Name: Alonna
Business: Lovegood Bath Potions
House: Gryffindor
Wand: Alder with UnicornHair core, 11 ¾” and brittle flexibility
Patronus: Pottermore said myPatronus is a Bassett Hound. But I would like to think that my Patronus is actually a Dachshund.
Is there anything more relaxing than laying back in a tub of hot water with your favorite beverage and a good book? It’s basically the closest thing you can get to a Calming Draught in the Muggle world, and our favorite addition to any bath is one of Lovegood Bath Potions‘ many wonderful creations. From her hand-sculpted and handpainted bath bombs to her relaxing, all-natural salt soaks, everything we’ve ever tried has been not only beautiful but a real treat in the tub, as well.
We first included Alonna’s work in our September 2017 box, and her thoughtful and creative products have been delighting our subscribers ever since. She takes such obvious pride in her work, and as her products have always been cruelty-free, they were a perfect fit for our vegan subscription box.
We asked Alonna if we could interview her for the blog, to get a little more insight into her creative process and her fandom faves.
Accio!: Can you tell our readers a little bit about yourself? Where are you from? Where is home? Would you like to share anything about your life or family? Educational background? Etc?
Alonna: I am 21 years old and live in Phoenix, Arizona with my boyfriend, and 3 dogs! I was homeschooled for 7 years and graduated when I was just 16 years old.
Accio!: How did you find your craft? What got you into it?
Alonna: Baths and Harry Potter have always been two things that are important to me. In 2017, I started my business, Lovegood Bath Potions. “Bath bombs” were a huge thing and I thought, like many other people, “I can make my own and they will be SO much cooler than those big companies.” So I did. In January 2017, I spent $300 on supplies, not having a clue what I was doing. It took a lot of trial and error. I wasted a lot of product, but after two months I finally came up with a recipe and decided I could open up an Etsy shop. In April of 2017, I had my first convention and sold over half of all the items I brought. After then I knew I had to keep creating new items!
Accio! How long have you been an artist (professional or otherwise?)
Alonna: I have always been an artist of some sort. I’ve been in art classes all of my life, and it’s always been something that’s important to me. From drawing, painting, sculpting, sewing, knitting, beading, dying and any other form or creating or DIY projects, on top of dancing, performing, acting, modeling and filming! I’ve done it all!
Accio! How much time do you spend on a batch of your product for Accio?
Alonna: For a wholesale order for Accio! Box, it takes me over a month to create 500+ bath products. It would go a lot smoother with another week or two. But I always get the order packaged and shipped right on time!
Accio!: Can you give us a brief walkthrough of your process in making your product? What goes into it?
Alonna: First thing I do (if I’m making a bath bomb) is to create the clay mold. It can take me anywhere from one night to three weeks to get the clay mold the way I want it! After that, I bake the clay and vacuum form it into a plastic mold. After I have my mold, I can create the bath bomb itself. I have to let the bath bombs harden for up to three days before I can begin painting them. Almost every bath bomb in my Etsy shop is handpainted. For painting, I like to use an airbrush machine for painting big areas, and small brushes to paint the details. I also sometimes use stencils and micas while painting. After everything is done being painted, I have to let the bath bombs dry for another 1-3 days before I can start on the packaging. I package all my baths bombs in recyclable shrink wrap bags. I use a heat gun to make sure that the shrink wrap is completely sealed around the whole bath bomb to prevent any moisture getting inside. Then I make a tag for the back of the bath bomb with the ingredients and my logo.
Accio!: Are you a Harry Potter fan? What are some of your favorite things in the series?
Alonna: I am a HUGE Potter fan! I have been since I was 4 years old. I’ve been a collector of anything and everything Harry Potter since. My favorite things to collect are Harry Potter toys. Preferably ones from 2001-2002. I have a whole shelf in my house just for my Harry Potter items! Some are even my originals from when I was a kid. Harry Potter has always been something that is important to me and something that brings me joy.
My favorite spell in Harry Potter is Vulnera Sanentur. It was not talked about in the books, but it was in [the film version of] Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince. “Vulnera Sanentur was the song-like incantation of a healing spell and counter-curse to the Sectumsempra Spell, both of which were invented by Professor Severus Snape.”
I have this spell tattooed on my body. It’s the only tattoo that I have. It’s meaningful to me. Translated from Latin it means, “May your wounds be healed.” Whenever I feel down or am having a hard time, I can look at my tattoo and feel better and stronger!
My favorite characters are Harry Potter, Professor Snape, Sirius Black, Rubeus Hagrid, and Luna Lovegood.
Accio!: Is there anything else you’d like our subscribers to know about you or your art?
Alonna: Making bath products is not as easy as big companies make it seem. There’s a bath and body company that is a 4-letter word that comes to mind… Everyone thinks that bath products are simple and easy to create, but only when you have a team of hundreds of people making them is that the case.
In my case, I work alone from home every day. Every item that I create is handmade in my studio. Yes, the recipes themselves are simple. But doing everything on my own, from coming up with new ideas, to the clay molds and the items themselves, is difficult. Things go wrong. Weather affects how items turn out, breakage happens, and waste. It’s not always as fun and exciting as the 4-letter word company makes it seem. To be honest, it’s pretty stressful!
But thankfully, Accio! understands that small business is hard. They supported me and my business when I thought “There’s no way I can keep making my products. There is too much competition from those big companies” But they proved me wrong. Accio! was the first company I worked with that made me feel like all my hard work actually did mean something. They helped me get in touch with hundreds of people who then got to try my products and it was the best feeling in the world, knowing that my time and energy was really being acknowledged and that handmade items by small businesses are still appreciated!
We think any of Lovegood Bath Potions’ offerings would make an AMAZING addition to your holiday gifting, whether you just need a few stocking stuffers or want to put together a cruelty-free bath kit for the Potterhead on your list. You’ll probably see some imitators out there, but nobody compares to Alonna when it comes to the creativity, artistry, and just sheer magic she puts into each and every one of her products.
You can find Lovegood Bath Potions on Etsy, or follow Alonna on Instagram and Facebook to keep up to date on her work!