Mica oil swirl

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navigator9

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Luckily for me, even I can't mess up this kind of swirl! I used Cedar and Saffron, one of my favorites, so warm and clean, and some teal and gold mica to swirl on top.

mica swirl.jpg
 
Very pretty! This FO will make the soap eventually even darker, doesn't it? I bet it will look even more beautiful!
 
Glycerin works too, if someone wants an alternative to mixing the mica with oil. Yes, it's always pretty and hard to mess up. Until recently, I didn't have any other micas besides gold, but I am going to have to do this with other mica colors now that I've seen your soap! Thanks for sharing, Navigator.
 
I keep a small bottle of gold mica in oil prepped for doing this. It is really a gorgeous technique. :)

What oil do you use? My friend that taught me the soaping basics did a mica in oil swirl like that but over a year later the mica is still easy to rub off. Most of it washes off with the first use. I'm not sure what oil she used.
 
What oil do you use? My friend that taught me the soaping basics did a mica in oil swirl like that but over a year later the mica is still easy to rub off. Most of it washes off with the first use. I'm not sure what oil she used.

I used a light olive oil. My basement is very cool, and the shelves I have shield most of the light so I am not too worried about it going off. It is only a 2oz lotion bottle - so it is not that much.
 
Thanks for your comments everyone. :)

Glycerin works too, if someone wants an alternative to mixing the mica with oil. Yes, it's always pretty and hard to mess up. Until recently, I didn't have any other micas besides gold, but I am going to have to do this with other mica colors now that I've seen your soap! Thanks for sharing, Navigator.

DeeAnna, I was inspired by the work of Handmade in Florida, like in these videos, where she does it so beautifully.
[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5LJlGy9VLgM[/ame]

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iFGnZaHZ-3o[/ame]

Very pretty! I love cedar and saffron in body wash too.

Oh, I bet it smells great in body wash. Cedar and Saffron has a scent memory for me. I'm not sure what it is, but something from my childhood, and it's just a clean, soapy wonderful fragrance to me. Maybe the way my father smelled after a shower? It's strong, and it lingers on my skin after I wash with it, and I keep sniffing myself! lol
 
Oh ... those Handmade in Florida soaps are really attractive -- they've set a goal for me to aspire to.

The nice thing about decorating the top with mica is that you can do this kind of decoration even on a soap that's moving and setting up fast. The only caution I have to offer is the mica "syrup" works best in thin layers. A big dollop of "syrup" might stay wet for longer than you'd like, but if you're patient, it will eventually dry down.
 
And here's the batch on my homemade curing tray, all stamped up. Thanks again to nframe, that saran wrap trick works like a charm. I had almost abandoned my beautiful paisley stamp from Etsy, but with this stamping technique, it comes out perfectly every time.

stamped.jpg
 
Love both the swirl and the stamps. It is true that the mica swirls come off in the first wash or two but it's still pretty and fun to do. I figure it's like make-up, superficial only but adds a little glam for the night.
 

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