My year of beautiful soaps continues …
Mailelani Mango Fragrance with Papaya soap was bought while on holiday in Samoa in 2006 and was found recently in the back of a wardrobe (not mine!). I am thrilled the company is still going strong and intrigued to read on the website that because the soaps are made using (organic) coconut oil, they lather in salt water so are useful for boaties, etc. The soap was attractively presented in cellophane with a pandanus tie but the website shows new packaging. What I hope hasn’t changed is the lovely stylised frangipani flower pressed into the top of the soap, took me straight back to the islands and made the bar something decorative to have in the bathroom. The fragrance was pleasant, the soap did leave my skin feeling nice (as per the label) and the bar, considering its size, lasted well. If you can’t get to Samoa, the website offers shopping sites in New Zealand, Australia and Switzerland. Note that the soap is now labelled Fresh Papaya with Mango.
Cost: $7 for 110g. Rating 3.5 stars.
Another one from the back of the wardrobe is The Body Shop’s Spiced Vanilla Soap described on the packet as “a soap sensation, scented with vanilla and a hint of spice”. If you know me then you know that I am a vanilla fiend – I’ve made my feelings known when The Body Shop has twice (twice!) in the past done away with its vanilla range – and if something says it smells of vanilla, it jolly well better smell of vanilla. This didn’t smell of vanilla and had only a vague aroma of spice. Now, that might be because the soap is older (there’s a 2011 copyright notice on the package and it appears to have been a Christmas line for that year) but it’s been stored in a cool, dark environment and its opaque packaging was intact. There was no great whiff of the promised scents when it was opened. The ingredients are what you’d expect from The Body Shop and some include the “Fair Trade” appellation. Completely underwhelming.
Cost: Unavailable for 100g. Rating 1 star (pleasant enough soap but not what it said on the packet).
breath, a collection of haiku 