Beauty and the Book

Anyone who knows me, knows that I am a avid book reader. None of the insane people in my house seem to understand that I'd rather read a good book than have their company (just kidding of course). Since I love books so much it's simple to figure out why I am a fan of Latherati Soap. Julie, the (I want to say "Librarian") owner of Latherati Soap combines the love of bath with the love of a good book. Every item she sells is inspired by a good book.



Since Latherati Soap is a fairly new shop, the line is still growing. Soaps dominate the selection but there are also lip balms as well as perfumes and sugar scrubs. I love the book connection, I think it's one of the cleverest ideas I've seen on Etsy in awhile (in the Bath & Body category). The labels remind me of those old book plates my parents used to use, you know the ones that announce that this book is part of the Library of.... If you have no idea what I'm talking about then you're too young, don't worry about it. Just understand that the packaging is cool ok.




I had gotten a soap called "Orchard", which (as it says on the site and label) is inspired by "Cider House Rules." There are other clever names like "Golden Ticket" and "Kimono" (if you don't know what books inspired these then you need to go to the library stat). It's obvious that alot of thought went into the creation of Latherati.





"Orchard" as you can see from the photo, reminds you of a fall apple orchard in its coloration. It smells like clean crisp apples but not overbearing and not perfumey like some can be. This is just straight good old apple. This soap lathers up quickly and very well. I've tried some soaps that don't seem to lather much as all but not Latherati soaps. It lathers well and rinses very clean. No sticky or dull residue on the skin. We like that in our soaps people. $5 per bar.









I also have one of the lip balms (called Lip Lusters here) called "Matchmaker", inspired by "Emma.". It's a strawberry flavor which is very true to what you expect in a strawberry. Not overly sweet but just right on the money. The balm holds up very well in either warm or cold temperatures. I like it when it doesn't get all melted in my pocket. And, I like it when it doesn't get all hard or gritty from being outside in the cold. All in all a very good lip balm. $3.50 per tube and comes in plenty of other flavors.


So, all in all, I like Latherati Soap. ! The prices are on par with most other beauty makers I've seen. I love the themes and hope to see much more in the future. Come on Julie, you need some stuff inspired by "Tales From Margaritaville" and "Interview with the Vampire." :-)

A Book Every Woman Should Have

I got this book as a Christmas present from my husband. I have to admit when I opened one of my gifts and saw "The Lingerie Handbook", I was insulted. I thought how dare he assume that I, a woman, need a handbook about my underwear!!! Yeah, and then I started reading it and thought wow I didn't know that and wow I've been doing that and not supposed to. Next thing I knew I had read it from cover to cover and found out I did not know anything about Lingerie. It ended up being one of my favorite gifts this past Christmas.

This book is written by Rebecca Aspan who owns the upscale Lingerie store in New York called La Petite Coquette (or The Little Flirt).

www.thelittleflirt.com

Let me tell you her boutique is upscale. I just saw a pair of underwear on clearance for $90 WOW!!! But she has some very very pretty and some very intriguing lingerie for sale.

But, I digress, we're talking about her book.
She devotes specific chapters to specific lingerie. A chapter on bras, a chapter on panties, a chapter on hosiery, a chapter on shapewear etc. And, each chapter gives you alot of great information. You get photos and descriptions of the different styles of bras and panties. I now know what is a demi bra and what is a balconette. There's even "right and wrong" photos to show you how things should and should not look.

I learned, for example, that all these years I've been putting my bras on in the worst possible way. She refers to my style as the "granny style". Where I have it upside down, hook it in the front and then twist it around and then put it on the right way. Well, that's apparently a big NO NO. You're supposed to put the straps on first, lean over a little (so things ahem fall into place shall we say) and reach behind you and hook it. The way I've been doing it is the best way to ruin and destroy your bras.

There's also chapters on how to shop, how to measure yourself for bras and also how to care for your lingerie. She even tells you what you should keep and what you really should be throwing away. I love how she tells me that my underwear should make me feel good about myself. That, you can always have the prettiest stuff on even if no one will be seeing it. She even says to go ahead and buy 7 pairs of red or black panties, nice ones, to use during that time of the month. I never would have thought to wear nice underwear during that but hey what the hell.

This book is a really must have reference book for any and every woman. She doesn't just stick with skinny size "0" people in her photos either. There's all shapes and sizes. I know you'll learn something new from it and you'll even get a few good laughs.
The book is sold at Amazon and other books stores. Amazon is selling it right now for $10.46 (on sale right now). A great book and well worth any price!