Reviews (37)

Expert advice with good mix of recipes
Dr. McDaniel's book is a great reference for those who are seasoned soapers as well as beginners looking for an introduction. One of the reasons this book is superior to others is the fact that the photos are instructional as opposed to decorative. For example, on page 57, he has wonderful photos demonstrating what trace looks like and how it behaves. I LOVED that because trace was the most elusive thing for me. People described it till they were blue in the face and I still didn't get it. It wasn't till I saw the photo that the "Aha!" moment came.
A Good Book to Start With
Overall, as a beginner, I enjoyed this book and appreciated a lot of his explanations and directions. I found his explanation of the math/calculation portion a little confusing, however. His step by step soap making was nice. I wish he would have explained different methods of coloring soap a little more. I am interested in making herbal soaps as natural as possible, and this book has helped me to get a basic idea. He goes over melt and pour in a brief overview, and I was glad he didn't spend too much time on it. He teaches the cold process method. I plan to find books that teach hot process next. This book is recommended for beginners.

A very interesting book
I am a veteran soapmaker and really enjoyed this book. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Aromatherapy    2. Crafts & Hobbies    3. Crafts / Hobbies    4. Decorating    5. General    6. Hobbies/Crafts    7. Potpourri    8. Soap    9. Cosmetics, make-up & skin care   

Reviews (11)

"Soaps, Shampoos, Perfumes & Splashes You Can Make At Home"
This beautiful, slim book is split into two parts: sure are a lot of soap books
This is just another book that was written to cash in on the current DIY craze in toiletries and bath products.The author is not much of a soapmaker, and I ended up selling my copy to a used bookstore within 6 months of ordering it.The book is beautiful to behold, while being a pain to actually use due to the format and size, but is essentially useless next to the few books that actually impart info which empowers crafters to make ingredients decisions because they've learned something.Read Cavitch if you want to learn something. Not for a Beginner...
This was my first book that I bought on soap making and I really wished I had read the reviews first, before I purchased this book. I should have known something was not right when she didn't have any pictures of her finished soaps with her recipes. Could it be because they don't come out right, so she has none to show? I have attemtped to make two of her recipes so far. The Cinnamon Ginger,pg. 71; which came out a dark, ugly, smelley, mess. My second attempt was her Soothing Honey Vanilla Soap, pg. 73. What a fiasco that turned out to be.She neglects to tell you that when you add the 6 ounces of melted beeswax to the oils that are at 100F degrees(as instructed by her Basic Vegetable Soap), the beeswax will immediately solidify again and float on top. So, now I had to re-melt everything to a temperature around 150F to get the Beeswax to stay melted and blend into the oils. And of course, my Lye was already at 100F, waiting to be added to the oils. I see now why she has the section of water baths to regulate your Lye/Oil tempertures. You are going to need them.Anyhow, in order for the beeswax to stay liquid, I had to keep the temperature around 150F.And now I wasn't sure which temperature my lye should be. She also neglected to warn you that honey can cause your batch to separate, that happened to me also, when I added the warmed honey. I have serious doubts that my soap will turn out ok, it is in the mold now, but it did not look good when I poured it. And, I also just found out, after reading on the Internet, that you should not add more than 1.5% beeswax to a batch, otherwise you will have problems keeping the batch at a liquid state. The other reason is because of Beewax's hardening properties. Since it makes a soap hard, too much is not good, not unless you have a jack-hammer to slice it:). Well, her recipe called for 6oz of Beeswax, which is more than 13%, I am afraid I will end up with a brick in the morning. Again, this is the type of information she neglects to explain to you. Another important note is the use of Essential Oils in her reipes, e.g., again, her Soothing Vanilla Soap says to use 2 oz of Vanilla Essential Oil. I am not sure who her supplier is, but I couldn't find pure Vanilla Essential Oil for under $194.00, for 2 ozs, and that was for Vanilla Absolute. I am so glad now, that I used Fragrance Oil instead. I don't have 200.00 to throw away, while I try to figure her recipes out. Again, this is book is truly lacking in information. I am sure an experienced soaper would have known these things, but than, I think an experienced soaper would have read this recipe,laughed and tossed it aside. And yes, how much lye do you need for the Lemon Lime Coconut Hair Bar on pg. 91, anyway? That's right, somehow the editor neglected to add it. Hopefully, once I become more experienced, I can use some of her recipes, but for now, I think I will stay with the Internet, so I can learn.Buyers beware, is all I have left to say about this book. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Aromatherapy    2. Beauty & Grooming - General    3. Crafts / Hobbies    4. Health & Fitness    5. Health/Fitness    6. Perfumes    7. Potpourri    8. Soap    9. Crafts & Hobbies / Potpourri    10. Handicrafts    11. Hobbies, Quizzes & Games    12. Personal appearance & beauty care   

Reviews (11)

beautiful
I give this book four stars because of the beautiful artwork and wonderful recipes. Very beautifully illustrated and simple to follow. However I have one complaint: most of the herbal recipes call for mugwort which I cannot find. I haven't yet tried any of the recipes in here because of that but in my opnion it is very original and definitely a keeper.

Making Herbal Dream Pillows
Wonderful book!Jim Long has done alot of research into the origins of the pillows. Very informative compact book.

Not bad, not great
The recipes for making herbal pillows are good. However, the book only gives you one instruction for sewing a pillow. I guess I was hoping for more than one style. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Aromatherapy    2. Consumer Health    3. Crafts & Hobbies    4. Diet / Health / Fitness    5. Dreams    6. General    7. Herbal Medications    8. Herbs    9. Hobbies/Crafts    10. Potopourris (Scented floral mi    11. Potopourris (Scented floral mixtures)    12. Potpourri    13. Therapeutic use    14. Handicrafts    15. Health & Fitness / Herbal Medications   

Reviews (2)

Raku
I can not give a opinion if I have not received the book as of yet to be seen

Great raku information
This is his second book I bought.I thought that this book would repeat a lot of the information in the first book, but to my surprise the book had a lot of new information and new pictures.This book is worth taking an evening to read it cover to cover.This is a great edition to his first book. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Crafts & Hobbies    2. Crafts / Hobbies    3. Hobbies/Crafts    4. Potpourri    5. Pottery & Ceramics   

Subjects:  1. Aromatherapy    2. Beauty & Grooming - General    3. Diet / Health / Fitness    4. Fashion & Grooming    5. Handicraft    6. Health & Fitness    7. Health/Fitness    8. Potpourri    9. Reference    10. Relaxation    11. GRAPHIC NOVEL - Graphic Novel TRD PB    12. Handicrafts    13. Health & Fitness / Aromatherapy   

Reviews (3)

Great read
Sensational ideas for capturing, preserving and enjoying aromatic gifts from the garden.Simple techniques for gathering, drying, storing and blending herbs, flowers & spices.Step by step how-to photographs plus detailed, easy to folow instructions for every project.

the best book I've ever read concerning Potpourries
Betsy articulate approach to the topic combined with the beautifuldetailed step by step photography made my purchase of one hundred books forgifts to my garden club members a smash.A MUST READ!

the best book I've ever read concerning Potpourries
Betsy articulate approach to the topic combined with the beautifuldetailed step by step photography made my purchase of one hundred books forgifts to my garden club members a smash.A MUST READ! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Crafts & Hobbies    2. Decoration and ornament    3. Essences and essential oils    4. Hobbies/Crafts    5. Plant forms    6. Potpourri    7. Potpourris (Scented floral mixtures)   

Editorial Review

You don't have to spend a fortune at upscale toiletries shops to amass a wonderful collection of soul-satisfying beauty products. Beauty consultant Casey Kellar has filled Read more

Reviews (2)

Scent Sensitivity and the Beauty Products Junkie
For me, it was love at first glimpse.I grabbed this book and raced to the nearest checkout lane.I couldn't wait to get home and read it from cover to cover. GOOD INFORMATION - BUT WHO HAS THE TIME?
What I did like about this book is the fact that it truly is a book based on natural products you can make yourself, and if it is a natural ingredient, it probably is healthy.The one thing that puzzles me, is where on Earth are busy, working people going to find the time to not only go out and purchase some of these little basic ingredients, but find the time to mix up the wonderful little potions and lotions?I have a top-management position and a family that keeps me going from sunup to sundown. Then, there is the clean-up afterward.With all the brands in existence today, I cannot for the life of me figure out why I would want to make my own toothpaste! I barely have time to brush my teeth, let alone make the toothpaste.If I am fortunate enough that my husband has time to give me a message at the end of the day, there are times when I would not know if he was using an exotic message oil or WD-40 for his car! Read more

Subjects:  1. Beauty & Grooming - Cosmetics    2. Beauty, Personal    3. Crafts & Hobbies    4. Crafts / Hobbies    5. General    6. Health/Fitness    7. Herbal cosmetics    8. Potpourri    9. Personal appearance & beauty care   

Subjects:  1. Crafts & Hobbies    2. Crafts / Hobbies    3. Flower Arranging    4. Flower drying    5. Handicraft    6. Hobbies/Crafts    7. Potpourri    8. Potpourris (Scented floral mix    9. Potpourris (Scented floral mixtures)    10. Floral crafts   

Reviews (1)

new, not familiar over used designs
Always a treat instruction wise,this one offers totally new ideas.. great color reproductions and an overall theme to follow. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Appliquâe    2. Crafts & Hobbies    3. Crafts / Hobbies    4. Hobbies/Crafts    5. Patchwork    6. Patterns    7. Potpourri    8. Quilt Making    9. Quilting    10. Quilts & Quilting    11. Patchwork & applique    12. Quiltmaking   

Editorial Review

The trappings of Christmas are that much more magical when they smell as good as they look. The piney tang of garland and tree, the pungent aromas of spices and citrus, the lovely fragrance of potpourri and essential oils, the sweet whiffs of pies and cookies and mulled wine--all make wonderful contributions to the festive aura of the season. Read more

Subjects:  1. Christmas decorations    2. Crafts & Hobbies    3. Crafts / Hobbies    4. Gifts    5. Handicraft    6. Hobbies/Crafts    7. Potpourri    8. Seasonal   

Reviews (3)

Not for Incense
As a general book for people wanting to work with fragrant materials it has some contribution, but I couldn't recommend the techniques on making incense, or for someone looking for books on natural aromatics. That just isn't what this book is about.

A good how-to book for making fragrant things.
This is about the only book on the market that I've been able to find on making aromatics that isn't just stuffed with useless "new age" tripe, especially on making incense.Incense is more than 5000 years old.Wicca and the literary works it is based on have been around at most 200 years.The use of incense in Christian services alone predates the wiccan use of it by at least 1800 years, yet every reference available bombards you with the nonsensical "modern" reinterpretation. Not too bad
This book contains some great information on making potpourri and perfume components. It's information on making incense and candles is, at best, out dated and at worst useless. I've found a much better book for how to make incense, but this is a good little work. It's hard to beat it for the price.Try "Incense: Crafting & Use of Magickal Scents" or "Wylundt's Book of Incense" instead.Read more

Subjects:  1. Crafts & Hobbies    2. Crafts / Hobbies    3. Engineering - Chemical & Biochemical    4. Essences and essential oils    5. General    6. Hobbies/Crafts    7. Incense    8. Perfumes    9. Potpourri    10. Potpourris (Scented floral mix    11. Potpourris (Scented floral mixtures)    12. Floral crafts   

Reviews (2)

Don't try THIS at home
While the potpourri and cologne recipes may be fine, I strongly adviseagainst using his soap recipes, as the high percentage of lye isn't safe.If you wish to make soap, please invest in another, safer book--any of thefollowing three have wonderful recipes that don't run the risk ofdestroying your skin: The Natural Soap Book, The Soapmaker's Companion orThe Handmade Soap Book.

Found the book interesting.
It containted a lot of simple, but useful recipes. Easy to use and understand. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Crafts & Hobbies    2. Crafts / Hobbies    3. Engineering - Chemical & Biochemical    4. Hobbies/Crafts    5. Models    6. Perfumes    7. Potpourri    8. Potpourris (Scented floral mix    9. Potpourris (Scented floral mixtures)    10. Soap    11. Handicrafts    12. Hobbies, Quizzes & Games   

Editorial Review

With a brief but compelling history of the candle, Catherine Bardey introduces us to a once-essential source of light that has lost none of its charm through the ages. We may no longer depend on candles for everyday illumination, but we still rely on them to create atmosphere, evoke a mood, or enhance our decor. Excellent descriptions of the various materials and techniques (molding, dipping, pouring, rolling, decorating) and extensive recipes for many types of candles ensure that even the novice can create beautiful designs.Read more

Reviews (1)

Great for beginners
This book is quite clearly written with enough variety to keep you interested but not so much that it is overwhelming.Nice simple recipes and easy to find ingredients.I recommend it! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Candlemaking    2. Crafts & Hobbies    3. Crafts / Hobbies    4. Hobbies/Crafts    5. Potpourri    6. Potpourris (Scented floral mix    7. Potpourris (Scented floral mixtures)    8. Floral crafts    9. Handicrafts    10. Hobbies, Quizzes & Games   

Reviews (1)

For pleasure!
For anyone who wants a useful index of how to mix scentful herbs for food, oils for aromatherapy, natural and effectful house cleaners, keeping bugs out, etc - close to hand. It's got beautiful photography to illustrate it and it is very easy to follow, lots of tips on 'how to', psychological as well as physical impacts of the different scents. Basically an instruction for beeing one with nature in your everyday life making things a lot easier:-) ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Aromatherapy    2. Crafts & Hobbies    3. Crafts / Hobbies    4. Decorating    5. Decorating - General    6. Hobbies/Crafts    7. House cleaning    8. Potpourri    9. Potpourris (Scented floral mixtures)    10. Crafts & Hobbies / Potpourri    11. NATURE - Animals TRD PB   

Subjects:  1. Cleaning & Caretaking - Household Hints    2. Crafts & Hobbies    3. Crafts / Hobbies    4. Hobbies/Crafts    5. House cleaning    6. Natural pesticides    7. Natural products    8. Potpourri    9. Recipes    10. Equestrian & animal sports   

Subjects:  1. Crafts & Hobbies    2. Crafts / Hobbies    3. Dried Flowers    4. Hobbies/Crafts    5. Potpourri   

Subjects:  1. Crafts & Hobbies    2. Hobbies/Crafts    3. Potpourri   

Editorial Review

The sense of smell is strongly linked to memory; the whiff of a familiar but forgotten fragrance can unleash a flood of recollections. Yet fragrance is often overlooked in gift giving, except for the obvious gift of perfume. To celebrate the importance of olfactory delights, Read more

Reviews (1)

A great book to borrow
The first chapter, 'Gifts from the Garden' left me with no desire to try any of the techniques given.The photos of the finished products were large and beautiful, but there were no step-by-step photos - only thefinished product.The section on fragrant plants and spices was helpfulhowever, as it also told what each scent symbolized and what effects it hason an individual.The second chapter, 'Gifts that Pamper' I enjoyed muchbetter.It gave recipes for bottled oils, soaps, body powders, rosewater,foot balm and lip balm.'Gifts from the Kitchen' was also informative withrecipes for breads and jellys as well as cooking oils and teas. The chapter'Sewn Gifts' was fun to look at but I don't sew, so... The final chapter,'More Great Gifts' was also fun to look at and it gave good ideas forodds-n-end gifts like sachets and scented frames.All in all, it would bea great book to borrow, I think.You can easily look at the photos of thefinished products and go create your own, individualized gifts. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Crafts & Hobbies    2. Crafts / Hobbies    3. General    4. Gifts    5. Handicraft    6. Hobbies/Crafts    7. Potpourri    8. Potpourris (Scented floral mixtures)    9. Decorative arts & crafts    10. Handicrafts   

Subjects:  1. Crafts & Hobbies    2. Hobbies/Crafts    3. Potpourri    4. Sale Adult - Crafts / Hobbies    5. Sale Books   

Editorial Review

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Subjects:  1. Aromatic plants    2. Container    3. Container gardening    4. Crafts & Hobbies    5. Flowers - General    6. Fragrant gardens    7. Gardening / Horticulture    8. Hobbies/Crafts    9. Potpourri    10. Gardening: plants