Fleur’s – Saffron Soap

“Golden Capsule”

Here is an intriguing soap, made in Pakistan—full name is Fleur’s by Hemani “Live Natural” Saffron Soap Glycerin Soap. The box is also overkill, with raised letters, including some gold ones, a very accurate photo representation of a pinch of saffron, and even a die-cut eight-sided rectangle to create a little viewing frame. This is glycerin soap, which is always pleasing to me, but not my favorite style. The ingredients are the usual combo of probably okay and unknowable chemically bullshit—but it’s the fragrance of this soap that makes it go right to the top of my list. I have no idea what the fragrance is. It’s certainly not saffron. Like I’ve said before—there is something weird going on in the fragrance department of some Indian (and in this case, Pakistani) soaps. My favorite cuisine is Indian and Pakistani—so I wonder if there is any relation there? I’m guessing this one might be similar to that Nomark’s soap I was so obsessed with, awhile back. I’d like to compare them. I keep thinking it must be something going way back—to my childhood, maybe, which would mean the early Sixties—but what could it be? I might never figure it out, but for as long as the bar of soap lasts, I’ll keep returning to it—I’ll wash my hands, smelling it wet, steam rising, then the fragrance on my hands, for as long as it lasts. Then I take a trip in the bar soap time machine.

Soap Review No. 145