it doesn't really smell like anything. Just sweet and very mildly so which I think is due to the raw cane sugar I sprinkled on top. The heat from the saponification caramelised it quite well even if it was a pain to get it out of the mould.



I think I'll have to increase the amount of fragrance I included although I thought I put in loads of the vanilla! I suspect its not very concentrated at all which is a shame. Anyone have any experience with fragrances from Sweetcakes?

Hello everyone

I know my posts have been few and far in-between. Things have been a little hectic lately. I have so many things to do and I just want to get them over with. 

First, I have to get my visa renewed to continue my studies and I can't decide if I should get a medical check-up with or without a blood test. A blood test is required if I want to apply for a permanent visa which I am thinking of getting done. The check up costs AUD223 and if I do one without a blood test now, I'll have to pay another AUD223 to get it done again even if it hasn't already been 12 months!

You'd think it would be easy though. Just get a blood test done! Unfortunately, I'm a big fat chicken hiding in the body of a 21 year old girl. I detest blood tests. Maybe I need to start practicing by donating blood. Can you imagine me chickening out on donating blood? I won't actually be the most popular kid on the block.

I don't like injections but I'm not afraid of them. It's when they start drawing the blood that I get a little iffy. Apparently, you can feel the blood flowing through your vein when they do it! What's up with that? I just got stuck by a needle, I don't need to feel the blood rushing out of my vein! Plus, I don't think it helps that I hate the sight of blood? Makes me automatically reach for my neck (too many vampire films). AHH, okay I'm freaking out.

I also have to renew my medical insurance, get passport photos blah blah blah I'm boring myself. Basically, need to tick off all the things on my visa checklist and I don't know why I'm even stressing about this.

Secondly, I have an INSANE exam timetable. I have an exam on the 25th and two on the 26th and I'm leaving on a jet plane (insert tune to leaving on a jet plane here) at midnight. I booked my ticket on the 26th because what are the odds I'll have an exam on the very last day anyway. Never happened to me before. Well, someone hates me because i have TWO on the last day.

I'm supposed to do some shopping for family before I go back to Malaysia and I don't know how I'm going to find the time to do that. Did I mention I'm also working??? Four hours a day for five days starting monday. My boss is a tyrant and doesn't allow students to take time off work for exams because most of his employees are students. Although, I'm quitting after this semester so it's all good!

There you have it, I'm a little stressed. I had the worse nightmare last night. I was stuck in the middle of a war from a horror movie, chased by a monster with the biggest and sharpest teeth ever and a bomb dropped on to my baby brother. Woke up at 1 in the afternoon feeling completely drained.

Put some oats in the microwave and it exploded. Oh, okay then! Sighed to myself, cleaned up the microwave, made a fresh batch and set the power to a lower level and a shorter time. Came back to find the oats had exploded again. It wasn't okay this time.

These are the oats that I cook everyday for breakfast and they've never exploded on me. Well, maybe the first time I did them but that doesn't count!

I'm feeling very frazzled and anxious. As I type this, I'm sitting on the edge of my seat. What is going on? However, I'm determined not to adopt a negative attitude but I will be taking a little break from blogging as frequently as I was a month or two ago.

Everything will be back to normal after the end of this month. I have not lost my passion for soaps, creams, bombs, melts, etc. So expect more to come! Wish me luck for my exams everyone!

I'll still be visiting my favourite blogs from time to time. Love, kisses and hugs to all my regular readers and blogging friends!

Michelle

Surprise!

Look what came to me in the mail recently.



Black Cherry and Vanilla Shea Butter Lip Balm from Elizabeth Gassner at Gassner Custom Soaps! She sent me a little present for commenting on a little competition she had on her blog post. I didn't actually get it right but she sent me something anyway. Isn't she a sweetie? The packaging didn't actually come like that. I've been using it and my fingers must have rubbed some of the ink off. That is proof that I adore this lip balm!




Oh lip balm, how I love thee, let me count the ways! Okay, first of all, this lip balm comes packed in the cutest oval tube I've ever seen. Makes for an easy applicator, I absolutely love it. Very unique!

Second, I fell in love with the scent, oh and what a scent! It smells exactly like sweet cherries. I used to have a doll that smelled like cherries when I was younger and this sure does bring back memories :).

Last but not least, I adore how it feels on my lips! It glides on smoothly and leaves behind a gorgeous, glossy sheen. The best part? It doesn't feel oily at all. After a while, I barely realise it's there!

Thank you Elizabeth for the lovely gift!!

You can get one of her amazing lip balms here. You can also pick any flavour you want and for USD 2.50 it's a steal!

Gassner Custom Soaps Main Website
Gassner Custom Soaps's Etsy
Elizabeth's Blog

Happy 21st Birthday to Me and Coconut Ice!

I turned 21 yesterday. Now I want to be 18 again. But when I was 18 I wanted to be 16 again so don't pay any attention to me.

I didn't have a big celebration as its too close to everyone's exams especially mine :(. I went for dinner instead with Dan at Ezard. The food was UNBELIEVABLE. The chef knows what he's doing, for sure! The service was impeccable as well. Everything about the place was wonderful (except the price). Definitely a place for special occasions.



My half-eaten Honeycrunch Ice-cream which was supposed to look like this.



Coconut Ice Salt Bars fragranced with Island Coconut from Brambleberry. By the way I don't know if I mentioned this but you can get Brambleberry fragrances from Aussie Soap Supplies if you're aussie ;).

Success at last with the salt bars. I used 100% coconut oil at 20% superfat and stick blended to a very thick trace then added fine sea salt, its weight in oils.

I know I've been away for long and I apologise. I've let my regular readers down. I promise to try and post more regularly.

Elizabeth from Gassner Custom Soaps sent me a little surprise in the mail for participating in a contest on her blog. I'll let you guys know what it is soon ;). It smells yummy!!!

I'm going to go stalk my favourite blogs now! Hehe!!