Frederic Malle Hand Soaps

If you are looking for a very lovely hostess gift for a friend to thank her for a special, special weekend – or you deserve a serious treat, yourself – we can’t think of anything nicer than these. Frederic Malle, as you may know, is a clever man who brought together some of the world’s leading perfumers to create for him their ‘dream scents’. The results are divine – and gradually, those fragrances are being infused into bath and body treats. (We’re seeing a real reversal of the trend for discontinuing fragranced bodycare, which dominated a few years back.)

In a sexy black box, enjoy six soaps – five echoing some of the best-loved smells from the Frederic Malle portfolio. There’s Iris, Vetiver, Magnolia, together with En Passant (created by perfumer Olivia Giacobetti to conjure up the scent of a spring garden), and Cologne Indélébile, which is a classic Eau de Cologne given a twist of white musk.

The sixth scent in the collection is something very special: Antarrenea, a scent created by Frederic Malle for his personal use, bringing to mind the smell of his family home in the Basque country, via carnation, geranium and sandalwood. (All the soaps feature shea butter and glycerine, meanwhile, to skin-softening effect.)

Not cheap. Not cheap at all. (Though they are available singly, in larger sizes.) But as splurges (or thank-you gifts) go, these clean up. In every way.

Frederic Malle Hand Soaps/75 euros buy now