Name That Scent

I've been playing with new fragrances lately- unfortunately I've yet to list them on Etsy due to some unforeseen camera trouble. The first is called "Summer Stroll"- it's a solid perfume with Lemongrass, Lavender, Sweet Orange, and Peppermint essential oils. It's all natural so it won't bother people with chemical sensitivities. I'll be creating a matching soap as well.
The second new scent is giving me a bit of trouble. It's comprised of Bergamot (which has a lovely rich citrus scent, but is a little darker than an orange or lemon), Anise, Cinnamon, and a hint of Vanilla. It's also an all natural essential oil scent. I'm having a terrible time coming up with a name for it.
The scent is spicy, exotic and very appealing. I think it's very sophisticated as well. I was thinking of something that referenced beverages- Earl Gray Tea is flavored with Bergamot, Absinthe has a licorice or Anise taste. I still haven't reached the right note in that respect. Suggestions welcome!
I've been making lip balms as well and forcing friends and family to test them (they don't mind getting free lip balm, actually). My latest creations are: Bergamot, Rosewood, and Honey Lavender. Currently my Winter NourishMint (Peppermint) balm is listed in my shop.

New Year Changes

I've started listing some sugar scrubs and bath salts. I'll also be listing a fantastic bergamot lip balm this week. Mostly, I'm trying to build up some variety in my shop and create several items in the same or complementary scents. I just listed a "Love" soap to match my solid perfume scent of the same name.
Yesterday I put my first shop, Blackbird Crafts on vacation. I need to figure out a more cohesive design for that shop- a more unified took and style. If I reopen it.
Something else I want to try is some less literal, more artistic photography. Now that I have a decent camera, I want to play a bit. Not just pictures of the soap or the tin of perfume or tube of balm, but pictures that represent the atmosphere, the experience of the fragrance. We'll see.
I'm working on a new scent, I'm not sure what I'll be calling it yet.
Also, I've been working on a cream for my dry winter skin. It's a shea butter base with sweet almond oil, jojoba oil, oatmeal and lemon verbena. It's very nice, I may list some in my shop after I whip up some more.

Lip Balm Experiments

I have several recipes I've been toying with- an attempt I made the other day is close. A little too waxy, I need to increase the amount of the oils and tone down the beeswax.
I'm optimistic that I'll be able to have some in my shop by the new year! I'm having friends test my bath salts so they can join the inventory in January as well.
Now I'm trying to decide on packaging for both of these items. I like balms to be in tubes instead of tins because it doesn't get your hands messy, nor does it put your germy hands in your mouth. I really like the oval tubes, they are better shaped for the natural curve of the lip, but they also tend to be about twice as expensive, so I don't know if it's worth it.
The salts could either go in some sort of jar or bag- again, I'll see what is both classy and economical.
Recently I've also had the random idea to make a set of Sherlock Holmes dolls. I'm a big fan and have been working my way through the canon for a while now. I checked, there doesn't really seemed to be much in the way of Holmes/Watson dolls out there. Though, if I do make them it might not be for selling... I might not be able to part with them.

I'm in Love

If I could marry a scent this might be it.
I've been stocking up on fragrances, essential oils, etc. for some new projects (more on that later), and some arrived today.
This morning I made a new soap called "Captain Wentworth" after the hero of my favorite Austen novel, Persuasion. It is a blend of tobacco flower, blood orange and leather with a little sea salt for exfoliation mixed in. It smells so fresh and clean- and it's not super masculine so females could totally use it too. I think I'm going to have to make a 'man soap' gift pack with this scent as the centerpiece. My new gunpowder fragrance blend is gorgeous as well. I had a female friend request that I make her a solid perfume with the scent.
My next projects on the horizon are bath salts, sugar scrubs and lip balms. I've already started playing with bath salts, making some lovely eucalyptus scented salts the other night. For the rest of the year every order will come with a small sample of my new bath salts- I have some friends testing them as we speak.
I've found a recipe for whipped sugar scrub which intrigues me, so I'll be playing with and tweaking that. And as soon as my beeswax arrives I'll be playing with some lip balm recipes as well. So, I'm keeping busy and finding new inspiration for my soap shop.
I will be putting my first shop, Blackbird Crafts, on vacation for a while and just focus on Morning Valley Soaps. I see that being a better long term focus.