Cleopatra - Soap Loaf

Cleopatra is a 1.3kg hand-crafted soap loaf made with real essential oils, lavender, ylang ylang and patchouli, and topped with a layer of dried lavender flowers, so the scent is rich, deep and floral, closer to a perfume than a soap, and the top of every bar carries the purple buds. It is the most luxurious of the Wild and Natural loaves, the one for a guest bathroom, a gift basket or a bath that is meant to be an occasion, and because it is essential oils rather than fragrance, the scent is the real plants. The loaf comes uncut, to be sliced into twelve or thirteen bars of around 100g with a kitchen knife, thick or thin as you like, at a fraction of the price of boxed soap, which is how small shops, holiday lets and people who give a lot of soap buy it. Handmade in the UK, so the colour and the lavender topping vary from the photograph. Wrap cut bars in paper; set one on a draining dish and it lasts twice as long.

Hand-crafted glycerin soap loaf with lavender, ylang ylang and patchouli essential oils, uncut. 24 x 8 x 6cm. From the UK.