Villianess

Villianess soaps are very different from any I have ever tried.

First, I'd like to say that Brooke, a young woman of 25, has made a name for herself. She has a unique approach to soap and creating her biz "image". I love it. I think it is very daring to be who you are in the face of possible rejection and I applaud her gumption!
Now, I am interested in pushing the envelope with just about everything, so when I heard some of the names of her soaps and scent combinations, I was intrigued, no doubt. I received the Dulces En Fuego among others, but this is the one I washed with yesterday in my shower. Totally unique scent. On her website it is described as having

Distinguishing Features: Cracked black pepper and cinnamon sprinkled throughout.
Characteristic Scent: Musky bitter chocolate sweetened with vanilla and touches of citrus then positively inflamed with black pepper and nutmeg.

I couldn't have described it any better than that. It took me a while to get to know the soap. Pepper and chocolate are not two scents I would have put together, but it slowly grew on me and I quite enjoyed the shower. The bar is a nice chunky bar, with cracked pepper on top, and since it has the pepper and cinnamon throughout, it had a nice mild exfoliating touch. The suds and feel were good and it looks so very brown and luscious - like a bar of chocolate. Brooke mentions that the bars are very high in glycerin, so do not leave your soap in a puddle of wet. It will get soft and disappear far more quickly than if it is housed on a dish. Get a soap dish or stand it on its side in the dry part of your tub or stall if you have one.

I'm not sure I am ready for some of her scents. Her "Pearl Diver" (pictured left) is quite beautiful and I love the kelp ingredients, and exfoliating bits, but be warned, it pushes the seaweed envelope and that may not be for everyone. The "Pyromania" soap smells like just that, smoky, peppery and full of soot - another strange combo. But good for Brooke for creating something different than lavender and oatmeal, which can get old after a while.Some of her soaps online: Blood (red wine & figs), Grundy (her swamp monster soap), Villianess (leather/floral), Anti Hero (leather, cigarette smoke, vanilla & honey), Bleach (soapy clean), Pimp (ozone & ice & salty), Asphyxiate (resin, patchouli & sandalwood) and Friction (deeply peppered wood smoke over a layer of creme) to name only a few.

I absolutely love her attitude and blatant honesty, but she may be targeting such a small audience with the smoke, leather and kelp scents she's chosen. I wish her the best of luck!