Soaps: Part 2

Blushing Jasmine Confetti is even prettier in my bathroom! Photo from Nan's Etsy shop.

Yesterday I received my giant box of awesomeness (as my brother in-law would say) from Aunt Nancy's Handmade Soap. Of course nearly 40 bars are for my shop, but I did get several for me!

Here is what I ordered: Mint Islands, Beer with Grapefruit, Blushing Jasmine Confetti, and Chamomile Infusion. Nan gave me a bar of Citrus Trio Shaving Soap as well.

I've tried the Beer soap before (in unscented; this has a citrus blast from the grapefruit) and Chamomile Infusion. I actually wash the boys' hair with the beer shampoo every few shampoos and have even used it with great success in my own hair when followed with an apple cider vinegar rinse. This is what I said about Chamomile Infusion when I reviewed it last April: The Chamomile Infusion smells like something you'd find at a luxurious spa retreat. She uses chamomile tea in this and it smells light and comforting, yet there's that herbal "zing". Wonderful scent!

I'd like to talk about the ones I haven't tried before.

Mint Islands--This is a really wonderful mint. Nan says that the scent of this bar will remind you of an early summer's breeze and she is right on the money. This is a very cool and creamy peppermint, but it is rounded out most fabulously with hints of orange and lemongrass. It is not a "citrus" scent by any means, but the creaminess of the mint gets an unexpected hint of juicy brightness from the lemony orange and it is very nice. I will definitely be buying more of this as the weather warms up. There are two scents I reach for in the shower each morning when I am not yet awake--mint and citrus. This is the two genres rolled into one and I can see myself using it daily.

Blushing Jasmine Confetti--I am going to start right off by saying that I do not generally love florals. Lilac and gardenia would be the exceptions (I bought a great Green Lilac from Nancy last summer). This is highly scented and the true aroma of jasmine lingers. This is a gorgeous bar and I almost didn't want to use it. I bought this one for our downstairs bathroom and have been using it on my hands. All of Nan's soaps have a very creamy, luxurious lather, but this one really seems to have even more lather than normal--and it is so gentle. This is really a very lovely floral.  

Citrus Trio Shaving Soap--I just love, love, love this bar! It is unequivocally the best shaving soap on the market. First of all, this is just an incredibly uplifting blend of grapefruit, lime and orange. Grapefruit is the note which stands out the most, and the others do come out later. It is cheery and smells fantastic. I used this today on my legs and it lathers up very well--again, with a super creamy lather. It is very moisturizing without leaving any kind of residue, but it provides the skin with plenty of nourishment and protection pre-shaving. This was my favorite bar of the bunch (and all of them rate an A+).

All in all, yesterday's box from Nancy was as it always is--fun to open, great-smelling, and full of the best soaps on the planet!