La Marina Vietri

DESCRIPTION

A single body scrub bar from Blu Costiera, the Amalfi Coast brand founded by Antonio and Raffaella, a husband-and-wife team who left law to build something out of the coast they loved.

La Marina Vietri is sea salt and marine air — the smell of swimming off Vietri sul Mare, with salt still drying on your skin. It is a scrub rather than a plain soap: ultra-fine particles worked through the bar lift dead skin while you wash, and shea butter and jojoba oil keep it from drying you out. Triple-milled, dermatologically tested, EDTA-free, vegan, made in Italy.

The wrapper is the reason this one belongs at Biordi. Those blue and turquoise fish are the signature motif of Vietri sul Mare — the same hand-drawn fish that artisans have been painting onto Vietri plates and platters for generations, here printed on paper. If you know the ceramics, you will recognize the fish immediately.

At $10 it is the easiest Italian gift in the store: a stocking stuffer, a guest-room soap, a small thank-you that still arrives looking like something.

Specifications

Contents: One boxed body scrub bar
Scent: La Marina Vietri — sea salt and marine notes
Size: 150 g
Material: Triple-milled vegetable-based exfoliating soap with shea butter and jojoba oil
Made in: Italy — Amalfi Coast, Campania
Formulation: Vegan · cruelty-free · dermatologically tested · EDTA-free
Care: Keep on a draining dish and let it dry fully between uses. Store unopened bars in the box; the scent holds for years.
Sold as: Individual bar

Questions buyers ask

What does La Marina Vietri smell like? Sea salt and marine air — clean and cool rather than sweet or floral. The closest thing in the range to the smell of the water itself.

What is the difference between a scrub and a soap? The scrub is a solid bar like the soap, with ultra-fine particles worked through it that lift dead skin as you wash. It cleans and exfoliates in one step.

How big is the bar? 150 g — a full-size bar, not a guest soap.

What are the fish on the package? They are the classic fish motif of Vietri sul Mare, the ceramic town on the Amalfi Coast, where artisans have painted this design onto plates and platters for generations.

Is this vegan? Yes — vegan, cruelty-free, dermatologically tested and EDTA-free, with shea butter and jojoba oil.

Will it dry out my skin? It is made with shea butter and jojoba oil rather than as a stripping cleanser, so it exfoliates without leaving skin tight.

Does it come with a soap dish? Not this one. Blu Costiera’s gift boxes include a hand-painted Vietri ceramic soap dish alongside the soap or scrub.

Is this a good Italian wedding gift? On its own it is a favor or a shower gift rather than a wedding present. Buy several and they make good guest favors or place settings.

Is this a good housewarming or hostess gift? Yes — it is the least expensive Italian gift in the store, and it arrives already boxed.

Why buy Italian gifts from Biordi rather than other retailers? Biordi has imported from Italy since 1946 and is a San Francisco Legacy Business. Everything here is chosen in person from the workshops and brands that make it — this one on a trip to the Amalfi Coast.

Can this be customized or personalized? Blu Costiera soaps are not customizable. For personalized Italian pieces with a name, date or occasion painted on, Biordi works with Eugenio Ricciarelli, FIMA, Pia Formato and Geribi. Contact Biordi Art Imports at (415) 392-8096 or [email protected].

Artisan Story

Blu Costiera, Amalfi Coast — Antonio and Raffaella are husband and wife, both lawyers, both with a long passion for fashion and art. They built Blu Costiera around one place: the Amalfi Coast, and the blue that gives it its name. Everything is made in Italy, and the packaging is plastic-free, printed on locally sourced recycled paper.