# Vaniglia De Madagascar test batch, added cut pics



## TessC (Sep 12, 2009)

It's still not ready to be cut and cleaned up yet, this recipe has a ton of OO in it so it takes a while to harden up, but it's unmolded. The color will continue to change for a while I think, this recipe takes a while to really settle down and show its true colors. The top will look a little wet for a day or two more and it almost always looks like a partial gel for the first couple days after it's unmolded....but omg I adore the scent so far. It's a lot deeper and more complex than I initially thought.





















Once it's hardened up some and safe to goof around with, I'm going to drybrush some micas on the top and see how that looks, definitely some gold and maybe some coppery mica on the high points.


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## TessC (Sep 12, 2009)

I have a disease, it's called "can't leave stuff alone-itis", lol. I blotted the top and went ahead with the micas early, and it turned out okay I think:
















I love what a little bit of shimmer does for a plain dark soap. Once it's ready to cut I'm going to use my trusty stamp dipped in the same micas.


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## Saltysteele (Sep 12, 2009)

very pretty, Tess!  wish i could smell it!


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## nickjuly (Sep 12, 2009)

Sounds wonderful and looks so pretty. I love vanilla smell. Who makes that FO?


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## TessC (Sep 12, 2009)

It's from Daystar. Other places have their own versions of it (I hear the one from Scent Works is very nice) but I've ever tried any of theirs.


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## LJA (Sep 12, 2009)

Wow....that;s beautiful!  The micas really add something nice, and your swirl on top is awesome!


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## candice19 (Sep 12, 2009)

Your swirls are gorgeous, and the mica really makes it pop!


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## Guest (Sep 12, 2009)

I love the shimmer! I'd love to see some pics of your stamp. Do you have any pics of your other soaps with the stamp?


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## Godiva (Sep 12, 2009)

Nice soap - looks yummy - like the swirls on top - looks like frosting on a cake.  What's that you used for your liner?


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## Guest (Sep 12, 2009)

Gorgeous , the mica is the crowning glory on those awesome swirls. I so want to smell that scent .I have can'tleaveitaloneitis too 


Kitn


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## Guest (Sep 12, 2009)

Nice soap, Tess.


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## Rosey (Sep 12, 2009)

very nice Tess! Those swirls on the top are awesome!


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## Saltysteele (Sep 12, 2009)

you should make a mold that is shallow, so your beautiful swirls are on the face of the soap, and each bar shows more of it.

you did a wonderful job!


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## Guest (Sep 12, 2009)

Wow. I adore your soap. The mica works but even if it was left off it would still look beautiful


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## Soap-Goddess (Sep 12, 2009)

Love the sparkly soap porn Tess! It's beooootifuuul! 

Blessed Be,
Donna


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## SilverMaple (Sep 12, 2009)

Those are lovely!  The mica, swirls, and dark color are a great combination.


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## TessC (Sep 12, 2009)

If I end up ordering more of this scent (and I really think I will) I'm going to do a swirl in a slab mold with it. Dunno what color for the swirl yet, I want to see how dark it ends up first.

ETA: Burgundy would be cool, now that I've seen that it comes out almost black.


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## nickjuly (Sep 12, 2009)

You inspired me, just order the scent and green irish tweed, Black Vetyver Café from daystar. Am so looking forward to using it.

Thanks for such lovely looking soap pics!!


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## TessC (Sep 13, 2009)

It's cut, now to wait for it to cure and see how the fragrance holds up. So far it's still an absolutely lovely scent, a "grown up" vanilla.


Pics are from my phone, so less than stellar, but you can see how dark it's gone:


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## Guest (Sep 13, 2009)

Doesn't that mica come off onto your hands when you handle the soap?


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## TessC (Sep 13, 2009)

Mica's gone with the first shower or bath.


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## Saltysteele (Sep 13, 2009)

tess, i retract what i said earlier about getting more swirl on the bar

that is stellar!  very elegant!


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## Guest (Sep 13, 2009)

That is so beautiful  :!: 


Kitn


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## LJA (Sep 13, 2009)

Wow...you're right.  That part that looked like a partial gel disappeared!  Those look gorgeous.  I'm really starting to dig the dark soaps...your stamp really stands out so pretty.


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## Jody (Sep 13, 2009)

Wow.  Gorgeous.


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## TessC (Sep 13, 2009)

That recipe always has the partial gel look, no matter if it's ungelled or if I know for a fact that it fully gelled, and it goes away not too long after being cut. It stays soft for a loooong time, too, the bars are still really fragile and smooshable and will be for a few days still. Once it's had a nice long cure, though.....mmm. 

The basic recipe is 60% OO, 25ish% CO and/or PKO, 7% castor, and the rest either shea or cocoa butter or something more exotic like avocado butter or oil, I make minor little changes from batch to batch but that's the gist of it. 

That particular batch is 60% OO, 12% CO, 12% PKO, 9% shea, and 7% castor, sf at 9%, also has tussah silk and honey. SoapCalc numbers are Hardness 31 (but it gets rock hard after the long cure), Cleansing 15, Conditioning 65, Bubble and Creamy both at 22, Iodine 64, INS 135.


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## Rosey (Sep 13, 2009)

oh wow Tess, it's really beautiful! 

You really make me want to take the time to stamp the soap!


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## vivcarm (Sep 14, 2009)

They are beautiful, lovely and very classy!


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## CarmenJean (Sep 14, 2009)

Oh .... my ..... goodness!! That is so amazing!! I gasped when I saw the cut pics. Very, very well done.


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## Ishbel (Sep 15, 2009)

OHHHHH thats so lovely, your swirls look fantastic, I cant do that yet, keep trying but it always ends up looking like mashed potato, the glittery top is so pretty.


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