Skirts, horses, golf, cats — many things are amazing when mini. For some reason, the appeal of tiny guest-sized bars of soap, wrapped in fancy wax paper or intricately printed cardboard boxes is irresistible to me. The best ones are made by Classico & Fantasia, by Claus Porto, which include 100% Pistachio Butter and come wrapped in archival prints and engraving from the brand’s archive, dating back to the turn of the century.

Claus Porto came out of the first fragrance and soap factory in Portugal in 1887 and went strong until the 1950s, when costs of producing hand painted lithographic labels and competition with multinational companies took a toll. Luckily, the brand experienced a resurgence in the mid-1990s. Scents include Wild Pansy, Tobacco Blossom, Sea Mist, Tulip and Violet. Since $62.50 is a lot of money for five mini bars of soap (even classy soap) I spread them out among the dresser drawers I keep my unmentionables in, lest my hard-earned cash go down the drain.

There are so many bath and body products to choose from — sometimes it can just come down to the most pleasing aroma. Before I even opened The Sanctuary Salt Scrub Bar ($7), I could already smell amazing scents wafting out from under its plastic packaging. At that moment, I just knew I was going to like it.

This substantial (and long-lasting) scrub bar produces a creamy lather, never feeling too tight or drying. It also has built-in sea salt and loofah fibers, which feel gentle. There's no harsh "ouch factor" here. As for that scent? It's sexy spicy — in a word, alluring. Powdery, but not sweet, it carries notes of patchouli without being too musky. The aroma does linger, but in a refreshing kind of way; it won't annoy your seatmate on the bus ride.

The Sanctuary, which is an actual spa in London's Covent Garden, has been making women feel and smell amazing for over 30 years. Originally many of their clientele consisted of dancers who performed close by. I can see why — I'm feeling a little extra zip in my step these past few days myself.

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Fancy a little fake vomit with your morning shower? This What's Up Chuck? soap ($7.99) will do the trick. I'm dying to know what its "mystery scent" is, but I'm not curious enough to buy a bar for myself. Would you even buy it as a gag gift?