Many brands claim to be homegrown and organic these days — but sometimes, you have to see it to believe it. So was the case for the recent trip I took to Provence, France. I went on behalf of the brand L'Occitane [1], which is based out of the South of France. During my five-day stay, I indulged in all things Provence and L'Occitane. It was there that I met the founder, chemists, and lovely staffers behind the luxe label. And I also got a front-row seat to view all of the harvested ingredients, such as lavender, rose, and immortelle flowers. It was truly inspiring to see the unique formulas in the brand's skin-soothing products. And it didn't hurt that I got to eat a lot of goat cheese and baguettes along the way. Scroll through to see the best snaps from my trip!
Source: Instagram user popsugarbeauty [2]
The Hotel Grounds
Here's a shot of the stunning hotel grounds. I stayed at Les Couvent Des Minimes Hotel and Spa [3].
Source: Instagram user laurenlevinson [4]
The Pool
Once I got off the plane, one of the first sites I was greeted with was the splendid pool.
Source: Instagram user popsugarbeauty [5]
The Spa
Then, I was whisked off to the spa for a luxe massage. It began with a foot soak that felt amazing on my tired feet.
Source: Twitter user LaLev [6]
The Massage
I enjoyed a therapeutic, healing massage including oils from L'Occitane's new Aromachologie line (launching in August). The first oil that was used during most of my massage featured a relaxing lavender scent (which is homegrown in Provence!). At the end of the massage, my senses were greeted by a rejuvenating citrus fragrance. I left thinking, "What red-eye flight?"
Source: Twitter user LaLev [7]
The Hotel Lobby Part Deux
The inside of the hotel looked like it came straight out of a high-end decor magazine.
Source: Instagram user laurenlevinson [8]
The Hotel Restaurant
Many of my delicious meals were eaten at the hotel restaurants. Here's a peek into one of them. Decor inspiration, oui?
Source: Instagram user laurenlevinson [9]
The Dusk Scene
As the sun set on the hotel grounds, I felt like I was in a Disney fairy tale.
Source: Instagram user laurenlevinson [10]
The Beauty Lineup
Packing for Provence wasn't easy! But I edited down to easy, breezy Summer-in-France products. Here are some of my favorite travel-size grabs.
Source: Instagram user popsugarbeauty [11]
The Hotel Room
This was the most charming corner in my hotel room. The window is actually a door that leads to a little enclosed garden area.
Source: Twitter user LaLev [12]
The Lavender Fields
Provence is known for harvesting lavender. You can drive for an hour and just see the fields — it's gorgeous! L'Occitane is a unique brand because the pros there only use real lavender, instead of lavendene, which is a manufactured version of the flower.
Source: Instagram user laurenlevinson [13]
The Lavender Up Close
Here's a close-up of the beautiful purple plant. Note my matchy-matchy nail polish (it's the new Sally Hansen gel lacquer).
Source: Instagram user popsugarbeauty [14]
The Famous L'Occitane Tee
You know the olive tree on L'Occitane's packaging? This is the actual tree that inspired the image. Pictures don't do justice to just how breathtaking the Provence landscapes are.
Source: Instagram user popsugarbeauty [15]
The Rosé
Apparently, everyone drinks rosé wine at every meal (besides breakfast). And this was special wine: somehow it didn't give me a hangover! Plus, it's the most luscious blush color.
Source: Instagram user laurenlevinson [16]
The French Bread
Seriously, who can resist gluten that looks that good? It tastes even better, for the record. No bread shaming here!
Source: Instagram user laurenlevinson [17]
The Cheese
And let's not forget about the fromage! Provence is known for its creamy goat cheese. Pictured: goat cheese drizzled with honey atop freshly made pumpkin bread next to butter lettuce with balsamic.
Source: Twitter user LaLev [18]
The French Roses
Many beauty brands feature French roses in their products. But nothing beats getting close to one of these fragrant flowers and actually smelling it!
Source: Instagram user laurenlevinson [19]
The Bouquets
As I said, L'Occitane includes fresh Provencal flowers as the main ingredients in many of its products. One of my favorites is the immortelle flower, which is responsible for the antiaging properties in the cult Creme Divine [20] (it's like butter for your skin — trust me!). As part of our trip, we toured the gardens and learned about the different flowers — including the ones in this gorgeous bouquet. Can you find the lavender?
Source: Instagram user popsugarbeauty [21]
The Bouquet Ponytail
Some of us got a bit creative with our bouquets. Pin-spiration, anyone?
Source: Twitter user LaLev [22]
The French Roses Part Deux
More views of those dreamy roses in the town.
Source: Instagram user popsugarbeauty [23]
The Kitchen
Later that night, we toured the pristine kitchen at the hotel restaurant. We met the attractive French chefs and saw just how fresh the ingredients are — this was the real farm-to-table deal.
Source: Twitter user LaLev [24]
The Pastries
Of course the pastry-making part of the kitchen tour was my favorite. This is what sugary dreams are made of.
Source: Twitter user LaLev [25]
The Wine Cellar
We enjoyed a lovely six-course meal in the wine cellar (yeah, I know you're feeling bad for me right about now . . . ).
Source: Instagram user laurenlevinson [26]
The Rosé Part Deux
Behold, the biggest bottle of rosé ever! Vino for all!
Source: Instagram user laurenlevinson [27]
The Fragrance School
Calling all DIY [28] fiends! L'Occitane has a fragrance mixology university — so you can get a degree in scent-making. How cool!
Source: Instagram user popsugarbeauty [29]
The Lotion Making
Here, I worked with a L'Occitane pro on how to concoct my own leg lotion. It involves a lot of science and measuring ingredients to a T. Later, we toured the brand's pristine factory.
Source: Instagram user popsugarbeauty [30]
The Ingredients
Here's a close-up look at the fresh, local flowers and herbs of Provence ingredients used in L'Occitane's products.
Source: Twitter user LaLev [31]
The Scenic Beauty
The landscapes of the French countryside made me feel like I was in a painting or postcard.
Source: Instagram user laurenlevinson [32]
The Local Homes
No, this is not a Disney movie set . . . It's a local estate where olive oil is harvested. There, we enjoyed a home-cooked meal (lamb, sweet onion flatbread, fresh tomato salad, and more). You can bet I went back for seconds!
Source: Instagram user laurenlevinson [33]
The Town
Somehow the French signs are just more charming.
Source: Twitter user LaLev [34]
The Cafes
While I didn't get to dine here, I did feel jealous of those with balcony seats.
Source: Twitter user LaLev [35]
The Little French Frock
I scored this festive dress at the markets. It was about €60, and when I wear it in a garden setting, I just want to burst out into song.
Source: Instagram user laurenlevinson [36]
The Cheese Part Deux
When we toured the farmers market, I imagined being a local myself — picking up a fresh baguette and some fromage for lunch.
Source: Instagram user laurenlevinson [37]
The Farmers Market Flowers
I also envisioned decorating my little apartment with the town's seemingly endless supply of bright, fragrant fresh flowers.
Source: Instagram user laurenlevinson [38]
The Local Homes Part Deux
The last evening, we met L'Occitane's humble founder, Olivier Baussan, for drinks followed by dinner at this house. It was the home of Tim and Tom, a fabulous couple with even more impressive decorating taste.
Source: Instagram user laurenlevinson [39]
The Beauty Crew
Here's a shot of the group on our trip. I'm in the center in a floral blue dress next to Christiana Molina (in the orange crop top), who also writes for POPSUGAR Beauty [40].
Source: Instagram user laurenlevinson [41]
The Pool Part Deux
It was hard to leave . . . I wanted to lie out there all day, every day.
Source: Instagram user laurenlevinson [42]
The Landscape
One last look at the gardens and alps!
Source: Instagram user popsugarbeauty [43]