It all started innocently enough back in 2005, when I first started experimenting with essential oils in making homemade cleaning products, which eventually turned into making everything else I could fathom doing myself, ranging from cold-process soap and lip balm to deodorant and car air fresheners.

After a few years of making and selling more traditional-sounding soap, and hawking my wares at, most memorably, several Renaissance festivals, the "twist" I was seeking struck me while enjoying gin and tonics with friends one night in 2009. I put away my corset and bad English accent and got cracking, starting with the Gin & Tonic and crafting a variety of other cocktail-inspired soaps that winter.

I started the Aromaholic Etsy shop in the fall of 2010 after spending that spring and summer perfecting blends like Bloody Mary, Lemon Drop, and the now-classic Whiskey Shower and Hangover Helper.

The shop continued to expand in 2011, offering new scented bars like Cosmo and Dirty Girl Scout; that summer, a line of cocktail-flavored lip balms were added to the Etsy shop, bringing the joys of Sangria and Mojito lip balm to online shoppers. I also started offering our popular product bundles, like the Bender Pack, that year.

I generally stuck with the classics in 2012 and most of 2013, and did a little experimenting with new scents and flavors here and there. In 2013, I began offering some products inspired by things I like other than cocktails, such as The Golden Girls and Dexter--the Dexter-themed "Dark Passenger" soap ended up getting thousands of views!

The holiday season of 2013 saw record sales for the shop, and 2014 was even better. And though some cocktails come and go, and flavors may change, our commitment to using the finest natural ingredients, and having a good time doing it, has remained the same. Yes, though we are inspired by booze, Aromaholic products are actually made up of totally wholesome stuff like cocoa butter, unrefined avocado oil, and lavender essential oil. I now focus exclusively on making lip balms. Thank you for your purchases - I look forward to continuing to make fun, natural products for you to use and enjoy!