Wait, what? Cupcake soap? Do I eat it or bathe with it? 

I often get this reaction when I tell people I make cupcake soaps. They are soaps in the shape of a cupcake, so they're made for washing, not for eating! The bottom “cake” portion of the cupcake soap is fragranced & colored  hard soap. The “frosting,” which is carefully applied by hand, is whipped soap mixed with Certified Organic Jojoba Oil and fragranced to smell like buttercream frosting. The “sprinkles” on top? Those are colorful, gently exfoliating jojoba beads. They do smell pretty delicious, so you might be tempted to chomp on them, but I promise they taste like soap. 

Still having trouble envisioning how you would use a cupcake soap? Here's a how-to video I made:

Where did the idea for cupcake soaps come from?

It started simply: I wondered what the heck those hard-to-pronounce chemicals were in my beauty products. I did some research. I found out they were pretty awful. I decided to make my own bath & body products (this way, I would know exactly what went into them), including soaps, body scrubs, lip balms, and more. I also started eating (and baking) lots and lots of cupcakes. Lightbulb! Cupcakes + soap = cupcake soap!

After doing lots of research on ingredients to make my soaps as safe as possible, I got to work making my cupcake soaps. The first prototypes were awful. The frosting was too soft and smooshed easily. Then the frosting was too hard and crumbled. Because I apply the frosting by hand (I don't use a mold for it!), it took me a while to get that down, too. My friends & family tested my soaps out and gave me great feedback until I finally arrived at my current design. I began selling them on Etsy and at local boutiques during the 2010 holiday season.

Do you have other products besides cupcake soaps?

Yes! Last summer, I introduced 3 new products:

Bath Truffles ~ miniature, preservative-free bath bombs. Just drop one into your bath and watch it create a mini volcano of fizz and fragrance. Part of what holds them together is Certified Organic Jojoba Oil, which is similar to your skin’s natural oils, so it soothes and moisturizes your body as you bathe. Because the Bath Truffles contain no preservatives, they have a shelf life of six months but most people use them pretty quickly! They come in a box of four and are currently available in five fragrances. The box is made from 100% recycled fibers.

Coco Balm ~ all-natural, vegan lip balm (made without beeswax). Unlike many popular brands of lip balms, Coco Balm actually restores moisture to your lips with Certified Organic ingredients like Jojoba Oil, Coconut Oil, and Cocoa Butter, blended with extra-nourishing Vitamin E Oil. Coco Balm is made with Candelilla Wax, so it is vegan-friendly. It contains no artificial color or flavoring, and is sweetened with all-natural stevia leaf extract.

Jar of Frosting ~ a luxurious whipped soap for your body. Made with skin-nourishing Certified Organic Jojoba Oil & gently exfoliating jojoba beads. The "frosting" moisturizes, cleanses, and exfoliates all at once, so it makes an excellent body scrub or mini facial. I also like to use it for shaving. It comes in an 8oz recyclable plastic jar and, like the rest of my products, is vegan & paraben-free. 

All of my products are:

• vegan
• paraben-free
• phthalate-free
• propylene glycol-free
• sls-free
• made in a pet-free & smoke-free home
• handmade by me with lots of love!

Learn more about my products here or by browsing my Etsy shop.

What's the Kickstarter for?

After selling on Etsy and vending at local craft fairs for almost two years, I'm ready to take my line of vegan, sweets-themed bath & body products to the next level. To do this, I've applied to be a vendor at the BUST Magazine Craftacular, part of the World Maker Faire being held September 29th & 30th at the New York Hall of Science in Queens, NY. Hailed as "the world's biggest DIY event," the World Maker Fair will attract over 40,000 people — by far, the biggest crowd I'll have ever vended in front of, and it will be the first time I've vended outside of Connecticut. What a great opportunity for Poor & Pretty!

What will the funds cover?

• Vendor fee for both days at the BUST Craftacular.
• Cost of additional materials needed to make product for the Craftacular.
• Printing lots of business cards and brochures.
• Beefing up my booth. Some ideas I have include a chalkboard for displaying product information, screen printing my logo onto a banner, a bakery rack or other type of shelving.
• Giveaways or freebies. Example: free wash cloth with the purchase of 2+ cupcake soaps, or something similar.
• Travel expenses.

Additional funding will go toward: