Before Flamingo Estate became the go-to destination for apothecary and pantry essentials tucked into the hills of Los Angeles, the property Australian-born founder Richard Christiansen bought more than a decade ago had been a porn studio, a political activist center, a community hub, and even a radio station. Christiansen restored it into the lush seven-acre garden we see today—now famous for its Gatsby-esque dinner parties—and officially launched Flamingo Estate in 2020 as a community-supported agriculture box program designed to help local farmers. Since then, the brand’s farmer relationships have gone global, working with producers across California, Mexico, Italy, New Zealand, Japan, and Australia. My first introduction to Flamingo Estate came when someone gifted me their Olive Oil and Fuyu Persimmon Vinegar, and I’ve been hooked ever since. Before that, I’d clock the label’s naturally fragranced shampoo and conditioner popping up in very luxe outdoor showers—plus, of course, their now-viral Roma tomato candle, which gives Loewe’s version a real run for its money. After fully drinking the Kool-Aid (or rather, the brand’s ethos of “radical pleasure”) through a handful of their products, one category really caught my eye: the soap bricks
These blocky bar soaps are handmade in Los Angeles in colors you’d expect to see lining the estate’s pathway, but infused with herbaceous, garden-inspired fragrances, and free of harsh chemicals. Naturally, I decided to conduct some sudsy research. Below are the seven best soap bricks from Flamingo Estate, ranked based on usability, how they feel on skin, and how they smell.
The Best Flamingo Estate Soap Bricks, According to GQ
Best Overall: Manuka Honey
This brick soap is one of my all-time favorites, and leads the top of our Flamingo Estate Soap Bricks list. As someone with sensitive, perpetually dry skin, the Manuka honey is a total game-changer. It’s backed by calendula to moisturize, shea butter to protect your skin barrier, and hemp, which delivers vitamins C and E to help even out your complexion. And the scent? Ridiculously good—so good it smells like you could slice off a piece and drop it straight into a mug of hot tea. Whether your skin is extremely dry or fresh off a little too much sun, this leaves you seriously hydrated post-shower. I like it so much that I even keep the hand cream version in my tote bag, ready to fight my winter-ravaged hands at a moment’s notice.
Most Restorative: Lavender Activated Charcoal
When I first cracked open this soap—black sage, charcoal, and a hit of lavender—it smelled like something a massage therapist would casually reach for before telling you to “take a deep breath.” Equal parts invigorating and calming. It hydrates and cleanses really well, thanks to activated charcoal that deep-cleans pores, babassu oil for lightweight moisture, and olive oil for long-term hydration and elasticity. And because it contains babassu oil, you can also use it as a hair cleanser, especially if you’re someone who uses hair balms. It softens and conditions the hair, reduces dryness, and adds texture. I know, I know: 2-in-1 soaps and shampoos are usually a crime. But this one gets a pass—it’s handmade, thoughtfully formulated, and free of the sketchy stuff.
Best for Exfoliating: Exfoliating Peppermint
Most body scrubs are either way too harsh, leave your shower floor ultra-greasy, or smell like regret. This one somehow avoids all three. I use it twice a week, and it does an incredible job sloughing off dead skin, especially now that the weather’s been in the single digits. The peppermint scent is a welcome wake-up call. With the water running, it wakes you up fast, but in a polite way. It’s made with organic peppermint, French blue clay, and sea salt from Big Sur, which already feels like it belongs in a cooler bathroom than mine. Thanks to the natural grit of poppy seeds, it exfoliates without the sharp edges or micro-tears you get from mass-market scrubs. And the sea salt brings antibacterial benefits, making it especially good for acne-prone areas like your back and shoulders. Use this first, then follow it up with the Manuka Honey soap brick to hydrate after cleansing.
Best-Smelling: Jasmine Damask Rose
Of course, you can use this in the shower, but with a fragrance this decadent, it practically demands a candle-lit bath. Inside this bar are eight essential oils—damask rose, jasmine, ylang-ylang, rose geranium, grapefruit, bergamot, babassu, and olive—making it about as close as you can get to a supercharged floral bath experience. The rose clay helps reduce inflammation, prickly pear powder brings a hit of vitamin K to boost circulation, and the babassu oil? You can even smooth it through your hair. Honestly, this brick isn’t just soap, it’s a practice in full-on self-care. And yes, it would make an impressive Valentine’s Day gift for your partner, or just yourself.
Best for Bathroom Sink Flexing: Green Goddess
This is the best soap to park by your sink. It’s the ideal introduction to the brand because it perfectly captures their ethos and how they approach making everything. If you weren’t blessed with a green thumb, at least you can wash and smell like you were. An ode to the garden, herbaceous greens of basil, mint, pea tendrils, and ginger hit your nose like spring in full bloom. The mint works as an antimicrobial, while pea tendrils are ultra-gentle, making it easy on your hands, even if you’re washing them every five minutes.
Most Garden-Like: Rosemary Green Leaf Parsley
If you picked all your herbs straight from your backyard (or Flamingo Estate) and turned them into an aromatic, deeply hydrating bar of soap, this would be it. Made with freshly picked rosemary and parsley, it delivers a medicinal, garden-soil fragrance that feels equal parts lush herb bed and old-timey apothecary. The supporting ingredients include French green clay, extra-virgin olive oil, and Brazilian babassu oil—it’s one of their most hydrating brick soaps. The olive oil traps moisture thanks to naturally occurring squalene and brings a heavy dose of antioxidants to the party. It restores your skin much like the lavender charcoal soap, just with a completely different scent profile that some folks may need a minute (or two showers) to warm up to.
Most Unique-Smelling: Heirloom Tomato Soap
I’ve tried the highly recognizable Roma tomato scented candle from the brand, and it’s good, but it definitely has a time and place. I usually burned that candle in the spring and summer with the windows wide open, and I think the same logic applies to this soap brick. It’s packed with moisture and feels great on the skin, but the scent is too spicy for my nostrils. We’re talking heavy tarragon and Madagascan black pepper—bold, herbal, and unapologetic. That said, it’s a solid pick for folks who don’t layer on cologne or perfume and prefer their shower to do all the talking, and would be another strong option for warmer months, whether you’re soothing skin after a long day in the sun or in the mood for an herbal-scented shower.
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