I have been working on adding more male/neutral scent soaps to my collection and testing on new fragrances has taken time in practicing.
If you have been following my work for a while, you probably know that I like to come up with some design with the scent before diving into the workshop. The design is inspired by the Japanese painting ‘The Great Wave’ and it took me a lot of time doing the research and planning the techniques. And of course, the courage of challenging myself has finally came. Fellow Soap makers would understand that coming up with a new product is not a overnight dream. For me, the first batch pushed me back to review the basics of soap making, troubleshooting on color mixing and temperature control. The culprit is that this fragrance accelerated in cold-processed soap, meaning I did not have the time to execute my swirl.
The Great Wave off Kanagawa by Hokusai
Lesson learned as I plan a lower temperature with a less complex design on my 2nd attempt.
My second tempt went ok as I managed to let the gradience of the blue come out. The color pattern is pretty simple, white and 3 shades of blue. In order to bring out the blue, I added titanium dioxide to the white batter but later I realized that it may not be necessary. The thick batter is perfect for the piping on the top so I blended the white and blue together to have the piping sit on the white canvas top.
Oceanus Soap (2nd attempt) by MeiJi & co.
This is a great scent, similar to ‘Cool Water’ perfume. Imagine a breeze and a ocean but no salty air. It is very distinct from what I have, not floral nor plant fragrance. I adore the scent but it gave me a hard time in cold-processed soaps. The would definitely keep this one in my collection but should use it in other products in the future.
I am stopping here as I start to dream of ocean and beaches. Hope we can all enjoy some fun time poolside this summer.
Macy xxxx
Comments