I received my all-natural, handmade soaps from Ida http://chagrinvalleysoapandcraft.com/index.html

Chamomille and Calendula soap
Sweet Basil soap
Honey, Beer & Egg shampoo bar
Rosemary Lavender Aloe shampoo bar
Rosemary Lemon & Aloe sample sized soap (for free)
Three butter lotion bar (for free)

I was served well and the shipping overseas was very speedy and cheap

So, I opened the herbal smelling envelope (Rosemary, Lavender & Aloe seems to be the source of strongest scent) and liked immediately the ecological & elegant packaging. Three butter lotion bar had suffered a little during long journey, but it's still usable, and the soaps arrived in top condition. I'm not good in conversions, so it was a pleasant surprise to receive generously sized soaps. Her prices are very good!

Then it was time for first testing.
I've had the flu for past few days and haven't washed my hair during that time- I was well past my usual washing time. I don't remember when my hair has last been this long unwashed. Challenging situation to start the test, but I was too eager to try my new stuff.
     I tried first Honey, Beer & Egg shampoo. Because my hair was so dirty, I decided to vinegar rinse it after shampooing. Otherwise, I wanted to get a good result and decided to skip my usual conditioning and leave-in. Using solid shampoo felt weird, but not difficult. It didn't lather massively, just enough to be comfortable to use. I also liked the mild, nice smell- nothing like beer, just mild and "clean".  I lathered the soap and rubbed it to my scalp just like I proceed with my normal shampoo. It felt very strange first- my hair felt almost instantly stripped- "squeaking clean". But when I applied the vinegar rinse, that feeling disappeared and my hair started to feel just like other people in LHC have described- somehow more substantial and thicker. I quite liked the feeling! I'm in middle of shedding season and shed worse than my rabbit- no difference there. My hair isn't still completely dry, but where it is driest, it feels incredibly soft and lovely. It does not feel like missing conditioner at all!

Summa summarum:  I really like this shampoo. Using it is much simpler than my regular CWC routine, and with vinegar rinse, my hair seems to respond well. Even though I'd experience some adjusting difficulties, I'm going to stick with this stuff. If a simple natural shampoo and vinegar rinse make my hair feel so good, why make matters more complicated?

I also tried Sweet Basil soap in lieu of my regular shower gel. My skin is very delicate and dry, and during winter it has been a real problem. It becomes so thin and dry that I get small wounds in it very easily, and after a shower it has itched horribly until next day, though I've tried to use gentlest and most moisturizing products available and never forgot to use a body butter (the only stuff that has seemed to help at all).
Sweet basil soap has herbal scent that is clear, but not disturbing. It also made my skin squeak, which made me a bit wary.
Then, wonder of wonders!  This is the first time for as long as I can remember, when I haven't returned from shower with itching and tight-feeling skin. It didn't start itching and feeling awful as soon as it dried a bit. It feels just clean and soft and wonderful and so normal. I can almost hear it singing praise to Ida.  I am going to throw away all my drying shower gels. I'm convert.

All in all, I'm very pleased and will definitely order again. 

ok, their basis is saponified coconut ... sounds nice!! and so cheap!! what did you pay for posting? wow, this has to be tried out! 

i placed an order too, but the beer one was totally sold out slif snif, so i ordered the one for oily hair (chamomile & citrus) and the herbal one (does the rosemary one leave a powerful smell in the hair too? cuze that one freaked me a bit out so i didn't order it). i also hope to get the new carrot one too since apparently they can be bought before the "ready date" which is actually the date you can start using the bar (ida explained me those bars get milder by aging and the lather gets richer so one must wait to use them for about six weeks after preparation.
i read reviews in the loom and many people found it indeed weird at first and most of all they felt overconditioned despite  vinegar rinsing. i suppose they should use less lol.

next time i'll order, i'll go for the sweet basil too cuze i like the smell a lot!

How is the Three Butter Lotion bar?  My DH gets cracked, dry skin from eczema especially in the winter.  Getting a good lotion to keep his hands from cracking has been almost impossible. The PR for the lotion bar looked promising.

@ 13bodies i suppose one has to know certain things about using soaps since with the arrival of cheap detergents, they somehow became diabolized (at least around here, everything is called soapfree as if it's a hell of a lot better that way and nicely replaced by sulfates). soaps as mild as they can be tend to bind to certain other chemicals (residues of shampoos etc.) and to minerals (hard water!). so if the latter is the case, i suppose you always better rinse afterwards with good old acv. or, you prewet the hair before soaping with distilled water (or at least filtered).

i am really hoping to get mine soon (galadriel how many days did it take to arrive?)

aaaaaah, counting down!! wow, i finally checked out their body soaps ... it will take me years to test all of them ... i just can't choose! but i have a certain interest in the one with the pink clay and rose.  8)

I used the Herb Garden shampoo bar last night and it worked really well.  I used a lavender/ACV rinse (recipe is in my journal) and my hair is ultra soft today and smells like lavender    My hair is fuller with more body when I don't use the ACV rinse, though it is a bit tangly and sticky when wet; I have to comb it more carefully than usual, but I like the extra body.  I cut the bar lengthwise into thirds before using.  It was easier to handle that way.

The Shea Rose Clay soap is a bit drying to my skin.  I won't use it to shave with (makes my legs dry) but it'll be nice come summer when my skin is oiler.

My Honey Beer & Egg, and Nettle bars are on their way!