I posted a request on Twitter for ideas on what to write about today. Clare wants to know how our family influences our fragrance choices.
Our main determination for continuing certain fragrances of course comes from our customers. What people love and buy, we make more of. If something just isn't selling well, then we obviously either make less of it or stop offering it all together.
But when it comes to choosing new scents for our products, family members are our first review panel.
We get little bottles of sample scents and I'm not sure that I can accurately convey the excitement these new little bottles bring. My mom and I huddle together and take turns opening and sniffing. Then we separate them into two sections - the ones we love and the ones we don't. Occasionally though, we'll have two similar ones that we just cannot chose between. This is where family comes in. They get to vote and help us choose the right one.
But the most useful way we employ their help is by naming. A lot of times the fragrance name suppliers use just don't really say what it actually smells like. Or they're too boring. Or weird. Or corny. So most of our scents are renamed to better fit Blissology.
Our naming sessions are generally brainstorming around the dining room table. They might go something like this:
"Peppercorn? It doesn't smell like pepper."
"No, it smells... like spice. Manly."
"Is that cinnamon? Oh, and clove. And something woody. Forest something?"
"It reminds me of fall. Fall Spice?"
"Hmm... Autumn... something."
"Like a crisp fall breeze. A... whisper."
"How about 'Autumn Whispers'?"
My sister, Ashley, gets most the credit for that one. It fits perfectly and is so much more accurate than "Peppercorn." It's also something my mom and I never would have come up with ourselves. We've found that family is the best way to think out problems and find solutions like this. By the way, this is also how we decided on the name "Blissology" for our company.
The other way family members influence which fragrances end up in products is simply by bugging us to "hurry up and make that soap with that one smell." We recently purchased an oil for our new "Colorado" inspired line. My dad loves it. Even more than his old favorite, Dragon's Blood. My mom finally made him a special batch of shea butter with it since soap takes so much more time and he was just so impatient to have it. I'm sure he won't let up on the soap issue for long though, so look for "Rocky Mountain High" soon!
Thanks for the writing suggestion, Clare! If anyone else has anything they'd care to hear more about, just let us know - I'd love to share!
Lil' Bits of Bliss
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"Oh My God, I Need This!"
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| Stress-Be-Gone soap with lavender and calendula petals |
Each of the essential oils in this blend are recommended by aromatherapists to calm, relieve stress, or boost mood. Some are even touted to have antidepressant and energizing qualities, further stimulating those "good mood" vibes. We see this right before our eyes when that customer then smells the soap they just proclaimed they needed. They close their eyes, take a deep drag of the scent, and then exhale, dropping their shoulders and sighing. Just that one sniff has made them feel better.
Rosemary and Eucalyptus essential oils alone can smell a little sharp and medicinal. Even lavender, the oil people most often associate with relaxation, can be a little much. But when combined with sweet orange, peppermint, and spearmint oils, a wonderful balance is achieved. The Stress-Be-Gone blend then becomes this intricate but somehow familiar fragrance that is both soothing and invigorating.
The current best-selling item on thescienceofbliss.com is Stress-Be-Gone soap. However, we use the same blend in a massage oil, salt scrub, massage candle, and a hard lotion bar.
You "Need This!" Really, who doesn't need a little stress-be-gone?
Custom Gifts for a Special Wedding
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| Beautiful Yuzu Hard Lotion Bar |
This last week we've been working on several items for a bride and groom who are set to marry in October. They have a lot of guests coming in from out of town and had the great idea to set them up with a care bag.
Each bag will have a guest soap, lip balm, and hard lotion bar - all with scents chosen by the happy couple. The bride also chose a few extra things for her brides' maids. It's going to be such a beautiful wedding and if their guests use their new Blissology products before the ceremony, it's going to smell wonderful too!
I'm going to have a few lotion bars left over so decided to make them available on our website. Yuzu is such a great scent and so perfect for these lotion bars, I think it will become a part of our regular line! The grapefruit fragrance is sunny and fresh and such a nice, sweet, citrus. It's one of those scents that just makes you happy the moment you smell it.
For the wedding favors, we'll be lining the round tins with tissue paper that coordinate with their wedding colors. They're so customizable for these special occasions. We're so glad they're making us a part of their happy day!
If you're interested in having something specially made for your important day, let us know and we'll see what we can do!
What's Your Sign? Here's Your Soap!
Astrological sun signs are determined by one's birthday. And each sign is said to influence certain aspects of a person. Just for fun, we've tried to categorize our soaps into each sign depending on their qualities and fragrance. Try your sign's soap and let us know how accurate we are. Are the soaps in your sign some of your favorites?
Aries
(March 21 - April 20)
Aries is the ram. Those that fall under this sign tend to be assertive and confident. It's a fire sign so they can be a little impulsive at times too.
The best scents for Aries tend to be warm as this is a fire sign. Dragon's Blood fits the bill perfectly.
Other scents for Aries are RoseBerry and Irish Mocha.
Taurus
(April 21 - May 20)
Bulls are very appreciative of the finer things in life. Sometimes this can make them a bit indulgent in the eyes of others, but hey, when they find quality, they want it!
It's no surprise then than a Taurus would love handmade soap. Enchanted Forest, with it's notes of fine amber, sandalwood and vanilla is perfect for the discriminating bull. Another luxurious scent for Taurus is RoseBerry.
Gemini
(May 21 - June 21)
The air sign of Gemini is an intelligent, imaginative, and sensitive person. They find it easier than most people to change in and out of different situations including relationships, jobs, and locations.
The nutty, sweet, foody scent of Honey Almond Oatmeal soap will appeal to Geminis. Also try Beautiful Life and Lavender.
Cancer
(June 22 - July 22)
The summery sign of Cancer is all about the home. Family is really important to them. Sometimes they are said to be worrywarts but often keep their worries to themselves to spare others the stress.
Cancers should try Black Raspberry Vanilla Soap as it is a sweet "homey" scent that evokes feelings of summer, warmth, and mouth-watering sustenance. Also try Zen Green Tea.
Leo
(July 23 - August 22)
Leo is the proud but generous lion. This is the sign of leaders, the King (or Queen!) of the jungle. They are usually comfortable in the spotlight and sure of their abilities. Of course, they can sometimes be a little arrogant too.
Generally Leos like sunny, bright fragrances so Beautiful Life is the perfect soap for them. Also, scents with warm spices, so Cinnamon Spice might be a good choice too.
Virgo
(August 23 - September 22)
Virgos are logical and practical people. As an Earth sign, they are "down to Earth" and often quite nurturing. However, they can sometimes be over-critical of others and a little nit-picky.
Virgos like natural scents so Stress-Be-Gone is perfect for them. They also would appreciate Honey Almond Oatmeal Soap and Earth Song for their simple practicality and earthiness.
Libra
(September 23 - October 22)
Libras love balance in all things. This makes them fair and just, but also seemingly indecisive since they must first weigh all things before making a decision.
These are the peacekeepers of the zodiac and keeping in mind "balance," the perfect soap for the scales is Zen Green Tea. A libra may also like Lilac or Angel of Shavano which speaks to the airy, romantic quality of the sign.
Scorpio
(October 23 - November 21)
Scorpios are passionate and fiery. They are sensitive to others' feelings and while they feel deeply themselves, it is sometimes difficult for them to express. Because of their intensity, Scorpios can sometimes be seen as obsessive.
Spicy scents capture the passion of this sign so the best Blissology soap for them is Cinnamon Spice. They'd also enjoy Autumn Whispers and Dragon's Blood which both have warm, intense, and maybe even "secretive" notes - just like a Scorpio.
Sagittarius
(November 22 - December 21)
Smart Sagittarians are sociable, witty people with a flair for spontaneity. They love interacting with people and highly value truth. Sometimes they can come off as being a bit careless.
The best scents for the Sagittarius are ones that tend to be stimulating - emotionally and physically. Autumn Whispers then is the soap for them. They'd also like Cinnamon Spice, Plum Spice, and Stress-Be-Gone.
Capricorn
(December 22 - January 19)
Capricorn, the goat, is sure-footed and ambitious. When they see a mountain, they climb it no matter how high or how rocky the climb may be. They are intelligent and straight-forward but can be stubborn, aloof, and mistrusting of others.
Being a deep Earth sign, Capricorns will appreciate similarly Earthy scents. What could be better then, but Earth Song? They would also like Grass or Dragon's Blood.
Aquarius
(January 21 - February 18)
Aquarians like new things - technologies, ideas, and challenges. Anything to use their high-level thinking skills makes these thinkers happy. They can sometimes seem a little cold probably because they do not find it easy to share their feelings with others and usually have only a select few close friends.
Being an air sign, some floral scents will appeal to an Aquarius. We recommend tropical flower Plumeria. Other good choices for mentally stimulating Aquarians is Stress-Be-Gone and Lavender.
Pisces
(February 19 - March 21)
Pisces, represented by the fish, are artistic and inspirational. They are kind and gentle. Being a water sign, Pisces people can be restless and emotional.
We chose Mountain Showers for this sign not just because it's a fresh, watery scent, but also because it is the sort of scent that instantly transports one's mind - something that would appeal to the idealistic fish. Other good soaps for them would be Angel of Shavano, Acai Berry, and Plumeria.
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| Dragon's Blood Soap |
(March 21 - April 20)
Aries is the ram. Those that fall under this sign tend to be assertive and confident. It's a fire sign so they can be a little impulsive at times too.
The best scents for Aries tend to be warm as this is a fire sign. Dragon's Blood fits the bill perfectly.
Other scents for Aries are RoseBerry and Irish Mocha.
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| Enchanted Forest Soap |
(April 21 - May 20)
Bulls are very appreciative of the finer things in life. Sometimes this can make them a bit indulgent in the eyes of others, but hey, when they find quality, they want it!
It's no surprise then than a Taurus would love handmade soap. Enchanted Forest, with it's notes of fine amber, sandalwood and vanilla is perfect for the discriminating bull. Another luxurious scent for Taurus is RoseBerry.
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| Honey Almond Oatmeal Soap |
(May 21 - June 21)
The air sign of Gemini is an intelligent, imaginative, and sensitive person. They find it easier than most people to change in and out of different situations including relationships, jobs, and locations.
The nutty, sweet, foody scent of Honey Almond Oatmeal soap will appeal to Geminis. Also try Beautiful Life and Lavender.
 |
| Black Raspberry Vanilla Soap |
(June 22 - July 22)
The summery sign of Cancer is all about the home. Family is really important to them. Sometimes they are said to be worrywarts but often keep their worries to themselves to spare others the stress.
Cancers should try Black Raspberry Vanilla Soap as it is a sweet "homey" scent that evokes feelings of summer, warmth, and mouth-watering sustenance. Also try Zen Green Tea.
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| Beautiful Life Soap |
(July 23 - August 22)
Leo is the proud but generous lion. This is the sign of leaders, the King (or Queen!) of the jungle. They are usually comfortable in the spotlight and sure of their abilities. Of course, they can sometimes be a little arrogant too.
Generally Leos like sunny, bright fragrances so Beautiful Life is the perfect soap for them. Also, scents with warm spices, so Cinnamon Spice might be a good choice too.
 |
| Stress-Be-Gone Soap |
(August 23 - September 22)
Virgos are logical and practical people. As an Earth sign, they are "down to Earth" and often quite nurturing. However, they can sometimes be over-critical of others and a little nit-picky.
Virgos like natural scents so Stress-Be-Gone is perfect for them. They also would appreciate Honey Almond Oatmeal Soap and Earth Song for their simple practicality and earthiness.
 |
| Zen Green Tea Soap |
(September 23 - October 22)
Libras love balance in all things. This makes them fair and just, but also seemingly indecisive since they must first weigh all things before making a decision.
These are the peacekeepers of the zodiac and keeping in mind "balance," the perfect soap for the scales is Zen Green Tea. A libra may also like Lilac or Angel of Shavano which speaks to the airy, romantic quality of the sign.
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| Cinnamon Spice Soap |
(October 23 - November 21)
Scorpios are passionate and fiery. They are sensitive to others' feelings and while they feel deeply themselves, it is sometimes difficult for them to express. Because of their intensity, Scorpios can sometimes be seen as obsessive.
Spicy scents capture the passion of this sign so the best Blissology soap for them is Cinnamon Spice. They'd also enjoy Autumn Whispers and Dragon's Blood which both have warm, intense, and maybe even "secretive" notes - just like a Scorpio.
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| Autumn Whispers Soap |
(November 22 - December 21)
Smart Sagittarians are sociable, witty people with a flair for spontaneity. They love interacting with people and highly value truth. Sometimes they can come off as being a bit careless.
The best scents for the Sagittarius are ones that tend to be stimulating - emotionally and physically. Autumn Whispers then is the soap for them. They'd also like Cinnamon Spice, Plum Spice, and Stress-Be-Gone.
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| Earth Song Soap |
(December 22 - January 19)
Capricorn, the goat, is sure-footed and ambitious. When they see a mountain, they climb it no matter how high or how rocky the climb may be. They are intelligent and straight-forward but can be stubborn, aloof, and mistrusting of others.
Being a deep Earth sign, Capricorns will appreciate similarly Earthy scents. What could be better then, but Earth Song? They would also like Grass or Dragon's Blood.
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| Plumeria Soap |
(January 21 - February 18)
Aquarians like new things - technologies, ideas, and challenges. Anything to use their high-level thinking skills makes these thinkers happy. They can sometimes seem a little cold probably because they do not find it easy to share their feelings with others and usually have only a select few close friends.
Being an air sign, some floral scents will appeal to an Aquarius. We recommend tropical flower Plumeria. Other good choices for mentally stimulating Aquarians is Stress-Be-Gone and Lavender.
 |
| Mountain Showers Soap |
(February 19 - March 21)
Pisces, represented by the fish, are artistic and inspirational. They are kind and gentle. Being a water sign, Pisces people can be restless and emotional.
We chose Mountain Showers for this sign not just because it's a fresh, watery scent, but also because it is the sort of scent that instantly transports one's mind - something that would appeal to the idealistic fish. Other good soaps for them would be Angel of Shavano, Acai Berry, and Plumeria.
We Don't Do Bath Bombs
For those of you that are not yet subscribed to our newsletter, first, you should sign up! (See the little spot over there on the left - so easy!) If you didn't get to read the last issue, I wanted to share one of the articles. "We Don't Do Bath Bombs." Thanks to my etsy SAFEteam for reminding me exactly why we don't!
You've no doubt seen huge salt-packed balls many call "bath bombs" before. They're really neat looking and great fun in a bath. Most even fizz fantastically as they dissolve in the water.
But you won't find them at Blissology. Not anytime soon, anyway.
It's not that we don't love the idea of them. And it's certainly not due to any personal issues about putting "bombs" in a bathtub.
Rather, we just can't. We've TRIED! There must be some special secret to them that we just cannot quite piece together. Maybe it's the weather, the humidity, the current phase of the moon. Or perhaps just our lack of patience or muscle.
Whatever the reason for our consistent bath bomb failures, we decided as a team that the frustrations they cause us just do not mesh with our striving to live a -blissful- lifestyle.
So, in order to promote continued bliss, we offer our customers wonderful bath salts and fizzing bath salts. Just not in ball-form. No bombs, just shrapnel, if you will. Find them in tubes or bags in a variety of wonderful scents. They are a great addition to any bath and you get to choose how much or how little you want to add. Chances are, you'll never miss the exploding balls. We don't!
But you won't find them at Blissology. Not anytime soon, anyway.
It's not that we don't love the idea of them. And it's certainly not due to any personal issues about putting "bombs" in a bathtub.
Rather, we just can't. We've TRIED! There must be some special secret to them that we just cannot quite piece together. Maybe it's the weather, the humidity, the current phase of the moon. Or perhaps just our lack of patience or muscle.
Whatever the reason for our consistent bath bomb failures, we decided as a team that the frustrations they cause us just do not mesh with our striving to live a -blissful- lifestyle.
So, in order to promote continued bliss, we offer our customers wonderful bath salts and fizzing bath salts. Just not in ball-form. No bombs, just shrapnel, if you will. Find them in tubes or bags in a variety of wonderful scents. They are a great addition to any bath and you get to choose how much or how little you want to add. Chances are, you'll never miss the exploding balls. We don't!
About that Blogging Stuff....
....I've been horrible! Anyone that has a blog knows what kind of outright determination it takes to actually maintain and post consistently and I just completely fell off the wagon.
So now we have a lot of catching up to do, don't we?
First things first - that new logo and re-branding I was talking about so long ago. We finally did it! It took so much longer than anyone anticipated and we still have a lot of work to do (like changing over ever label, getting new pictures done, and just updating the website in general) but we're so happy with what we have so far.
Here's a look at our new logo:
It's so much cleaner, fresher, and more "us" than our old one. See the aspen leaf there? That's "us" too. We love aspens and nature in general. Actually, where we're located, in a beautiful valley of Colorado Rocky Mountains, we're surrounded by quaking aspens that turn a brilliant golden yellow in the fall. It was only fitting that we included that little bit in our new look.
As I mentioned we've been busy redoing all our labels to reflect the change as well. To see how it's coming along, check out our website.
And speaking of the beauty of nature, The Trail Ridge Road gift store near Estes Park in the Rocky Mountain National Forest is going to be carrying tons of Blissology products this summer. We're so excited to share what we do with so many people. I don't think the store opens until near the end of this month, but I can't wait to see how it all turns out.
Meanwhile we've been working really hard to stock up and get orders out to all our customers and wholesale accounts. It's a lot of work when the soap factory is also the household kitchen! And at the beginning of July Shannon is expecting another baby so we're certainly going to have our work cut out for us.
There's so much more we have planned, but it's still too early to spill the beans on ALL of our projects. In the meantime, hope everyone's lives are perfectly blissful!
So now we have a lot of catching up to do, don't we?
First things first - that new logo and re-branding I was talking about so long ago. We finally did it! It took so much longer than anyone anticipated and we still have a lot of work to do (like changing over ever label, getting new pictures done, and just updating the website in general) but we're so happy with what we have so far.
Here's a look at our new logo:
It's so much cleaner, fresher, and more "us" than our old one. See the aspen leaf there? That's "us" too. We love aspens and nature in general. Actually, where we're located, in a beautiful valley of Colorado Rocky Mountains, we're surrounded by quaking aspens that turn a brilliant golden yellow in the fall. It was only fitting that we included that little bit in our new look.
As I mentioned we've been busy redoing all our labels to reflect the change as well. To see how it's coming along, check out our website.
And speaking of the beauty of nature, The Trail Ridge Road gift store near Estes Park in the Rocky Mountain National Forest is going to be carrying tons of Blissology products this summer. We're so excited to share what we do with so many people. I don't think the store opens until near the end of this month, but I can't wait to see how it all turns out.
Meanwhile we've been working really hard to stock up and get orders out to all our customers and wholesale accounts. It's a lot of work when the soap factory is also the household kitchen! And at the beginning of July Shannon is expecting another baby so we're certainly going to have our work cut out for us.
There's so much more we have planned, but it's still too early to spill the beans on ALL of our projects. In the meantime, hope everyone's lives are perfectly blissful!
Re-Branding
We haven't really said much about this yet, but we're working on a new project for Blissology. Well, we're always working on new things but this one is going to be big. Re-branding.
With the generous help of Luke Paxton, a true professional designer, we're in the process of creating a whole new look for Blissology. It's so exciting and nerve-wracking and fun and difficult.
I keep thinking to myself that this is going to change everything. Which is true! Everything is going to look completely different but inside will always be the same great products you expect from us.
This change is going to mean a wider appeal and a more professional appearance. We're not quite ready to unveil the new look yet, but I can tell you it is clean, modern, fresh, and simplistic. There's still so much to do, but with our excitement, we just had to share!
With the generous help of Luke Paxton, a true professional designer, we're in the process of creating a whole new look for Blissology. It's so exciting and nerve-wracking and fun and difficult.
I keep thinking to myself that this is going to change everything. Which is true! Everything is going to look completely different but inside will always be the same great products you expect from us.
This change is going to mean a wider appeal and a more professional appearance. We're not quite ready to unveil the new look yet, but I can tell you it is clean, modern, fresh, and simplistic. There's still so much to do, but with our excitement, we just had to share!
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