First things first. Congratulations to the three winners of the PCA Skin Summertime Essentials kit giveaway: Marilyn N, Mary W and Beverly J! Woohoo! Hopefully, I will hear from them over the next 2 days so I can send out there prizes next week for those end of summer vacations or weekends away. Thank you so much to everyone who entered the giveaway by commenting, subscribing, following, tweeting etc. I really appreciate it! Stay tuned for more giveaways coming up soon 🙂
Now on to today’s post!
Every year I make my pilgrimage to the Waterfront Festival in Gloucester to replenish my supply of artisan-made bath and body products from Nature Island Botanicals.
In spite of the threatening weather, this year was no different. The Festival seemed a little smaller, meaning fewer vendors than usual, but I still accomplished what I needed to accomplish.
Daphne, the owner of NIB, was in her usual spot with a great ocean view behind the tent. She has a new simpler, clean white tent and display for her bath, body and facial skincare products. Very nice.
I needed to stock up on her gorgeous, fragrant soaps, and stock up I did.
My favorites are the blood & sweet orange soap and the ocean soap with ginger and bamboo oil, and I bought one of each. I also picked up a new to me variety that smelled delightful: Vanilla absolute, black currant & amber. Daphne generously added in a bar of her new oatmeal, goat’s milk and raw filtered honey soap.
The soaps are priced at $10, and they’re big. I cut them in half, and each half lasts me about a month in the shower. They are not only fragrant, but they’re gentle and hydrating.
On Facebook several weeks ago, I noticed that Daphne was promoting her new salt bar exfoliating soaps. I decided to try it. Each egg shaped bar is cut in half horizontally so there are two bars. I love the fact that the salt bar is gentle but effective, and unlike some exfoliating soaps with “stuff” in them, it doesn’t get all over the bathtub. It also smells wonderful, sort of an ocean scent that fits with the blue color. It left my skin smooth but hydrated. The salt isn’t the least bit irritating. I like this salt bar a lot! Not sure of the price, but I think it’s about $10.
I also stocked up on body butter and body lotion. The body lotion and body butter come in my favorite scents, Caribbean Escape – a pina colada scent, and Citrus Sunrise – orange. I bought Citrus Sunrise Body Lotion that is the thicker of the two formulations that comes in a pump and Caribbean Escape Body Butter that is looser, lighter weight and comes in a jar. Every time I switch up the scent I get in each formula. NIB also carries both products in White Ginger that’s Daphne’s favorite scent. They are priced at $24.
Every year at the Festival, Daphne tells me how old she is, and now she says she’s thinking of returning to California to live in a couple of years when she turns 75. I hope not ‘coz I’ve been buying her products for at least 15 years, and I’d be lost without them! But frankly, I don’t know how she does it. She’s an esthetician, and she crafts all the skincare and bath products by hand herself, wraps them up, and travels to a different craft fair in New England through Maryland every weekend from April through December. Yikes. I’m exhausted just thinking about it!
If you’re interested in purchasing Nature Island Botanicals natural products made with organic ingredients and you can’t make it to one of the craft fairs, Daphne sells her wares by phone at (954) 646-4005 and on Etsy. If you don’t like to talk to strangers on the phone, message Daphne on Etsy at natureislandskincare or on Facebook with your order or any questions. She will be offering free shipping starting on November 1, 2018 through the holiday season.
These are gorgeous, and they really resonate with me! I remember you featuring the blood & sweet orange soap, and I really must order it! Thank you for the Easy link!
Because her soap inventory changes frequently, Daphne doesn’t put her soaps on her Etsy page, but if you ever do want to order the delicious blood & sweet orange soap (that’s one that she makes often), just message her via Etsy or Facebook…or call her…and I know you can order soap. I do it throughout the year, but now I think I’ve got enough for at least 6 months!
You always make these scents sound so divine!
I grew up around the antiques circuit and while shows are fun they’re also a lot of hard work. We try to let the fun part jazz up the work aspect but at the end of the day you’re still tired and dusty and you’ve got to schlep a load of stuff home, or to storage, or to the next venue. I’d imagine the craft fair circuit is no different. She’s got my total admiration!!!
I love Nature Islands Botanical’s stuff. In spite of all the free stuff I get scent for review, I keep coming back to NIB because the scents are truly divine as are the ingredients. You describe the “circuit” – whether it’s antiques or skincare products – so perfectly, rach. Daphne is 73! I have no clue how she does it on her own, too.
These products sound amazing!! Love the smell you bought!! I will be going to her Etsy shop as soon as o am done posting here!! Thank you for sharing!
Teresa, the thing I neglected to say in my post is that Daphne hasn’t put the soap on her Etsy page because the soaps change fairly frequently, except for some that she makes all the time. If any of the soaps that I bought appeal to you, call her or message her via Etsy or Facebook and tell her which scent/ingredients you want. I bought blood & sweet orange, ocean, Vanille absolute black currant & amber, and the goat’s milk oatmeal honey. She has some others with lemongrass, and about 10 others that I can’t remember!
Lucky you to have a local vendor that sells ar these wonderful homemade goodies!
Yes, I hope she’ll keep doing it!
I remember how much you enjoy her products. It’s such a nice tradition for you to continue doing this. Daphne really is a wonder doing so much. I give her a lot of credit for working so hard. And I do love orange!
I really, truly love Daphne’s products. I hope she can keep on making them even if she decides eventually to stop doing the craft fair circuit! PS I just send you an email re BST codes <3
I absolutely love bar soaps, especially artisan handmade ones! I will have to check out her Etsy store.
I’ve been using Nature Island Botanicals handmade, natural bar soaps for about 15 years. I’m addicted!
Wow this sounds great – ORANGE scent is my jam!