Loving Portuguese Soaps

Photography by Barbara Jordan Dettweiler

In 2009 we traveled to several spots in Portugal and my favorite stop was Lisbon.  I'm a city girl anyway, but this city really has something special.  I found it to be authentic, quaint and fascinating.  While there I fell in love with their soaps.  Apparently the Portuguese used to provide French royalty with their soap so they know what they are doing!  I found a few products with such great scents and to-die-for packaging that I thought I'd share them with you. 

These are my all time favorites - from Claus Porto.  I bought some for myself and several for friends at my favorite shop in Lisbon called A Vida Portugesa.  This shop had the same feel of Anthropologie although more authentic since it is a one of a kind.  I am a sucker for packaging and I loved the combination of a beautiful pattern and art deco designs. 

I also discovered Castelbel soaps and candles in Lisbon.  They were heavenly.  Period.  I spent a lot of time in a florist sniffing the selection and trying to decide.  I remember the florist had the most stunning black wall paper with birds and branches all over it - it created such a sultry mood in her shop.  I have been trying to figure out a way to work it into one of my design ideas ever since.  Anyway, here is an example of what they have to offer:

Who knew Portugal had such a great soap selection, among other things??  What are your thoughts?  Do you prefer the looks of these over the more well known Provence style soaps?

As an aside, how beautiful is this entry from a house we passed by in Lisbon?  Very unique, I thought...

Photography by Barbara Jordan Dettweiler