Much like the Whoosh Temple Balm, this is a product that I had to do a little research on before buying myself a slice online. The reason for this was because when this soap made an appearance in one of the retro rounds in 2013, it was not advertised as being vegan, yet there was nothing obvious in the ingredients list that warranted it not to be. Although I am still unsure about whether or not it is suitable, I have seen it advertised as so on many other websites I have visited so until I find out otherwise, I will just assume that it is.
Alkmaar Soap is one of those Lush products that gets overlooked a lot - even I wasn't initially enamoured with it when it first appeared online. The reason for this is obvious - much like 17 Cherry Tree Lane, it's as boring as a piece of soap can get.
However, some of the least attractive cosmetics have become some of my all-time favourite products; just like some of the most beautiful items have given me some of the most disappointing experiences. I wasn't going to judge the soap's merits by it's appearance.
Sharing it's scent with the Silky Underwear family, you'll find this fragrance in Lush's popular but now discontinued Fairy Jasmine Ballistic and Turbo Bubble Bar. If you enjoy this smell, you can still purchase the Silky Underwear Dusting Powder, which is a regular member of the range.
Described by Lush as a 'sensually scented' soap, Alkmaar gives off a subtle but complex combination of jasmine, vetivert and honeysuckle - a wonderful feminine aroma that offers floral fans a beautifully unique fragrance. Fans of jasmine will appreciate the heady aroma that this ingredient gives to the soap - it's definitely the most dominating smell here.
In the shower, the soap is fairly easy to foam up - producing a thick and creamy lather that spreads easily over the skin. Unlike other Lush soaps, the scent of this one doesn't intensify under running water - yet at the same time, it doesn't disperse at all, so you can enjoy the fragrance throughout the entire experience. As it's such a subtle smell, this one may linger on your skin but it's too weak to notice. Despite this, I could still detect a gentle presence of Alkmaar in the bathroom for a few hours after use, which was lovely. Unfortunately, I did find that this soap left my skin very slightly dry - nothing that would be a major problem but I definitely had to moisturise after use otherwise I would have developed dry patches across my body.
Alkmaar is a rather sturdy soap which means that it will last a very long time. A 100g block lasted me a little over two months, which I consider to be great value for money for a piece of that size. I wouldn't use this again in place of a shower gel, but I think this would make a good hand soap and I would be tempted to buy myself a couple of pieces next time it makes an appearance.
Overall, this is a lovely soap. It has a beautiful classy and rather elegant fragrance that adds a special touch to your shower. However, it didn't work with my skin as well as other Lush soaps have done in the past. I would love to see this made into a shower gel or jelly as these formats are much more appealing to me and would allow me to appreciate the scent.
Quantitative Ingredients: Honeysuckle Infusion (Lonicera caprifolium), Amaranth Infusion (Amaranthus hypochondriacus), Sodium Palm Kernelate, Sodium Stearate, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Titanium Dioxide, Perfume, Glycerine, Jasmine Absolute (Jasminum officinale), Vetivert Oil (Vetiveria zizanoides), Styrax Resinoid (Storax), Sodium Chloride, EDTA, Tetrasodium Editronate.
Vegan?: Yes.
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