Interview with Artisan Crafter Kismet of Lo-Lo by Bar-Maids

I’ve really enjoyed working with my recent blog sponsor, Lo-Lo by Bar-Maids. I support the work of this family-owned, eco-friendly, artisan skin care company. I love the Twisted Light candle from the brand that we did a giveaway for last week. And I’m excited today to share more with you in an interview I did with Kismet.

What is your own personal favorite product out of the ones you sell?

“I love each and every one of the products we create. It is so amazing to me that simple ingredients combined in just the right way makes a difference in the way my skin looks and feels. And the effects can be seen in the mirror.”

What a great attitude! I think it’s wonderful to embrace and enjoy each item that you make in this way. But I definitely want to share some of your specific products, too, so I’ll pause the interview here to just share a few I like:

yarn candle

My favorites are the yarn-inspired, hand-dyed, 100% beeswax Twisted Light Candles!

cuticle cream

Cuticle Intensive seems like one of the best products for crocheters who want to keep their hands soft.

face pudding

Lo-Lo Face Pudding is the next product I’d like to try. Just sounds terrific!

Okay, back to the interview! What is the best compliment or feedback you’ve ever gotten about Lo-Lo?

“It would be impossible to pick just one. Every day we receive the most wonderful feedback from customers! The ones that are the most touching are from customers who share that for the first time in their life they think their hands are beautiful and they are not embarrassed by their nails. I also love the inspiring stories like the wife who shares that her husband is wheelchair-bound and how much delight he receives from the scents and how our products feel on his skin and the difference it makes. We also love the funny ones – “the only thing that could be better is Johnny Depp rubbing Lo-Lo on me on some exotic island”.”

How fun! I always love hearing from my readers and each comment is appreciated so I know what you mean about it being tough to choose!

Obviously you do artisan crafting for your Lo-Lo products; do you engage in any other crafting? What kind of crafts have others in your family done over the years?

“If only there were more hours in a day. My craft history includes stained glass, pottery, crocheting, needlepoint, hooking, macramé, making collages using natural elements, cooking (though I can’t frost a cake worth a darn), and gardening.

I spent many years creating holiday scenes for two medical centers. I have a special fondness for decorating gifts, making themes or scenes on the boxes. That involves a big glue gun and many hours.

Then there is of course that pile of unfinished (fill in the blank)!

My mother is a wonderful interior decorator. I admire/envy her sense of color and texture. My Grandma Pat taught me to make skin care products, was an avid gardener and loved to cook. My other grandmother and grandfather pursued the art of travel. They passed their itchy feet down to me.”

In a nutshell, why is it important for people to care about using natural products on their skin? Why do you care about being an eco-friendly business?

“The interconnectedness of everything begs that for every action we must answer the question, “is it healing or harmful?”. This applies (though is not limited) to what we put on the ground, in our bodies, and on our skin. We want our customers to know that our products are beneficial and not harmful to them as well as to the environment. We use ingredients formed by nature, which are beneficial to the skin, and made in such a way as to preserve the integrity of the ingredients. We create our products and choose packaging to fit an eco-lifestyle that is sustainable and friendly. While customers can order online, we encourage them to first purchase locally because that one little act impacts everything from the environment to the local economy.”

lo lo bar

I love that you make that point to purchase locally when possible! I think it’s great that you offer the online option, as well, of course. And I love the design and style of the site! By the way, your site mentions that the scents of the products are designed to evoke emotion and stir memory. I’d love to hear about a memory that comes to mind for you with a specific smell!

“Pink Grapefruit. I remember being on one of those flights that never end and a sort of stupor sets in where passengers are getting that staring haze in their eyes. Right as we were beginning to land there was no movement by passengers like there usually is in anticipation and excitement. It was the weirdest thing. I pulled a Pink Grapefruit Lo-Lo Bar out of my bag and used it on my hands. The effect was amazing. I actually watched people come awake and sit up in their seats. People turned around and wanted to know that that was. As the bar was passed from one row to the next, flight fog was lifted!”

What a great experience. So glad that I asked! Is there anything else you want my readers to know?

“Please be kind to the environment, we need the bees. Please don’t purchase our product if you have a drawer full of stuff that you are already not using. Our products are fresh and best used that way. Purchase our products if you care about what you put on your skin and you will use them up. Lastly, we sincerely want each customer to know that we truly appreciate and thank them for purchasing Bar-Maids.”

Thanks so much to Kismet for this interview. It’s great getting to know my sponsors better! Do you want to be a Crochet Concupiscence blog sponsor? Learn more here!

 sponsored blog post

Kathryn

San Francisco based and crochet-obsessed writer, dreamer and creative spirit!

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