Interview with Yvonne of The SNOBLOVE Bar
I learned of SnobLove Bar soaps on the internet and instantly fell in love with her color pallets, not to mention her neat-handed designs. Once I met her, I fell in love with Yvonne equally. The first soap order I received was like a birthday gift; wrapping, colors and the perfectly executed craeft - all attention to exacting details. I have been a fan for years.
I'm so very pleased to share her amazing creations with you!
1. ) What prompted your interest in soap making?
I began soap making like many other artists. A need. I was going to Cosmetology School and had my young daughter who had battled some mild skin issues. While learning about skin, I became fascinated with the subject. I began researching all things skin and discovered the process of making natural soap. I had no idea there was a whole world of soap making out there. I, of course, had heard of Lush, but never shopped the store. After a couple months of diving into the knowledge of making cold process soap, I decided to try and make something to help my daughters mild eczema. On that day I fell in love with turning those raw materials into something magical.
2.) Did you have knowledge of soap making before you began?
By the time I made my first bar of cold processed soap I had done some research on the subject. I watched a lot of YouTube videos, blogs, and read several books before my first go at it. I was so nervous working with caustic soda that I wanted to be sure I knew what I was doing.
3.) How did you arrive at the name of your business?
When I finally decided I wanted to make this a business, I knew I wanted to target women. I just wanted to make pretty soap. I didn't know much more than that so I sat down and wrote out a list of words I felt would describe my business. I wanted to see if any of those words would trigger a great name for my business. While pulling words from my brain, I identified Sophisticated, Natural, Original, Beautiful. I didn't identify them in that order, but after playing with the first letters, I saw the word SNOB. This word in its modern meaning had a negative connotation, but I really felt I could make this negative word very positive. I decided to name my business The SNOBLOVE bar. Sophisticated, Natural, Original, Beautiful. It's OK to be a SNOB for what you LOVE. It's ok to want the best for you. It's ok to pamper you. It's ok to spoil you.That was my thought process behind the name.
4.) What makes you happy to get out of bed regarding soap making?
The ability to create something pretty, new, and unexpected. In general, I have always loved the creative process. Seeing something in my head and being able to make it with an unexpected medium like soap.....that makes me really happy.
5.) What is your favorite way to connect with other soap makers?
I love Instagram for this. I see new artists and learn of artists that have been in the game for years, but I didn't know it all the time through this platform. I also love Amy Wardens Soap Challenge Club. I don't get to participate as often as I would like, her club was where I learned so much and connected with many amazing artists.
6.) How do you design your soaps? Do you choose scent first or colors or… ?
It can vary, but I often start with just a general collection idea. Depending on what I decide the collection theme is I will target a color pallet or a scent collection. If I want to do a Beach Babe theme, for example, I might focus on a few beach inspired fragrances and decide how that scent could be interpreted into a soap design.
7.) Where do you find your inspiration for your soaps?
I love building vision boards before starting many of my projects. I get lots of visual inspiration from the internet. I love Pinterest to pull images from. I also get inspired from other artists work. I have a weakness for cake artists, lol.
8.) Are there things in your environment that aid in your creativity?
A clean and inviting work space is probably my biggest creative booster. When my space is messy, I think messy. When my space is clean and pretty, I'm excited to create. I almost become my environment in a sense.
9.) What is your favorite part of soap making?
My favorite part of soap making would probably be that moment I get to turn that drawing into a real bar. The actual making is so exciting. I love a good surprise so the moment of the unknown.....will it turn out?....what will it look like? My fav part.
10.) What do you do that is not soap related, but aids in your creative thinking?
I keep my hands in anything challenging and creative, because they all can aid in my soap design process. I love interior design. I'm always changing around rooms in our home, lol. It really helps with my problem solving. Reinventing the wheel is not an easy task for sure, so making the same room look different and refreshed and require some problem solving and planning. I use this often in designing my soaps as well. A fun fact: I went to school for Interior Design, but realized I wasn't excited about all the math so I didn't finish, lol.
11.) What soaps, fragrances oils, colorants etc. have you created or used that surprised you?
Fragrances and colorants in general often surprise me. Some fragrances I expected to thicken up on me, took forever to do what I needed it to do and some colorants have completely changed into something unrecognizable on me. I think a fragrance blend that shocked me was my Unicorn Queen blend. I was not expecting so many to love that scent blend. I was even surprised how lovely it turned out.
12.) What soaps have you made that got a reaction from others you did not expect?
When I make a new design, I'm always concerned it won't sell. I am always so shocked and humbled when people think something I made inspired them, excited them, or just brings joy to them. That was always my goal. To make people feel good with my work. I think the soaps that got reactions I didn't expect were my Rose Quartz Bar and Unicorn Queen. I never thought when I designed those soaps that the soap community would not only embrace them like they did, but to continue making them, over two years later. It blows my mind every time I see someone make them.
13.) What makes you laugh about making soap?
Some of my more ridiculous ideas often give me a chuckle. In the creative process, I'm always exploring my ideas. Some of the things I thought of making and creating have been hilarious. I once made an Apple Pie soap. I thought it would be a good idea to take a tan colorant and deeper red would give me Apple pie vibes. I thought it would be cool to do an ITP (in the pot) swirl. Mind you, my experience with this swirl technique at the time was minimal at best. The end result was a loaf of meat. Those oops moments are the funniest because it was nothing like what I envisioned.
If you have read this far, you get a reward!
SNOBLOVE has gifted us with a coupon code:
CODE: SPARKLEBEE15 for 15% off all products
Follow Yvonne at SnobLove