Mandarin's Tea Party Soap

When I first got my hands on a slice of Mandarin's Tea Party Soap, I was very happy. Not because it was the first time I had owned a piece, although this was part of the excitement, but because I knew that it shared it's scent with the wonderful Orange Blossom Perfume. Unfortunately, this perfume is not vegan friendly, so although I can marvel it's scent in a store, my morals mean that I can never buy a bottle to cherish. Therefore, being able to bathe in this wonderful aroma through the use of the soap, was the next best thing.

Inspired by the traditional Christmas satsuma in a stocking, this beautiful and brightly decorated orange soap plays homage to my favourite part of the seasonal holiday. First released as a limited edition product, this soap has made a few reappearances in the retro range but has not been seen in quite a while.

Made using neroli and mandarin oils, as well as freshly squeezed orange juice, this soap is gorgeously refreshing and packed full of minerals, vitamins, and plenty of vitamin C. These act as antioxidants for the skin and will leave your skin toned, revived and resilient. Furthermore, this soap even contains fresh orange slices preserved within the product, which not only make this soap even more gorgeous to look at, but helps it to smell as fresh and zesty as possible.

When I first read the ingredients list for this soap, I was worried about the inclusion of crystallised ginger as I have always claimed that this is my least favourite scent. However, you can only really detect a very subtle inclusion of this in it's scent and it just helps to pad out the overall fragrance whilst giving a gentle layer of heat.

Looking at the ingredients in Mandarin's Tea Party and Orange Jelly Soap, there is actually not that much difference and I wonder whether or not they are supposed to share the same scent. While their scent is very similar, I do feel as if this soap has a slightly more sophisticated aroma - Orange Jelly just smells exactly like it's name to me, whereas this soap has more warmth and depth to it. 

The soap lathers up very easily and produces an impressive array of frothy foam that can then be lathered across the body. While I wouldn't say it's the most moisturising of soaps, it does leave you feeling very clean and refreshed, and I always enjoy a soap that doesn't parch my skin. 

Like many of the soaps I have been using recently, this one lasts for a fairly long time - a 100g chunk lasted me about 5-6 weeks, and this was with me using it once or twice daily. The only warning I would give in regards to Mandarin's Tea Party is that it'll bleed orange wherever it's left, so if you leave it on the side of the bath, you'll have to expect gooey trails of orange down the side of your tub. 

While it isn't the most amazing soap in the world, it does smell wonderful and leaves you feeling fresh and invigorated. While I won't rely on it to wash with all the time, I would definitely be tempted to grab a few chunks to see me through the summer months. 

Quantitative Ingredients: Water (Aqua), Propylene Glycol, Rapeseed Oil; Coconut Oil (Brassica napus; Cocos nucifera), Fresh Organic Orange Juice (Citrus Aurantium dulcis), Sodium Stearate, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Perfume, Crystallised Ginger (Zingiber officinale), Dried Orange Slices (Citrus Aurantium dulcis), Neroli Oil (Citrus aurantium amara), Mandarin Oil (Citrus reticulata), Gardenia Extract (Gardenia jasminoides), Titanium Dioxide, Sodium Chloride, Glycerine, EDTA, Tetrasodium Etidronate, Sodium Hydroxide, Geraniol, Limonene, Linalool, Colour 15510.

Vegan?: Yes.

Scent Family: 
Elbow Grease Moisturising Bar
Mandarin's Tea Party Soap

Orange Blossom Bath Oil (Oxford Street 2015)

Orange Blossom Candle 

Orange Blossom Liquid Perfume (non vegan)

Snowcloud Soap

2017 Price: £4.25 for 100g.