The name Last Night of Winter comes from my favorite time of year. I love that liminal time between winter and spring. Sprouts and blooms are just starting to appear but there is still a chill in the air. The hibernation and introspection of winter recharges me. From that, new inspiration and ideas grow. Much like the plants and animals of the land. From overwintering to sprouting fresh green leaves, it’s like a new year for me.
Following the seasons is my way of connecting to the land. The seasons reflect my own cycles of learning, implementing, showing, and resting, rinse and repeat. Of course I come up with some ideas throughout the year, just as plants sprout all year round. Spring is just more abundant.
Now that you know a little about where I’m coming from, when formulating a product, I start with plant based, high quality ingredients. First concentrating on substance and function. Safe usage rates are followed with each ingredient. Soap must be gentle for faces and bodies. It must be sustainable for the Earth. Packaging must be biodegradable. Scents must be kind and not overpowering. Ingredients must be as local as possible. Many of my bars of soap have homegrown, skin loving herbs infused in the oils before saponification. This connects them directly to the land of Portland, Oregon.
Once I’ve established the function, I turn to the style and intention of each product. Many plants and ingredients have mythological correspondences. It is here that I get to play and create more of a piece of art. Once I have a correspondence like the skin loving herb yarrow to the goddess Venus for example, I can choose colors and scents that also correspond to Venus. Thus creating an homage or a spell if you choose to use it that way. This process some would simply call putting intention into their products, I am explaining exactly what that means to me. There is a special uniqueness and magic with my handcrafted products. I hope you love them and you’ll join me in my endeavor!