Quick Product Wrap Up

This is just a quick run through of some products I've used since my hiatus. There are pros, cons, costs, and just the stuff you really want to know.

Marshmallow Fluff Whipped Soap
via Etsy, Doctor Sweet Tooth

$ 5 (+ $3.89 S&H)
[Soap Ingredients: Sodium Cocoate, Sodium Palmate, Castor Seed Oil, Safflower Seed Oil, Glycerin, Water, Shea butter, Sorbitol, Sorbitan Oleate, Glycine Soybean Protein, Titanium Dioxide, Fragrance.]

Pros: When wet and using it, it smells great! Like Marshmallows!
-It's supper soft and ways like 2 oz but it's really 4.5 ozs...cool texture
-Could work great for kids

Cons: Smells bad when not in use and makes the shower smell funky too
-Doesn't really smell great on your skin when you leave the shower
- Just an OK clean feeling after use
- Don't use on your face... it stings crazy bad in the eyes and just is not meant for your face

Overall: Only for a little kid
Rating: 1 outta 5


Body Couture Junkie
Oh La Licious Body Whip
in Green Tea
(Check Etsy for prices and stock)

[distilled water, cetearyl alcohol, polysorbate, shea butter, mango butter, olive oil, sunflower oil, jojoba oil and preservative]

Pros: I loved this body whip. I wish I would have purchased a bigger container. I went through it so fast. Another great use for it, aside from body butter, using it on your feet when wearing high heels that are tight or give you blisters. It moisturizes and lubricates your feet so you don't get blisters or discomfort.

Cons: Needs to come in a bigger size

Rating: 5 outta 5


Body Couture Junkie
Kiss Me Aloe-va Lotion
in Sugar Cookie
(Check Etsy for prices and stock)

[Water, isopropyl Myristate, cetearyl alcohol, ceteareth 20, caprylic/capric glycerides, dimethicone, stearyl alcohol, sybean oil, shea butter, sunflower oil, hydrolyzed silk, aloe barbadensis, disodium EDTA, diazolidinyl urea, benzophenone 4, iodopropynyl buthcarbamate, fragrance and preservative.]

Pros: Smells amazing! Like real cookies!
-Does nourish skin

Cons: Very slippery and slimy
- felt like an attempt to copy Skin-Trip but failed.
- Poor shelf life... two months in and it started to get lumpy

Rating: .5 outta 5


Birch Soaps
Berry Scrub Soap
(Check Etsy for prices and availability)

Pros: Smells great
-Looks great
- Nice cleaning power
- Great exfoliater

Cons: The seeds can be a pain
- Not to be used on the face

Rating: 4 outta 5







Hawkmoon Soaps
Spring Lilac
$ 4.35

Pros: smells amazing
- Got a soap already going? Use this in a drawer to make your clothes smell great
-Leaves your skin so clean and fresh
-Can use everywhere

Cons: - Sticks to soap dishes like WHOOAAA

Rating: 4.5 outta 5


I hope that wasn't too much for you all!!!!

Nahia Creations Elihlizio Soap

Nahia Creations
Elihlizio (Chocolate Espresso) Soap
Via Etsy

$8.50 (+ $4.95 S&H)

[Olive Oil, Coconut Oil, Palm Oil, possibly a Butter, Essential or Fragrance Oil and perhaps, some grains]


I received this bar of soap when I got the Nahia Mango Lip Balm. I've been using it for a while, on and off, and I figured it is about time to discuss this bar.

First, it smells heavenly, if you love espresso. It is like a cocomoco from Spot Coffee... nice and warm with the espresso but a little bitter sweet with the subtle chocolateness.

It quickly soaps up with either hot or cold water, however the lather is minimal. It rinses well and does leave your skin feeling fresh and clean, without any tightness or that dry clean sensation. Yet my skin does not feel moisturized. With the espresso, cocoa butter, and other goodness in here, I would assume that my skin would feel more lush. It is clean but that is about it.

Another disappointing quality of this soap is that it's great scent doesn't transfer to your skin. You may not want to smell like a cocomoco but I sure as heck do! What is the point of yummy smelling soap is not a little of it rubs off onto you?

I won't get started on the price either...

Overall, this is an average soap. It's quality does not back up the price tag of over $10 once you include shipping and handling. I should have kept it in my underwear drawer to make my undies smell yummy.

Rating: 2 outta 5

HawkMoon Soaps Summer Slice Soap

HawkMoon Soaps
Slice of Summer

$4.25 for 4 oz
or 3 bars for $12 (+ S&H depends on location)

[saponified vegetable oils of olive, coconut, sweet almond, castor,rice bran, sunflower and soy & drenched in shea butter, natural fragrance]

This is the first of three bars I purchased from HawkMoon Soaps at the Allentown Art Festival.

The smell of this soap is so crisp and refreshing. At first I had no idea what the distinct smells were but I found out it is Cucumber and Melon. This is such a wonderful burst of summer smells for a morning shower. It is a really great wake up scent.

It lathers well with both hot and cold water. It is not super bubbly but it gets considerably foamy with luke warm water. I have found that this soap is awesome to shave with. It makes your skin super soft and not froathy so shaving is easy.

It leaves your skin feeling nice and clean. Your skin does have some tightness, yet it is soft. It is a wonderful feeling on your face in the morning, and it helps a lot with dry skin, but also wont add oil to your skin. Its scent does not fade after you rise it off. The wonderful mix of cool crisp cucumber and ripe melon make your skin radiate in summer scents.

Overall, I think this is a great soap. It lasted about 6 weeks, and I used it at least once a day and all over my body. I think that is an adequate amount of time for a full bar. The only negative is that you really need to use a slatted soap dish. It gets mushy and icky on the bottom otherwise. And apparently this soap is also Vegan (but you want to double check, but they state on their site that they are vegan friendly).

Rating: 4.5 outta 5

4th Ave Soap Co. Ginger Peach Honey Soap

Ginger Peach Honey Soap
from 4th Ave Soap Co. Etsy

$5 for a 4 oz. bar (+ $2.50 S&H)
$2.75 for a 1.5 oz tear drop bar (+ $2.25 S&H)

[Coconut Oil, Palm Oil, Castor Oil, Safflower Oil, Glycerine (kosher, of vegetable origin), Honey, Purified Water, Sodium Hydroxide (saponifying agent), Sorbitol (moisturizer), Sorbitan Oleate (emulsifier), Soybean Protein (conditioner), fragrance, mica colorant]

This soap looks as fantastic as it smells. Its light peach color with gold shimmer is a sophisticated look for a sweet peach and tartly ginger scent. It looks great on white or marbled soap dishes.

It begins to provide a nice lather quickly, with warm or cold water. Its lather is not super foamy, but it provides great coverage. When you rinse it off, the peachy scent fades and the ginger stands out considerably. It also leaves a subtle shimmer on your skin.

It leaves a soft and supple feel to your skin. No tightness nor grease. It is a really wonderful feel.

I would recommend this as a hand and body soap. I used it on my face and did not like fact my face sparkled.

Overall, this soap is a wonderful sophisticated scent with a nice presentation (in either size) which leaves your skin clean, moisturized and smelling fresh. The only draw back about this soap is that it is going to leave a shimmer, and I don't know many guys who want their chests, arms, and hands to sparkle. This soap is not vegan either.

Rating: 4 outta 5

Midohana Lychee soap

Midohana Lychee Soap

I received a sample of just pink lychee soap, but now there is Lycheetini scent in the Sushi soap bar. A mini Bento box of these soaps are $8.25 (+ S&H)

[Coconut Oil, Palm Oil, Castor Oil, Safflower Oil, Glycerin, Aqua, Sodium Hydroxide, Sorbitol, Sorbitan Oleate, Soybean Protein, Titanium Dioxide, Parfum, Iron Oxides]

This soap smells DIVINE! So good I could eat it. I wished the sample I got was bigger because within a week it was gone, and man, do I miss it.

It lathers okay. It is not super foamy, but it gets good a coverage lather. It works best with warm water.

It leaves a wonderfully soft and clean feeling afterwards. It is splendid. It even makes your skin tingle a little. It is really nice.

The after smell is just as real as the lychee fruit. It is sweet, but subtle, and it pairs well with Juicy Couture's fragrance.

This is something that you could wash with and go out on a date and blow that guys mind with your sweetness.

Did I mention it comes in the sushi form? Even better.

The price is a bit much, but for the novelty, I think it is worth it.

Overall, any sushi lover needs this. Any lychee lover needs this. I think you need it.

Rating: 5 outta 5

Karmic Klutter Castile (olive) Soap

Karmic Klutter natural and organic Castile Soap
From Karmic Klutter site

$3.75 - $7.98 (+ S&H this depends on your order)

[Saponified oil (extra virgin olive oil, palm, and coconut), castor oil, safflower oil, glycerin, purified water, sorbitol (a humectant derived from berries), sorbitan oleate (an emulsifier derived from sorbitol, see above), soy bean protein, vanilla bean specks, titanium dioxide (a natural mineral whitener), natural mica colorant, and fragrance]


This soap review must start off with the awesome factoid... natural and organic! Yeah!

The first bar I tried was the slate colored one, Blackberry Cybilla. It's scent is sophisticated but lacking on the berry front. As you can sort of tell from that photo, it is a great gray slate color which would match most bathroom decor and or kitchen areas. The lather is also commendable. In both hot and cold water, the lather is quick, foamy, and full. It provides nice coverage also. Afterwards it has that dry sticky clean feeling. Its not bad. Your skin does feel cleansed but a bit stiff. It goes away within 30 seconds or so, and then you skin feels soft and moist.You skin, afterwards boasts a mildly subdue fresh scent. The blackberry is still not overpowering, really it is barely there.

The next bar was CocoMango. This is a fun mango colored bar, with a nice mild mango scent before washing. It has the same nice lather as the Blackberry Cybilla. It also gives that same sticky clean feeling. However when you use it, the lather is very coco-ish. Your skin smells like a lighty naturally fruit. It has hints of mango, but there is an undertone of something citrusy that blends in nicely.

Overall, these sample bars are splendid. I wish I had more of them! They are .5 oz which is really a great size for a quest bathroom, or for traveling with. I wish the scents were a bit stronger thought. Yet another positive is the fact you can customize you bars scent and color. Neato!

Rating: 4 outta 5

No Sweat Scottish Lye Soap

Yes, I know this blog is entitled "Balmbastic," but I want to state, if you haven't read the description yet, this isn't all about lip balm.

No Sweat Scottish Lye Soap is a product I discovered at the Erie County Fair a few years ago. In the back yard of the Historical center display this woman actually makes lye soap. She demonstrates how it is made, and has soap for sale. (Last year when I went she had such good sales I got newer soap so I had to actually let it set and dry for about 2 weeks...but it was well worth it!) The recipe has been in this woman's family for 200 years. It's crazy good. It is all made by hand and a lot of care and love goes into it.

As someone who has terrible skin and suffers the effects of acne and a super dry T-zone, I need a good soap. Not to mention the fact my skin is EXTREMELY sensitive to just about every product sold at any store. At first I was hesitant to try this soap but my grandmother bought some anyways just to try. I loved it. It actually does help with acne, but it doesn't dry out the skin. I can use it on my face and get results similar to that of Pro-Active (I know this because I wasted hundreds of dollars on Pro-Active sets when I could have been using this) and it doesn't make my T-zone drier (like Pro-Active). According to the website it is also suppose to help with a vast variety of other skin conditions, yet is gentle enough for a baby. I cannot comment on the other skin conditions, but I can say that it is gentle enough for a baby because I have used it on my little cousin.


There is no scent to this soap. Some people really like their scented soaps, but this is quality right here. You don't have to worry about your perfume mixing with the scent or anything. It's pretty much colorless too, however when you get your bar you can lay flowers and other natural flora on it and as it dries it will absorb the color and leave a cool imprint.

As far as longevity, one bar (which there is no standard size. They are cut by hand and range in size but are all relatively similar.) lasts a few months. It depends on how much you use it. I use it was a total body soap as well as my facial soap. I sometimes also use it in my hair. It sounds crazy but it works as a clarifying agent, so I'll wash with my Giovanni 50:50 shampoo then use the Scottish Lye Soap, then put in conditioner. This is really an ideal multi-purpose soap.

My only complaint about this soap is its storage. I buy in bulk because the fair is only once a year. First you have to let it set out for a bit, to completely dry out. Putting it on a cutting board is recommended, or any piece of word as to draw out the dampness faster. After that, if you have a pantry or vanity in your bathroom (or where ever you keep your products) you can place bars in there but you have to wrap them. I've found that if you just leave them out in the open, even in the closed cupboard, they seem to shrivel. They don't lose their potency or anything, they just don't look appealing. But if you wrap it in a brown paper bag, wax paper, or keep the original packaging that you receive it in and store it closed in that, it does not get all shrively looking.

Overall, this soap has become a staple in my life. It is so practical and reasonable in price you can't go wrong. You really must try it.

Rating: 6 out of 5 (yes...that's right, a 6, because it is just that amazing)

How and Where to Get it:
No Sweat Factory Scottish Lye Soap
$3 a bar (+ S&H)
Ordering Information