Is there anything more satisfying than a little, weighty soap wrapped, concertina-like in thick wax paper? Old fashioned as a bar of soap may be, nothing beats the feel of a fresh circlet of soap held in the palm like a tide-softened pebble. And we love these new, luxurious offerings from Editions de Parfums Frédéric Malle with their creamy silken texture, containing shea oil and talc to make the skin softened and squeaky clean. Malle faultlessly treads the line between tradition and modernity; his fragrances are inventive but privilege the noses that create them, the packaging is pared-back and timeless.

Available in 50g and 100g sizes, the soaps do not merely mimic the EDPFM perfumes so you won’t find a cult-favourite Portrait of a Lady or Carnal Flower soap. Instead, Malle has opted for singular fragrances: Iris, Vetiver, Magnolia and there’s Anterenea (a blend of carnation, geranium and sandalwood, and named after Malle’s family home in the Basque country), Cologne Indélébile (the perfect meeting of citrus and white musk for the ultimate clean feeling) and En Passant (based on the original eau de parfum of white lilacs, cucumber and orange leaves).

For ultimate indulgence we suggest buying the full set of six, like a guilt-free box of chocolates you can pick and choose your scent for whimsical washing.

The soaps are 1 x 100g: £25, 3 x 100g: £60, 3 x 50g: £30, 6 x 50g: £60, and are available from fredericmalle.com.