Just in time for Mother's Day!

These candles were quite a while in the making.  They had to be done in stages, first the planning and mixing, and the first pour.  Then a day later, the second pour.  Then cleaned up and the swirled outer color.  Theoretically, they could have been done in three days, but we had a lot going on.

We did, however, get them done in time for Mother's Day, since they'd make a wonderful gift.  Solid cream-colored candles with a gorgeous purple swirl to them, these Afternoon Tea candles are scented with French vanilla and blackberry tea.  I really wish you could smell them through the computer because they are heavenly!

Personally, I'd like to keep them all for myself, but mom taught me to share.  And we are keeping a few 'cause we really can't resist, so I suppose I'm placated and can let you have the rest.

We've got these in a 9" round pillar, a 4.5" square pillar, a 3" round pillar, and votives.  Enjoy!

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What have we been up to?

Well, for starters, we brought our first batch of the new Mashed In over to the NJ Beer Co. to be sold in their tasting room.

Matt decided to give the soap counter space instead of putting it across the way on the shelves with the shirts & hats.  This way, it doesn't get lost in the shuffle and people notice it while sitting at the bar.

Soap is little, after all.

So we got to hang out with Matt, and I know at least one or two bars were purchased the first weekend, which is pretty nifty.

And then this past Sunday, we did another craft fair at the Minerals Resort & Spa in Vernon.  This time, we worked on featuring our NJ Beer Co. Mashed In beer soap.  Eric was funny, calling it our "Superbowl beer soap."  It was Superbowl Sunday, after all.

It's hard to see in the photos, but we had the Mashed In up on a higher tier back there.  Behind the soap are three Chocolate Decadence pillar candles too.

And Matt even gave us one of his posters to display!

We thought it was funny, because we were, in fact, "serving" NJ Beer Co. beer.  Just... y'know... in soap!

This is How They're Saying "Thank You"

This holiday season, we've gotten a ton of gift basket orders, and it turns out that most of them are actually "thank you" gifts.  A guy who wanted to thank people who cared for him when he was laid up ordered - count 'em - five gift baskets as Christmas gifts.  He wanted one Men's Basket, and four for women.  He left it up to us, just asking that each was a bit different.  So we did a Mocha Basket:

It's got a Cafe Mocha sugar scrub, a Chocolate Decadence pillar candle, Honey Chocolate, Fudge Chunk, and Coffee soaps, and a Chocolate Chip Mint lip balm.

A Fruit Basket:

With a When Life Hands you Lemons sugar scrub, a Citrus Blast bath salt, a Garden Party soap, a Lemongrass & Sage soap, and an Autumn Harvest votive.

We did a Stop & Smell the Flowers Basket.

This one's got a Lavender bath salt, a Heaven Scent salt scrub, a Lilac Votive, a Smooth Operator shaving & bath soap, and a Lavender soap.

And a Skin Loving Basket:

We did this one with a Home for the Holidays pillar candle, a Totally Tasteless lip balm, an Almond Pastry facial scrub, and Oatmeal Honey & Purity Soaps, plus a Deadwood Spa Bar.

And then there was a woman who wants to thank her partner for their business' success left the basket up to our discretion, so we did a mixed bag of a basket, based on stuff she'd like:

This one's got a Heaven Scent salt scrub, a Chocolate Chip Mint lip balm, a Healing Tea soap, a Smooth Operator shaving & bath soap, an Almond Pastry facial scrub, and a Home for the Holidays votive.

Just some ideas of various baskets we can do... really, anything we make can be combined into a gift basket.  It's really fun, actually, to figure out good combinations of things!

Cyber Monday Sale!

Black Friday is upon us.  There's not enough money in the world that could induce either me or Eric to enter a mall on that crazy day.  Sorry, no sale is good enough to warrant risking being elbowed in the eye or stomped on the instep.

We like online shopping.  We're betting you do too.  And we have so many gift ideas for you!

So...

From midnight to midnight EST on Monday, November 29, Reef Botanicals will be holding its first Cyber Monday Sale, the internet's answer to Black Friday.  The benefit to holiday shopping online, of course, is that everything comes directly to your front door (or the front door of your gift recipient!) and you don't need to fight those insane crowds in the stores.

For 24 hours, every single item at Reef Botanicals will be 10% off and every order over $30 will qualify for free shipping*!

*Valid only within the United States for Priority Mail shipping, and Canada for Regular Mail.

That's 10% off our candles, like these Autumn Harvest, about which I blogged but didn't have a photo to show you until now.

Autumn Harvest

Home for the Holidays

It's 10% off our Dead Sea mud masks and facial scrubs.

Almond Pastry Facial Scrub

Dead Sea Mud Mask

It's 10% off our salt & sugar scrubs.

When Life Hands You Lemons Sugar Scrub

10% off our soap, shampoo, and shaving oils.

Smooth Operator Shaving & Bath Soap

10% off our gift baskets.

Men's Gift Basket

10% off our lip balms.

Orange You Glad I'm Your Honey Lip Balm

And 10% off our fizzy bath bombs and bath salts.

Serenity Fizzy Bath Bomb

Creamsicle Bath Salt & Eucalyptus Bath Salt

And every United States order over $30 qualifies for free Priority Mail shipping, while every Canadian order over $30 qualifies for free Regular Mail shipping!

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My Name is Mud

Or... at least my face is.  Don't believe me?  Look!

The things I do for you guys.

I kept joking with Eric that we were going to be making mudpies, but this is oh so much more than that.  Our first mud mask!  Yes, really.  And this is some high-end stuff, which is making its way into our luxury line.

The primary ingredient in this mask is Dead Sea mud.  Then, we added Rhassoul clay, Bentonite clay, and sea kelp to make our own custom blend for the biggest benefit.

What's the hype about mud?  Why Dead Sea mud?  Never having used a mud mask before, I had the same questions!  So I did a little research, and here's what I found out about Dead Sea mud...

Believe it or not, it's believed that Dead Sea mud is one of the healthiest things you can use on your skin.  Seriously.  And it's pretty much for the same reasons so many people travel to the Dead Sea itself to reap its benefits.  What are those benefits?  Improved blood circulation and natural skin generation, cleansing and removal of dirt particles, impurities, and toxins, skin relief for disorders such as psoriasis, eczema, acne, and even wrinkles, moisturizing, and the removal of dead skin cells.  And as it dries, it pulls out any toxins that may be present in your skin cells from your everyday diet, while firming and tightening this all-important organ.  Yes, that's right, if you remember from your first anatomy class, skin is the body's largest organ!

This mud has such a high concentration of all natural salts and minerals that your skin needs, like potassium, magnesium, sodium, bromine, and calcium, that it's unlike mud from any other place in the world.

And with a mud mask like this, you don't have to travel to Jordan or Israel to get these benefits!

If the mud is so great on its own, why did we add the clays?  The better question is how could we not?  We wanted an all-in-one product that provided the absolute most value it could.  So... about those clays...

Rhassoul clay has been used for over 1400 years as a natural beauty treatment for skin and hair. It has a unique ability to absorb tremendous amounts of water, which makes it ideal for cleansing and detoxifying the skin. It also has a higher percentage of trace minerals than other clays, without any petrochemical derivatives, synthetic preservatives, surfactants, or artificial colors, all of which are common in commercial soaps and cleansers. It has been found to leave the skin with less dryness, less flakiness, improved skin clarity, elasticity, and firmness, and improved skin texture.

And Bentonite clay has long been known for its therapeutic abilities.  Due to its high absorbency and its ability to pull oils and toxins from the skin, it is one of the best clays for making poultices and an excellent ingredient for skin care and spa treatments.

And then there's that sea kelp again, which we also use in our Mock Turtle shampoo and Deadwood Spa Bar.  What's up with the sea kelp?  Sea Kelp is being used increasingly for cosmetic purposes, due to its high vitamin and mineral content, as well as its essential fatty acids and chlorophyll for detoxification purposes.  It has a natural elasticity that makes it an ideal ingredient in cutting-edge anti-wrinkle beauty regimens.  It can revitalize both skin and hair.

So you see, we didn't cut any corners with this stuff.

At all!  And it's easy to use.  You take just a little on your fingers and coat your entire face lightly, being careful to avoid your eyes.  It starts off feeling cool, of course, while it's wet.  As it dries, it feels warm and tingly, and you can feel it tightening on your face as it works.  By the time the photo was taken, it had been drying a while, and it wasn't actually easy to smile!  Once it's dry, after about 10 or 15 minutes, you rinse it off, and it comes off clean, leaving your skin pretty darned smooth and soft.  At least, that was my experience.

And Eric's.  He wouldn't let me snap a photo of his muddy face, but he loves mud masks and you can bet your socks he tried it too.

(And no, I have no idea where I came up with "bet your socks," but I kinda like it!)

We've dolled up our Dead Sea Mud Mask in these beautiful little jars, and they're all ready for you now!  So... have at 'em!

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