I kept telling you that sometimes I tend not to finish things just because I'm waiting for a better moment, here's a concrete example: it's just been a year since I decided to start the project. Let's get to know the brand through which I want to tell you the stories of the brands and people behind my favorite companies.
Because I wanted to start with a special story, full of color and unique flavors, today I post on my blog a few moments from the fairy tale written by the founder The Occitan in Provence.
Born out of passion and respect for traditional Mediterranean crafts and nature, L'Occitane is a brand built with small steps. 37 years ago, the young Olivier Baussan, captivated by the Provencal legends of natural ingredient processing, decided to revive traditional crafts and timidly set out to create the first ingredients that will form the basis of his products and a few decades later.
After the success of selling natural rosemary and lavender oils, he is seduced by the idea of manufacturing soap from Marseille, a craft specific to the south of France that he successfully revives using a recipe based on vegetable oils and traditional production methods.
With a growing brand and a solid reputation in the natural cosmetics market, the young entrepreneur, looking for new ingredients to expand the product range, discovers the incredible moisturizing effects of Burkina Faso-specific African shea butter, also called "women's gold”. Now this ingredient is present in over 55 products of the brand, many of them being my favorites.
A year later, Olivier inaugurates the first L'Occitane store in the Volx, Provence and 11 years later in Paris.
The philosophy of the L'Occitane brand translates into principles that involve authenticity (revival of authentic traditions and Provencal legends), sensory (products that combine all Mediterranean sensations and flavors) and respect for the environment and people. Thus, in 1997 it was the first cosmetics company to inscribe Braille on the labels of its products. It has also used recyclable packaging materials, banned the use of ingredients of animal origin or animal product testing, and used AOC (Appelation d'Origine Controlee) certified ingredients. The AOC emblem indicates that the ingredients underlying the production of the products in question are part of the selected crops and represent a guarantee of quality.
In 1999 a new emblematic natural ingredient enters the L'Occitane family - verbina from Corsica. Currently present in over 40 products of the brand thanks to its unique and special lemon scent that invigorates the senses, it is recommended to relieve stress and fatigue.
Three years later, after 10 years of research the unique anti-aging properties of the immortal species of Helichrysum italicum discovered in the arid lands of the island of Corsica, the laboratory L'Occitane created a Precious Skin Serum (review HERE) which is based on a complex of essential oil and extract of Imortele cells in a patented formula that helps stimulate, protect and repair collagen fibers. The range with Immortele extract offers complete skin care in the fight against skin aging due to the essential oil that protects the skin from the aggression of free radicals.
The story of the almond range products is special because L'Occitane has launched a program to support and revive traditional almond tree crops, which decades ago was one of the symbols of the Provence region, by using in its products only almonds from certain crops located in the south of France, thus supporting the trade in almonds and the producing families.. L'Occitane almond products have visible miraculous effects in body remodeling treatments because they give the skin firmness and fight against cellulite.
One of the specific features of L'Occitane is that it always wants to bring closer the Mediterranean atmosphere and Provencal legends, creating stories encapsulated in perfume bottles that entice you with fresh aromas of Lavender, Verbina or floral such as Bujor, Cherry Blossom or Rose. And the scents of the Eaux de Provence and La Collection de Grasse ranges will take you on a sensory journey in the south of France.
And because L'Occitane is a brand that takes into account the wishes of its consumers, starting this winter, the special Christmas collections will become permanent collections available throughout the year. The products of the beginning of this change are those with flavor Fleur d'or and Acacia, which are part of the range The Grasse Collection, which bears the name of the town of Grasse in Provence became known as the world capital of perfume. Fleur d'Or and Acacia combine the sensual scent of Grasse mimosa with that of Mediterranean acacia acacia for a fresh but sophisticated floral aroma.
And I can't end this story without telling you my favorite L'Occitante flavor. Wonderful flowers It will always remind me of the delicate and sophisticated blend of red fruits and magical flowers in a pink bouquet: rose, pink peony, white musk and raspberry. Pink for me, what a surprise - isn't it?
2 comments
I am hopelessly in love with the Rose 4 Reines perfume !!!! I didn't think I could ever love a rose-scented perfume, but this is so special, so delicate, so "local".
Beautiful! ♥
I haven't had the opportunity to test any L'Occitane product, but it's not a waste of time ♥