Spotlight: SugarChills

When it comes to bath and body products, it's kinda like jewelry — you can never really have enough, right? And with the ever growing importance and popularity of reverting to a more natural lifestyle in the foods we eat and products we use, there is no better place than Etsy to find a treasure trove of 100% natural, handmade products to pamper ourselves with. So, who's up for some Face Slime, Skin Sludge or Foot Gunk? Laura of SugarChills not only makes amazing natural products, but she makes them fun and creative, too.

Read on to learn how she got started, what she has planned and what advice she has for other Etsy sellers. You can also enter to win a gift certificate to her shop!

Tell us a bit about you and what you create
I'm Laura! I launched SugarChills natural body care shop while pregnant…. I was looking for a more natural and gentle way to care for my (our) body, developed a few products that I loved, and wanted to share them with others! My first product – and still most popular – are Body Dusts deodorant powders. I tinkered with the recipe quite a bit and finally found something that works really well!

In the last year I’ve added Face Slimes face masks, Skin Sludges body scrubs, Lip Bailouts lip balms, and Foot Gunks foot scrubs... SugarChills uses 100% natural ingredients to create a gentle, effective, and fun way to care for your face and body!

Where are you from - originally and currently live?
I’m currently living by the sea in Miami, by way of Texas, Virginia, North Carolina, Germany, and Argentina.

How long have you been selling on Etsy?
From my SugarChills shop, a year! I launched it right before my third son was born (NOT recommended – ha!).

Do you sell on Etsy full time or do you have a day job?
My day job is managing our house and three boys age four and under… I love that selling online allows me that freedom!

What, if any, formal training have you had in your craft?
My formal training has been more on the business side – I’ve worked for a couple of start-ups and have a degree in business. That has helped me immensely in all things related to launching and growing a small business: marketing, branding, customer service, sourcing, pricing, packaging, and bookkeeping.

However, I’ve had an aromatherapy / natural hobby since college…. I really enjoy creating natural and effective treatments for the body. SugarChills allows me to combine all of this knowledge and experience in a fun and challenging way!

What made you decide to open up shop on Etsy?
Actually, I first started listing some of my artwork, ACEOs, and vintage finds (which I still offer at Around.etsy.com). But then as I developed SugarChills, I decided to launch it on Etsy as well. Right now in my life I don’t have the time to create and maintain a stand-alone site and I love the visibility and community that Etsy provides.

Where did your shop name come from?
The dark recesses of my mind…. one night as I was trying to fall asleep, if I remember correctly.

What do you like least about your craft?
The frustration that comes from not having enough time to devote to it! I have so many ideas that I’d like to develop and implement – I just need two extra hours in the day!

Do you have any advice for other sellers on Etsy or those thinking about pursuing their craft?
The first question to ask is: is this a business or a hobby? Because the approach is totally different. Selling what you make can be a really fun way to subsidize a hobby – but if your goal is to make a living, you need to treat it as a business.

Five Etsy Shops you love
That’s insane. Only five? Okay, then I have to narrow it down to shops that I’ve purchased from:
Fujiirofae (I wear these gorgeous flower pins on a regular basis!)
Maddie Bee’s (I have two beautiful and well-made market totes!)
Courtney Oquist (I have a selection of lovely prints with thoughtful palettes.)
Tippy Thai (I’ve used the canvas hobo bag for over a year – perfect for my lifestyle right now!)

And for the fifth – I’ll take anything from this shop (um, “shops”):
Cloudery
Judy Kaufmann
PenGwynne Art
Aimoobaroo
Reuse Redesign

Five things you love
The beach! During our humid six-month-long Miami summers, late afternoons at the beach are a God-send. It’s a giant sandbox for my boys (and wears them out!) and a little breeze cools the body and clears the mind.

My husband. We just celebrated our tenth wedding anniversary, but we’ve been best friends for half our lives now!

“You, too?!” moments.

Growing things – herbs in a pot (patio), sprouts on a windowsill (kitchen), ivy in a fishbowl of colored water (boys’ bedroom).

Dark chocolate. Here in Miami, I love Romanicos chocolate shop (especially the truffles and hot chocolate). Also Miles of Chocolate is to die for… definitely worth the overnight shipping if you can’t get it locally.

Five things you dont
Mosquitoes.
Mosquitoes.
Mosquitoes.
No-see-ums.
Oh, and mosquitoes.

What is your favorite leisure time activity?
I manage our house, homeschool our two 4 year old boys while my one year old naps, I run SugarChills, and we’re moving soon to a house we’re currently renovating…. what’s leisure time? :) Traveling, swimming, creating art, and reading. I just finished The Help… excellent!

What is your favorite scent and why?
Unless it’s totally natural, I go with unscented. I really don’t like strong, artificial fragrances. That’s why I use only essential oils for SugarChills. I like a light and organic scent – and combinations where you pick up a hint of several aromas. The whole is often more than the sum of its parts – like the combination of tangerine and sage!

Share some of your favorite music
Currently, anything from “Glee!”

If you could be a superhero, what would your powers be?
A couple of months ago, my son declared my superhero name to be “Pinker.” As Pinker, I’d want my superpower to be PATIENCE!

What does the future hold for you and your shop?
In the short term, I’m about to launch an unique new Face Slime – a hydrating treatment for those of us with oily skin… it’s a gel-based formulation that is truly slimy! Over the next few months I’m creating fun gift packages in time for the holidays as well as negotiating a few wholesale opportunities!

You can keep up with Laura and her work by following her on Twitter.

GIVEAWAY TIME!

Laura is offering a $15 gift certificate to one lucky winner and a $10 gift certificate to a second.

HERE'S HOW TO ENTER:
Please leave a comment on this post with your favorite item from SugarChills AND answer this question: What product would you buy for yourself and what would you buy for your best friend?

You may enter once per day and YOU MUST INCLUDE your first name -AND- etsy username or email address with every entry. (If you are worried about email spam, you can spell out the 'at' and 'dot' rather than using the standard email format.)

Receive additional entries (one each) if you:

Follow or subscribe to this blog, my Facebook or my Twitter

Follow SugarChills on Twitter

(You DO NOT need to leave separate comments for each additional entry, just mention which apply)

You have until Sunday, August 8 at 10 pm (est) to enter and I will announce the winner Monday morning. Good luck!

WANT SOME SLIME NOW?

Laura is offering 20% off all orders over $12 in her shop through the end of this week! Just mention lillyella in the message to seller box during checkout and she will refund your discount.

Besides treating yourself, Laura has great little gift packages available, too. In fact, you can send one to me if you like, cause I have one heck of a week ahead of me! ;)