Graine de Vie SEED Body Care & Giveaway :: CLOSED

Some of you may know I am very particular about my body care. I truly like products that I can read and understand the name of the ingredients, not some laboratory name that requires a kindergarten phonetic to pronounce the words. I recently had the opportunity to review SEED Body Care courtesy of Buzz Cooperative.

Graine de Vie SEED Body Care is co-founded by Rebecca Gournay in an effort to find a detoxifying and healthy alternative lifestyle when she was on her quest to conceive a child. During her research she and her husband began discussing the health benefits of wine and of course grape seeds. One day Rebecca came upon a spa product made with grape seed and the rest is history. Grape seed is packed with powerful antioxidants, Vitamin E, and beneficial essential fatty acids, ingredients shown to promote healthy skin and help prevent premature aging.

The full size products I reviewed were the grape seed enriched conditioning hair shampoo bar, grape seed enriched moisturizing body soap and the grape seed enriched moisturizing body lotion. When I received the products I immediately tore into all of them, I wanted to know how they smelled. I have a thing for the way items smell. I was in heaven. The body soap and lotion each have a wonderful citrus scent, very true to the smell of grape seed oil and or grapefruit. The shampoo bar had a tinge of scent even though it was the unscented bar.

I showered with each of the cleansing products and overall here is how they stacked up for me:

Shampoo Bar
I can honestly say that I was overly excited about the shampoo bar until I finished using it the first time. My hair felt almost stripped and very unmanageable. I chalked up the results as just the products initial use and that after styling and drying my hair would be easier to manage. I was highly disappointed that the result was not to my liking and my hair still felt brittle, dry, unmanageable, and I quite literally had an afro after the initial use. I even made sure to use when I was on my four day stretch of no wash days to ensure maximum results. I firmly believe in washing your hair only once or twice a week, so I was disappointed. However, the shampoo bar is wonderful for my son and husband who each have very short hair. I will say that the lather and bubbly are fantastic, a smooth creamy lather and not too bubbly but enough for my personal liking. The conditioning quality was less than I had expected, but again, could be the product was not jiving with my hair as I have very fine, thick, dry hair.

Body Bar
I love the body bar and the exfoliating seeds. I quite literally used this bar until only a smidge was left. Again the creamy, bubbly, and lather are excellent, but the bar is a bit drying. I noticed the primary ingredient is sodium palmate and sodium cocoate which is a palm and coconut based oil which tends to be on the drying side however, palm is EXCELLENT for lather and cleansing and coconut is excellent for creating a nice hard bar of soap. So all in all I felt wonderfully clean but a bit dry.

Body Lotion
Now, the lotion is F-A-B-U-L-O-U-S!!! I love the smooth, creamy, almost silky feel to the lotion. Very nice when applied after the use of the body bar, they definitely compliment one another if your skin is a bit on the dry side after use. The fragrance is a light citrus, envigorating, awakens your sense of smell and is just a wonderful feeling on your skin.

All of the SEED Body Care products are paraben free, preservative free, and contain no artificial colors or animal products, a truly vegan experience.

You now have the opportunity to experience SEED for yourself here is how:

Mandatory entry:
Go to the SEED website and tell me which products you would like to try because you are getting THREE full size products to win yourself!

 Extra entries:

• Fan SEED on Facebook
• Fan The Fish on Facebook (to your right)
  
• Follow my blog and tell me you do (again, stage right)
  
• Follow me on Twitter, tell me you do
• Tweet this giveaway using @KariewithaK & #seedbody so I can see your Tweets and give you credit

Want extra chances to win? Well The Buzz Cooperative and Global Influence (@ResourcefulMom) are holding a Twitter party on December 10th @ 2:00PM EST using the above hashtag and giving away gift cards to Amazon.com and Drugstore.com where you can order SEED+ products (SEED only available @ Amazon.com currently).  

CONTEST ENDS DECEMBER 17TH 

@ 3:00PM ARIZONA TIME. 

My Newest Baby

You must all be losing your minds right now wondering why I didn't tell anyone I was pregnant.

Well I am not....will never be again....so over that!

But thanks to everyone that played along last month I have a great new business name.....and thanks to TWO wonderful ladies Carol and Tamara who helped in the winning name! I just loved them both and the combo is AWESOME if I say so myself!

Sudzational Faith Love and Soap Company

How freaking awesome is that?!

So without further adieu, here is the baby that I have been investing my time in lately.

Noels Bath and Body: Sudzational Faith Love and Soap Company

I also have advertising space available!
Screaming deals on it too, so let me know so we can get your space reserved!!

All in the Winning Name

You placed your votes on the winning soap company name for me.
To which I am eternally grateful.

The Winner:

~~~~~~~~~~~~*DRUMROLL~~~~~~~~~~~~

Is Sudsations!
However, because I researched the name this time around I cannot use it!
I am sad about this! I found names in the trademark database and URL's that carry the Sudsation name. Bummed!
But, the second runner up is Faith, Soap, and Love.

Now my contestants that submitted names should be getting their soaps in the mail shortly (I had to have an "incident" with the post office. I hear they "color code" envelopes. R E T A R D E D!) and my winners will receive a Three pack!

So Miss Tamara and Miss Carol
Let me know what your soaps of liking are and I will be sure to get those three packs out to you to enjoy for being such awesome sports with the name game!

For everyone that helped vote for a name thank you so much! I had a lot of fun with this because I relinquished all control (which is hard to do for someone who is OCD and a total control freak) to you all to name my soap company! Now I get to create my boutique with the great name!

Thank you again ladies!!
Oh, be sure to go check out Jayne @ Misplaced City Girl who is holding a giveaway of a three pack of my soaps as well. Plus she gave me a brutally honest and kick ass review!

All In the Name Giveaway Part II

Alrighty.....the names are in!

The Contest is created!!

All of you who were so gracious to submit names for my soap business will receive your sample bar of soap!! I will be emailing you shortly to gather your shipping information....for the rest of you....stay tuned....more "soapy" giveaways are coming!!

Now go vote and see what the fabulous names are for the soap business!!

AND, if you want to check out all the cool soaps....(which I still have to post some more for you all) feel free to head on over to the blog I share with my sisters!
(My sisters are Brittany and Nicole!)

All In The Name Contest and Giveaway Part 1

Many of you may, or may not, have seen my post about the controversy I had started with my "Little Bitty" name for my soaps. Well some woman felt very threatened by the competition and I for one, would hate to feel like I stole her thunder, I so willing agreed to comply to a name change. Besides.....my soap is not little, in fact, the scent is HUGE and so are the bars. So I am bragging, whatever, at least I am confident in my abilities, you have to be in a doggy dog world.

Anyway, I have been stewing this weekend trying to devise a plan for a new name. I know I cannot do this job alone. I am not too proud to ask for help either, which is why I am asking YOU, my faithful friends, family, and readers to help me in the daunting task of formulating a new name for my soapery business.

Here are some helpful hints to play on:
My full name is Karie Noel Herring, Hudson is my maiden name, I live in Arizona, anything else you already know, or semi-know, or will know at the end of all of this! LOL

Here are the fun deets:

• Visit the blog that I share with my sisters, that we have neglected lately. (I can hear a whip cracking as I say that we have neglected this.)
• Come back and leave me a comment telling me a name you would suggest for the soap business.
  
• Come back and leave me a comment telling me which soap you would like to have, which soap and or bath item you would like to try, and what soap, scent, and formula (dry skin, sensitive, baby, etc) you would like to see made

Those are the basic entries, here are the extra credit ones!

• Fave my blog on Technorati (button at the top makes it easy. *wink)
• Stumble this post
• Follow me (if you don't already)
• Follow the blog I share with my sisters (if you don't already)
• Follow me on Twitter (if you don't already)
• Twitter this, get more ideas for names, post for the tweet and any new name ideas
  
• Blog about this Giveaway and Contest with a Link Back (worth 5 entries!)

~~~*** But remember, the first three deets must be completed before any extra entries will be accepted. The more names submitted, the more chances to win!~~~***

Now here is how the winner will be chosen. I personally....WILL NOT CHOOSE!! I know, how crazy of an idea is that!!?? Seriously, I am putting this task in your hands, the power of the people, how very democratic of me right?! Yup, so then I don't have to worry about hurting feelings! I will post all the names and you get a chance to vote on the name....and only one vote per person to be totally fair and allow everyone a chance to participate. So this is a 2-part giveaway!

What do you win when a name, or a few names are chosen? My bath products of course....but you will have to wait and see until Part 2 of the Giveaway and Contest!!
Part 1 of the giveaway ends July 13th at Midnight AZ Time.
Have fun!!

No More Little Bitty Soap

My shop that I named after my daughter, MY Little Bitty, is no longer. Some broad in Canada says she has a copyright. Actually that would be a TRADEMARK under intellectual property laws, but she would know that right? If she REALLY registered her name.....and had it protected under "international law"? Right? Right? What do I know about that...I am just a dumb SAHM.

Anyway, she sent me this nasty letter, that I will include for you all to read. So being that I am a nice person and very easy going, and had no ILL INTENTION AT ALL to "infringe" on her Etsy name, that obviously has not generated traffic which is why she is probably all bitter with me, but I am generous enough to change my name.

Now I am faced with a dilemma......................what to name the soap company. You can see my Little Bitty is not happy with this.

So I am going to do something FUN! And everyone gets to help me, share in the wealth, and get some free loot! Something for basically nothing!

I am going to post all my soaps for sale on the blog I share with my sisters, which has been so badly neglected. Sigh, but better than wracking up charges and headaches. Sheesh!

No more Little Bitty Soap.......the name will be?????????????????????????

YOU GET TO SUBMIT IDEAS AND NAMES!!!

That's right, and in favor, I will send some swag your way. How awesome is that!? I am working on all the details and the post as I type this one, but hang tight....because I have all sorts of new soaps that I have created in my little homemade apothecary slash soapery so lots to choose from, all for helping me out and being so fabulous!

Have fun reading this womans letter to me, I had fun deleting all my listings and then putting:
NOT TO BE CONFUSED WITH THE LITTLE BITTY SOAP COMPANY

I would hate for her to get all sorts of unnecessary traffic from poor, pity, little, bitty, me.

Little Bitty Soap Company
3357 Highway 97
Lac La Hache, B.C.
Canada
V0K 1T1
email: info [!at] littlebittysoapco.com

URGENT

Dear Sirs,

Re: Company Name

It has come to our attention that you are Using the Company name "Little Bitty Soap" in direct breach of our rights under International Copyright Law" ].

You have 10 days to remove the name "Little Bitty Soap" from Etsy and discontinue using the above listed company name in entirety , and confirm in writing to the address at the head of the letter that you will not repeat this infringement" ]

Failing this, we will apply for an injunction, and will also seek to recover costs and damages (plus interest) for your tortious acts and conduct.

This is our final communication to you on this matter, and we look forward to hearing from you as a matter of urgency.

Yours faithfully
Gillian DeConto, owner
Little Bitty Soap Company

I am never bored....

Not true....I am actually bored quite often.

My therapist Patricia "Pat" always tells me,
"Bored is healthy, bored is good."

Bored is good for the boring. Pft! No really, I like being bored, but I feel unaccomplished. I know, sounds crazy, which is why I pay $75 a hour for a great therapist! Anyway, I have found a new project! Actually I am planning on, OK seriously hoping, that my little project turns into a successful venture.

I have always had a love of all things homemade. I am a big fan! I mean I try to homemake a lot of our family meals among other things in our home. So one day, while sitting in my bathroom.. thinking...I had an idea. I will try to start my own little business.

I won't do catering.....too many issues and I don't have a big enough kitchen. Although I know I can do it...just a lot can go wrong. Will go wrong. and I do not want to clean that mess.

I won't do a franchise....not right now at least.
Too much initial investment and too little return on the initial investment.

I can do homemade bath and body. I love bath and body. I live for bath and body.

Seriously, in my bathroom I have at least 30 different designer perfumes....not counting all the samples I have received here and there. Soaps?! Yeah, I got soaps from the homemade French savons to the local farmers market cold processed. I love soaps. Maybe has to do with my OCD of cleanliness but I love feeling clean, smelling clean, or using the soaps for just a great fragrant accent in a drawer, bathroom, or just as a decorative accent in a bathroom.

So here has been my little project and of course the little linky on the right hand sidebar.....yeah the brown box...Little Bitty Soaps....that's me:

Cold Process "Sweet Pea Pie" Hot Process "Spa Massage"
(honey, oats, sweet almond oil)


Hot Process "Boyfriend" Bath Soak Salts & Teas
Lavender & lavender leaves

Hot Process "Honeymoon"
Lavender & Rosemary