Donna Maria's Handmade Beauty Connection
January 3, 2005
Happy New Year!!

A Publication of The Handmade Beauty Network
ISSN 1530-9630 | Vol. 6, Issue 1
To subscribe, click here.

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To celebrate "getting in gear for the new year, "join HBN today or tomorrow and take 20% off your member dues! Discount taken during member application processing. New Full members - regular price $100, just $80 today and tomorrow only! New Supplier members - regular price $125, just $100 today (1/3/05) and tomorrow (1/4/05) only.

1. HBN Update: Welcome New & Renewing HBN Members!!
2. Feature: No More Beauty Business As Usual
3. Handmade Beauty Recipe Of The Week: Peppermint Foot Flip
4. Beauty & The Business Trivia Question: win some essential oil!

5-Year Renewing Members!

All this year, HBC will highlight members who are renewing for their 5th straight year of membership! Our 5-Year Renewing Members joined HBN in 2000 and have this week renewed their memberships for a 5th year without interruption. I am eternally grateful to all HBN members, but especially these who put their faith in HBN in the early days when there was no track record and no one was sure it would last. I'm excited to say that HBN has lasted and so have these members! Please visit their websites. Be inspired and buy something new and delicious just for you!

Herbs of Grace | Vanessa Nixon Klein | Washington
* 5-Year Renewing Member; Vanessa Nixon Klein (now living in Japan for a year!) started her business shortly before joining HBN. Her background includes medicinal herbalism which is the basis for her product line formulations. She is also a work at home mother to three young attachment parented children. The Herbs of Grace website features a variety of natural products, including Vanessa's new mineral makeup which I have tried and enjoyed personally! To enjoy my review of her mineral makeup line, click here. 

Renewing Members!

Lutzy's Lather | Kim Lutz-Isenhour | Pennsylvania
* renewing member; soaps and bath & body products  honoring "Grammy Lutz", the founder's paternal Grandmother

Carrot Tree Soaps and Sundries | Chris Richter | Wisconsin
* renewing member; new products include True Amber soap, Whipped Shea Butter, and Massage, Bath, and Body oil!

Saltworks, Inc. | Naomi Novotny | Washington
* renewing member; supplying premium grade salts to wholesale, retail, and consumer gourmet and bath/spa markets

Have it Yur-Way | Maxine Blanchette | Illinois
* renewing member; providing natural products for the face and body

New Members!

Scentual Fragrance | Veronica Armstrong | Arizona
* specializing in affordable custom blended fragrances designed with our clients in mind

Hammond Farm | Julie Hammond | Texas
* high quality farm fresh handcrafted goat milk soaps and natural sundries

Wayward Winds Lavender Farm | Brad Shavers | Oregon
* natural products made with Wayward Winds lavender - handmade soap, lotions, body butters, bath salts, etc.

Spoiled Rotten Bath & Body | Kellee Taylor-Smith | California
* handmade bath bombs, scrubs and body butters made with the highest quality oils, salts and essential oils

HBN Members On The Move!

HBN member Saltworks, Inc., is featured in the January 2005 issue of Entrepreneur Magazine on pages 36-37! In a featured called "E-Tail Therapy," underscoring the benefits of doing business online, you'll find owners Naomi Novotny and her business partner Mark Zoske surrounded by their gourmet and bath/spa sea salts which they sell only on the Internet. Congratulations Naomi and Mark!!

Learn more about our members and their exciting activities by visiting their Web sites through HBN's Online Member Directory, now with 4 ways to search: (1) by state/country; (2) by member business name; (3) by keyword search; or (4) using our new alphabetical listings.

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Peppermint Foot Flip blends the sweet smell of honey, the spiciness of lemon and the kick of peppermint leave your tired tootsies refreshed and smooth.

When you visit MakeYourCosmetics.com, it's easy to buy the ingredients you need by clicking on our Selected Supplier links:

Essential Wholesale: pure essential oils, over 200 cosmetic bases, hundreds of carrier/fixed oils such as meadowfoam, cranberry, jojoba and shea butter plus a new Short Run Private Labeling Program!

Bramble Berry, Inc.: over 105 different fragrance and essential oils (including their exclusive "Energy" and "Relaxing"), all soap tested, soap molds and unscented soap bases!

SunRose Aromatics: pure essential oils (many organic), carrier oils and other aromatherapy products, each carefully selected for quality. Check out their new Perfumer's Emporium.

The Scent Shack: fragrance oils and soap supplies. Fragrance oils are pre-tested in cold process, melt & pour soap, and candles, and test results are listed at the Web site. Scents tested by soapers for soapers!

From Nature With Love: over 1,600 ingredients and supplies, including cosmetic ingredients, spa supplies, bath accessories and packaging supplies!

Last Week's Question: Here's some 2004 trivia for a little laugh. Last month, a popular talk show host got married with the goal of having a wedding that rivaled that of Princess Diana and Prince Charles. Apparently, she was successful, even though her bridesmaids wore inexpensive shoes from this nationwide discount shoe store chain.

Last Week's Answer: Payless Shoe Source

This Week's Question: Who was the guest at dM's first Handmade Beauty Brunch?

Be the first to correctly answer this week's question and win some essential oil!

Please read the contest rules here before submitting your entry. Put "TRIVIA CONTEST ANSWER" in the subject line or your answer will not be considered.

While time does not permit me to respond personally to all entrants, the winner's name will be announced in the next newsletter!