Tiare Blossom

A new floral for summer!
As many of you know, I travelled to France for two weeks. Just before I left on my Sniffapalooza trip, I was inspired to create a fragrance for my travels!

It’s called Tiare Blossom. An exotic blend of gardenia, white ginger flowers and jasmine married with notes of lemongrass, litsea cubeba, orange oil, vanilla, nutmeg, bergamot, coriander, ending with hints of musk and sandalwood. When I presented it to my new friends on our Sniffa trip, it was followed by oohs and aahs…and I take that as a huge compliment, coming from people who are even more addicted to scent than I..:-)

It comes in all of our products. From lotion to perfume oil to candles.

I hope your summer is going well and I plan to create a new fragrance based on my trip to the fragrance capital of the world, Grasse.

Have a scentual day and aloha!

Jennifer
The Scentual Mixtress

Do you enjoy our beauty products or those of other small beauty businesses?

I LOVE creating amazing products for you, but there’s some legislation in the works that may prevent us all from keeping our businesses! Yikes!

I don’t mean to sound dramatic, but a bill called The Safe Cosmetics Act of 2010 (HR 5786) was submitted several weeks ago. Let me first say that I am, of course, for “safe cosmetics.” That is why I have the business that I do. I keep the ingredients basic, good and safe for your skin. What this bill is proposing is far reaching, not based on science and will stamp out all small and micro beauty companies.

The things in this bill that I believe threaten our businesses:

1. Labeling. The way it goes now, a manufacturer must label their products with everything that is in the formulation in descending order and in the INCI (International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients). Items in the mix that are less than 1% can be listed at the end in any order (but they must only be 1% of the formulation or less). The way HR5786 is written, a manufacturer must first do testing for trace elements (a costly and business-ending element of this bill) and list every item found. The problem is that these days, the testing is so good, it finds trace elements to the billionth that are in each ingredient in your product. So, here’s an example that Donna Maria Coles Johnson of Indie Business took to Washington DC last week.

A basic lotion bar ingredients deck (what they call it in the beauty biz):

Current labeling: Olea Europaea (Olive) Oil, Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Seed Butter and Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Oil.

If HR 5786 is passed:

Olive Oil (Tri-Glycerides of Palmitic, Di-Glycerides of Palmitic, Palmitoleic, Stearic, Oleic, Linoleic, Arachidic Acid, Linolenic Acid, Squalene, Beta Carotene, Campesterol, Methylenecholesterol, Stigmasterol, Sitosterol, Fucosterol, 28-Isofucosterol, Stigmadienol, Brassicasterol, 7-Cholestenol,Ergostadienol, Avenasterol, Triterpene Alcohols, Tirucallol, Taraxerol, Dammaradienol Beta-Amyrin Germanicol, Butyrospermol, Parkeol, Cycloartenol, Tirucalladienol, 4-Methlene 24-Dihydroparkeol, 24-Methlenecycloartanol, Cyclobranol, 4-Methyl Sterols, Esters of Tyrosol, Esters of Hydroxytyrosol, Vitamin E (Tocopherols), Carotenoids, Oleuropein), Cocoa Butter (Tri and Diglycerides of Stearic Acid, Palmitic Acid, Lead, Oleic Acid, Linoleic Acid, Isoleic Acid, Beta Carotene, p-Hydroxybenzoic Acid, Vanillic Acid, Ferulic Acid, Syringic Acid, Phenylehtylamine, Theophylline, Aliphatic Esters, Aromatic Carbonyls, Caffeine, Theobromine, Diketopiperazines and Alkylpryazines), Lavender Essential Oil ( Cineole Octanol, Octanone, Alpha Bisabolol, Alpha Cadinol, Alpha Humelene, Alpha Phellandrene, Apha Pinene, Alpha Terpinene, Alpha Terpineol, Alpha Terpinyl Acetate, Alpha Thujene, Alpha Thujone, Beta Bisabolol, Beta Pinene, Beta Thujone, Borneol, Bornyl Acetate, Camphene Camphor, Cineolealpha Terpineol, Carvone, Caryophyllene, Carophyllene Oxide, CIS Alpha Terpineol, CIS Alpha Bisabolene, CIS Carveol, CIA Linalol Epoxide, CIS Ocimene, Citronellal, Citronellol, Coumarine, Cuminaldehyde, Eugenol, Furfural, Geraniol, Geranyl Acetate, Geranyl Butyrate, Hexanol, Hexyl Tiglate, Isoborneol, Lavandulol, Lavandulyl Acetate, Limonene, Linanlol, Linalyl Acetate, Methyl Heptenone, Myrcene, Nerol, Neryl Acetate, Oleanolic Acid, P Cymene, Rosemarinic Acid, Sabinen, Terpinenol, Terpinolene, Trans Carveol, Trans Epoxy Linalyl Acetate, Trans Linanol Epoxide, Trans Ocimene, Ursolic Acid).

This is a three ingredient product! Imagine what a product with more ingredients would look like! Probably 200 trace elements for each ingredient.

When our Indie Beauty Business members met with the staffers last week in Washington DC, they showed this list to them and their jaws dropped. The list of ingredients would be impossible to fit on a label, it would confuse, you, the consumer and it would be MORE difficult to understand what was in each product. I believe in “full disclosure,”  but this is ridiculous!

2. Testing. The testing requirement for this bill would make it mandatory for small businesses to do testing of their final product formulations for trace elements. As I mentioned before, this would kill micro businesses like mine and many others just for the cost of such a requirement. For example, there are naturally occurring trace elements of formaldehyde in an apple. According to this bill, you could not put apple in your beauty products because of the trace element of formaldehyde. But you can eat an apple? Makes no sense. Regulating cosmetics more than food is insane!

Since 2005, I have offered safe products that help you look, feel and smell great. I pride myself on the safe products I make, and on how they help enhance your life. My ability to continue to create the products you love is in jeopardy. A few more of the adverse effects of this bill, if it becomes law are:

(1) you will have to pay higher prices

(2) you will not be able to buy as many products made with natural ingredients online or at your favorite boutiques, specialty stores or Farmer’s Markets; and

(3) You will have less choice and you will likely be more confused.

Please join me in opposing this law, or, at the very least, reading and perhaps signing this petition against it. You will be taking a stand for woman-owned small businesses nationwide, and advocating for the right to continue to make the (already safe) products you love so much?

Here’s what you can do:

1. Please sign the Petition Opposing the bill. (You do not have to sign in to sign the Petition.) The petition is easy to understand, with 7 bullet points quickly describing how this bill would hurt my business (and other personal care businesses) without any benefit to you, my customer. As I write this note to you, over 3036 companies, customers and other interested parties have signed the Petitio

2. If you are on Twitter, please follow the #OpposeSCA hashtag. This is an easy way to keep up with the latest news and blog posts on the issue. I hope you will comment on some of the posts written by me and my beauty industry colleagues, and even ReTweet us from time to time we advance our interests together.

3. Vote “Opposed” in the Open Congress poll. This poll is maintained by a non-profit organization, and it housed on a page displaying the image of Rep. Jan Schakowsky, a co-sponsor of the bill. You do have to sign in the vote, but it only takes a second, and our elected officials look at these poll numbers so every poll vote counts!By the way, if you have time, please tell your friends and family members in other states. The bill is co-sponsored by Reps Jan Schakowsky, (D-Il), Ed Markey, (D-Ma), and Tammy Baldwin, (D-Wi), so you can focus particularly on those states if you’d like, but don’t be limited by that. Elected officials in all 50 states will likely be asked to vote on this bill!

Thank you for your time, interest and participation! I love creating wonderful products for you and would like to continue to do so!

Jennifer Hardaway

KleanSpa

This morning, I awoke at 4am to be at our shop to be interviewed by Allie MacKay, of KTLA Morning News here in Burbank, CA!

She did three spots with us and featured our store MINDFULnest and my custom fragrance blending!

SPOT 1:

SPOT 2:

SPOT 3:

I’m sitting here tonight in my store and listening to the rain. We’ve had it all week, as many of you may have heard. (We’re in Los Angeles).

One day, it will stop, and we will wish for more…

It’s hard not to know about the earthquake in Haiti. It’s all over the news and the country is devastated.

I just donated  via text to the American Red Cross (now at 7 million and counting). To Donate: Dial 90999 and text “HAITI.”

After that I went here, to the US Government website: “>

If you are interested is learning more about what you can do, click the image above!

According to a small study at the journal of Psychological Science, when put in a “clean scented” room, participants became more honest and willing to give and reciprocate with the partner.

The conclusion for researchers? “These changes in behavior can be explained by a symbolic link in individuals’ minds between moral purity and cleanliness, epitomised, according to the researchers, by the ‘cleanliness is next to godliness’ adage.”

To read about the study, CLICK HERE!

Many of you know that I opened a store with a friend in Burbank called, MINDFULnest.
PLEASE vote for us in the FOX LA Hot List contest. The last day to vote is
November 6th! We are trying to make it to #1 and we are at #2…

Here’s the link if you are so inclined: VOTE HERE!

Thanks for your help!

Jennifer

Last week I spent 5 days at a conference in Santa Monica, CA. The event was put on by Gina Ratliffe creator of the Esther Experience. And what an experience it was! We had SO many speakers: Eben Pagen, Gary Vaynerchuk (The Wine Guy), David Neagle, Lisa Elia, Laura Roeder and so many others it’s hard to remember.

We were also given the privilege of listening to Marianne Williamson. If you are not familiar with her, she is a wonderful spiritual speaker who teaches A Course in Miracles and she changes lives. As I was listening to her, I was able to take notes and now I can pass them along here.

Marianne said (according to A Course in Miracles):

1. You are no better or worse than anybody else.
2. Each and every one of us has infinite potential to change the world.
3. You are not the water, you are only the faucet.
4. You are not a master, you’re a servant.

You are no better or worse than anybody else. That in itself is one of the most powerful messages. I forget that in this big world, as I am running around trying to get things done, I ask myself, who am I doing this for? Are my actions trying to make me “better” than someone else out there? I heard this message a long time ago. It was put like this, “We are all children of God.” (I had to get past the “God” part, as I don’t ascribe to any specific religion). What I learned is that God can become whatever I want it to be. The universe, the earth or the spirit in other people. As I reread what I have written here, I didn’t intend for this post to be about God. But I guess when you bring up someone like Marianne, you can’t help but talk about it.

Each and every one of us has infinite potential to change the world. What I hear is that the universe and our place in it is limitless. Expand, grow, change. While I was at this conference, I was expanding moment by moment just by sitting in the chair listening to the speakers. My goal now is to take what I have heard and felt and take it into the rest of my life. I need to act like a person who believes this. Whatever that looks like to me.

You are not the water, you are only the faucet. This reminded me of the fact the I am just a channel for God or spirit to come through. I don’t control the water. I don’t even need to worry about the water. I just need to keep the faucet working and clear for the “water” to come through.

You are not a master, you’re a servant. I heard a few messages about mastering your craft at the event. They said it takes about 10,000 hours to be a master of your craft. Being a master of my craft means I am keeping the faucet working well, for the water to come through. This is different than the master Marinne spoke of. Am I being a servant of God or spirit or something higher than me? Am I allowing that energy to come through me?

Another thing that Marianne said was, “Don’t enter into today with yesterday’s filth.” My ears perked up, of course, as I feel I can be the “faucet” here and allow the “water” to come through me. I was showering every other day, as I wanted to save water. But when she said this, I think I will change my ritual a bit.

How do you see these manifesting in your life?

Hello all!

I’ve got a question for you! What fragrances you are interested in?
Click on the link below to take the survey!

What is your favorite fragrance?
(polls)