Despite owning close to 10kg worth of Lush soap, it has only been over the last few months that I've began to use it regularly. Being a big fan of their shower gels has meant that my collection of soap has been overlooked somewhat, especially when I'm deciding what to use in the shower, meaning that it's built up very quickly.
Noriko Soap was at the top of my 'to try' list for two reasons: firstly, it happened to be one of my newest acquisitions, and I thought it wise to try the freshest blocks first; secondly, because I was rather intrigued with it's description, as well as it's inclusion in the Christmas 2013 range.
First created back in 1999, this soap is named after its creator, Noriko, who was inspired to create a soap using Japanese-inspired ingredients. It's a weird sort of soap, with a very strange, almost-savoury scent to match. In fact, I find it very difficult to fully describe this scent as it's like nothing I've ever smelt before.
What I can pick up are elements of ylang ylang, a woody floral sort of scent, which sits very subtly in the mix. Lush claim that rose absolute is also supposed to sit highly in it's fragrance, however, I could not detect this at all. There is a gentle citrus undertone here, which somewhat elevates the ylang ylang scent and is no doubt brought about by the addition of Brazilian orange oil in the ingredients list. It's a very unique scent, and one that would be best suited for those of you who don't like overpowering smells.
The soap is a creamy white in colour and is decorated with a thin slice of coloured jelly on the top. I get the impression that the jelly is to add a bit of colour to the soap as it doesn't serve any other purpose here and unlike a normal shower jelly, is quite rigid and hard in consistency. Interestingly, this soap is the first of Lush's soaps that I notice contains tofu, which supposedly helps to nourish the skin and add an overall creamy texture to the soap.
On the positive side, this soap is very resilient in the water, which means that a 100g block lasted me a long time. It's very easy to lather up and leaves your skin feeling very smooth. Furthermore, the soap contains little bits of agar agar gel throughout each piece, which helps to exfoliate the skin and gently massage the body. It did leave my skin feeling soft and clean, without drying it out.
Noriko leaves behind a faint floral scent, on both the skin and in the bathroom, which was very pleasant. This gentle smell is not obtrusive and can be overridden with body lotions and perfumes, without worrying there'll be a clash of smells.
The only small downside for me was that the smell wasn't to my particular tastes. In all fairness, I found it a little boring. Despite it making my skin feel wonderful and smooth, this wouldn't be enough to make me buy it again. It's an odd choice to include alongside the Christmas selection, but I'm glad I got to try it at least once.
Quantitative Ingredients: Propylene Glycol, Rapeseed Oil and Coconut Oil, Rice Decoction, Sake, Tofu, Water, Sodium Stearate, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Agar Agar Gel, Titanium Dioxide, Perfume, Lavender Oil, Rose Absolute, Ylang Ylang Oil, Brazilian Orange Oil, Glycerine, Sodium Chloride, EDTA, Tetrasodium Etidronate, Sodium Hydroxide, Gardenia Extract, *Geraniol, *Farnesol, *Benzyl Salicylate, *Benzyl Benzoate, *Linalool, Colour 42090, Colour 14700.
Vegan?: Yes.
2016 Price: £4.25 for 100g.
2017 Price: £4.25 for 100g.
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