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Post by Portia
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Pssssst APJ,
Want to read a secret? You think my fragrance collection is big, you should see my bathing products collection. O M G! It is Out Of Control. If I live to two thousand years old I will not have used all my soap, shower gels, bubble bath and bath oils. It’s a freaking SICKNESS and I can’t stop. Nor would I want to, it’s fun choosing what to use next or to put in Jin’s bathroom.
Soap: Let’s Talk Hoarding
Here’s the funny thing. I would be just as happy if I had 5 bars of Simple Soap in the cupboard and that was all we used. It’s not that I get more happiness by having more but they are all so lovely and some are so old that they have rarity value (for me) and opening them is particularly exciting. Knowing it could be the last Bal a Versailles vintage soap I’ll ever open, that’s a MOMENT. A momentous occasion to be savoured and enjoyed. Almost as exciting as its first use, or the package arriving, or the last use when you know that sliver has had its final fling.
Today while in the bath I got to open a brand spanking new beauty. L’Occitane soaps are so silky, I love how they feel while washing and how my skin feels after. The Pour Homme scent is soft and lightly refreshing but mainly it has a Western clean feel.
So, here is a small selection of the hoard. I grabbed some of my favourites, some of the vintage and some bought on holidays. Every soap has a story as much as every fragrance does and some are absolutely irreplaceable. Opening the ultra rare gives me an incredible thrill, I’m sure you can imagine.
Here are three Hermès soaps, the beige is vintage Caleche and the maroon vintage Amazon, the Eau d’Orange Vert bought shopping in LA with Tom from Perfume Posse. The Tea Tree is from New Delhi FAB India, behind that is Ortigia Sicilia which I bought from Twisted Lily, Brooklyn NYC Nov 2014, in front of that is a set of Oriza L Legrand bought in Feb 2014 from their Paris store, Saipua Cedarwood with Eucalyptus & Mint bought from Beauty Habit on the Perfume Posse ScentSation Bus Tour.
The Greco-Deco I bought from Peony Melbourne but had read of them on Bois de Jasmin, love the Jo Malone packaging but haven’t tried the soaps yet, Amouage Interlude 4 pack of mini soaps are so lux, Nesti Dante was bought in Vienna while shopping with Sandra of Olfactoria’s Travels and Michael Borg. Mitsouko & Shalimar!!! Who has ever used these? I just love having them. Down the front is Andy Tauer’s Rose soap, a limited edition crowd funding soap I bought.
Mysore Sandal Soap was once made of real sandalwood but I think it’s now mainly synthetic, still smells beautiful and leaves me softly scented, Claus Porto Cerina bought at LuckyScent in May 2013 on the Perfume Posse ScentSation Bus Tour, Bal a Versailles came in its cellophane but I had to open it (smells freaking incredible), Le De Givenchy came in a pristine set with a frag & 2 soaps, Little Stars is from Olympic Orchids and it will blow your mind, CHANEL No 5 soap also came in a frag + soap pack.
They slowly get used, I love to have them and they are all so glamorous.
What is your favourite soap?
Portia xx
Australian Perfume Junkies 
I’m not a soap user but loved seeing your hoard and the packaging is gorgeous. Do you use any of them to scent your underwear drawer?
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All the drawers have soaps in Tara but the underwear gets cardboard from leaked frag bottles.
Portia xx
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What a lovely soap collection! I have one too and quite enjoy a well made bar of soap. I agree about the smooth clean lather from the L’Occitane bars ❤
I adore soap from FuturePrimitive and Handmade In Florida, Tiggy and Zahida are incredibly talented soapers. Have a beautiful day!
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Thanks for the heads up Julie, I’ll look them up.
Portia xx
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I love Jo Malone orange blossom bath gel and Bulgari green tea bath gel and the Claus Porto soaps. Also goat milk soap from south of France from a tourist shop I found once in current use and Shea hand soap from South of Franch brand. Occasionally a hit of Dr Bronners peppermint liquid castile is nice. Also health food store glycerin soap, especially cucumber.
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Hi there Lucy!
Cucumber Glycerine Soap? Now’s there’s a thing. Sounds fabulous.
Portia xx
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really really is.
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Soap! I love soap, my linen cupboard is full of it. Faves include Epic Woman and that sandalwood Mysore, so powerful.
My next addiction is likely to be bath oils and gels. Would you do a post on these one day? Winter coming up and all…
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JackieB,
There will be more very soon. Yes, I have hoarded those too.
Portia xx
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What a beautiful soap collection you have Portia! I can just imagine the joy you have in choosing your next bar. As I have eczema and severe dry skin I have to stay away from fragrance bath gels and soaps. I currently use Bioderma Atoderm Shower oil which is very soothing. I used to miss all the scented bath products but I eventually came to the realization that I can save for perfumes this way! Sandra xo
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Hey Sandra,
What a shame. I get psoriasis quite badly so I feel your pain, but I ignore it.
The Shower oil works?
Portia xx
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They have a Shalimar soap!!!??? Where…how?
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HA ElizabethC! These ones are vintage but maybe they still have them, I’ve never asked.
Portia xx
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So relieved to know that someone else also hoards (collects?) soaps. Showers are therapeutic for me as well as cleansing; I have severe arthritis and often can barely move before my morning shower. Fragrant products improve my spirits, and I have quite a collection (though not the vintage you’ve managed to find). I can’t believe you found Le De soaps – I love the scent and I bet the soap smells fantastic! L’Occitane Milk soaps are always wonderful, and the lemon verbena gets me through our sticky hot summers. Time to stock up!
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Hi there Maggiecat,
Arthritis, what a bitch of a disease. Great that you’ve found some relief.
I get REALLY excited when I find some super vintage babies, they smell great.
Portia xx
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I know perfumes can last decades when stored properly but I have been weary of collection lotions and soaps etc. Don’t soaps and lotions have limited life no matter how carefully they are stored or I am missing something here…
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Lotions seem to have limited life Fazal, my older ones sometimes go sour or the ingredients come apart, but I have soaps going back decades and they smell great and work perfectly.
Portia xx
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that is good to know. I dont have lot of soaps but maybe 3-4 here and there
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I love L’Occitane and Hermes soaps. Both usually end up with my son. He loves them so I usually gift them to him or he “steals” them when he comes home for a visit. He’s 30 and he still considers my house a “store.” Sigh! He’s too cheap to buy all this nice stuff for himself but he doesn’t mind taking it from me-lol.
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Ha Ha ha! I was exactly the same rickyrebarco in my earlier days. Mum would have lovely things, long unused and I would come home and ask if I could have them. She seemed happy that they were going to be used and rarely used the very special gifts herself.
Portia xx
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I can only dream of the fragrant soaps you might provide fro your guests. I wanna bath at Your house!
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HA! People don’t tend to bathe when they stay but there is always a selection of soaps, gel wash and oils on the shelves that they are welcome to. Most are happy using what’s in the shower itself without going to the shelf.
Portia xx
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My hubby has the soap addiction in this house. I’m not a fan of how soap makes my skin feel. I prefer shower gels. It doesn’t stop me from buying soaps though and putting them in the drawers and closets. You have some fabulous soaps! Love the peek at your collection.
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Hey Poodle,
I love my gels too. Actually I am an all encompassing hoarder of things scented.
Portia xx
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I love soap so much that I now make it and sell it on Etsy. But my favorite commercial soap is Acqua di Parma’s cologne soap! It’s lovely. And a nice inexpensive surprise…. Lady Gaga’s black soap is also really nice!
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Hey Ceil,
They say “Do What You Love”.
Thanks for the tips. I have a 4711 Colonia bath wash that’s very nice too, speaking of colognes.
Portia xx
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I love soaps and use them daily. I guess I’m addicted to them and I hoard them too; perhaps not as much as you do, Portia. I recently started using Jo Malone’s Pomegranate Noir soap. Gorgeous. I need to buy them again.
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Hey Thinkingmagpie,
Always lovely to see you.
I’m glad to read that the Jo Malone soaps are good. I saw my pack on discount so I splurged.
Portia xx
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I love seeing your collection of soaps, may need to start my own!
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Anna Maria,
It’s a fun collection to have. Get Dom to help, all the beauty companies have soaps.
Portia xx
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OMGosh! Shalimar and Mitsouko! Where did you ever find those? I can’t even begin to imagine how wonderful a bath or shower with those would be! Drools!
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Hey Tatiana,
The Shalimar was a Bargain Store find and the Mitsouko were from eBay. Yes, I was really excited when I found them too.
Just having them is enough, haven’t used.
Portia xx
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What a collection! And, actually, I think this is a problem – that it’s a collection. It’s much easier to start using something when you have 1 or two of that “something.”
As of now my favorite soap is Jo Malone Lime Soap and Mandarin (but I’ll open Amouage Dia next – so ask me again then 😉 ).
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Ha Ha Ha! We are so fickle when using the good stuff.
Yes Undina, it is a collection and though that’s cool it does make it harder sometimes to open the precious ones.
I do know though that saving the best for good ends up with a load of unused stuff so I do open. We also use the good stuff everyday around here. The daily plates we use was my Mum & Dad’s wedding set, they asked everyone to buy them a couple of pieces. We used it maybe 5 times a year growing up. That seemed silly to me at the time so I eBayed it for a year and built ip up to a full service that we use every day, that brings me joy every day.
Sorry, I ramble.
Portia xx
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I think it’s a great approach, Portia.
In general, I try not to wait for “special” times to use something special – I try to come up with those occasions to feel justified 🙂
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O M G Misouko soap yes yes yes how i adored that thing ???
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Woo Hoo! It’s so freaking posh. I feel like a real DIVA.
Portia xx
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Greetings,
I also adore savon de Bal a Versailles including the bath oil, I purchased a coffret of 3 cakes a few years back and can not use even a flake of this rare commodity, they are individually cellophaned, boxed and contained within the coffret circa mid 1980’s with the packaging the colour of sun gold silk moire. The bath oil is 1 fluid ounce of the most unimaginable carnality, it is quite similar in strength to the parfum & I have several of these gorgeous flacons in my collection as well. My fragrant hoard is also immense, so much so that it was necessary to move it into climate controlled storage recently, I rent 2 large cubicles with the possibility of taking on a third soon that’s if I don’t curb my impulse to bid & buy this coming winter. Too many vintage bottles of Bellodgia, Scandal, Fleurs de Rocaille, Brumes, Tubereuse, Mon Peche, Bois des Iles, Eccuson, Shalimar extrait, L’air du Temps etc. etc. the beat goes on !
Heartfelt Regards.
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