Uptown Soap Co. Blog

Random Beauties

2012-01-18T17:46:00.001-08:00

Just a couple of random beauties today... and yes I realize there's quite a few that are pink. Perhaps its because Valentine's Day is just around the corner or just the fact that my outfit is almost entirely pink today and its rubbing off. Either way, I adore these pink little hearts which seem to have just the right amount of rose petals suspended on top.

Rose Bubble Bars perhaps. And if the purple rocks are soaps, two thumbs up for these guys

You just can't go wrong with a stamped birdie on top of a kraft paper sleeve.

If you can't read the text, it says Firenze on it and that is just enough excuse for me to put it on here. One my favorite places in the whole world.

Soap bars from a store or perhaps a stand. Bulk soaps are always fun.

Tin containers are one of my favorites. There's just a certain sophistication about them and yet not pretentious at all.

Strawberry Yogurt Soap. Almost good enough to eat.

And a little felt soaps just for a change.

Petri Dish Soaps

2012-01-17T15:11:00.000-08:00

There is an ingenious company on Etsy by the name of Cleaner Science and they are the masterminds of these insanely adorable Petri Dish Soaps. Have you honestly seen something cuter! And very practical as well, I might add. I've never seen anything like 'em and I certainly hope that they come up with more soaps very soon.

Blue Petri Dish Soap

White Petri Dish Soap

Clear Petri Dish Soap

Red Petri Dish Soap

Orange Petri Dish Soap

Need I say that this one's my favorite! Pink Petri Dish Soap

Yellow Petri Dish Soap

Purple Petri Dish Soap

Dream Bathrooms

2012-01-10T18:38:00.000-08:00

Happy new year Uptowners! I've been researching amazing bathrooms lately and I couldn't help but share them with you all.

Exhibit A: I have never looked at a bathroom picture for so long in my entire life. If you have such an incredible bathroom, what is the purpose of ever leaving. I mean its an absolute dream space, what more could one want. One day... one day

Exhibit B: Just as cute. Modern, simple, spacious. Perfection really.

Exhibit C: BYOS - Bring your own Spa?

Exhibit D: Aaaah, so Parisian, so spectacular. I love busy wallpaper and the red.

Exhibit E: Perhaps not the most stylish, but certainly the most practical. Perfect little nook for your shampoos and Uptown Soaps :-)

Hope you enjoyed them as much as I did.... I think I may have to add more bathroom design posts. They're too fun to look at

Syrian Soap Factory

2011-09-02T09:30:00.000-07:00

Its been so long that it took me nearly five min to remember what my blog password was. Oops! We have been running around like chickens with their heads cut off in the last couple of months working on all sorts of exciting projects that I cannot wait to tell you all about. In the meantime, here's a little vid on soap making in Syria which I find fascinating. Its not quite the same way we make our soaps but its worth a little look-see ;-)

MAAK SOAP LAB

2011-07-27T17:09:00.000-07:00

I am not impressed by other soap companies too often. To be honest its hard to find smaller soap companies nowadays (unless of course you're browsing through Etsy, but even those are pretty much the same cold processed soaps you can find anywhere).

I just stumbled onto this lil company (well they might not be so lil, but at least I've never heard of them before). They're called Maak Soap Lab and they're out of Portland, OR. Well I've never been to Portland but if this is an indication of what else is in that city, I'm about to be on the next flight out.

I truly have soap envy... I don't think they could have created a more perfect bar of soap. Its delightfully simple packaging and textured label is enough to keep me completely fascinated. I hope you enjoy the photos.

Maak Soap Lab mailer on the way

I can seriously stare at this image for hours

How meticulously placed

Maak soaps in one of their Retailers

Maak Soap Lab soaps

Soap Shavings - have you ever seen anything more beautiful

Even their shipments look ridiculously cute! And is that the date of shipment on top - ugh it couldn't be more perfect.

Hotel Toiletries

2011-06-16T12:06:00.000-07:00

We have officially decided to enter the incredibly competitive hotel toiletry world. And we have amazing ideas on how to turn the somewhat boring phase that's taken over most hotels. I want us to create amazing pieces of art that will be the showpiece of any bathroom! Nothing gets to me more than checking into a beautifully decorated hotel and finding out that the bath and body products are so bad that I need to run out and buy my own. Not to even mention that the packaging of most toiletries is so unimpressive and it almost shows that noone put some thought into it.
I have included some of the most popular hotel toiletries from around the world. Some are good, some are awful - you'll have to decide for yourself. What are your favorite hotel toiletries?

Penhaligon Hotel Toiletries
Fabulous packaging and by looking at it, I can just imagine how nice the products are.

Molton Brown Hotel Toiletries
I love Molton Brown - I love the fragrances and I even love the little belly button on their bottles. I hope they never change them.

Kiehls Hotel Toiletries
Will anyone really spend the time to read what's on those labels... makes you wonder.

Hermes Hotel Toiletries
I think they were trying to appeal to men more than women with the rectangle shape of the bottles. I like it

Fresh Hotel Toiletries
Fresh somehow always finds a way to stay simple and decadent at the same time. I'm a fan.

Floris Hotel Toiletries
I love the dark packaging, why is everyone else doing white or clear bottles??

Etro Hotel Toiletries
Modern

CO Bigelow Hotel Toiletries
Dark amber bottle with a vintage sign. Totally speaks of the brand and the fact that they've been around forever.

Bulgari Hotel Toiletries
I realize they're trying to appeal to the high end bracket, but couldn't they come up with something that looks a little less generic? I am not trying to be rude, but if a brand is known for their luxurious items, I think they should spend some time on pushing the envelope.

Bliss Hotel Toiletries
Bought by W Hotels, Bliss does a great job at spa-looking products

Aveda Hotel Toiletries

Acqua di Parma Hotel Toiletries
Love the vibrant colors, the shapes, and the overall simplicity. This is quite possibly the most expensive line of the bunch and I think their packaging delivers.

Carthusia | Sabater Hnos | Fragonard

2011-05-14T20:37:00.000-07:00

There are way too many photos of my trip to Europe but the ones that I cherish the most (for obvious reasons) are the incredible soap stores that we had the chance to visit. Here are some of the most famous factories in Europe: Carthusia (known for their perfumes), Fragonard (a very impressive company that's more than a century old) and my personal favorite Sabater Hnos (the geniuses behind the most inventive soaps I've ever seen).

First stop, Sabater Hnos. The store is positioned in Barcelona's tiny winding roads and it was challenging to find but once we got there - it was all worth it! They had so many fragrances to choose from and each one unique to their names (which is such a rarity nowadays). It was a tiny but very packed store, positioned right next to a fancy shmancy boutique hotel in the center of downtown.

The gift sets are to die for. You can fill up the boxes with confetti soaps as filler and then place the soapy creations on top. Really simple and really impressive.

The sales person only spoke Spanish so I tried to take as much information from her about the store as I could with my broken Spanglish. Turns out they make all the soaps in the back room and while I was talking to her, she was actually peeling some of the petal soaps so they don't stick to each other.

Up next, Carthusia. They were such a treat to see, we went to Capri just for the sights and didn't even know they were on the island until we stumbled onto their factory. They were so nice and let us take pictures of everything (that's one thing I hate about NYers, noone lets you take photos in the stores).

Glycerine gift set soaps, Orange soaps and Lemon soaps. They were so realistic, you almost want to take a bite.

The factory was incredible. They had so many fragrance oils that they worked with and everything was so organized.

Carthusia Candles wrapped after production.

One of their stores in Capri. Diffusers, Candles, Soaps... they had it all.

Another store display.

The only reason we went to Nice, France in the first place was to visit Fragonard's factory but to our amazement that never happened due to scheduling conflicts. We did walk into their store in Eze though which wasn't as exciting but nevertheless we got a little Fragonard in our hands to play with.

Their store was very orange (literally - all the lighting had an orange tint to it). It was wonderful to see such an old company thrive but I have to be honest I was a little disappointed with their products. The soaps didn't smell like the names they described (am I crazy to want a Rose to smell like the real thing?) and the packaging seemed to be a little too "crabtree and evelyn" for my taste.

I couldn't leave Spain without snapping a picture of their Mosaic soaps, inspired by all the statues in Park Guell.

I hope you enjoyed this post - I wish that one day my job could be just traveling the world and visiting amazing soap stores such as these. Til next time!

Mathilde M. Soaps in Nice, France

2011-04-12T11:31:00.000-07:00

A couple of months ago I had the privilege of visiting Nice, France for a very short time (but that didn't stop me from finding the coolest little soap store in the city). The store couldn't have been more than 150 sq ft and it was packed with bars of soap from top to bottom. From what I remember they all smelled very similar but a fragrance that would appeal to anyone. Hope you enjoy some of the photos and if you click on them, you'll see them in a larger format.

Round soaps with a Soap Dish tied with a silk ribbon

Matilde M. Soaps (french soaps)

Heart Soap

The top boxes were filled with miniature angel soaps

Incredible Soap Carvings

2011-04-03T17:04:00.000-07:00

This is the neatest thing I've seen done with soap in a really long time. Sharpen your knives kids, because we're going soap carving! Images provided by Mrs. Miller's Art Class:

Turtle Soap

Bear Soap

Fish Soap and Butterfly Soap

Turtle Soap in Progress

Fish Soap eating Turtle Soap

Bird Soap

Car Soap

Whole Foods Soaps

2011-03-30T15:51:00.000-07:00

I adore Whole Foods and honestly who doesn't? Since we recently moved our offices downtown, I am within walking distance to a Whole Foods and usually go there to grab my lunch. So it occurred to me that I have never done a post on all the soaps in my local Whole Foods. So here we go:

1. Whole Foods Brand French Milled Soap. I am CRAZY about their sandalwood fragrance, which oddly enough smells nothing like sandalwood but primarily resembles a sweet candy fragrance. It's incredible and although I never buy soaps from other companies, this lil guy might be the first one I might have to eventually purchase because its seriously that delicious smelling.

2. Pacifica Soaps - Although they're pretty cool, I find it sad that Whole Foods ships them from ALL across the country in California to deliver them to NY. Doesn't really go with their "save the planet" approach, does it?

3. Zum Bar - Im not the biggest Zum Bar fan but I'm sure they're someone's favorite because I see millions of them in the store so apparently someone must be buying them.

4. EO Handmade Soap

5. Pangea Organics Soap - Pangea was really popular a couple of years ago but now I've noticed that its died down a little since a lot of my local stores do not carry it anymore.

Soaptopia - Venice Soap Store Story

2011-03-13T21:14:00.001-07:00

I have always been a fan of Soaptopia - a quaint little soap store in Venice Beach, CA
There's nothing I love more than companies that were founded by people that just want to make the world a little better. And in this case, the owner started her soap company because she couldn't find any soaps that were all natural and wouldn't irritate her skin. Watch the video to learn more about her story.

Soaptopia - Long Form from Rich Wafer on Vimeo.

Candle Making on a whole other level!

2011-01-09T11:05:00.001-08:00

I know this is not soap related, but I've noticed that most soap enthusiasts love making candles or just love admiring them in general, so I thought I'd share this amazing video on how candles are made. Simply beautiful and very inspiring! And just as a side note - I wanted to add that we will be adding soy candles to our product line within the next month so keep an eye out on them. I promise you, you have never seen anything like them - they are very clever and super eco-friendly in more ways than one :-)

Lush Cosmetics

2010-12-30T13:03:00.000-08:00

I have to be honest, I am not the biggest Lush fan. Every time I go into their stores, I am attacked by 3 sales people practically forcing me to try their newest jellies. Their fragrances hardly smell like the description and most of all their products are expensive beyond belief. With that all said, you can't deny that there is something very charming about this company. Anyone that can create handmade goodies with hardly any packaging gets a star in my book. So I decided to dedicate this blog post to them. The people that work hard and invent some of the most imaginative new bath products on the market. Enjoy the video and comment below: What do you think about Lush?

Lush Cosmetics - A Lush Life, We Believe from Jack Constantine on Vimeo.

Fragonard Bound!

2010-10-22T09:52:00.001-07:00

I am so excited to announce that the Uptown Team is headed to France!! In exactly 3 weeks, we will be frolicking the beautiful landscape of Eze and taking a tour of the world-renowned Fragonard Parfumary. I have included some images below, but be sure that we'll take a ton more when we arrive.
PS - We're also going to: Italy, Spain, Monaco and Mallorca so if there are any other soaps stores or factories that we must visit, please do tell!!

Atlanta International Gift Show

2010-07-07T18:51:00.000-07:00

I cannot believe the time has FINALLY come! For the past 6 mos we have been working so hard on launching new collections for the Atlanta International Gift and Home Furnishings Market which will take place next week (July 14th through July 21st).

If you are coming to the show, we would LOVE to see you there. We will have a permanent showroom at The Simblist Group (http://www.simblistgroup.com) which is located in:

Atlanta Gift Mart, 230 Spring St., Ste. 1621, Atlanta, GA 30303
404.524.2812 | 800.524.1621 | 404.524.8901 (fax)

I will personally be there to answer any questions that you might have. Looking forward to meeting you all!
- Silvia -

Uptown Soap Co officially introducts the Gift Sets

2010-06-18T17:41:00.001-07:00

I am soooooooo incredibly excited to announce that our gift sets are finally up on our website! www.uptownsoap.com We have been working on our new collections for so so long that its hard to remember when we first started. I have included some pics of the new beauties below. All of these products will be available in the upcoming Atlanta and New York tradeshows in July and August. I hope you like them as much as we do.

Victorian Collection

Vintage Collection

Plantea Collection

Animalia Collection

Soccer-Mania

2010-05-23T18:13:00.001-07:00

So I have to admit it, I'm a pretty big soccer fan. I've watched the games since I was little and living in Europe for the first 12 years of my life has definitely taught me to love the sport. With the World Cup of 2010 just around the corner, I figured it's the perfect time to do a little post on some interesting soccer themed soaps and bathroom products.

These are my absolute favorites! Seriously, what bathroom wouldn't look better by adding this crystal work of art.

Need I say more?!?

Glycerin soccer soaps

Another soccer liquid dispenser. Not as amazing as the first one, but this one would be perfect for a kids' bathroom

Fabulous! If any of you are interested in making this soap, simply search for a soccer ball shaped mold and pour clear glycerin base. I think the result is stunning, simple and simply fabulous.

This is one even has a little toy soccer ball inside. Adorable

And what bathroom would be complete without the perfect soccer ball shower curtain.

How are they made: Soap Bars

2010-04-25T14:22:00.000-07:00

A very interesting video on how soap bars are commercially made. Its amazing how many steps there are right?

What in the world...

2010-04-08T10:32:00.001-07:00

We try to be as inventive as we can at Uptown Soap C0 but these soap creations have nothing on us. Some of the strangest soaps can be found right here, so make sure and read along.

When I was in High School I become a little obsessed with video games and Super Mario was always my go-to game. If I ever get hooked on playing them again, I'm definitely buying this remote control soap. It would make a really funny gift to give to someone that's obsessed with playing, don't you think?

My oh my.... popcorn soap! Looks delicious and I bet it smells delicious too.

Is this not the prettiest mouse you have ever seen. Cuuuute

I definitely would not be able to tell the difference on which one is real if I had these next to some real popsicles. Adorable and packaging them with the foil is a great idea.

So inventive! Everything is soap: the cookie, the milk and if you really wanted to you could technically even make the clear cup out of clear glycerin soap. Awesome!

And what post would be complete on strange soaps if we didn't have the Matzo Ball soaps! Personally, I've never tasted them but if the real thing looked as good as this one, I'll be the first in line!

Soaptopia - Soap Overview

2010-04-08T09:58:00.000-07:00

I learned about Soaptopia a couple of years ago and what I've always liked about them is that they don't try to fuss too much with their packaging but rather they let the beautiful soaps speak for themselves. They have a couple of stores in California so if you're in the area, make sure you stop by and check em out!

Vet it Be
Vetiver and Grapefruit Essential Oils

Red Hot Lover
Cinnamon and Clove Essential Oils

Rozilla vs. Dry Skinea
Madagascar Vanilla and Rose Essential Oil with monstrous moisturizing power

Somewhere Over the Bathbow
The Luckiest Soap - Rose Geranium, Citrus, Lavender and Mint

L.A. Squeeze
Lemon & Lavender Essential Oils Natural Handmade Soap Bar

The Grapefruit Gatsby
Natural Handmade soap with plant infusions and essential oils of Grapefruit, Lime and Rose Geranium

El Jabon de Mi Corazon
Lavender and Rose Essential Oils

Creme Vanilla Soap Bar
Rich Madagascar Vanilla Oil

Blue Velvet
Sweet Orange Blossom and Ylang Ylang Essential Oils and French Blue Clay

Blue Pearl Jam
Jasmine, Ylang Ylang and Nam Champa Essential Oils with Florida Gulf Coast Sand

Soap Factories

2010-02-23T20:27:00.000-08:00

Our little baby is growing and we have been looking into finding larger manufacturers that can help us produce our soaps faster. There are quite a few soap factories so I wanted to feature a couple of them just in case you soapers out there find yourself in the same situation one day!

Cosme Soap - French Made Soaps

Vermont Soapworks

The process of making soap is fascinating, so even if you're just curious about how those little bars make it to the grocery store, check 'em out!

Add us to Facebook!

Soap Story Stores

2010-02-18T13:01:00.000-08:00

I found this interesting soap store the other day and had to feature it. It's called The Soap Story and can be found in The Netherlands, Turkey, Spain and various other countries (except US).

Although I really like the concept of their stores, I'm not too crazy about their products. Is it just me or are they looking a little generic?

Displays are nice. They could use a little more color though. I'm totally kidding!

They have quite a few franchises and this one is a free-standing store instead of a mall store, which most of them are I believe.

Kinda looks like a Candy Store, doesn't it?

Add us to Facebook!

Add us to your Facebook!

2010-02-11T19:47:00.000-08:00

Hey Everyone,
We have created a Facebook Page and we would L+O+V+E it if you can join us!

The Facebook Page will be the only place where we discuss new product ideas and we'll even do Giveaways there (and lets be honest, who doesn't need a little soap in their lives to make 'em happy :)

Become a Fan

Goat Soap

2010-02-10T08:21:00.000-08:00

Very cool video on a small business owner that started a handmade goat milk soap company. Congrats to Leanne Faulkner!

Buddha Soaps

2010-02-08T19:00:00.000-08:00

Hey Yall! If you've been following my blog, you have probably noticed that I am a little obsessed with Buddhas. In fact I'm pretty sure I have already written a previous post on buddha soaps but I found some really cool new ones and I couldn't help myself. All of the following are, as always, made out of soap

This is hands down my FAVORITE soap ever! And yes, I am aware of the fact that I say that all the time but this time I really mean it! If someone gave me this as a present, I could almost cry. And I am not one of those girls that cries easily either - only when a super duper cute item is presented in front of me :)

Another Buddha soap in a box but this one seems to have eaten a little too much.

I think this might be the exact same buddha as the first one. I wish I knew what the name of the company is that makes them - if any of you know, please let me know! If this soap is so adorable, I can only imagine what their other soaps look like.

So I found this cute little guy on Soap Queen's Blog. It looks like they made him out of clear glycerin soap and added some seeds (maybe apricot?) to its whole body. Cuteness overload! And that's a good thing.

Cute. Funny. Makes you smile. What more could you want from a soap.

And on a final note, I had to post this because: it. is. amazing :) I will gladly stay in any hotel that has this much sense of humor!

New Products!

2010-02-05T17:16:00.000-08:00

We just returned from the NYIGF and I wanted to share some photos of all of our new products with you. All the positive feedback put a smile on our face and we hope to always exceed your expectations with any future products!

Japanese Yuzu Body Cream. It's gentle enough to use on your face or whole body. Japanese Yuzu is a brand new fragrance that we launched at the show and it received wonderful reviews so if you like grapefruit scented products - this one's for you!

Verbena Verde Body Cream - very citrusy and very lemony

Santorini Rose Body Cream. I have never been a fan of floral scents but this one is TO DIE FOR! I made sure that I asked everyone that came to our booth to smell it and there was not even 1 person that said they didn't like it (even the people that don't normally like roses).

Anju Pear Body Cream. Our Anju Pear fragrance is our #1 Seller and it's because its an exact copy of the actual fruit.

Black Honey Body Cream. Black Honey is another new fragrance we launched this year. It's very fragrant and resembles honeysuckles.

Lychee Currant Body Cream. Mostly Black Currant with a hint of Lychee.

And last but not least, our Liquid Soaps made their debut. Each bottle is 40% recycled glass that is hand blown individually. We are also the first soap company ever to put the labels on the inside of the bottles, so it will not get damaged over time! My favorite fragrance in the liquid soaps is our Sugar Lily :)
Till next time!

Behind the Scenes of: Mistral

2010-01-19T19:53:00.000-08:00

I recently returned from a sunny filled vacation in San Diego, CA. Everything was wonderful: the weather, the beaches, the food but there is one thing that stood out from the rest. Visiting the Mistral Headquarters was as exciting for me as a kid going to Disneyland. Actually it was probably as exciting as going to Disneyland, Disneyworld, Busch Gardens, Six Flags and The San Diego Zoo combined!! I've always been a fan of their products but now that I met the people behind the company, I have a whole new appreciation for them.
My tour guide was none other than Matthew Tilker, the president of Mistral. I had no idea that the person that I have read so much about was going to show me around. I was delighted to meet him and he also said that I can take photos of their facility for my blog.
I hope you all enjoy this behind the scenes tour and hopefully I'll be able to feature some other soap companies that are willing to take us in.

Mistral's offices are located very close to their store in Solana Beach. I highly recommend stopping by the store, it's a total soap haven.

As soon as you walk into the entrance, they have photographs of their soaps across the whole wall.

Mistral only has about 18 employees working in this facility because most of the production is done in France. Matthew travels to France twice a year to oversee production and to discuss new products.

This is a shot of their warehouse area. Every liquid soap, bar soap, parfume, etc was labeled and put into boxes so they can be shipped out quickly to clients.

The gift baskets area. Each one is gift wrapped delicately by hand.

This is a very small portion of the "new products" room. They have shelves full of fragrances to choose from and little tester soaps all over the place. Their newest fragrance is Lavender and I have to say that I am not a big fan of Lavender at all, but theirs is truly amazing. Coming up with new products can take up to a year and a half, so they really have to do their homework well and predict what the trends will be far in advance.

Mistral will be exhibiting at the NYIGF this January/February so they already had all of their products and catalogs laid out for the show.

This is the shipping area and I believe it is mostly for online orders. You can see all of the soaps are organized in the clear boxes where they await patiently to be sent to their next owners.

Till next time!

Felted Soaps

2009-12-31T13:41:00.001-08:00

Now I know what you're thinking but don't jump to conclusions. These fuzzy little squares and circles are indeed soaps! That's right - felted soaps. For those of you that are as obsessed with Anthropologie as I am, you may have seen similar felted soaps in their stores so that's why I decided to do the research and find similarly adorable ones.

I have to be honest, I am really not a big fan of them. I understand that they are both a washcloth and a soap in one but c'mon, is that really necessary?

Anywhoo, there are people that like them and can't live without them - so for all of you out there in that category, I present to you: The Felted Soaps.

These guys are definitely my favorite. Simple with a little pop of color. They might make a great gift for Valentine's day.

Cute. I have no idea how they made them because it looks like a lot of work so I'm quite impressed with these.

And which household does not need a felted soap ornament I ask?!?

Once the felt is rubbed into the soap, they have to be set out to dry for a couple of hours.

It looks like a great arts and crafts project

And finally if you don't have the patience to make a felted soap, you can always just wrap some felt around it as the packaging.

If you're interested how to make these types of soaps, head over to youtube and SuZanna will teach you how! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lVaxwVWf3po

Cyber Monday $5 Flat Rate Shipping on all US orders!

2009-11-29T21:20:00.000-08:00

We've got Cyber Monday on our minds!
$5 FLAT SHIPPING on all US orders.
Take that Black Friday =)

Visit www.uptownsoap.com

Blog Blog Blog...

2009-11-27T19:47:00.000-08:00

Hey Guys!
I know it's been a while. We are in prime holiday season right now and have been working like crazy lately, which is why you're not seeing new posts on the blog every day. We would love for you to send us requests about certain topics. No topic is off limits!! (ahem...as long as you stay in the bath and body category :)

Do you have a new store in your neighborhood that we can feature? Are you absolutely IN LOVE with a certain soap that you would like to share? Are you making your own soap recipes?

We would love to hear from you! Please send us your post requests to hello@uptownsoap.com
Hopefully, this will give us a much needed nudge to keep this blog more updated!

Find the theme and you get a lollipop!

2009-11-12T19:00:00.000-08:00

Okay fine, I admit it - there is no theme this week. These are totally random soaps that I thought deserve the attention of our little blog. Some are cute, some are weird, some are tasty, some I need to have immediately. Either way, I think they're all amazing in their own way so make sure you take a peek!

Talk about a new version of SoapRocks! Unlike the original (which I highly despise) these are absolutely stunning.

I chose this because I love their packaging. And with a name like "Bay Citrus", how could you not like it.

Awesome packaging. The box is full of different types of olive oil soaps. They almost have a zen quality to them.

We need to do a similar idea in our stores. These large blocks of glycerin soap can be cup up to any size and sold by the pound. Lush stores also sell their soaps like this.

I love this store. I wish I knew the name of it. My favorite soap is the clear one with the grass.

The simpler, the better.

This shot was taken from a Savon de Marceille store. I have to admit, I'm a really big fan of their signature square shape.

Okay so for those of you that don't know this yet, I have a huge obsession with gingerbread man. So for me, soap doesn't get any more perfect than this. It's so charming, so adorable and it instantly whisks you off to fairy tale mode. Love love love.

Ah, what soap blog would be complete without a cop's best friend.

Chocolate Soap - Well I know that some of you chocoholics out there cannot take your eyes off this photo, but please scroll down - there's more!

Nope not a real box of chocolates.

And last but definitely not least, the soaptini. Till next time!

2009-09-27T20:01:00.000-07:00

If you're a fan of those Lush Jellies but don't want to spend a fortune buying them every time, try making your own! And the best part is you can make them any color and fragrance you wish.

Etsy Soap Finds

2009-09-23T19:07:00.000-07:00

So I haven't been to Etsy in a really really long time - don't ask why (believe me, I'm asking myself the same question!) There are so many creative soaps that have popped up that I had to feature them. Buckle your seat belts, we are going for a ride!

Is this not the best cupcake you have EVER seen in your entire life. I'm thinking it's choco + mint and although I'm not a fan of eating chocolate, I would buy this soapcake any day!

Okay kinda creepy (just a lil bit) especially if you find this guy staring at you in the bathroom but nevertheless still very unique.

I am loving this adorable little hedgehog soap. Cutest thing ever!

Halloween's just around the corner and if you're trying to find some decoration for your bathroom I suggest getting this guy. It truly is soap. My guess is that it's a decal put on top of the clear glycerin soap and once you start using the soap, the image will fade away.

I think this soap is genius, simple but still genius. You have a layer of white shea butter soap and a layer of blue glycerin soap. If you don't have molds that have this specific design, my suggestion is to take bubble wrap and put it on the bottom of a silicone dish. It will get a really neat texture that's very similar to this.

Bones and Skulls soaps - how can you go wrong? You can't!

I am not a fan of these by any means but I know that they are extremely popular with the masses. I do however realize how difficult they are to make so they get a spot in my blog.

O-M-I-C-G! That's right I said it and I'm not ashamed of it either! Oh my ice cream god. If I seriously had these in my bathroom and was forced to look at them every day, I'm pretty sure I would be another 25 lbs overweight. Cute idea but very evil.

I think this is one of the coolest shapes for soap that I have seen in a long time. Will it fit in the soap dish? Probably not, but I can just imagine how many ways you can wrap these up that will make them even more stunning. Love love love and that yellowish caramely color looks exactly like honey to me. Yummy

I don't think it gets anymore adorable than this folks.

The colors are perfection. I don't even like getting massages but I'm sure I'll try them if I had this massage-bar.

Oooh how I love the ocean - the smell, the color, the sounds.... And this to me, is like an ocean in a bar. Stunning! If you're making this soap at home, you can use poppy seeds, apricot seeds or even blueberry seeds for the top. Just make sure you don't use anything crazy like black pepper (that's right, I know exactly what you were thinking!). Black pepper is fine to use in some soaps but you definitely do not want to put as much as this photograph.

I love this packaging. It looks like something Anthropologie might carry.

Where is my SOAP!

2009-09-11T21:59:00.000-07:00

I am constantly asked where people can buy our soaps. Well as of now we are in 48 stores across 14 states. For a full list, you can visit our website but I did want to start doing spotlights on some of them because they are just simply too cute not to show them off!

Town Home located in Philadelphia, PA

Such an adorable modern store. I love places that don't seem cluttered and everything seems like it has a place.

Red Tree located in Baltimore, MD

As a past Marylander I was thrilled that they decided to carry our soaps. The window display looks fantastic and the red building is just too cute for words!

Sustainable located in New York, NY

Such an amazing, all-green, eco-friendly store. It's a must stop for all those that are looking to buy products that are not only really good for you, but also good for our planet.

ENJOY located in Chicago, IL

Unfortunately, I have never had the privilege of visiting Chicago yet however you can bet that this will be my first stop when I land on Illinois soil. They have this amazing video of their entire store on their website and it looks like the coolest place on earth. In fact, I would like to just bring a really big bean bag chair and just live there for the rest of my life.

Firefly located in Thomasville, GA

I couldn't find too many photos of Firefly but judging just by their website, this store is special in its own way. They carry very unique products that I have not seen anywhere else.

Essentials located in Northampton, MA and Amherst, MA

Again, another store that I have not been able to visit personally but their website is awesome, filled with unique and charming products. This store looks like the kind of place that you run to on the day of a birthday party. It looks like they have a little bit of everything for everyone.

Exit 9 located in New York, NY and Brooklyn, NY

Exit 9 was one of our very first clients that decided to carry our soaps and we have been delighted to work with them. The Brooklyn location is extremely organized and they are always bringing in new products for their customers.

That's all for now, I'll be bringing you more store updates very soon!

Feeling Hungry? Sushi Edition

2009-09-08T17:48:00.001-07:00

I hope you guys have eaten recently because I can almost guarantee that you will be starving after today's post! I am a HUGE fan of all things Asian. That includes bubble tea, kokeshi dolls, and of course sushi!! So it was only a matter of time of when I'll do a blog post on sushi soaps. Check em out below - and remember every inch of these amazing creations is soap!

Okay seriously - BEST PRESENT EVER! Too cute, I hope it comes with the chopsticks :)

I found these through Etsy, so real - I can almost smell the ginger

Well this is definitely not going in my bathroom but straight in my tummy! (Disclaimer: We at Uptown Soap Co do not recommend eating our soaps or any other soaps no matter how amazingly deliciously they smell, look or feel!). But seriously people, this looks way too yummy!

If you're attempting to make this soap at home, I would recommend buying a plastic mold because they will make your soap shiny just like the picture above. Silicone molds tend to give soaps a flat/non-glossy effect.

How neat! This one is already packed in a lunch box.

These guys are really easy to make - maybe I'll do a tutorial on how to make sushi soaps some day.

This one wins best packaging. Awesome

How real does the ginger and wasabi look?

YUMO!

Sushi soaps have become quite popular. I have even seen them sold in the Natural History Museum gift shop and the buyers have been telling me they sell really well.

I hope you guys enjoyed them just as much as I did. And now if you excuse me, I have to make a quick run to Chinatown :)

100th Post - Company Spotlight

2009-08-27T07:57:00.000-07:00

This is our 100th Post - Yay!!!

Other than celebrating with cupcakes, I was thinking we should do a spotlight on a really amazing company that does super cute soaps. They look a lot like our Art Bars except their images disappear when you start using the soap. I wish they weren't so cloudy because that really takes away from their beauty. Cloudiness in soaps occurs when you use too much rubbing alcohol, which is typically used to remove any bubbles from the surface for a nice even layer.

FarrahWinterBathCo - Available on Etsy!

Molded Soaps

2009-08-23T06:43:00.001-07:00

Today's post is on soaps that were molded. The most popular company that does "shaped" soaps is Gianna de Rose and although noone comes even close to their work in my opinion, I still wanted to show you a couple of other adorable soaps.

These are specifically designed for babies. They look quite adorable and are sold in the high end stores. Each box includes an elephant soap, a teddy bear soap and a bunny soap.

Well this guy is just too cute. He's made with a glycerin base so he had to be wrapped in cellophane but his cuteness comes out nonetheless!

So this monkey soap does not exactly match my other ones but I thought the packaging was so clever that I just had to include him. I've never seen these anywhere in the stores, if you guys have - let me know where I can get one!

Classic Gianna de Rose. This is the Scottie. The colors black and red are especially hard to make in soaps but I think they did a pretty awesome job!

Well my little Kuppy undoubtedly votes this one the #1 soap! Partially because he looks just like the black creature in this photo but I don't think he would mind being stuck in a box with the pink one either :)

I just have to laugh every time I see this piggy. It looks so mischevious and who doesn't like a chubby pig!

I know, I know another pig. But I had to include him - he was begging me!

NYIGF at Javits Center 2009

2009-08-16T04:16:00.000-07:00

We are officially open for business! Come see us at Booths 2802 and 2804 at the Javits Center in New York City.

Demo Soap from Canada

2009-08-05T17:48:00.001-07:00

I'm not sure how I stumbled onto this amazing company but they sure did impress me. They're called Demo Soap and come from Canada and if all Canadians make such cute soaps, I plan on booking my trip really soon! All of their soaps are glycerine based so you can make them in all kinds of fun shapes and colors. Here are some of my faves from their website (although I have to be honest I think I pretty much stole all of their pics because I liked everything).

So neat! The colors are fab and I'm pretty sure it's impossible to put these guys in a bathroom where they don't stand out.

Okay this is their chocolate mint soap. This sure doesn't look like most chocolate mints out there - it really is a work of art.

I believe this is their coconut vanilla. I don't know about you guys but it looks just like a caramel latte to me!

Chocolate covered strawberries soaps

They make some of the cutest boxed sets

Aahh the lollipops, the lollipops.

And of course the upside down pineapple cake.

Well somebody pinch me! If it isn't my two favorite things in the whole wide world. Cheeeese and Soap!

The Jello cake is a very close second

And last but not least the Soap Brownies - yumo!

Let's hit the stores, shall we!

2009-08-04T20:13:00.000-07:00

Don't have enough time to visit your favorite bath and body store? Or are you too afraid to go there in case you might spend your whole life savings in it? Well feast your eyes on these babies. The coolest soap stores/displays around the world.

This is the diptyque store in New York City. I'm loving the mural and how simple the store is.

This is one of the coolest apothecaries I've ever seen, it's called Woodley and Bunny and if you haven't made your way to this Brooklyn establishment yet, you should be ashamed of yourself! It really is one of a kind.

This is Soaptopia, they have 2 retail stores in California. I haven't been to their stores yet, but their displays look pretty good.

Look familiar? Why yes... it is Lush! I have to be honest although I really like some of their products, I can't bring myself to going into their stores too often. There is nothing more I hate than pushy salespeople and let's just say that these guys should get an award on their own. I am a really big fan of the way they organize the stores though, there's something really rustic about placing all the soaps on top of each other.

If you've been reading my blog you'll know exactly which store this is. I guess no one does it like the Argentinians - fabulous!

Same store as above. Oh what I would give to be able to visit this place.

This is actually a Lush in Italy. I've never seen any of the local Lush's do this on their window displays.

I have no clue what the name of this store is but I do know that it's Asian. I just love how everything they do revolves around simplicity. The soaps in the background do not have any dyes and they are simply displayed on the wooden shelves.

Well I will keep the name of this store, because my next post will be all about them! They have some of the neatest soaps I've seen in a while and I can't wait to show you pics of what they make. Amazing - but you'll have to wait and see until tomorrow!

Miniature Soaps

2009-07-19T12:16:00.000-07:00

There's nothing cuter than teeny tiny soaps! We mostly make miniature soaps that are shaped like leafs, which are part of our Soap Jar collection but I would absolutely love to include more shapes. What shapes would you like to see?

How neat are these turtle soaps? C-U-T-E! They are from a company in Brazil and they make all sorts of shapes, such as berries, seahorses, butterflies and many more.

I found these through Etsy, aren't they adorable! I'm not sure how practical they are, but they sure look awesome.

I saw these Caswell Massey mini soaps in Gracious Home the other day. They smelled absolutely horrifying (well I only smelled their rose but after one whiff, that was it for me). However the packaging is spot on.

Well I had to end it on a sweet note. I do not think it's a good idea to put a glass of milk next to these babies if you do purchase them - looks way too tempting.

Vegie Soaps - you feeling hungry?

2009-07-16T17:42:00.000-07:00

I am blessed to have vegetables growing in my backyard and just as I was looking at the cute little cucumbers and cherry tomatoes getting bigger and bigger, it dawned on me that they would make an awesome soap fragrance. So after doing a little research I found the coolest vegie soaps on the market today! I know a vegetable scented soap may be a little weird to some of you but just think how wonderful they would be in your kitchen. And I also wanted to add that if you didn't know what some of them were supposed to be "vegetables" you probably would love the scent of them, ie: think crisp Lettuce. I don't know, it sounds pretty good to me!

Okay so we're starting with my favorite vegetable - Zucchini soap. I didn't even realize that zucchini has a specific smell so I'm curious to get my hands on one of these bottles and see if it can hold up to it's name.

Tomato Soap - I wonder if it's red on the inside, that will be really cool. Most tomato soaps I have seen actually smell like the tomato leaf rather than the actual fruit, so maybe this one is like the others. Either way, it sounds really enticing :)

Olive Soap - This is a really popular fragrance in stores, everyone seems to be making Olive Soaps and Olive Oil Scented Soaps. I would like someone to make a Calamata Olive smelling soap (I'm pretty sure it'll be the next biggest thing but don't tell anyone!)

Mint Soap - Pretty straighforward. I love the way they put poppy seeds on top of it. Likes it!

Lettuce Soap - I am totally considering getting to my local pharmacy and trying to find this one. It just sounds too good to be true. Have any of you seen it/tried it?

Eggplant Soap - Well it wasnt easy, but we finally found it!! How adorable is this packaging and if it smells anything like it tasted when it's battered and fried - Sign me up!

Cucumber Soap - Yummy! I'm pretty sure I would like this one more than the Cucumber Melon Fragrance. The simpler the better, is what I always say.

Basil Soap - This is seriously making me hungry. Maybe that's exactly why we don't see too many vegetable scented soaps on the market - people may try to eat them.

Till next time and remember if it smells good, don't eat it immediately!

Ricky's

2009-07-01T20:58:00.000-07:00

So I am a huge fan of Ricky's. H-U-G-E! They are by far the coolest, funkyest, awesomest chain in NYC. As you can see by all the photos I've taken below, I visit them often (maybe a little too often :) but then again who's counting. The reason I wanted to do a spotlight on them is because they do carry a great array of soaps. Of course they don't carry ALL the best soaps (ahem...Uptown comes to mind for some reason) but they do have a somewhat better selection than most.

Some of the ones they carry are:
- Ahava
- Burt's Bees
- Pacifica
- European Soaps
- Plantlife
- Peangea

I love this Ricky's - there's a restaurant next to it and it's called...... Uptown :)

Ricky's NYC

Ricky's NYC

Ricky's NYC Madison/70s

Ricky's NYC

Ricky's NYC Midtownish

Ricky's NYC

Ricky's NYC Times Square

Ricky's NYC

Ricky's NYC Times Square

Ricky's NYC/ 14th Street (my favorite)

Ricky's NYC

Ricky's NYC Downton next to NYU

Ricky's NYC Houston Street/Broadway

Ricky's NYC Soho

New Product Sneak Peak!

2009-07-01T17:00:00.000-07:00

I really can't give out any details but we've been working on these guys very hard and I just wanted to show you a sneak peek of the packaging. I hope you guys like it, more info will come soon! Oh and you will NEVER believe what we're using to wrap them, here's a hint: it's not paper :)

Bubble Bath Time!

2009-06-26T18:31:00.001-07:00

We have received quite a few requests to do bubble baths with our soap fragrances, so I'm excited to start working on those soon. Here are some interesting bubble baths that I found online.

One of my all time favorite fragrances is violets, so I chose this product not only based on their neat bottle but also the Violette fragrance.

TokyoMilk Bubble Baths have not hit stores yet but I hear we should be able to see them in Anthro really soon.

TokyoMilk Bubbling Bath - This is my favorite one. So cute!

The name for this one escapes me but the bottle is so gorgeous that I really wouldn't need too much information about it before I took our my check book! Lovely.

Beautea Bubble Bath - This one is all organic and I really appreciate a company that thinks about their packaging as well as the product on the inside :)

These guys are from In the Raw. I've seen them on Nimli a lot and I think they look fantastic. In my opinion, the simpler the better!

Anthropologie Soaps Revealed

2009-06-25T20:12:00.000-07:00

Ahhh Anthropologie how I adore you! In fact I love this store sooo much that I visit it every single week (no joke - mostly either Sat or Sun). I know it may be a little crazy and maybe even a tiny bit pathetic but I can't help it! It's one of a very very few places that can make me happy no matter what mood I'm in. I LOVE how they burn different candles every time I go, I LOVE how they rotate their products every week, I LOVE how they decorate their walls and window displays with the most ordinary items arranged in the most incredible way and I LOVE the fact that they have a big comfy chair that I can sit in and read the prettiest cookbooks I have ever seen.

I have this dream that maybe one day they'll let me spend a whole week in their store (yes even the nights!) and that would just make me insanely happy but until then a girl can dream right?

For today's post I decided to do a little overview of Anthropologie's soaps (even though they're not as nice as ours :-)

Fiat Luxe Anthropologie Soap
So these guys are fairly new. At first I saw them on their website and I thought it was the craziest idea ever but I gotta say they have grown on me. And they look huge at the stores compared to the online photos. The lemony fragrance was my favorite.

Rose Anthropologie Soap
I haven't seen these in person yet, they were just posted on the website. Hopefully they'll be there this weekend. My favorite thing about them is actually the font on the box. I know it sounds silly but I really like it. I wonder if they smell good, anyone else seen them??

Sabonte Anthropologie Soap
Okay I have to admit that I am a fan of the packaging. When we were starting Uptown Soap I really wanted tin can containers but then we started thinking about how environment friendly they would be and nixed the idea. Although these guys look cute, I did play with all of them at the store (meaning the different fragrances) and I almost choked after smelling each one. Honestly, I am not saying this because I want to "squish the competition" because you guys know that my blog is mostly about other soap companies but I truly feel this way. The other reason I wasn't crazy about them is because they're ginormous!! I don't know anyone and I do mean ANYONE that has a soapdish that would fit a 12.34 oz bar of soap. Do you have an enormous soap dish? Comment below, we'd really like to find just one!

TokyoMilk Anthropologie Soap
Okay so TokyoMilk's been at my local Anthropologie stores for a while now and I'm really loving the glitter on the packaging. I can't remember if I liked what the soaps smell like but they sure look pretty. I am an everything asian fanatic, from the food to buddha statues, so they pretty much had me at their name. And if you didn't know this company is actually a sister company of Lollia.

Botanique Anthropologie Soap
I haven't done too much research on this company but they're also brand new to the site. Gotta love the black and white backgrounds, I wonder where they got that idea from :)

Chinoiserie Anthropologie Soap

Fleur de Lys Anthropologie Soap

Savon De Marseille Story

2009-06-18T07:08:00.001-07:00

I love nothing more than finding out how other soap companies make their soaps. There's something really special about making any kind of a product by hand and with care. If you're a fan of the Savon de Marseille soaps, check out the clip below. I guarantee you that you have never seen some of the soaps they make in the stores. On another note, I wanted to aplaud this company for making all natural soaps. Just like us, they are made with only vegetable oils that are ideal for people with sensitive skin. Enjoy!

Where do soaps come from?

2009-06-13T13:54:00.000-07:00

I've wanted to do this topic for quite a while, because I have noticed that more and more companies are importing soaps from other countries (or faraway places) rather than supporting local vendors. I took the most popular 15 soap companies and decided to really find out where they come from. Are your stores buying local soaps?

Uptown Soap Co. - Obviously I had to include our fabulous soaps. We make them right here in Upper Manhattan and as the name of our company implies - Uptown Baby!

Zum Bars - Kansas City, MO

Plantlife - California

Pangea Organics - Boulder, CO

Pacifica Parfume - California

MOR Cosmetics - Australia

Mistral - Their soaps can be found in abundance in Anthropologie. They come from Solana Beach, CA but they are originally made in France.

Savon de Marseille - Marseille, France

LAFCO owns a bunch of soap companies by different names (such as Claus Porto soaps) They are all made in Portugal

Korres - these can be readily found in Whole Foods stores and they are made in Greece.

K Hall Designs - St Louis, MO

Grandpa's Soaps - Kentucky

Gianna Rose Atelier - Santa Ana, California

Fraiche - Texas

Pre de Provence or European Soaps - France

Burt's Bees - North Carolina

As much as I love many of these brands, I think it's important for stores to really think about where their products come from and try to put as many local vendors as possible. Till next time!

Nifty Soaps

2009-06-03T15:04:00.000-07:00

We have been busier than bees lately which has left little time for my blog. I managed to do a little soap research of really nifty soaps lately and here's what I found:

Mini robot soaps - and you can't beat the bath tub to boot!

I like these guys sooo much more than the Soap Rocks. They look like jewels and the colors are stunning.

Doesn't this look like lollipops to you? I hope they have have 'do not eat' warnings on the back ;)

Liquid Soaps

2009-05-19T17:51:00.001-07:00

So I've been told over and over again that most people like to use liquid soaps and I can understand why so we caved in and decided to create our very first liquid soaps!! I can't reveal what ours will look like yet, but I can tell you that they will be very VERY gifty looking (so think about getting them as housewarming gifts!) And if you don't know anyone that's purchased a home recently, tell all your friends to start buying, this is the best time ever!! And, of course, then you can get them the liquid soaps ;) Here are some of my fave liquid soaps below:

I don't know anyone that doesn't like Savon de Marseille soaps. They're cute, smell nice, and are a product of France. Personally, I don't think they use the best ingredients to make these guys (like the sulfate), but I do love the packaging a lot!

Farmhouse Liquid Soap and Shea Butter Lotion. Simple, colorful, and I'm pretty sure it will look good in any bathroom.

Look for a new post coming soon on this company. It's by Pause, and they have some really interesting products which I will showcase soon. I hope the bottles are glass, but in either case the handwriting looks stunning.

I cannot remember which company this is but I am so in love with their refreshing concept. I've seen things inside perfumes before (like seeds) but these peppercorns and the flower petal are so cool. I think the petal may discolor in the future, but for the moment it looks great!

I love circles, personally I love them so much that I plan on doing a circle line soon where the packaging will feature nothing but circles. I know a little crazy, but there's something intriguing about a great round circle!

Another SDM soap. I love the steel look and I'm not sure if this is a product just for guys, but it looks very manly ;)

Well a good photograph always helps but the Duchy Collection soap is awesome! I'm thinking the design of the bottle was specifically done for them because I haven't seen it in too many other places. It's pretty much perfect.

How awesome are these? Love the 'home tag', love the rustic sort of look and the toned down colors. I'm sure if you give it as a present, everyone will love it.

TO BE CONTINUED.... with our very own liquid soaps!!

Sabater Hnos Soaps

2009-05-14T10:36:00.000-07:00

There's nothing I love more than finding out what kind of soaps there can be found around the world. I found this awesome company that creates incredible soaps that don't even look like soaps (which is what we always try to do). Enjoy the photos and if you're in Argentina, send me some of these!!!

Sooo cute! Mini soaps that you can just scoop out and put in a jar. Kinda like our soap jar with the leaves. I'm loving the clovers.

They have so many types of soaps - on the left you can see their 3D hello kitty soaps in white and pink. On the right, it's their regular bars as well as their soap leaves in yellow and pink.

I've seen this picture in so many places and I had no idea that it was the actual store of Sabater. I can almost close my eyes and imagine what it smells like there.

I LOVE the stamp on their soaps. I love how the entire surface is covered with letters, adorable.

Regular soaps bars

Their minis are my favorites - look at these guys and girl soaps!

Aaaahhh, when we open up a store in NYC - I promise you we will do lots of mini soaps.

Other than the minis, they also do confetti type soaps which you can see on the bottom of this picture. I'm not sure how you'll be able to wash your hands with them, maybe you just sprinkle them in the bath tub. FUN!

Argentinian Soap Store

2009-05-14T10:23:00.001-07:00

I stumbled onto this video on youtube and I had to put up here - it's amazing. It's a little soap store in Argentina that makes incredibly unique soaps. I wish I had the time to hop on a plane and get there immediately!

Uptown Fragrances

2009-05-08T17:54:00.000-07:00

Boy, are you guys getting lucky today - 2 posts in the same day!! :) Just kidding, I know that I have been slacking so I'm trying to get back on track. I wanted to write this post for a long time, where I explain which fragrances we carry. It has taken us months to test sooo many differenty types of fragrances and I really feel like we've finally nailed it. I hope you enjoy them as well!!

1. Anjou Pear - The only way that I can describe this fragrance is Fresh! It's so aromatic and juicy. I personally do not like eating pears, I never EVER buy them and even cringe when I see them at the grocery store but believe me this is one of my favorite fragrances (maybe even in the top 2 spots). It's truly amazing and we'll keep it forever and ever since so many of you enjoy it.

2. Sweet Violets - Aaahhh the sweet sweet smell of violets. I have been talking about bringing in this fragrance for many months and we finally found the most incredible violets ever. I know you will absolutely love it and the coolest part is if you leave one of our Violet soaps in your bathroom, the whole room fills up with the fragrance.

3. Mandarin Orange - Every time I open a jar of our Manarin Soap Jars, I feel like I've been transported into a San Diego mandarin plantation. So sweet - don't you even think about taking a bite!

4. Lemon Verbena - Most people don't know that it's the leaves that release the lemony fragrance. Sooo citrusy, tart and refreshing.

5. Red Currant - When I was little I was fortunate enough to have a black currant tree in my backyard. I have so many fun memmories of lounging on the hammock and dropping the little berries in my mouth. I ate so many that you can bet that we've chosen the most realistic currant fragrance there is out there. Every time I smell it, the memories start coming back and I feel like I'm 10 again.

6. Coconut - I love coconut: toasted, fresh, chopped up, love it all! Our coconut is very light and takes the true essence of freshness.

7. Vanilla - Simple, sweet, and fabulous!

8. Wild Roses - I have to be honest, floral fragrances are not my thing. Now that said, every time I smell our rose soaps, I feel liked someone transported me into the Rose Garden of the Brooklyn Botanical Garden.

9. Citrus Fig - Our citrus fig is a mixture of blood oranges, hint of grapefruit and sweet figs. It's divine.

10. Chocolate - A mix between milk and dark chocolate. It will make even the chocolate haters into addicts.

11. Lily of the Valley - Ahhh, the perfect girly pleasure. Light, floral and yet sophisticated.

Lucia Soap Bars

2009-05-08T11:08:00.000-07:00

I found the cutest soaps through Die Line and had to share. How adorable! To be honest does it matter what they smell like, I'm sure people are running to get these guys. Unfortunately, I couldn't find out who the manufacturer is because I would love to see what their other products look like, but if you guys know who it is, please let me know!

Wild Ginger and Fresh Fig

Thyme Flower & Coriander

Sea Watercress & Chai Tea

Pomegranate & Red Currant

Cherry Tomato & Basil

Tea Leaf & Wild Honey - would it be wrong if I taste it?

Olive Oil & Laurel Leaf

Goat Milk & Linseed

Jar Soaps Available Online

2009-04-27T16:03:00.001-07:00

I have been MIA for so long, I apologize but we are super busy preparing samples for our new fabulous rep companies. We're also working on new and very exciting products that I'm sure you guys will like! In the meantime, our Jar Soaps are now available on the website. People always ask me which one is my favorite so they can get than one and I honestly don't have one. I'm very happy that I can have all of them at the same time because if I had to choose just one from the stores I would probably need hours to decide. The sweet violets is sensational, the pear is divine, the mandarins are soooo yummy! I am sure that whichever one you decide on, you'll love it ;)

Lemon Verbena Jar Soaps from Uptown Soap Co.

Wild Roses Jar Soaps from Uptown Soap Co.

Anjou Pear Jar Soaps from Uptown Soap Co.

Mandarin Orange Jar Soaps from Uptown Soap Co.

NEW DESIGNS!!!

2009-04-25T16:35:00.000-07:00

We came up with a couple of new designs over the weekend, specifically for our California sales reps. I think the Palm Trees is a new favorite of mine and the Buddha comes a really REALLY close 2nd!! Let me know what you guys think!

Photo taken of palm trees on the Venice Boardwalk in California.

The famous horse carriages around Central Park and in front of Plaza Hotel. Sooo cute!

Santa Monica pelicans. If I'm not mistaken one is a girl and the other boy, just because one of them was significantly bigger than the other. And the coolest thing about Pelicans is that they have blue little feet - how awesome is that?

White Peacock - the packaging looks so much better than this photo but what are you gonna do :)

Jar Soaps Galore

2009-04-24T17:28:00.001-07:00

We are so happy that our new client is Wave Hill in Riverdale. It is truly one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen and I can't believe that it's in New York, because it looks a little like California to me (with the water and the hills). We were super busy preparing a whole bunch of our jar soaps for them and these are some of the photos of the production. Make sure you stop by there and buy a bunch!

Gosh how I wish this wasn't smudgy - but maybe I should pretend as if this was done on purpose. You know, like those high fashion magazine ads where everything is blurry except the actual product. Just imagine the product is not blurry :)

Mmm it smelled so good - verbena, pear, mandarins, and wild roses.

I think we did over 500 soaps that day.

Little soaps waiting to be unmolded. These are one of my favorites - the Violets!

New Product Hints

2009-04-20T16:20:00.000-07:00

We are currently working on an exciting new product that is sure to be a hit. And it will revolve around these butterflies - aren't they gorgeous?
They look stunning and we are ecstatic, we just have to work out the kinks in shipping them properly so that our precious butterflies don't get hurt :(
Keep checking our blog for more info!

Random Thoughts and Rambling

2009-04-16T08:30:00.000-07:00

So I've had a little too much coffee this morning and I am running all over the place, so today's post will seem very random because I'm simply just running off the walls.

When we start launching soap stores around the country I want them to look exactly like this. Colorful, things hanging from the ceiling, simple and just simply magical.

I found this great company called Tillia the other day which makes adorable products so I had to put them on here. These guys are little soap gels.

Children's bubble bath - I would love to work on a children's line of soaps some day. That should be a lot of fun!

Our next line of products will most likely be body butters. Our packaging is drastically different than these or anything else as a matter of fact but I had to showcase these, because they're stunning.

An on another random note today, I was snooping around Bergdorf Goodman's website yesterday and I found the most amazing chocolate box I've ever seen. so it led me to rethink our Art Bars - how fun would it be if we make minis and put them in a box together. I don't know about you but I'd be first in line to buy them!! TOO CUTE ;)

Sustainable NYC Store

2009-04-15T11:04:00.001-07:00

We found this great little mini-movie on one of our favorite stores (and coincidentally enough one of our clients). Make sure you visit Sustainable-NYC, they're truly a gem. And they have an indoor cafe to boot, so you can technically spend all day there!

UPDATE: I am so sorry to do this, but we had to remove the video because it wouldn't stop playing every time we visited the blog. Please go to this website and search for it this way:
http://www.loftlifemag.com/index.php

Loft Life mag if you're listening (or perhaps reading this), please make your videos have a pause button, so that we can add more of them on our blog!

Happy Easter! Soaps

2009-04-11T18:13:00.001-07:00

Happy Easter everyone! We hope that you have a blast coloring those eggs and looking for them in the egg hunt. Today's theme is Easter soaps, so we hope you enjoy.

When I was little, I had a couple of bunnies and to be honest with you I'm not even sure what they looked like but I remember I had a lot of fun playing with them. So I had to put a little bunny in the mix - isn't he the cutest thing ever? I wonder if it would be a good idea to have one in the office ;)

Well they're certainly not made out of chocolate but don't they look delicious? Chocolate soap looks incredibly realistic when done the correct way, so I hope these come with a major caution sign.

Another chocolate bunny - this one looks a little like it's from Sanrio.

How cute are these? Very easy to make but extremely effective.

Soap peeps. I'm actually not a fan of peeps, I've never liked what they taste like but I don't mind seeing them as soaps.

And here come the decorated eggs

Happy Easter!!!

Frilly Lilly Products

2009-04-08T08:33:00.001-07:00

Frilly Lilly is a Canadian company that makes really cute bath bombs. In fact they look so good, you almost want to take our your fork and start putting them in your mouth. They also have a couple of retail locations where they sell their products directly. Their packaging is very pink and very girly. Here are some of their products below:

Yummy bath bombs

Is it just me or does this look exactly like a mini cake?

How cute! I love the colors.

Mmmm frosting

Lemon merengue cake maybe..

International Soaps - Thailand

2009-04-07T05:45:00.000-07:00

I search high and low to find unique soap companies and I found a super duper soap company last night that's from Thailand. I love their packaging, but most of all they had some of the most unique fragrances I've seen in a long time. I wish I can buy a couple soaps from them but I'm pretty sure it'll be cheaper to go to space than to pay for the shipping charges.

Tamarind Soap - I am not a fan of eating Tamarind but I don't mind the smell, so I'm pretty sure I would like this soap.

I wonder if this is a popular fragrance in Thailand because this seems awfully Amerizanized to me :)

How cool is black rice? I have no idea what rice smells like but I want it.... ooohhhh how I want it

Seaweed?? This can't possible smell nice, but then again there's people for everything. BTW why is it that California doesn't have seaweed? I looked everywhere for it on the beaches and all I found was these little pepper-like things that were just lying on the beach. Fascinating.

Another rice fragrance, but this one is Jasmine - hmm mm. Very cool. I usually use Jasmine rice to make Risotto but it doesn't sound like a bad idea in a soap somehow.

Wow, tapioca pears! I can almost see them! I thought tapioca didn't have any scent so maybe this one is extremely mild.

Well there you have it folks - soaps from around the world, in Thailand. I'll try and make more posts on international soaps - I just love finding out what each culture considers an awesome soap.

Butterfly Soaps

2009-04-06T21:14:00.001-07:00

whoo-hoo summer is approaching quickly and we're finally getting some sunlight outside. In honor of those beautiful sunny days and gorgeous flowers popping up everywhere, we wanted to do a quick post on butterfly soaps. We're coming up with our very own line of butterfly products soon so make sure you keep reading our blog for that.

Oh okay, so some of you may know that this is not a soap, but an eraser. However, how amazing would it be as a soap bar. Classy, simple and it would match every bathroom.

Fun Q&A with Silvia

2009-04-05T12:00:00.000-07:00

Who is writing this blog?? Hey guys I'm Silvia and I work for Uptown Soap Co. I wrote a quick Q&A about me, so you know a little bit more about the mysterious person behind our fabulous blog!

If the text is too small, click on the picture so you can see the full image. And when you're done reading send us an email and let us know what your answers would be to our questions!

New Jar Soaps

2009-04-03T20:39:00.000-07:00

The Jar Soaps are officially and completely 100% finished! It was a really long wait but we needed that time to make them perfect and if I may say so myself - they look, smell, feel pretty darn perrrrfect :)
Each jar includes 24 of the cutest little leafs, but don't let these guys fool ya - you can use the jar for about 6 mos before you run out. I don't think there's a better present for Easter than these guys right here. View the complete collection below:

Lemon Verbena Shea Butter Soaps

Sweet Violets Shea Butter Soaps

Wild Rose Shea Butter Soaps

Anjou Pear Shea Butter Soaps

Mandarin Orange Shea Butter Soaps

Lily of the Valley Shea Butter Soaps

I am so happy that I get to play with these soaps all day, because I have to admit that if I saw these at a store I would have an extremely difficult time choosing which one to buy. They are THE best scented soaps we've seen in a while!

A New Lineup of our 2 Sided Scent Soaps

2009-04-02T20:11:00.000-07:00

Earlier I mentioned that we're replacing or "adjusting" some of our 2 Sided Scents and here they are - all wrapped up and ready to go!

Pear will be one of the hottest scents for spring and we did a nice little combination with sugary creamy vanilla.

Hands down my favorite new fragrance! (and believe me, it was EXTREMELY difficult) I am crazy about Violets and I am soooo happy that we were able to bring in such an amazing realistic violet. I can use this soap every single day for years and not get tired of it!

Ahhh, my next favorite. I just adore red currant and this soap is layered with our mandarin orange. If you like citrusy but not too sweet fragrances - this one is for you!

Our roses smell like you're walking into a rose garden (truly!) and when you pair that up with our amazing essential oil mandarin orange, it feels like you're in a totally magical world. It may sound surprising but take a risk because I have a feeling you will totally fall in love with it. And try finding this combination with another soap company - I don't think you'll have an easy time doing that ;)

Well this one should just be a classic. We took our TOP TWO most requested fragrances and said to ourselves - why not?? The result is fantastic! Definitely not a sweet or floral scent but very fresh and perfect for spring!

Coconut Verbena is our spin on coconut lime. I really think ours is better! We should take a survey with some of our clients and I'm pretty sure they will say the same thing.

Coconut Mandarin - just like a tropical vacation. Our coconut has a very light tone and it's just perfect with the mandarin. You'll just have to try it instead of taking my word on it.

For those of you out there risky enough to try chocolate soap, we are leaving our chocolate orange completely untouched! It was just too good to mess with and that's coming from someone who doesn't even like eating chocolate.

I really think we have the most amazing smelling chocolate mint soap there is out there and believe me I've tried quite a few of them. We chose from many chocolate fragrances and this one just wasn't in the same class as the other ones. It's not milk chocolate, it's not dark chocolate and yet it's somewhere in between. Almost like a cocoa flavor together with a crisp and refreshing peppermint. I would totally use it in the summer when I want a refreshing yet subtle fragrance.

Well there you have it - our 9 brand new or modified fragrances that are sure to please ANYONE!

Weird and Unique Soaps

2009-03-29T07:17:00.000-07:00

When we started Uptown Soap late last year one of our main goals was to create soaps that were completely different than any other soaps that are out there. We tried doing this with our packaging, actual soaps and everything else we can think of. Here are some soaps that are just plain weirdly awesome that we didn't think of first (darn!):

pretty popular - goldfish in a bag. It was first created by clearly fun soaps - we saw them on the Donny Deutsch show and they were great!

I see these everywhere - from museum shops to my favorite Design within Reach store. Definitely different, but I have to say they look so real that they look a little creepy when they're all staring at you from the soap dish.

Well I found this through HGTV's website yesterday and it took me about 3 minutes to close my mouth. These snowglobes are sooo easy to make and so effective as well. I always looked at snow globes and wanted to turn them into soap but I would have never used this method - it's genius!

More snow globe soaps

Bath crystals - is it just me or do they look like crushed up pop rocks?

Okay now this is a little too weird - soap putty! I won't even guess how they made it. I bet anyone using these to take a shower will need at least 2 hours, because they won't be able to stop playing with it.

How cool is this - Body wash paints! Simply Genius!! and I love the crayon-like packaging.

Well these guys are not that weird but I just wanted to show you that bath bombs can indeed come in different shapes other than balls. These are so much better and gosh how I wish that they would float instead of sink to the bottom!

Well there you have it my fellow soapmakers and soaplovers - the weirdest soaps that I could find online.

Albino Peacock Alert

2009-03-28T15:15:00.000-07:00

Some people ask us where do we get all the photos for our vintage soaps. Well, we take them ourselves! And all of our photos are taken in New York City in some form or shape. For example, today I went to Columbia University and if you've been there as many times as I have you probably know that they have 2 peacocks running around their gardens all the time. One peacock is the normal blue and green color and the other is an albino. I've never seen the albino peacock until today, so I immediately took a couple of shots and you will most likely see a new peacock packaging on our website very soon! That's the fun part of our job (amongst many things), we never know what packaging we'll come up with next because it all depends on what happens on the streets of New York City! :)

Run peacock, run!

I'm not sure why peacocks open up their feathers like this, but I think this one was trying to get rid of me.

World Famous! Soap on a Rope

2009-03-25T18:52:00.001-07:00

Well well well...I cannot believe we've come to this topic so soon! If you've been following my blog you might have realized my un-fascination with soaps on a rope. (and if you haven't been following my blog - you have some serious explaining to do!)
Soooo, I decided if I am not crazy about these soaps, I might as well do some more research on them and find out why in the world anyone would create them! I must say, some of the soaps I found are (oh alright, I'll say it - A-D-O-R-A-B-L-E) NOT Uptown Soap adorable but still a little adorable! Here are some of the 'a little adorable" ones below:

Hmm, colors - not bad
packaging - not bad
rope - need I say it - BUT at least the color matches the soaps

Okay, so I like Owls. I actually like them a lot. The owl is so cute in this case that I don't even concentrate that much on that white thing hanging behind it.

Well who doesn't love pigs and especially pink pigs! AND in comparisson with other rope soaps this one looks like part of the pig's tail. Thank god somebody put a little more thought into it!

Awwww shucks - I think they got me, I am such a sucker for Buddhas. On top of that this one is smiling at me.

??? No explanation needed

Hmm hawaiian version

Well they got me! I would probably buy this as a xmas present for someone. But I will most likely cut off the rope :(

Well there you have it ladies and gentleman - my love for soap on a rope still has a long way to go, but at least I'm trying ...

Kokeshi dolls imitating soap

2009-03-25T18:47:00.001-07:00

One of my passions in life is asian inspired things. I saw these incredible kokeshi dolls from etsy the other day and I know that they are not made from soap, but I will try really REALLY hard to do something close to these in the future. I think this would make the most adorable soap if we do it correctly - can you just imagine these sitting on your bathroom sink!
I think TAO restaurant might just go crazy for them :)

UPDATED PACKAGING

2009-03-19T20:15:00.000-07:00

We have noticed in the past couple of months that most people are going for almost the same fragrances. So in order to serve our customers better, we decided to change some of our Double Sided Soaps to reflect our most popular scents. These guys will be available on the website very very soon, but in the meantime you can check out the new packaging for them. Aren't the little birds adorable?? We think they're sooo cute - we just want to eat 'em up!

Teddy Bear Soaps

2009-03-19T20:03:00.000-07:00

I stumbled onto a teddy bear soap while I was in San Diego and I thought to myself - "What a great idea!". Who doesn't like teddy bears? I certainly do and I'm pretty sure I will always love them. So my post today is devoted to all the poor teddy bears our there that are stuck in soaps. I feel for them (really I do!), but I also wouldn't want them to be anywhere else.

This guy totally looks like his name should be Teddy, right? He looks like he has been made from glycerine soap and then his nose and yes were added on separately.

I don't see this soap too much nowadays, it has been discontinued, but I can't understand why. I mean that's the soap I would pay for if I saw it in a store, not the regular dog or pig soaps that this company usually does.

I found this bear soap everywhere when I was doing my research for my blog. He is given out to hotel guest in Yellowstone Park (i think). What a fabulous hotel it must be, if they have such a great sense of humor. I know I'm booking a room there if I'm heading in that direction. I think most hotels do not understand how important the little things are. They build these amazing structures with pools, spas, gyms and then they give you a horrible soap in your room and your whole experience is ruined. I mean, am I the only one that asks for a little ingenuity when it comes to guest soaps!

Another soap on a room - again, not getting it. Looks adorable but still not getting the rope part.

This is the same guest soap from the previous hotel. Simply amazing!

I think this bear had a little too much to eat that day, so he had to lie on his back. What' ya got in there - fish soaps?

I think these were done for a baby shower. Not the most detailed teddy bear soap we've seen but it's still very cute.

Uptown Soap Co. Lotions Coming Soon!!

2009-03-16T17:53:00.001-07:00

People have been begging us to do lotions in our fragrances and i think we have finally caved in. We have a fantastic concept for a lotions line and that should be coming out in the spring. While we come out with ours, check out these great lotions that we looked at for inspiration.

More Soap Packaging

2009-03-13T10:33:00.000-07:00

I have not been keeping up with my blog lately, so I decided to do a really long one today. I'm so sorry - we have been busy beyond belief and it's been a little hard keeping up with everything. But I promise, I'll try to do my duty as a blogger this week and take it a little more seriously!
Today's post is on soap packaging - my favorite topic (if you haven't noticed it yet :)

I am crazy about this packaging. It looks like Portuguese tiles, which is probably where they took this idea because this company is from Portugal. I wonder if Portugal smells like a million fragrances when you get off the plane, because I have found sooooo many soap companies that are from there. I'll have to find out one day!

Blue and Brown - a classic! That's one of my absolute favorite combinations. Don't be surprised if we do a brown and blue line soon :)

Looks like someone took a really expensive wallpaper and wrapped it around the soaps. Nice!

Love this company - the packaging looks a little like our Vintage soaps.

Simplicity makes the best packaging for a product and you can't get any more simple than this!

I had to put in an elephant! What a great soap dish - a must have for every bathroom.

This company is fascinating. They change the look of their logo based on the packaging. LOVE IT! Maybe they took the idea from Google ;)

I'm not exactly sure what Royal Jelly is but you can't beat the container.

PRESENTING: The Jar Soaps Collection!

2009-03-10T16:55:00.000-07:00

What better way to welcome the upcoming spring that with our newest soap collection - The Jar Soaps! We have been working really hard on getting these guys out, so here is a first look.
Each jar contains 24 miniature leaf soaps. They come in 6 fragrances - Red Currant, Anjou Pear, Lemon Verbena, Citrus Fig, Mandarin Orange, Wild Roses. Don't let these mini soaps fool you - you can use each one for at least 10 times (we used them to wash our hands). They will make the most perfect centerpiece for your bathroom.

The jar soaps will be up for sale on our website very soon, but in the meantime we are taking wholesale orders.

Wild Roses mini soaps - perfectly dressed in Pink

Mandarin Orange mini soaps - perfectly dressed in orange of course!

Lemon Verbena mini soaps - perfectly dressed in acquamarine

Mandarin Orange mini soaps

Visit the Brooklyn Botanical Garden

2009-03-10T16:35:00.000-07:00

I am so excited to say that our soaps will very very soon be available in the Brooklyn Botanical Garden. We are so happy to be part of it! Make sure you visit them soon, they truly are a must stop for every New Yorker!

2008 Cherry Blossom Time-lapse at Brooklyn Botanic Garden from Brooklyn Botanic Garden on Vimeo.

Claus Porto Soaps

2009-03-04T11:23:00.000-08:00

I saw these photos today from Reuters and I couldn't contain myself. This is Claus Porto's factory in Portugal. I hope that I can visit them one day but I'm not quite sure if they accept visitors. They have 400 employees working for them (almost as much as us :)
They make wonderful soaps that can be found everywhere in the states (although they are a little on the pricey side). They have a huge factory but I think if we owned it, we would make it a little more colorful. It feels a little dreary going to work to a gray environment all day!

Polymer Clay Soap

2009-03-02T11:37:00.000-08:00

Whenever we come up with new ideas for soaps at Uptown Soap Co. we always get inspired by the littlest things. Polymer clay is one of them, it's just as flexible as soap where it comes in all colors and shapes. Below are some clay figurines that can be easily (or not so easily) converted into beautiful soaps.

Polymer Clay cupcakes

Polymer clay doughnuts. Doughnuts have become very popular with soapmakers lately. I seem to see them everywhere and the scary part is they look just like the real thing!

Just exquisite! A polymer clay fairy in a glass jar. This one would be difficult to make, unless you already have the mold for it and even then it won't be easy to piece the parts together.

Polymer clay butterflies. So colorful and whimsical ;)

Our stamps are here!!!!

2009-02-27T17:06:00.000-08:00

The stamps finally made it home! Now the fun begins ;)

Boxed Soaps - Soap Sets

2009-02-27T16:56:00.001-08:00

We ordered new boxes for our Art Bars this week. The new ones are amazing! They are super black, shiny and besides looking gorgeous they are 100% recycled! That's right, we are leaving the plastic behind! Here are some other boxed soaps:

Scandinavian Soaps and Soap on a Rope??

2009-02-27T15:43:00.000-08:00

I have blogged about these scandinavian soaps before, more specifially the Elf soaps. I was able to find their website today, so I wanted to show you guys some more of their pretty soaps.

Elf Soap - looks like Christmas in a box. Hmm, I kinda like it - I might have to make a phone call to the trademark office.

It can't get any more Victorian than that?

These are the Elf soaps that have funny little sayings on the actual soaps (like Be Good)

Honestly, I don't get the whole "soap on a rope" idea. I need someone to clarify it for me. Where are you supposed to hang these soaps? I don't have anything in my bathroom that can be used to hang things on. I don't know....not for me

Candle Crazy

2009-02-26T15:40:00.001-08:00

I'm a big fan of candles, who isn't? I though I might change things up a bit today and uploaded some fantastic candles and their extraordinary packaging!

loooove this company. I'm not sure what the animal is called on the front but it's the cutest thing I've ever seen.

This is the funnest candle company I've ever seen. The stripes on top are the perfect 'cherry on top'!

This is from a company called Paddywax. I'm a huge fan of their candles. In fact we found our fabulous sales rep company through them ;)

Everyone probably knows about Voluspa - they're headquartered in California and their candles are just magical. Everyone that knows me well knows that I cannot live a week without going to Anthropologie. It's usually a saturday or a sunday ritual and I absolutely love smelling the candles that are burning, flipping throught their international cookbooks, sitting on their big, comfy yellow chair and of course touching their awesome fabrics ... wishing I was an Indian princess. If they only had free cheese samples, I'm pretty sure that they had to get me out of there with a restraining order.

More Voluspa candles. I haven't seen these in any stores, so they're either Brand New! or they're so old that nobody has them anymore.

If I worked as a buyer for Anthropologie, I would absolutely try to get my hands on these. They're not from the states but they're impressive. I would keep the ceramic jar forever!

Types of Essential Oils.

2009-02-25T19:25:00.000-08:00

We try to use as many essentials oils as we could in our products and I'm sure our stash will keep growing and growing. Essential oils are oils that are created from pure natural flowers, seeds or leaves. Most essential oils are used in soap because they have 'special powers' whether it's relieving stress or decreasing depression. Here are some popular essential oils that are found on the marketplace today:

Eucalyptus Oil
Ylang Ylang Oil
Rose Geranium Oil
Peppermint Oil
Lavender Oil
Lemon Oil
Clary Sage Oil
Tea Tree Oil
Chamomile Oil
Rosemary Oil
Bergamot Oil
Jasmine Oil
Ylang Ylang Oil
Rosemary Oil
Cinnamon Oil
Lavender Oil
Rose Geranium Oil
Patchouli Oil
Neroli Oil
Anise Oil
Eucalyptus Oil
Frankincense Oil
Jasmine Oil
Melissa Oil
Neroli Oil
Peppermint Oil
Rose Geranium Oil

Fragrance trends for soaps and cosmetics

2009-02-22T19:20:00.000-08:00

LATEST TRENDS FOR THE COSMETICS INDUSTRY:
I am loving a lot of these fragrances and we already purchased some of these before I even read this article.

Exotic, luscious fruits & “super fruits”
pomegranate, acai berry, mangosteen, dragon fruit & gojiberry

Indigenous ingredients & spices
saffron, rooibus tea, fennel, thai lemongrass, south african marula

Authentic, regional fusions
lychee, cacao, kalahari melon, lotus blossom, champaca flower, passion flower

Balance inspired ingredients
white tea, rice milk, olive flower, chamomile, hibiscus, rosemary, thyme, aloe

Natural botanicals & extracts
jojoba, angelica, peppermint, patchouli, geranium, vetiver, bergamot, sea kelp

IKEA SOAP

2009-02-22T18:17:00.000-08:00

I knew it! A couple of months ago I wrote that IKEA might start carrying soaps soon and I was right ;) I went to the BK IKEA and I found blue and white soaps. Most of the blue soaps were gone but I managed to take some pics. To be honest I'm not sure why so many were sold, I thought they smelled horrible. But they were sure pretty to look at:

IKEA soaps with a pretty design stamped on the front

IKEA white soaps

IKEA blue soaps

Hmm...Glitter

2009-02-20T18:42:00.001-08:00

Okay, last post for today. I saw these guys on a really cool website called Rare Device. They used to have a store in BK but now I think they're only in San Francisco. I love their elephants, they're very glittery and cool. Note to self - maybe we need to work on some glitter soaps. We haven't had a chance to do that yet, because we've been trying to keep our soaps natural and without too many crazy things in them but maybe one day, we'll try a fun line full of glitter. I'll keep you posted on our sparkly ideas!

ADOPT!

2009-02-20T18:36:00.001-08:00

A very good friend of mine told me that there has been a huge increase of homeless animals due to the gloomy economy. Now more than ever, they need us, so if you're considering getting a new pet, please visit petfinder.org and see which animals are in the shelters first.

This is Diesel and he can be found on Petfinder.org

This is Sunny and he can be found on Petfinder.org

This is Lily and she can be found on Petfinder.org

3 New Stores

2009-02-20T18:20:00.000-08:00

We got 3 new stores this week. Thank you:

Blue Ribbon General Store
Exit 9
Sustainable NYC

We are so happy to be part of the family!

Also, I wanted to thank Nimli for publishing our products on HGTV's website. I must say, it's quite exciting :)

Fish's Eddy Closing??

2009-02-18T18:19:00.000-08:00

I was walking around lower Manhattan the other day and I almost had a mini heart attack! I thought that my favorite store - Fish's Eddy was closing its doors and just the thought made me tear up a little. Why did I think that? Check out the photos below:

Gotta love their sense of humor, but don't ever scare us like that again!

Portuguese Love

2009-02-17T17:46:00.000-08:00

I found a really cool soap company from Portugal that have great packaging, so I though I'd share. They don't sell to the states, so I have only seen their products online. Enjoy!

Happy Valentines Days

2009-02-14T06:24:00.000-08:00

Happy V-Day everyone!! I hope it's a good one. I decided to take you behind the scenes of a real perfumery and soap manufacturing facility, called Fragonard. They are located in Nice, France and they make the cutest products ever. Enjoy!

Where's my panda coffee?

2009-02-13T19:07:00.001-08:00

I PROMISE this is my last food post this week (mostly because it's friday :) but I had to put this pic on here. I'm dedicating this cup of joe to Valentines Day!

Papabubble and Uptown Soap Co together

2009-02-13T18:50:00.001-08:00

I rarely watch TV, usually I'm glued to the phone, computer or busy coming up with new products. However, today I stumbled on the Martha Stewart show and I had to watch it since she was doing Valentines Day gifts and this is my favorite holiday after all. A featured company on the show was Papabubble (isn't that name fun?) and they make candy. One of their products really looks a lot like our next soap line, so I'll see if you guys can figure it out! I'll reveal the answer in the next week or two - it's really good, so make sure you come back ;)