supporting local makers

instantly fell in love with all things herbal's northwoods cottage scent

I like to buy handmade or small business whenever it is fiscally and practically possible. Although the majority of my makeup and skincare is made up of conventional big-business products that are probably made in batches of the hundred thousands, I still love the feel of homemade or handmade. I know that many of us understand what it feels like to put love, time, and a personal standard of perfection in something that we do - whether that be something you do at your workplace or something you do as a hobby, such as crafting or even blogging. Since I have a sense of what it feels like to dedicate time and effort into something, I like supporting people who put (what I can only imagine to be) even more time and effort into running their own businesses. One of my best friends from college actually did a double major in both English and art and I am a proud owner of some of her originals, either that I bought myself or were very kindly gifted to me. I still have these pieces with me and have brought them along on my many little sojourns.



One of my oldest friends loves to go to craft or art fairs and you'll find a unique and quirky sense of personality reflected in the stuff she finds for her apartment. For many of the smaller artists who showcase their work at these local fairs each item is an original so you get variation even in sets or in similar objects. More often than not you'll even walk away with their only copy of the work they did. I think the idea of owning something unique made by a person you can meet and talk to from your area is really amazing, especially when yow walk away with something they poured so much of themselves into. I'm always happy to own something that clearly was touched and created by the hand of a real human being who is being rightly compensated for their hard work.

The last time my friend and I attended a craft fair I found a small booth selling gorgeous handmade soaps and the most amazingly scented lotion I have ever encountered. As someone who has never tried to make soap herself (let alone make anything beautifully marbled), I can't imagine the work that goes into making handmade soap. My friend ended up buying some soap for herself and I ended up walking away with a few of the smaller-sized lotions for myself and as gifts for other people. I grabbed the Northwoods Cottage along with the Lavender scent and although I like them both, the Northwoods Cabin one is absolutely amazing because of its ingredients:

Shea Butter, Cocoa Butter, Vitamin E and our special Northwoods Cottage scent.  An irresistible blend of apple & orange with spice notes of cinnamon, clove, and nutmeg and just a kiss of vanilla.  A fall and winter favorite!

This is the scent profile from the website and I have to agree that it smells very autumnal and cozy - though I totally use it in the summer with no qualms! Having such success with these craft fairs and really enjoying the products I have found has made me even more aware of buying things homemade or handmade from smaller local businesses. I think supporting these types of establishments helps balance the market in a miniscule way and allows for these business owners to live out their passion while I, as a consumer, can buy products I know come from good hands.