I made the last batches or this year. Now they need 6 to 8 weeks to dry and cure, and if I want them to be Christmas presents that means I need to stop now.

©Giliell, all rights reserved

On top is a mix of pine, rosemary, niaouli (myrtle variety) and a bit of lemon grass and it came out smelling very fresh. Very lemony, actually even more so than the pure lemongrass (I love lemongrass) at the bottom. There I tried to experiment a bit with colour, but it turned out more looking like blue cheese than artful soap, but who cares. If I do it again next year I’ll have to get some mica powders. This year my focus was mainly on getting the chemistry right, we’ll go for pretty next time.

©Giliell, all rights reserved

The very final two are all about the smell again. The lighter ones at the top are honey and oatmilk. I used the oatmilk instead of water here and I think it worked quite well. The smell is very subtle.I think I’d use more fragrance oil next time, but I also like it when soaps don#t leave your hands smelling for days to come. I got those fragrance oils and essential oils from a British seller off Etsy, I hope the current British trainwreck of a  no deal Brexit won’t make it unfeasible to order there in the future. It would be a shame for the seller.

The bottom is cinnamon and orange. There I added some colour, but it seems to have vanished. The smell is surprisingly marzipan-y and just the right thing for a Christmas Soap.

Let#s see if next year brings more soap. It surely has been great fun this time.