Here at Now Smell This we know it doesn't take long to spend LOTS of money on scented toiletries (I'm not talking perfume, either). I'm a big fan of fragranced bath products, and current pricing for "fine" soaps and bath gels is high. Who'd have ever thought Diptyque and Frédéric Malle would be on the bargain end of 'exclusive' bath lines? Diptyque shower gels are $44 and a bar of scented soap is $15 (reasonable!); Frédéric Malle body wash is $55.
Bath gels sell for what perfume used to cost — Hermès cleansing gel: $59; Tom Ford shower gel: $65; Bond no. 9 body wash: $75; Sisley shower gel: $85; Creed body wash: $95. Fancy soaps are less expensive to buy and go from the "low end" (Jo Malone and Atelier Cologne, $20 a bar; Hermès soap, $22; Chanel No. 5 soap, $26 per cake) to high and higher end — Bvlgari soap, $30 a bar; one Guerlain Shalimar soap, $31; Tom Ford soaps: $35 each, and, as with bath gels, Creed is most expensive at $45 per tablet (I'll pass).
Hey, Roja Dove and Clive Christian! Have you lost your nerve(s)? I was expecting over-priced bars of soap from each of you for at least $100 apiece and bath gels (with pulverized Swarovski crystals and gold leaf) for $400 in 8 oz. over-dreck-o-rated bottles!
Though I've enjoyed many of the soaps listed above (Diptyque, Hermès, Atelier Cologne and Guerlain), today I'm writing about less expensive options that deliver great lather and quality aromas.
Kappus Violet Lilac | Germany, $4: This is an old-fashioned-smelling violet and lilac glycerin soap (accent on lilac). The lilac fragrance in Violet Lilac smells just like my beloved Miss Kim lilac bush (in bloom right now).
Nesti Dante Cipresso | Italy, $10: I enjoy mellow wood scents in summer (what better time to wear sandalwood, cedar and cypress?) Cipresso is a big bar that lathers like crazy and has a lingering aroma of cypress; it smells great layered with Eaux de Cologne (I usually spray on some vintage Eau de Rochas or Annick Goutal Eau d'Hadrien after showering with Cipresso) or I augment the cypress with vintage English Leather cologne's sandalwood (thanks again, Angie!)
Mistral Bois de Teck | France, $11: Bois de Teck is another good option for wood-scent lovers; this bar is described as "Rich Asian teak...with warm amber, Italian bergamot, exotic patchouli, and subtlety sweet notes of tonka bean." Bois de Teck has a resinous/"resonant" quality I enjoy (and a hint of soft leather scent). And since everything 'teak" reminds me of Thailand where I saw the trees growing, I always feel in vacation-mode when I use Bois de Teck.
Saponificio Varesino Profumo Classico | Italy, $7: I've been to Italy more than any other place outside the US, and Profumo Classico replicates a vibrant/sparkling Italian Eau de Cologne...rare in a soap form. The soap smells of citrus fruit and blossoms with hints of jasmine and "tonic" (something liquor-y and sweet-herbal).
The English Soap Company Oriental Spice | England, $7: The English Soap Company makes a great variety of perfumed soaps (Acacia Honey and Midnight Bluebell are favorites). Oriental Spice is mildly spicy and well-blended: think of the scent of a chai tea mixture, with a touch of nougat-y muskiness.
Fresh Mangosteen Oval | U.S., $15: I've always loved Fresh soaps (is there a scent I've not tried?) My current Fresh favorites are Hesperides Grapefruit (a vibrant green grapefruit aroma) and Mangosteen. The rich lather of Mangosteen smells of bananas and peaches with a dollop of saucy pink guava. I've often wanted to lick this soap...or run out and buy some decadent tropical fruit ice cream after I'm finished showering with it.
Luxo Banho Nectar Oval | Portugal, $12.50: Whenever I handle fuzzy ripe peaches and apricots (please, no Freudian analysis!) I have a desire to squeeze the fruits between my fingers and render them into pulp before gobbling each soft, orange-tinted morsel. Luxo Banho's Nectar smells natural and juicy, and is not over-sweet. If you enjoy Guerlain Mitsouko, Rochas Femme or Dana Emir, Nectar would be a great accompaniment.
Floris London Edwardian Bouquet | U.K., three 100 g soaps for £23: Floris London has always been a favorite of mine for soaps (I miss their deep blue and gold packaging!) Each year they hold a big sale, and I buy so many boxes of soap I'm embarrassed to say HOW MANY. I enjoy all Floris soaps but their Rose Geranium, fabulous Stephanotis and Edwardian Bouquet are the ones I buy most. Edwardian Bouquet features notes of hyacinth, bergamot, mandarin, jasmine, rose, ylang ylang, patchouli, sandalwood, moss and musk; Edwardian Bouquet is an flower opulent arrangement and perfect for summer.
Please, share some of your favorite soap and bath gel finds! I'm always looking for a knock-your-socks off jasmine soap (indoles? YES!) and an intensely scented tuberose soap.
"Summer" started early in Seattle this year, so happy warm weather to you all!
Note: top image is Man at His Bath by Gustave Caillebotte [cropped] via Wikimedia Commons.
Kevin, in my enthusiasm for sprayable pretties, I sometimes forget soaps and the pleasure of something sudsily scented in the shower each morning, but you’ve reminded me. I’m fossicking for a cake of something nice right now!
Until a couple of years ago, it was easy to find Roger et Gallet soaps in Aoteroa-New Zealand, and I formed a lasting love for the carnation and the cologne scents. The soaps are hard-milled and long-lasting and about $28 for three cakes. They came beautifully presented in pretty boxes that I used (still use) for storing small random things like extra buttons. The boxes retain the scent for years! I think the price equated, roughly, to the more expensive end of your list, but it was still a very affordable pleasure. However, out of pure badness, R&G has withdrawn from A-NZ– surely I wasn’t the only person enjoying their wares?–and now I have to wait to buy these lovelies when I’m in the other hemisphere. I’ve tried other bits and pieces of this and that, but nothing else is quite as appealing. Your list has given me some other ideas to try: thank you!
Waterdragon, I am a big fan of R&G soaps, too…but the distribution is strange…can’t find the complete range of scents in the US either.
Roget et Gallet soaps are the best. I use the empty boxes as organizers in my drawers. An empty carnation-scented soap box still smells lovely decades later. A family member would bring R&G soaps back from France for me on annual business trips. Those day are over, so I wish R&G would distribute in the US. They do sell in Canada. Someday I may have to hop the border on a scent-seeking vacation.
Kevin – couldn’t resist buying the Lilac soap which I found on eBay. How are the other scents in Kappas, if you’ve tried them. I saw Lily of the Valley, Pink Rose, White Magnolia.
Thanks
Princess Tonk…I use the pink rose most often, great in summer. I’ve tried all on your list and enjoyed them, also Orange-Hibiscus.
I received my order of Violet Lilac and it smells delicious – and from the box, ghosts of Diorissimo and Muguet Porcelaine seem to seep as well… Is it my poorly trained nose at work? Or is there some commonality of scent?
Thanks, Kevin.
I love bath products:
In Seattle’s sister city, there is a soap company called Camamu. It’s the usual suspect of a PDx company: handcrafted, made with love, wrapped in wax paper, etc BUT the lather is very soft and long lasting and the fragrances are intriguing and refreshing.
My favorite scent from them is the Jasmine/Vetiver, which is perfect, perfect perfect for cool shower in the afternoon. The scent very gently lingers, and is a perfect layering piece with a eau de cologne type scent.
If I am feeling super fancy, I LOVE the Santa Maria Novella soaps, especially in Amber (Ambra), Russian Cologne and Jasmine (Gelsomino). Not cheap, but those three squares will last an entire summer into fall!
Lush used to sell Flying Fox, which had a wonderful jasmine note- but no more! And no more Grass, which had a terrific neroli note and was super refreshing! and does anyone remember Tramp? I only get the Rose Jam gel at Christmas now, and then wait to use it in warmer weather.
I just got Aromatics Shower gel, and I love it!
Finally, an oldie but goodie: Pear’s. No, seriously, this is the scent of my childhood, and the smell of thyme somehow means caring to me.
Ede, I’ll try Camamu! And Pear’s reminds me of childhood, too.
I’m definitely going to grab a bar of that Jasmine/Vetiver some day; I’ve always wondered about it, and your description is the clincher, thanks!
Flying Fox is gone?! Noooooo! I’m going to have to be sparing with my stash. 🙁
I used to use Tramp all the time, and then I had a coworker who would always say, “Who smells like patchouli?” when I would walk into the room, and I really didn’t like being that person. Too bad that was what stuck on my skin, rather than the grassy violet note that was the whole point of the stuff to me!
Kevin, I love the Nesti Dante soaps – thanks for introducing them to me! I bought Cipresso for the DH, and it it scents almost the whole bathroom. Manly, yes, but I like it, too. ???? For myself, I got Argan Oil + Hay (lovely), & Royal Lily + Narcissus (ditto).
That violet and lilac sounds just beautiful; I’ll have to find it. Keep up the good work!
AnnE…don’t worry…the, a-hem, “work” will continue!
Oh — Argan Oil + Hay! What does that smell like? I guess it’s a dumb question, but is it a strong hay scent?
Robin…gosh, never heard of that one but I’m ordering it!
Robin, I don’t find it strong at all, and there is a bit of sweetness to it, but not too much. I pick up a touch of citrus and a drifting, old-fashioned floral note that I can’t identify. For some reason, sweet pea is coming to mind. At any rate, the overall effect is soft and creamy.
Thank you!
Great recommendations – thanks! My entry here is another R & G soap which I stumbled across on ebay – Jean Marie Farina, a very old-fashioned eau de cologne smell. Great for summer.
Rappleyea…I used to wear that cologne all the time.
That lilac one sounds tempting!
Great list, I do love me a good soap! The Kappus sounds really nice. May I also add 4711 soap, which sells for $3.19 per bar (yes, you read that right!) on the Perfumania website? Wonderful crisp cologne scent for hot weather and lathers up beautifully. I bought six a couple months ago when they had a free shipping offer.
WOW! Now, for some dumb reason I did realize the 4711 people made soap -but of course they would!
Neither did I. How did I miss this?!
Kiki…an excellent recommendation…very refreshing.
My favorite soaps right now are from Indigo Wild – Zum Bar Goat’s Milk Soap. At the store they’re sold in bulk, like at Lush. I love, love love their Patchouli soap; just straight, clean/dirty, earthy patchouli that lingers lightly. My second best of theirs is Anise-Lavender; it smells like Pastis and reminds me of southern France in the summer.
I forgot to add that on their website, they are $5.85 per bar.
Also, that Saponifico Varesino Profumo Classico sounds terrific. I must track some down.
Turquoise…I always use their Frankincense and Myrrh soap in the winter.
I love their Frankincense and Myrrh.
I just saw the Zum Bar Goat’s Milk soap at Marshalls but did not check the price.
I looooove that Nesti Dante Cipresso bar! I found mine at Marshall’s and have been doggedly searching for these since with not much luck, I might add. If you love woody notes, it will be true love!
Stinker kit, Smallflower usually stocks it.
I love the Claus Porto soaps from Portugal. They all smell great and the bars come in two sizes. The large oval size lasts for months.
Ditto! They have a great tuberose! They are not cheap though.
I love the huge bars and used to buy them frequently, especially the Favorito red poppy, but my husband has a thing against large soap (he complains about the Nesti Dante bars and I don’t think they’re that big). I still remember the first time he showered at my place when we were dating, hearing him holler, “what the f- is wrong with your soap?! Do you use it for home defense?”
🙂
Of course you do!
MM: yes…in the past the soaps were so BIG they didn’t fit on my soap “shelf” in the shower! HA!
I used to get the Vetiver version until it was discontinued… 🙁
Parfums de Nicolaï has some lovely soaps. I’ve tried her Cédrat and Eau d’Eté soap.
Other than that I tend to buy soap when I’m in France from local soap makers, which is fun.
Austenfan…I’ll have to try some of her soaps.
I love Nicolai’s liquid soaps – especially the Vanilla and Ylang ones. And they’re really mild too. I just checked and I’m not finding them on their website anymore. They better not have been discontinued!
A moment of silence for the discontinued Lush Alkamaar, the best jasmine soap! I’m still looking for a replacement.
Oh, god, I’ll join you in your moment of silence. I LOVED that one!
I love the idea of bar soap and wish I could share your enthusiasm: I used to buy interesting bar soaps all the time but now I kind of hate the feel of soap on my skin and use almost nothing but shower gel. There’s no shortage of that, though.
Yves Rocher does a limited-edition Christmas line every year, usually three different scents of lotions and shower gels and such, and one of them will be reliably excellent: this year it was Candied Orange and Cinnamon, so I really stocked up on the gel.
Every time I’m in the UK, I buy as much Original Source shower gel as I can bring back with me: they have particularly wonderful lavender, lime, and lemon gels plus all kinds of special editions. And I was in Berlin last week and bought the most ridiculous shower gel by a German beauty blogger named Bibi: it comes foaming out of a spray can like shave cream and it smells like mandarin-vanilla ice cream.
I love the visual aesthetics of bar soap, when they’re new, but they sort of gross me out when they’re in use. So, I’m also in the shower gel boat.
Really intrigued by the German shower gel!
pyramus: I do buy gels…but for some reason they just get minimal use …have a closet-ful of half used gels!
I really love Rose 31 scented soap and shower gel. Someone on evilbay sold me about forty 2 ounce bars of the soap (a boutique hotel chain offers Rose 31 bath amenities) on the cheap, along with a few 3 ounce bottles of the shower gel. Turns out I enjoy these more than the actual perfume. Go figure. I usually prefer scentless soaps (like the unscented glycerin soap from Whole Foods Body), as not to interfere with my scent of the day.
SAYitisntso: that happens to me all the time…don’t particularly like a cologne but love the soap version. Can’t wear Carnal Flower perfume but love the gel.
Same here! I stayed in a hotel once where the toiletries were Le Labo Rose 31. I stole three mini soap bars, I’m afraid, because it was better than the original perfume itself. I was less fond of the shower gel, it dried my skin out, but the soap I could just sniff and sniff and sniff at.
I love Nubian Heritage. Their African Black Soap smells soft and powdery. The Goats’ Milk and Chai soap and body lotion smells like spicy rose – gorgeous. Plus the brand always seems to be on sale at Whole Foods.
Peke: I’ve enjoyed many of their products, too.
The best soap ever – in my opinion – was one I came across in the Allgau, in a village called Oberstdorf. It was Latschenkiefern Seife and was handmade inside the Apotheke am Kurzplatz itself (the chemist). The shop was dark with lots of wood panelling, as if created by the Brothers Grimm, and it was cloaked in a rich pine/cypress scent, just so incredible. The soap was a deep green, almost that blue green of a deep forest. When we moved back to NZ we packed up several boxes and when we unpacked them they were impregnated with the scent. Best soap ever. Ever! (Nesti Dante Cypress pales in comparison. Hee hee)
These sound amazing.
I’m not a bar soap person, but my sister is and Pacifica’s bar soaps are her cheap thrill – she’s particularly fond of their Malibu Lemon Blossom in the summer.
Aparatchick: I used to buy Pacifica by the TON…but they just don’t lather AT ALL for me anymore…perhaps the Seattle water is “hard.”
My favorite soaps are from Santa Maria Novella. I adore their rose, violet and melograno soaps, they smell out of this world, they are very moisturizing since they are milk based. These are the first things I buy when I am in Italy.
I am lucky enough to live in florence (for now, at least) and visit their shop regularly 🙂 Among the best soaps indeed!
You are lucky, their shop in Florence is my dream place. I also love their rose water.
I often forget about bath and body products. I mainly just use cheap and plentiful regular Dial in liquid form. I spent a fortune on Amouage body products I hardly use. At this Amish bakery/dry goods store, they were selling bulk soap. They had a fabulous jasmine scent. It wasn’t this neutered jasmine but in it’s indolic glory. Just wished I got more. I will have to check out the lilac soap though.
Excellent post! Some of my fave products and brands were mentioned by you, Kevin… tho I would also add to the lot the glorious korres and roger et gallet. roger et gallet soaps are especially sublime and my faves in general – and in summer in particular – are amande persane (not sure if it’s available outside france, tho), oeillet mignardise (again, mostly a french exclusive but can be found rather easily online), shiso and the remarkable, elegant freshness of fleur d’osmanthus 🙂
I bought a few bars of Myrurgia Maja soap at an online discounters and use it in the kitchen. Fish, onion, and garlic odors don’t stand a chance up against Maja’s carnation, clove, and patchouli. There is something in the formula that feels grainy, so I don’t want to use it on my body, but for my hands it’s terrific.
Unless they are also scratch, grainy would be good for occasional exfoliation.
No, they’re not scratchy at all, and the bar is really hard and lasts quite a long time. Makes the kitchen smell nice, also.
Those odors can be erased with a spoon, too! (Or a fork or knife or anything stainless steel, but a spoon is easiest to “wash” with.)
Thanks for all these great recommendations, Kevin! I’m a linden lover, and Pre de Provence’s Linden soap is one of my favorite soaps of all time. Bonus — a fresh bar will scent our entire (tiny) house!
Isabella…true, you reminded me I NEED a linden bar!
Linden was one of the first scented soaps I ever bought. It is beautiful.
My husband and I have a weakness for scented soaps… I think we are set for the next year with bar soaps, bath gels and liquid hand soap… We are going through our goat milk soaps from Sumbody, including their tropical scented one. Pre de Provence Lime Zest is the husband’s favorite.
But my all-time favorite summer soap is Blanc Lila. It is a gorgeous lilac that is so clean and fresh and luscious. I don’t know what it is, but it is a scent that makes me happy. It makes me feel like I’m showering outside…
The other “happy scent” is Sumbody’s Milky Rich soap and lotion. A milky vanilla that is very lush and cozy.
Thank you, Kevin, for reminding me that I need to replenish my stock of scented soaps. I have been getting by happily with Tea Tree or Oatmeal bar soaps from Trader Joe’s. They do smell nice, but I need to up my game not that warm days are on the horizon.
I have a few bars from Couvent des Minimes which are very beautiful. I keep them in the linen closet so all the sheets and towels smell great. I’m looking to add Chanel No. 5 soaps to my stash, and the Floris Edwardian Bouquet sounds wonderful.
Thank you also for the tips on Claus Porto and Luxho Bano soaps. I have a friend who visits her family in Portugal each summer. She always asks what she can bring back for me (I check on her house while she is gone), and I never have any ideas. She threatened to bring back salt cod! Soap would be much better. 😉
Thanks for the recs! I’ve given up, mostly, on bar soaps because they inevitably turn to goo in my shower. But the one’s I’ve used are the cheapies~$2-3 from the Indian groceries. The Mysore and Nag Champa are my favorites.
I like the Orchidee Neroli shower gel from L’Occitane. It’s my little OB fix since for some reason I don’t love wearing it as an all-day scent. Great in the shower, though!
Since Lush Flying Fox is gone, I’ve replaced it with the Godiva shampoo bar which is JASMINE. It’s great for hair and body and it scents the bathroom nicely.
I’m gonna have to check out that lilac one. Sounds nice.
Some really great suggestions in the post and commetns!
Well, I would like to add my vote to the soaps/liquid soaps from Parfums de Nicolai and Le Labo Rose 31, mentioned above. Also Lush Rose Jam, which is sit in wait for all year until the next Christmas rolls around! I tend not to like rose perfumes that much, but in bath products there’s nothing better.
A good jasmine-tuberose shower gel is Artisan Parfumeur La Chasse aux Papillons – very nice and scented fairly strongly.
And I would mention Ormonde Jayne’s soaps too, I have tried and liked Osmanthus and the quality is excellent. For the price, you’d expect so.
Fairly obscure, but I have come across a French line called Cote Bastide and their Argan shower gel, soap and shampoo smell divine and are Just. The. Best.
Very interesting article, Kevin, thank you! Enjoyed everyone’s comments, too. I used to buy Cosmetics To Go’s True Grit soap for my husband – it smelled of rosemary & had pumice in it, which was great for exfoliating when he was working on his beloved Ducati. Since the demise of CTG Lush did stock it in their B Never Too Busy To B Beautiful shops, but they disappeared many years ago too. I’ve since found an oatmeal soap in Lush, & he’s tried a couple of Arran Aromatics ones too, but I do miss the smell of True Grit emanating from the shower.
Loved seeing all the international soaps listed here and will have to try some.
I think Thymes is a good brand with decent soaps in the cheap(er) range as well ($10-13 range). They came out with a Frasier Fir bar and it’s wonderful. I love that scent the most out of their whole line.