Chloe, Conditioners, Cones and Comments

I was going to respond to Chloe's comment in the same thread, but she hit on something I wanted to elaborate on further so I figured it deserved its own post. That, and I haven't posted in a while and this is a topic I've been meaning to discuss.

All this talk about cones vs. no cones has really touched upon the heart of what Crater Lake Company is all about. I've always strived to make Crater Lake Company a celebration of our individuality and uniqueness. No two head of hair or skin type or chemistry are alike. And as with products, the same goes for scents. I am envious of people who can pull off coconut scents, like they're some beach goddess, Hawaiian honey or something. Me? Coconut turns a wonderful aroma of tropical plastic on my skin.

I previously wrote about how our True Lustre Dish is too heavy for my hair, giving me that oh-so-sexy shellacked look. Obviously Chloe, if you're looking to achieve the Michael Jackson Thriller hairstyle, then by all means, help yourself to a jar of Moisture Whip Light Conditioner! Otherwise, stick with the TLC kiddo. Personally, I prefer using our Moisture Whip Light Conditioner. My hair does fine with products containing cones and our Moisture Whip is what my locks would consider a light dish. A few of our customers have even used the dish as a leave-in. I tried this, but my hair tends to be oily so I was sporting the grunge look about 13 years too late. "Edie Veder called. He wants his hairstyle back."

In all the product categories we offer, you'll find that there's always a choice between two or more. For example, we carry two different kinds of cremes and butters because I realize that some may want a thicker moisturizer, while others want to be able to turn a doorknob 10 seconds after application. (Rats. Right after I wrote this, I realized we only carry one lotion formula at the moment). Okay, as for the lotion. I'm offering a slightly reformulated version of the Nourishing Lotion (nka Aloe Smoothie) we used to carry in the past. It was our best-selling formula so we're keeping it. However, we received feedback that it was a little too thick so I'm thinking of offering one that wears lighter for the warm weather to come. That's in the works.

So anyway, my point is this. Crater Lake Company's philosophy is to celebrate you exactly the way you are, both inside and out. So we give you a variety of choices, from the products we offer so you can find the formula that's right for you to the unique fragrance blends we create so you can discover those that speak to your soul, to allow you to celebrate your uniqueness. It's also a reason why we're very heavy-handed with our samples. Maybe in that stash of samples is one scent or product that you would have never considered otherwise. If I remember correctly, this is how Kristy discovered our Whipped Soy Body Butter and our Peppermint Cream Torte fragrance blend.

From your choice of scent strength, to your hair conditioner preference to how scrubby you want your scrub, we hope we can deliver quality products to your exacting specifications in a fun and exciting way. While at the same time providing you with the information you need (with as little bias or propaganda as possible) to make an informed decision.

And what with the CLC Creations we concoct? From Kathy's beloved Madras to Holly's Walking on Moonbeams, they're all there for you to help make your bathing and smell good experience unique and personalized; to help define and enhance what is and should be a truly indulgent experience.

I know I've said this before, but it bears repeating. CLC was borne out of my unrelenting pursuit to make this experience the best ever. Ever. Because to me, as is with many of you, bathing and enjoying all our goodies is essential to our well-being, both physically and mentally. It soothes tired muscles as well as souls, makes our skin smooth and keeps our sanity in check. A bath is the remedy for my hurting knees after a long training run or when I'm particularly stressed out. My Sunday evening showers, before Extreme Home Makeover is sacred. Do not, I repeat, do not try to take this time away from me for I will unleash uponeth you 4 feet 11 inches of belligerent fury.

My signature scent changes constantly.

Sometimes, I find myself staring at my stash, unable to decide what scrub formula or scent to use and the sick thing is…I enjoy this type of indecision!

On occasional Saturday evenings, I've been known to watch QVC or HSN, as I sift through my containers of CLC and non-CLC products to sniff, apply and organize my stash.

It's been documented that I like taking showers in strange airport bathrooms.

It's also been documented that I like taking pictures of said airport bathrooms.

I derive great joy from re-discovering scents.

This is how I like to experience my bath and body products. This is my very own slice of heaven.

I encourage you to find your slice of bathing heaven and truly own it. Own it because for the remainder of the day you will be a domestic warrior, corporate powerhouse or both. Own it because you've been living in those sweats for the last 2 days. Or because you’ve cooked enough meals to feed a battalion, cleaned up spills larger than the Exxon Valdez and produced work that got your boss promoted. Carve out however much time you can afford to scrub yourself silly, lather yourself lovely and soak yourself yummy, all with the products and scents that speak to your soul. Find it, own it and enjoy it exactly how you want to. And I hope that in one way or another, the products and unique fragrance blends we offer can help you celebrate your individuality and enhance your indulgence.

So let's hold our shampoo bottles up high and toast the different traits that make all of us unique and beautiful! Here's sniffing at you kid.

A Thrilla in Manila

Happy New Year!

I'm slowly but surely getting into the swing of things again. My body is finally functioning in the correct time zone and my waking hours (which weren't a lot just a few days ago, thanks to jetlag) is consumed by getting CLC's launch underway. I'm looking at a late January, early February launch. Ideally, around the 25th, but could be as late as the 31st, or heck even the 1st of February. I just want to make sure the site is fully functional, or at least 95%, before I flick the switch. I say 95% because there's a new page I created, purely informative, that will take me a while to complete.

There will be no Gimme That this month, but I promise to come up with a good sale to celebrate the re-opening.

Congratulations to Sara T. of Jacksonville, IL who just got engaged! Whoo!!! Hoo!!! Oh, and for winning December's Gimme That! Sara won our Favourite Things Giveaway containing a few of my must-haves from our line.

Now, if you could indulge me as I chat a little about my trip. I specifically wanted to talk about a topic which no one else I've spoken to seems to appreciate. The pictures I showed didn't get them all excited. When I regaled them of my experience, their eyes glossed over and got this far away look. Those who know me well feigned interest, excitement and patience the way they do when I get all giddy talking about bath and body stuff.

Then I realized I was talking to the wrong audience. Who else would understand and appreciate how AMAZING a good shower is, complete with all the fixins that make for an out-of-this-world experience? Why, anyone else who's obsessed with bath and body products right? That means you!

Okay, so here goes...and stay with me because there's a point to all this.

I HAD THE MOST AMAZING SHOWER IN NARITA AIRPORT! Eeeek!!! Japan Airlines recently redid their lounge, Sakura. The space is phenomenal, taking up two huge floors complete with complimentary massages, a bank of massage chairs, free premium liquor and food and, and, and, the most beautiful bathrooms EVER! I was born a bad photographer so the photos below don't do the room justice, but really it's so beautiful. The shower stall alone was the size of a small NYC studio apartment! Since Japan is about 2 generations ahead of us in terms of gadgets and what-nots, there were more knobs, buttons and nozzles in this shower stall than a Fisher Price toy age 3 to 5. So anyway, here's some pics I took of the bathroom.

Maybe I was just so dazed after getting off the plane, but after such a long flight and feeling like I hadn't bathed in a week, a good, indulgent, take-my-sweet-ass-time shower was exactly what I needed. Of course, I used the toiletries they provided - just to try out the goods ya know? The shower gel had the most amazing floral citrus scent - definitely oriental notes - I'm thinking jasmine/cherry blossoms with yuzu. It was heaven, I swear! I was tempted to decant some of it so I could recreate the blend, but of course I didn't. I took a picture of the poo, dish & soap bottles because I thought they were so charming.

Okay so here's my point. This experience reinforced what I already knew about bathing and the pursuit of everything fragrant. We're different, you and I. We take the act of getting clean and elevate it to an art form. A shower or a bath isn't just a shower or a bath to us. We pick out our bath products of the day carefully, the way we do our outfits. We blog, chat and post about it. We religiously plan our Scent of the Day before we go to bed. We rotate our various scrub formulas. We agonize about layering. Will this lotion layer well with this EDP? Will this shampoo in Lavender Mint go well with White Cake?

To many of us, showering or bathing is the only time of the day we get to spend alone. So we relish, savour, revel and indulge even if it's just for 10 minutes. A bath or shower washes away our sins or the annoyances of the day; prepares us for what's ahead; calms our soul; hides our tears; gives us a boost of confidence...and so much more! Regardless of how much time we have for this indulgence, the act of getting clean and smelling good is an experience for us and we're absolutely obsessed about making it the best ever!

So I burst with pride when you invite Crater Lake Company's products into your home and make it part of your bathing and smell good experience. It makes me happy that the smell of Walking on Moonbeams makes you smile. Or Papaya Boat reminds you of your time in Mexico. Or that our True Lustre Conditioner has tamed your wild mane and our Bath Cloud is your HG! I love what I do and in everything I make, I hope it shows. So thank you. Thank you for making my passion a part of your life.

Crater Lake Company will be launching soon and I cannot be more excited about becoming a part of your life once again :)