Almost edible

Nourishment for body and soul, just don’t eat them!

Coconut, butter, lemongrass, sea salt, vanilla, amber sugar crystals, you would be forgiven for thinking I was talking about a shopping list of delectable foodie goodies. In some ways we are, you get all the sensory overload and heavenly pleasure without the taste and of course the calorific intake, with the gorgeous body care range from Norfolk based Vixen Wild and Free.

Recently launched by a savvy food consultant, Robert Tate (who launched the fabulous food hall-café-courtyard at Elveden Estate) and his sweet smelling toiletries expert and business partner, Shelly Fox, the appropriately named Vixen collection has a distinctive food based theme. Member of the Guild of Craft Soap and Toiletry Makers, they are committed to the high standards of production demanded to join the elite in their fragrant field.

Shelly did not have vast experience of perfumery and business but always buying new things on the market and frustrated with the high prices and mediocre quality, Rob convinced her to have a try.

In her endearing words “With lots off patience and late nights researching, I had found my first recipe to try, so one Saturday morning me and my lovely mum decided to have a go at making cold press soap, after lots of laughs and waiting what seemed a life time we had made our first batch off soap, hoping that it would be ok when we got to unveil it the following day - (such patience I had to have not to keep peaking and prodding it) and blow us down it worked, the only problem was the waiting three whole weeks before we could use it, that’s how long each bar of our cold press soap takes to finish curing, after the three week wait there was no turning back, it was definite I was going to start making my own smellies.”

It’s that enthusiasm and unerring passion to try out new products which has seen their array of Vixen labels spread to lip balms, bathing foams and shower gels, sugar and salt scrubs and hand washes.

I just love their hand-pressed soaps, the scents linger on your hands, the velvety texture to the crème between the palms, and it is a real pleasure to stay at the sink a little longer than necessary. To bring a little zest into your ablutions, order online (W: vixen.uk.com).