Miguelina! was insanely popular—I think it was mostly because of the fragrance. Who can resist neroli?
Neroli (Citrus Vulgaris) comes from the bitter orange tree. It's said to have gotten its name from the princess of Nerola, Italy, Anne Marie Orsini who used the essential oil in her bath and to fragrance her gloves. Neroli is thought to be an antidepressant, a sedative and an aphrodisiac. It's also said to help regenerate skin cells and promote smoother skin.
And of course it smells heavenly—spicy, honey-ish and very floral. In perfumery, it's used as a both a base note and a top note.
When I created (that word sounds a little pompous here, doesn't it?) Miguelina's fragrance I blended the neroli with some vetiver, clove and tea tree essential oils. Since I was out of those when I made this batch, I used ylang ylang, may chang, orange and black pepper.
Soap-wise, I played with melt and pour embeds again, but this time I let the embed go through the whole loaf of soap. I like the effect and how the light comes through.
