Pre-Sale Offer!

Get them while the getting is GOOD!! I have finally rounded out the ORIGINAL 27 lineup and you can also celebrate...I am offering the last three bars at a nice discount! You will receive Pepperton, Ouija & Alabaster for only $13! THIS OFFER ENDS SOON - SO SECURE YOURS TODAY!  CLICK HERE

Curat Has Clay!

Clay soaps have always been a favorite of mine. Remember, I’m also a freelance makeup artist. I have seen and used many a great product with clay in the ingredient list. Most favorable were the handmade European clay soaps. Also, hand blended clay masks from Israel. Just wonderful products, but the costs are pretty expensive too, especially with the shipping from over seas. Unless you’re a shop owner or have 100 friends wanting the same product, it’s not worth it.

Well, I have been thinking about doing a clay soap for awhile now, not just using the clay as a colorant, but really focusing in on it’s healing benefits and incorporating them into a well-rounded soap. I have decided, what the heck, I’m making them! And I have really enjoyed formulating the bars.  I tried to pay attention to the wants and needs of my clients and make clay bars that are pretty universal. Appealing to more than two categories is key for Curat, and hopefully I have achieved this task.

Below you will see a couple pre-debut ads for both soaps. I have a white clay soap called “Alabaster” and a red clay soap I named “Ouija”. Both are contemporary in scent and ingredients.  With all my products, I want the clients to know the benefits of ingredients. 

I don’t use a certain herb or property just because it’s the trend, the hip thing to do. I want to use ingredients because it’s relative to a need, can withstand trends and finally, it’s a universal product. That’s just the way I feel. Hopefully you can agree….or not! So below I'm including a wonderful and simple look into the clays that are commonly used in bath and beauty products. I ran across this article some time ago, and really like it. So enjoy getting to know the assortment of clays and their primary benefits.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/2013313

(Taken from “Adding Clay To Soap” an article written by IrisFuchs)

French Green Clay
French Green clay originates from quarries in France. When used in soap making, it is added as a natural colorant. French Green clay has very high levels of absorbance. Its molecular structure allows it to absorb oil, dirt and toxins from the skin. It balances oily skin to normal pH levels. It can be used daily on local acne spots and in facial masks. Oily hair may benefit from using this clay when added to hair products.

Bentonite Clay 
Bentonite clay originates from volcanic ash sediments in the United States. It is known as a soft, moisturizing clay. When a facial mask of this clay is applied to the skin, it draws and absorbs oil, leaving the skin pure and invigorated. It is also used as a mineral supplement when it is taken orally (by eating).

White Kaolin Clay
White Kaolin is the most gentle and fine clay. When it is added to facial masks, it works as an exfoliate and helps promote blood circulation. Because it is light and absorbent, it is added to many cosmetic products such as facial masks, deodorants, powders, soaps and more.

Rhassul Clay
Rhassul clay originates in Morocco. Since it is very rich in minerals, it is added into spas all over the world. This type of clay is known to smoothen, relax and rejuvenate the skin.

Fuller's Earth Clay 
Because its natural properties are to draw oil from the skin, Fuller's Earth Clay works best as a cleanser for oily skin and acne. Another property of this clay is its ability to tone down the skin and lighten it. It can be found in facial products that help achieve a consistent skin tone.

Rose and Red Clay
Both rose and red clays are added to facial masks and soaps. They work great as exfoliates for the face and body.

Summary 
Clay, is an available natural resource which is mined or picked from the earth and benefits us wonderfully when it is added to soap and cosmetics products. It is rich in minerals, absorbs oil from the skin and revives and purifies the skin. Clay can also be used in soap as a natural colorant. Clay is a great choice for an exfoliate when adding it to soap. Some clays have properties which draw oil from the skin and normalize its level. Some "drink" the oil, soak it and remove it. Other types of clay help with normal, dry and sensitive skin. Clay cleans the skin, promotes blood circulation and invigorates the skin.  (Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/2013313)

The Curat Blog Received An AWARD!!!

This weekend I was notified by Joanna Schmidt writer for The Soap Bar Blog that I received an award! I was happy, surprised and inspired. So I graciously accepted the "Versatile Blogger" award and here it is:

I'm delighted to receive this award, and accept the following rules to keep it.

The rules are:

1. Make a post and link it back to the person who gave you the award (and include their website address)

2. Share 7 random things about yourself

3. Award 7 recently discovered bloggers with this award and contact them to let them know they have won

7 Random Things About ME:

1.  I like all kinds of music, favorites being gangster rap and Japanese flute.

2.  I studied music and am a coloratura soprano. My vocal range at one time was FC!

3.  I love all food. Any food, I love it! But my favorite is Polish food.

4.  I did the makeup for my mother and my grandmother for their burials.

5.  I can paint and customize graphics on a car.

6.  I used to work as a Sous Chef for 4 years. My career started in the
     kitchen of Essential Edibles, and now Becky and John are running DUOS!

7.  I am obsessed with Armand Assante. And when I meet him, I will kiss him all over.

Okay, so know that you know a little about myself, I would like to pass this award onto the following fabulous bloggers. All of them are top-notch people and the blogs are totally relevant!

Rusty Redenbacher at "Risin". Rusty is a local celeb DJ and has real flava. He takes on the provocative and the relative subjects that not only takes on music, but life in general. He's a unique cat with something to say and you'll love or hate it. But that's the cool and awesome thing about Rusty!

Martha Latta at "The Sunday Afternoon Housewife". A universal crafter, and our triumphant representative in the craft world, Martha keeps everyone informed on new findings, business practices, and not to mention some wonderful jewelry! You'll love her hip offerings.

Elise at "Romantic Hippie". Elise writes about ways to make your home beautiful, your spirit lifted and shares her experiences in a light and colorful way. Her blog is a joy to read and she is pretty too! Everything from home items to great food along with easy recipes. A well rounded lifestyle blog!

Tiffany & Kelly, the lovely ladies of "Pretty Indy" blog. These chics are up on fashion and beauty in a major way! Get the latest news on what's hot and what's on it's way out. Trendsetting and giving tips on how to live happily and pretty in your own world.  They have guest bloggers and also weekly giveaways so bookmark these two and check them out daily!

Jenny Elig's newest offering in the blog world, "Cat On A Unicorn". A look into the awesome, wicked and colorful world of Pop Culture. Jenny has been a fashion writer for years and most notable on the fashion/beauty scene. Her stories have been picked up by USA Today and many other newspapers! Can't wait for her to debut, and a little birdie tells me an upcoming post is "Big Fat Gypsie Weddings"!!

Amy Warden at "Great Cakes Soapworks". Amy is a well-rounded lady with a dear family that she loves to feature along with some darn amazing soaps too! Her soaps are pretty, and well made. Her family is a happy group of campers and I love reading about what's going on in their world. From pickling watermelon rinds, to showing off her latest soapy creations, she lives a fun life and I can tell by her posts that she's a great lady!

And to round out the 7, Steve at "Soap Making Supplies Blog"! Steve is a main player in the world of soap, and suppliers of soaping materials. His blog is very informative and great not only for soapcrafters, but for the general public who wants to know more about the way handcrafted soap is made. He gives wonderful tutorials along with great photos. You can also browse the soapmaker's forum, there's links to it and Steve's company "Soap Making Resource" via the blog.

Again, I am honored to receive this award, and hopefully all the blogs mentioned above will accept this and run with it!  A huge thanks to Joanna at Product Body, writer of "The Soap Bar" blog for bestowing me with this privilege.

The Curat Girl!

When I started Curat soaps, I wanted to have a Curat Girl.  Products in the past always had a girl or a guy to represent the quality, integrity and livelihood of a brand, and I wanted this also for the soap line.  

My intentions were to have many faces representing Curat-Romania, because Curat is made for everyone everywhere. But in time, I focused on one face to represent the brand. Melissa Gladney is the current Curat Girl. She represents the spirit of Curat extremely well and she is so approachable too!  This for me is very important because I want it clear that everyone can enjoy the soap no matter who you are or where you're from. I do want to update photos of Melissa and this was my intentions last year, but I was very busy and yada yada yada.  Hopefully there will be some fresh photos of Melissa very soon!

The original Curat Girl was Morgan.  Currently she is represented by the Helen Wells Agency here in Indiana and has been the face of many great companies in fashion and beauty.

For both photos I did the styling and concept. I'm a freelance makeup artist and I really enjoyed these projects a lot. The photographer for Morgan's ad is Dave Fulton. The photographer for Melissa's ad is Matthew Bowen, both based here in Indiana. 

 

If you would like to see more of my work as a makeup artist, my portfolio can be viewed here: M Renee

Ads For Curat Soaps.....

I love the show "Mad Men". The world of advertising used to be so sexy and glamorous. Cocktails at lunch, beautiful people in offices made of glass...but in the world of Curat there's only one. ME, and these are the latest Curat-Romania ads. Enjoy!

Champas Are Sooooo Great!

Okay, so if you're a Curat soap user, you know about the champa soaps that I have been making. If you don't, oh my you're missing some goodness!  The original champ soap that started it all is "Champion Nag Champa". Many people love it and a few had posed the question " will you be making more varieties of champas?"

More champas. I dwelled on this for a few months and looked up suppliers of champa oils and found many wonderful types from different countries. One champa scent that I adore is the Golokal Champa from India. It's very complex in depth and I love the sweetness it has. I burn this incense everyday in my home I love it so much. I tried to find an oil similar to this when creating "Champion Nag Champa" over a year ago but couldn't get it in the oil form. So my second choice was the ever famous Sai Baba brand of nag Champa in the famous blue bottle and this is why the soap is blue. It is rich and smooth in fragrance with a nice warm finish.

Recently I have been playing around with this type of fragrance and adding my own twist to it. The first one I came up with was "Apricot Champa" and it was a huge hit. Selling out in a month and receiving great feedback to boot. It was offered as a Limited-Edition and  many of my clients are upset because it's no longer available. To make up for the void I created "Sultan" collaborating with my fiance, Prashant Katoch. The soap was a marvelous hit and sold out as quick as the first. "Sultan" was a nectarine and lime champa, heightened with Indian herbal notes. The bar was cut extremely generous and was meant to share.

 "Sultan 2" will make it's debut this fall, so be on the look.  Currently "Rose Imperial Champa" is making a big splash!  I again went to the original nag champa blend and tweaked it to make a nice rose blend that many folks are loving. Even if you're not big on florals, you will be amazed with this bar. Instead of using a heady red rose I went for the sparkling white and pink rose notes, and topped it with a vertiver vanilla blend. VERTIVER? In a CHAMPA? Yes, I know, but it works. The vertiver calms the rose just enough to bring the richness forward.  It's a great blend, but also Limited-Edition. Sorry, but I have a lot of champas to cover!
You can find it here along with other great Limited-Edition soaps: Rose Imperial Champa

If you are a "Champa Head", I hope you have enjoyed the blends I've been offering. Give me some suggestions on future blends too. I love to hear feedback. Till next time,

M*