Tell us about your favorite scented soap or shower gel?
Note: image is Scented Soap [cropped] by Chris. P at flickr; some rights reserved.
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My favorite scented soaps are L’Occitane Savon Au Karite (Shea Butter Soap) and Ox Mantequilla de Illipé y Jasmin. The first is a creamy floral and the second incensy.
Since I have a sensitive skin and have to use gentle, natural or organic body products, my favourites are Dr. Brommer’s Citrus Orange soap and handmade scented organic soaps I get in Provence. I don’t know the brand, but there’s a gift shop in the village that sells organic soaps made with essential oils produced in Grasse. The ones I love are lavender, rose and raspberry. My favourite shower gels are Jason’s Organic Mango and Lavender.
Oh my! I didn’t have enough time in London to go where you told me. And now I can’t find what I want! :(. Thanks for the information anyway. 🙂
These sound wonderful! I’m putting Jason’s on my list to try!
Dr Bronner’s lavender or tea tree are my faves for the scent and the luxurious lather. Affordable, ethical, and beneficial!
Don’t really use these, since skin is sometimes sensitive; I mostly use a Cetaphil cleanser that is non-scented. I did try a sample of Diptyque L’Ombre dans L’eau shower gel that was divine.
(Divine – can you tell I saw the Diana Vreeland film yesterday? It was GREAT!)
Oh, I want to see that!
It’s marvelous! I didn’t realize she was such a card. Interviewer: “Can you remember the first time you thought about how you wanted to look?” Diana Vreeland: “What, the first time today?”
You’re right: she was very irreverent and funny, and that made the interviews with her, which are a good chunk of the film, so much fun! The film also does a great job of showing how she really transformed fashion, magazines and finally the Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
LOL!
Just a quick poll this week? Too bad, but better a quick one than none.
My favourite shower gel is Kings&Queens King of Sumatra. It smells of pepper & bergamot and leaves a nice scent on the skin, delicate but noticeable.
Glad to see this comment! My favorite is the Kings & Queens myrrh scent, but I can’t find them any more! *weeps* They used to sell the line in Target – where do you still find it?
Here in Poland Douglas Perfumeries carry the Kings&Queens line. They have a wide varietythere, including Myrrh.
Great news, thank you so much! I’m going to have to see if they ship internationally.
My favourite scented soaps are the ones I buy whenever I am in France and can find a small artisanal soapmaker. Last June I got some wonderful Vetiver and Patchouli soap and more recently 3 gorgeous honey soaps.
I don’t use showergel much these days but I remember once getting a sample of Molton Brown orange shower gel which was wonderful.
As with many above, I mostly prefer unscented soaps and shower gels, but I make exception for the Twisted Peppermint Bath and Body Works Shower Gel at Christmastime. There’s something wonderful and invigorating about peppermint!
(BTW, for those who have been following my new house adventure, I got the keys Friday! Yay!!!! and eep! Now to PAINTING!)
Congrats, Homeowner!!!! I bet we’ve ALL been following the house saga–I know I have. I love a good house-hunt! Wish I were there to help paint–it’s about the only thing, house-wise, that I excel at. Certainly housekeeping isn’t my forte. . . . 😉
Thank you, Joanne! I could use some help for the painting, too! I had a friend come by yesterday to give her the “grand tour.” I had told her that the interior needed new paint, but she wasn’t prepared for how truly horrible the colors currently are! It was funny to see her shock! I recommend everyone buy stock in Behr paints–they’re going to have a good sales quarter! 😀
Hi M! What colors have you chosen?
Hiya!
Colors are a work in progress. The first step is going to be priming the entire interior. The former owners chose very saturated, often dark, colors, and it is really hard to imagine anything else in there until I cover them up! I’m drawn towards soft, warm neutrals mostly, although I’m tempted to paint the kitchen some sort of powder blue–bright and clean feeling.
All I know for sure is that the bedroom is NOT going to stay pepto bismol pink with black trim! EGAD!
The previous owners sound, um… interesting!
It really makes you wonder, doesn’t it, Merlin? I never met them, but their color choices make me think that they were very exuberant people! The living room is (bright!) lime green, the kitchen is what a friend called “angry blue” (very saturated true blue), the bathroom is a dark, brownish purple. There’s a bonus room that dark, mustardy yellow, and the upstairs, which is the most tolerable, is lilac with dark purple and mauve accent walls. So yeah, really makes me wonder! . . . . and need LOTS of primer! 😀
I would imagine that you can be exuberant too – so maybe they were exuberant AND colourblind – haha!
Ok, you’re right! I *do* have some natural exuberance! How’d you guess? 😀
But, I hope, I also have a good eye for color and design, and their choices do not suit my aesthetic. (Nor too many other people’s, I’d guess.)
I love painting. I would totally help if you were close by.
The Behr premium paint and primer in one is a godsend.
Thanks, Poodle! It’s nice to know that you’re there in spirit!
I’m looking at that paint and primer, but I think the black trim, etc., will need two to three coats anyway. I’ve accepted the reality of two coats of primer and two coats of paint.
Sounds like the previous owners might be related to the previous owners of a house a friend just closed on; I didn’t see the house before repainting, but apparently the living room had been painted a blue-black color, with feces-brown trim, the entry hall was some bizarro shade of dark blue, the kitchen was a strong green, and the rest of the house was similarly badly matched. So far, everything’s been repainted white or khaki (the living room is khaki… not a nice shade of it, unfortunately).
Eep!
What really amazes me is that once they did one room, they clearly didn’t stop and think, “Hmm, maybe I should rethink my plan?”!
Hooray!!
Thanks, Robin!
Hooray and many, many congratulations!!!!!!!!
And be happy.
Thanks, Jillie! I *AM* happy, and honestly, quite proud to be at this point, pretty much of my own devising. But it’s overwhelming, too! I nearly started to cry in Home Depot today! The very nice SA was explaining that I need to just take my time and do one room at a time, and I suddenly felt how much there was to do–I’m sure he could see that I was about to tear up! I *KNOW* I can do it, but right now, at the beginning of the marathon, it feels like there’s a long way to go! (But I know it will be nice when I finally make it my own!)
I know exactly what you mean! But one step at the time is good advice (more haste less speed as they say), and you don’t want to wear yourself out. Also it’s good just to live with your new place for a bit, as sometimes a house/flat gently leads you to doing the right thing. And in a year’s time you can look back at all this, and think “Wow, I have achieved so much!”. But I certainly couldn’t live with the pink and black a moment longer than necessary ……
It is good advice. It was my hope, however, to have at least the first floor painted before I move in. I haven’t given notice, yet, to my landlady, however. I can’t decide if I want all of November, or if my original plan of half a month extra will be enough. I kinda want it done by November 15, but it may not be realistic without wearing myself out, as you point out!
Totally understand. It’s rather great having the luxury of being able to do your new place up without having to shift furniture, and being able to go back to the old one for a rest without having to tidy up after yourself. But I suppose this also means you feel under even greater pressure to get things done! Just remember to give yourself the odd pampering and be careful on top of ladders!
Congratulations, Marjorie Rose! So happy for you.
Thank you, Emily!
Congratulations! Btw, my powder room is a Behr powder blue!
I really like that color! I assume you’re happy with it? I have a painting, a really nice, quality print truth be told, that’s an oceanscape. I’d love to have colors nearby that bring out that grey-blue water of my painting.
I love it! And yes, the grey-blue you describe in your painting is exactly it. Good luck!
Congratulations! You’ll need plenty of sweetly-scented showers and baths to recover from all that work – but it will be worth it!
You know, one of the first things I did was bring over a towel and a shower curtain so I can take a relaxing bath or shower, should I need one while I’m working over there! I like the idea of splurging on a decadent soap to make it more special!
Atelier Cologne’s soaps are the best around, imho. They last a really, really long time, have great scent and don’t try out the skin (though they aren’t mega moisturizing, so if that is what you are after, look elsewhere). They have the perfect scents: bright, complex, pretty. They make a shower feel like a real luxury. Plus, they leave a slight scent on the skin that somehow doesn’t clash with any SOTD.
I was also really impressed by the Diptyque L’Ombre dans L’eau shower gel recently. That stuff smells STRONG! I could still smell it on my skin hours later. It’s GREEN and a bit biting, so it might be a bit bracing for some (I was on the fence). For those that are looking for a shower gel that leaves a strong scent on skin, this is a great choice. Those Diptyque folks sure know how to make a quality product.
Those soaps sound great! The Diptyque shower gel is so refreshing. Their hand balm is great, too – it restores dry hands but isn’t greasy. It has a light apricot scent.
I have been testing several different brands lately, and this is the perfect opportunity to share my ‘mini reviews’.
Scent Bar (Peony & Champagne) -“Meh.” This had the right price and my expectations were high, but I was disappointed.
Packaging: Pump has poor design and nearly impossible to open
Scent: Pretty but too light and generic; doesn’t linger post shower
Lather Action: small to adequate
Skin Feel: Neutral.
Price: Inexpensive!
Overall: Meh. Won’t buy again.
Malin + Goetz (Geranium) – “Surprisingly Nice!”. I got this to fill out my recent GWP at Barney’s. I’d never even heard of the line. They SA told me that the creator had skin concerns so created this line with natural ingredients for sensitive skin at the right pH levels.
Packaging: Win! Bottle has a flip click opening. However, it’s difficult to control the amount of product and often seems like too much product is delivered.
Scent: Pretty but light and fresh. No lingereing scent after shower.
Lather Action: Excellent! (could be related to amount of product)
Skin Feel: Excellent! Skin was soft and clean without feeling stripped.
Price: Moderate.
Overall: I’ll buy again but wish there was more scent. Great for every day.
L’Artisan Mure et Musc – “Win!” This was a surprizs for me as I’m not a particular fan of this scent.
Packaging: Square bottle with twist opening. Delivers perfect amount of product. However, also comes with outer box. Too much packaging.
Scent: Wonderful even though I was expecting more berry. The berry is downplayed and is mostly musk… smells like the heart/drydown of the regular scent and is very unisex. Leaves a nice hint of musc on skin that doesn’t compete with other scents.
Lather Action: Win! Lots of lather.
Skin Feel: Pretty good. Skin feels soft and clean and lightly scented.
Price: Expensive
Overall – Win! I’ll definitely buy again and am looking forward to trying the other scents.
Amouage Dia Shower Gel – “It’s a Love/Hate relationship.” For the price, I was really expecting to be wowed over. The scent is fantastic, but the lather action is poor. Bummer.
Packaging: Pump style bottle requires way too many pumps to get adequate product on poof (after 10 pumps, I start thinking it’s wasteful). I’m planning to replact the pump top with a flipclick opener. Also comes in a box (too much packaging.)
Scent: Divine! (I also tryed a Lyric sample and that was divine as well!). Leaves a nice hint of scent after shower.
Lather Action: Poor. The suds were small and it seems to take a lot of pumps to deliver an adequate amount.
Skin Feel: Neutral to drying.
Price: Expensive, but at least the bottle is large. Since pump delivers a small amt of product, the bottle seems to last a long time.
Overall: I’m on the fence because I really love the scent and how the shower smells while lathering. I may buy again because the scent is divine!
Method pure and naked – “Olive”. I really liked this at first. After using 1/2 a bottle, the scent started to bother me. I’ll try a different scent next time.
Packaging: Great! Big bottle, no box, easy squeezy.
Scent: The Olive scent was nice and earthy but after several uses, became tiresome. Leaves a small hint of scent that disappears quickly after showering and doens’t seem to interfere with other scents.
Lather Action: Great! Lots of lather and scent action going on.
Skin Feel: Neutral, not stripped.
Price: Cheap!
Overall: I’ll buy another bottle in a different scent and see how it goes.
Philosophy Amazing Grace Perfumed Shower Gel – “One of my favorites!”
Packaging: No excess outer box. The clear bottles can be “crunchy” and it’s a pain to get the last of the product out. Look for the milky bottles which are made of a softer plastic.
Scent: Love it! The Grace line is all perfumed so there’s a light lingering scent after the shower. The non-Grace line fills up the shower with scent, but these are not perfumed so there’s no lingering scent post shower. I really like Amazing Grace best.
Lather Action: Wonderful! Lots of lather and scent.
Skin Feel: Neutral. This is not partucularly moisturizing, but doesn’t dry, either.
Price: Moderate
Overall: I need another bottle. Stat.
Wow, thanks for the detailed reviews!
Hi, I could not agree more with your experience of the Amouage gels. The pump is absurd. I ended up ripping it off and using a regular screw top. I can then pour an amount into my hand. Awkward, but, better than 15 pumps. Maddening. The suds factor is also “meh” BUT you’re right, the scent alone is worth the two above mentioned drawbacks. I use Gold Man shower gel. It can life ANY dark or sad mood. Spectacular. Like Baby Powder formulated for a Sultan of Brunei.
Wow – you were really prepared for this post, CM – great reviews!
I’ve been searching for a good shower gel since summer since BBW is too drying and the drugstore brands are boring. The biggest surprise is the Malin & Goetz and the L’Artisan!
I think BBW must have had a lot of people comment on the lack of moisturizers in the shower gels they were doing a big selloff of the current formula and bringing out a new shower gel formula this past spring. It may be worth giving them another try-at least in a trial bottle.
Korres fig! I like all their shower gels but the fig really gets me – in fact I have tried every fig perfume I could find *because* of this shower gel and I don’t like any as much. (Yes, even Philosykos.)
Hi Regina – does this smell like fig fruit or fig leaves?
Leaves! Uh, I think.
I used to love Cote Bastide Figeur shower gel. I will have to seek it out again. Perfect for fall.
I need to try the fig scent. Have tried a bunch of the other Korres shower gels, but somehow not the fig. (I really miss the old Korres scents — cedar was one of my all-time favorites, as was juniper and rum.)
This sounds nice – I’m adding to my list.
Meant to share mine:
High end: Frederic Malle Vetiver (hands down, best soap ever) and Diptyque Philosykos.
Middle: Lush Flying Fox
Cheap thrills: EO Rose & Chamomile, old standby SkiKai Yuzu, Dr Bronner’s Almond
I’m adding Frederick Malle and Diptyque to my list to try next. I love a good scented shower experience. Bath and Body Works smells good, but their products are too drying.
The Malle soaps are awesome. Price to match.
I love the Lush Flying Fox shower gel. Actually I like most of their soaps; I pick a different one each time I order. 😉
I like them too. Wish they were cheaper.
Dr. Bronner’s has the perfect almond scent. I love it.
I ordered a whole bunch of Bronner’s travel sizes, that’s the only one I loved enough to buy the regular size.
Hey EST! We’re in total agreement on Dr. Bonner’s almond! 😀
Amazing!
Those EO gels are lovely, aren’t they? And good for your skin. I also like the Flying Fox gel from Lush – definitely jasmine powerhouse, but light lingering scent and very moisturizing. It blends well with the Silky Underwear powder too!
I like everything I’ve ever ordered from EO… I have shampoo, bath salts, hand soaps, you name it.
I always wished they would make a Silky Underwear shower gel…….still hoping! I love their Godiva solid shampoo. Yum!!!!!!!
I’m so happy to see Lush and especially Flying Fox mentioned here! They’ve just arrived in South Africa; now I won’t have to harass friends coming back from Europe to help me stock up on Flying Fox 🙂 I just really wish the solid perfume that sort of matches it, Lust, didn’t have all that bright red dye. It stains!
I make my own soap, but the ones I make are all essential oils….so for fragranced soap I use Pre de Provence…..milk is my favorite scent but they also have a lime zest that’s good. I also like the Aveda Energizing shower gel (peppermint), and I love Bigelow Lemon anything.
My favorite soap is Liberty of London’s Seaweed and Samphire – and a quick website check indicates that they no longer make it…:(
London ‘fumistas – have you seen this recently on Regent Street?
I also love Badedas – the original green gel. It’s what my husband uses…
Badedas foam bath is wonderful!
I only use 3 brands as my skin is pretty sensitive – these are the only ones that don’t leave me with dry skin afterwards. Roger & Gallet – I love the green tea, shiso and ginger scents. Nesti Dante – fig and almond milk, lettuce, cucumber and artichoke scents. The last brand is Arran Aromatics – I use the exfoliating seaweed soap. They tweaked the formula several years ago but before they ran out I bought up about 20 bars of the old version which I am still getting through. I love the scent of Bliss’ big blue bar, but it dries my skin out so badly I scale up after using it. Same w/Dr Bronner’s brand.
Oh I love R&G too! I wasn’t aware of the ginger soaps, must look for them: I really enjoy the smell of ginger, and the packaging and quality of Roger & Gallet!
I really like the Nesti Dantes too!!!!
I received the R & G carnation soap as a Christmas gift from a very nice friend this past year. I’ve rationed it out and am now on the third one in the box (of three). Smells wonderful and lasts long, not too gummy in the dish, and not too drying on the skin/face.
YES, YES, YES! I ordered two boxes of the (3) carnation soaps. I meant to give one away for Xmas. No sir. I kept it for myself, rationing them as well. Aren’t they great?
Off topic a bit, but the MFK candle scent of Absolue de la Soir is just killer. It can scent an entire room with its unique scent. I wonder if their bath gel of Aqua Universalis is any good??
I got myself A pack of carnation soap after all the talk here at NST. Also sandalwood and blue lotus ones. Haven’t opened them yet but looking forward to the experience. Now even more so.
Lush Sexy Peel is as essential as coffee to get me up in the morning. I have been picking up some bars of my favorite old scents on ebay:
Patou 1000 and Farouche. Last year I was lucky enough to score some after holiday gift sets. Aromatics Elixir soap is gorgeous, and really lasts. I wish it were a year round offering.
Finding vintage perfumed soaps on ebay is a great idea!
And so is finding those gift sets post holiday! Great bargains there and worth braving the crowds for.
Scented soaps are such a satisfying and often inexpensive treat!
I am a fan of Roger & Gallet soaps (bouquet impérial and thé vert are my favorites), because of the retro packaging and the many happy memories they bring back – I cannot unwrap a box without remembering my grandmother…
But my absolute favorite is a very inexpensive treat: Spuma di Sciampagna soap – or anything from the “champagne foam”(that’s the translation) brand really.
The design looks very 1920’s/1930’s and indeed the signature scent of this line of cleaning/body products smells wonderfully retro, like the love child of n.5 and après l’ondée: a luxurious aldehydic, violet-tinged iris, slightly powdery. Like n.5, the smell is at the same time clean and womanly, elegant and familiar. 30 years ago, at the age of 8, I would touch (not daring to use) the body cream, or stick my nose into the bath foam tank and agree to take a bath (no small feat!!). The body cream is long gone, but the soap, inexpensive but wonderful is still there (along with laundry products). Last year I discovered on the brand’s website that there is a perfume, with the signature scent. But I haven’t found it anywhere, and am scared that the wonderfulness of the utilitarian body/cleaning products, might translate as a cheap smelling, white musk loaded perfume… Oh, well.
My comment is excessively long, but scented soaps strike a chord with me! 😉
sounds like quite a sophisticated bar of soap – will have to look out for it!
Snailspajamas mentioned Nesti Dante, but from the ones I’v used I liked Acqua Termale / Thermal Waters the most. It has a big stone bath on the picture! This feels ultra-luxurious:)
Savon a ‘Lep is made using a traditional process in the middle East. Its made mostly of olive and Laurel oil. While not nearly as drying as many ordinary drug store brands; it feels more pure and simple than like luxury! Also, it goes soft very easily and while many rave about its multi-functional use, it wasn’t optimal for either my face or hair. (no ‘soap’ really is)
Mysore Sandal Soap, made in India, however, lasts better, is harder and has a more pleasant scent. No one suggested it for face or hair! While it is not VERY creamy, it does not leave my skin feeling dry or stripped.
Good old ordinary glycerine soaps usually smell good, scented with essential oils and what-not, and are easy on the skin. They don’t last very long, but they are not that pricey.
I have a couple of Crabtree&Evelynn’s and a couple of Claus Porto but they LOOK so luxurious I am having trouble opening them and may have to give them as gifts : /
As for shower gels I have been using this make from the UK called Naked: animal friendly, lots of natural ingredients and bottles made from recycled plastic . Unfortunately they have recently been discontinued here. A pity cos these are reasonably priced and really nice!
No, no – you should use the Crabtree & Evelyn soaps, they are lovely. Usually triple milled, they are long lasting with a lovely texture and great fragrances. They used to do a gorgeous Patchouli soap, and a fab zesty West Indian Lime, and the Aloe Vera and the Goats Milk soaps are really pleasant smelling, but still neutral enough to put even a delicate frag on on afterwards.
Do use them yourself! :o)
The one I have is Vetiver, and can’t remember the other – but I think I’v been convinced! Now wasn’t that hard?
The Vetiver is discontinued now too (that was lovely as well), a whole raft of fragrances went altogether, or were reformulated. They now have a Vetiver & Juniper soap (which I haven’t tried), so you should absolutely use your Vetiver. Nobody in our family ever dared use posh soap when I was growing up, it was whipped off you to be stored, then re-wrapped and re-gifted until finally too tatty to do so any more (by this time, the only fragrance left was cardboard and recycled giftwrap). I’m now an ardent champion of using the post stuff yourself instead!
I bought a couple of bars of soap in the Miller Harris sale and thought nothing of it at the time. Wow! Best soap I’ve every used – super-creamy lather and the scent does linger lightly on the skin. I’ll be buying more.
I still love TBS’s Satsuma soap and shower gel since they’re so lively and invigorating, but I’ve been exploring a lot of 100% Pure and MOR’s products lately as well. I love 100% Pure’s Coconut body wash and body scrub, and MOR’s Miel line and their Candied Almond body butter are great to layer under lots of perfumes.
Three shower gels I love are the original Algemarin (German brand), Lush Tramp, and several fragrances of the KissMyFace shower gels (Peaceful Patchouli, which is VERY light for ‘chouliphobes, is permanent in the rotation). I’ve had the Pattern Black Pepper and Nutmeg on my list to try forever, but haven’t gotten around to them yet.
OH I WISH KissMyFace’s shower gels were available here!! I use and love their Peaceful Patchouli hand soap and body lotion, but I’ve never seen the shower gel. Such a perfect soft patchouli!
I got a free full-sized Ormond Jayne shower gel as a gift with purchase at some point last year–maybe Mother’s Day? I didn’t get to choose the one I got but was happy to receive Orris Noir. It’s a thick and creamy sort of gel that has the great virtue of staying put and not sliding right off onto the floor like so many tend to do. It’s highly scented but it works fine for me if I layer that nice skin scent under another OJ fragrance (today, OJ Woman). It is nice enough that I am thinking of buying one soon in one of the other scents, possibly Tolu.
I think Mistral soaps deserve a shout-out: they are well fragranced and have great lather. Another old favorite — Floris, especially the Stephanotis, Limes, Night-Scented Jasmine, Cefiro scents. A bar of Guerlain Shalimar soap is also a Christmas tradition around my house…it gets me in the “spirit.”
Oh that’s a nice idea, the Shalimar. I have trouble getting into ‘the spirit’ (not being find of Xmas) so I buy a scented candle. Shalimar soap would be great too.
Oh! I love Mistral too!
I use soaps made by a local Australian company and which I buy at health food shops. Their frangipani soap is just superb: very like fresh frangipani in my opinion. I use bars of this soap to scent my linen cupboard as well. The company uses palm oil only from certified sources, which is great.
My daughter and I are loving the shower gels from Original Source, also locally made (and not tested on animals). I like the mint and tea tree – containing ‘7,927 tingling real mint leaves’ – and L. likes the lime gel – ’40 real zingy limes’ are packed into it, according to the label.
If I’m not in the mood for tingling mint leaves, I might turn to LUSH’s Flying Fox shower gel.
I *love* frangipani soaps. My parents used to live in Australia, and every time I was there I’d stock up. Can’t remember which brand, though.
Yes, if you are buying unpackaged soap it can be hard to know who made it. It took me ages, but I was over the moon when I finally discovered the source of my beloved soaps:
http://www.desthealth.com/
Frangipani flowers have a pronounced soapy smell (I think) so they perhaps lend themselves well to soap products.
Oh, thank you, Annemarie! You bet I’ll be placing an order once my stash has run out. (I actually have a goat-milk soap from Australia that looks identical to the one on that website.)
Great, hope you love it!
I’m currently using The Body Shop’s pink grapefruit shower gel, and it’s really grown on me — very zingy and tart, not all that sweet. It reminds me of a freshly cut grapefruit, pith and all.
All-time favorites include Alba Midnight Tuberose, Yves Rocher Comoran Ylang-Ylang, a couple of the old and probably discontinued Korres scents (cedar, juniper and rum), and pretty much every Fresh oval soap I’ve ever used, but especially the verbena scent. I’m also loving the Bandit shower cream, particularly since the EDP is no good on me.
If anyone can recommend a good cedar shower gel, I would be eternally grateful. I’ve tried the Yves Rocher blue cedar, and that smelled like nothing.
That grapefruit sounds lovely!
It is! Sometimes I take an extra shower on the weekends just to have an excuse to use it.
I bought that darned YR too! Waste of $.
Everything I’ve tried from that YR line (it’s called “Fraicheur Vegetale” or something like that) has been disappointing. The verbena cologne spray is okay to use on linens, though.
I buy unscented gel from Neal’s Yard Apothecary, and scent it myself with essential oils. Usually citrus ones – lime, grapefruit, petitgrain, neroli etc etc.
Has anyone tried the Le Labo shower gels yet? And knows whether they contain parabens and chemicals, or are they 100% natural? I have smelled them from the bottles, and they seemed incredibly identical to the perfumes. Much like the Malle soaps/gels/creams.
(Robin – i agree on the vetiver soaps. Incredible) and the Musc ravageur body cream is so intense, you could wear it alone without bothering with the perfume!
I rotate my soaps and I am drawn towards the ones that are unscented, triple-milled or handmade (with minimal scent). If I love using a particular soap, I end up buying up as much as I can because they usually end up being discontinued or the company that makes them goes out of business.
Best soap ever for me is Immune Boost from Urbane Zen (Lake Oswego and Portland OR); it has a very faint almond scent, has strands of seaweed-like stuff embedded within the cake and is very moisturizing. Their website did not offer this particular soap so I asked my sister-in-law to get me a dozen cakes (and she did). Unfortunately, they appear to now be out of business. I am now down to my last 4 🙁
Other soaps I like:
– L’Occitane Organic Olive Soap – no scent … and boo hiss, no longer on the website and not in the Bridgewater Commons store. I will be passing by the Grand Central Station store next week and will check it out.
– Soapman (Oregon Soap Company) – I first encountered this line at Saturday Market in Portland. I particularly like the Unscented and Mama Mia’s Eczema Relief. i’ve run out of these soaps but want to use up some of my other ones first before placing a bulk order (a LOT cheaper)
– Fredericksburg Herb Farm soap – I was in San Antonio, TX earlier this year for vacation and we took a side trip to Fredericksburg. I got 2 bars of soap: Fig and Ginger Tea with Dead Sea Salts were both wonderful. There is no website but you can call the spa store to place an order.
– awildsoapbar organic soap – I tried the Wild Carrot Complexion soap and it was divine but did not last long. I also got this while on vacation in San Antonio.
Surrender to Chance now sells 100% natural handmade soaps and I ordered Ginger Lime and Pumpkin Crunch.
As for shower gels, I use L’Occitane The Vert Bath and Hair Gel – just perfect for when I am lazy or in a hurry as this cleans hair and body and leaves a nice lingering scent (and therefore no need to spritz perfume).
I wish I could find Arpege shower gel again. The scent was heavenly.
There is an old fashioned, drugstore one that I love: Maja, from Myrurgia.
I also enjoyed a lot te Korres cedar shower gel. Must try the Shalimar bar, I’m sure I’m gonna love it!
I love the ZUM goat’s milk soaps from Indigo Wild. They’re more hippy/crunchy-granola than high-end elegant, but are very moisturizing. A little out of my budget, so I stock up when they have a sale.
I have a friend who swears by ZUM; she says their products are one of the few scented soaps she can use that doesn’t dry out her skin. I need to give them a try.
I haven’t tried ZUM soaps, but I have used their Lavender & Frankincense and Frankincense & Myrrh body sprays. I really liked them, and their simplicity was part of what got me started experimenting with making my own scents and led me here.
Imperial Leather soaps
Felce Azzura – the traditional blue ones
4711 – wonderful fragrance
… and recently treated myself to classy Roger & Gallet ones in Bois D’Orange, a woody orange flavor a bit like Elixir des Merveilles. If these are available in the US – try them! Try the dry oil too while you’re at it, it works wonders on face, hair and body. They have other fragrances available, including a fresh rose that seems wonderful even to a non-rose person like me 🙂
Scented soaps and shower gels are an addiction for me and I loved reading all of the posts. I enjoy Lush products and World Market here in the US has a nice selection of soaps fromm all over the world. (France and Italy seem to really know how to make wonderful soaps.) I lso like the Grace shower gels and soaps from Philosophy. And I’m always willing to find more soaps to try – andn storing them in the linen closet or dresser drawers is a good way to gently scent clothes and towels while then soaps await their place in the rotation.
The lingerie drawer is perfect for storing soaps 🙂
All my underwear smells of Lush Lust – perfection! And since I can’t put this soap in our shower (boyfriend cannot STAND the smell in quantities) it will stay in the drawer perfuming the smalls. It’s tied up in a plastic baggy to prevent the red dye in the soap from staining anything, and STILL the smell is quite powerful, even after a day of wearing one of the scented undies!
Several of the Claus Porto scented soaps with shea butter are very nice (Banho – Verbena, Aguia – Vetiver, Red Poppy – Favorito, Rivale – Fig/Grapefruit). Also found a sandalwood version. My favorite is the Vetiver.
Right now, I’m using Love and Toast’s Clementine Crush; nice scent, lathers up well, bought it at Target.
I don’t really have a favorite scent or brand; I buy shower gels from many sources: Garden Botanika has an excellent mint which I use a lot in the summer, Pacifica has some that I like (fig, jasmine) and you can’t beat the price, and I can usually find something I like at World Market.
Love Pacifica’s soaps. Tibetan Mountain Temple and Madagascar Spice are really nice in fall/winter.
Avalon Organics Rosemary shower gel!
Yves Rocher Tradition de Hammam olive oil-argan cake soap (patchouli-spicy and with such a pretty embossed design!) and Oriental Shower Oil (very lovely amber-tobacco scent with gentle suds and incredible skin softening action). 🙂
I have to be careful with soaps, as I dry out easily.
I’m using Claus Porto’s Favorito regularly (red poppy). It may be too drying for my skin come winter though, I’m noticing now that it is getting cold I feel kind of tight and dry.
I used to use the Perlier honey soap, the liquid stuff in the pump, and it was really good but very strongly scented. Now I’m nostalgic, I’ll have to see if it is sold anywhere around here.
I too love korres soaps. The fig is very earthy/dirty/yummy.
My favorites this week:
1. Molton brown coco de mer bath gel. It’s sweet, soft, accessible, and floral – really nice scent.
2. AnnIck goutal gardenia passion bath gel. This was very unexpected. To my nose this smells of straight up, unsweetened tuberose absolute: very bitter, dark green, a little spicy. Not the lush, swoony gardenia scent scent I was anticipating, but I still love it.
3. Crabtree and Evelyn iris bath gel. A nice iris at a nice price in a cute bottle. Love this.
Lush has just come to South Africa. Now, I’m aware of many people snubbing them, especially for the smell they spread about in malls, but I really, honestly don’t get that. (I’d rather complain about a place called Aromatic Apothecary; now that is an offensive space-scenter!) So I’m super thrilled to have Lush, and just this morning I was completely blissed out by their Grass shower gel. Wow!! So green and morning dewy fresh and woody! I’ve also given my hands a quick wash with the Olive Branch gel I also bought, almost as lovely, and am very much looking forward to using the Figs and Leaves bar soap I also got. But before that, I must use up my current bar of Alvarez Gomez soap from Spain – such a lovely, comforting cologne smell, and great, soft but long-lasting soap, too. Man, I love soap!
They’r here? Where where where?????? Joburg I hope?
Aah. Sniff. Sounds like Cape Town!
That sounds lovely! So glad you have been enjoying LUSH. I do get that mall smell and it has taken me ages to overcome my aversion to it, but once I’m actually in there I always enjoy myself. I nearly bought Grass last time, but went for a solid of Breath of God instead. I noted Figs and Leaves and Olive Branch for next time. We must have similar tastes! There is a lot of stuff I would never buy but I always find something interesting. I like LUSH’s ethics too.
Roger & Gallet Sandalwood and Vetiver soaps are His Nibs’ only scented indulgences, but are used daily. Both lovely but sadly both discontinued since L’Oreal bought R&G last year. Green Tea, Lemon and Bois D’Orange are pleasant too, but not as manly!
Thymes Azur
Hey, I see people are really in the mood to communicate meaning “all are out of their gardens” whatever their gardens can be (in my case it’s a chunk of soil around my house:)).
So many worthy suggestions, so I started checking many while reading the comments. Dr. Bronner is one of those. I do have R&G soaps.
I really liked Robin’s take on soaps & body: high end, approachables and inexpensives. That helps keeping it all real.
As for the ones I like I recommend trying Scottish Fine Soaps . I’ve been using their Poetica lately and enjoy it very much. Very gentle for my sensitive skin and leaves fine fragrance on hands and body (shoer gel). My guests frequently comment on how nice their hands smell after a wash.
Oh my, I absolutely love a little home grown soap maker called “Maple Hill Goat Soap” from Whidbey Island in WA. They are inexpensive, she ships for free and the scents vary by season. I love the fact that the scent lasts the whole soap, I detest a pricey soap that peters out before it is gone! Don’t be a cheap ass with the oils!! Right now I am hooked on Applejack which smells like apple cider and Champagne which actually smells like light 7-Up but in a good way LOL. Lots of soft bubbles, gentle on my sensitive skin and nice scents. We laugh at our house because we have what I refer to as “boy” and “girl” soap. My husband uses nasty Safeguard or whatever was on sale at Target and I use a nice lovely scented soap in the shower. I actually installed a LARGE wire soap dish so that TWO bars of soap could sit side by side. I did catch him sneaking my Lime Basil one morning!
Vitabath Original Spring Green
Algemarin and Fa are good lines too.
I tried to buy Biotherm Oceane shower gel which my SA sold me as “body gel”. Well, no wonder it didn’t foam up in the shower. It’s a gel body lotion. I could have returned it in anger but it turns out that the scent is absolutely fabulous and right up my fragrance alley. I also like the gel texture for my oily skin. There is no shower gel for this newish fragrance, Oceane.
I don’t like Shalimar but totally get why it is an icon in the industry. However, the shower gel drives me crazy. (A short drive, according to hubby!) It’s almost a sex thing. Weird!
Hi all, I’m so late on my NST reading but I’m hoping I get a few stragglers to see my bath-product related question. Does anyone know of a perfume that is similar to the Portico Spa “White Ginger” line (shampoo, conditioner, shower gel, and body lotion) that is offered in certain Hyatt hotels? I love this scent but would love to find it in a perfume version or at least something similar, as I like to wear unscented body products. Thanks!
Favourite bar soaps: Lush’s Sultana of Soap and Honey I Washed the Kids.
Favourite shower gels: The Body Shop’s Spiced Vanilla Shower Gel (only comes out at Christmas time), Avalon Organics Peppermint Shower Gel (great for hot, humid days), Radox Smoothie Body Wash in Soul Soother, Bath & Body Works Twilight Woods Shower Gel.
These comments are great to read! I can’t use soap because it always dries out my skin no matter how nice it may be, so I only use shower gels. My husband and daughter will use anything that I choose, so that makes things easier. We all really like Lush: Grass, Flying Fox & It’s Raining Men are favorites. Aveeno Fig & Shea Butter is great, & I love Korres gels, too–I used to pick them up at TJ Maxx for next to nothing. I loved the fig & bitter almond scents the most.