L’Occitane

What a lovely branch of L’Occitane this is. I popped in the other day and was immediately handed a hot cup of fruit tea to sip as I browsed. The shop is well laid out and tidy and the staff are helpful without being too pushy. It’s so nice to walk around smelling everything and testing the perfumes and hand creams.
L’Occitane specialise in natural beauty products with a French twist. You’ll find lots of floral fragrances, shea butter based creams and beautiful packaging. It’s quite expensive and for me it’s more of a gift or treat place. They are an ethically aware company who don’t test on animals and produce all of their ingredients in an environmentally friendly way. The majority of their ingredients are grown in Provence.
One thing I noticed at this branch is that there is a large section of men’s/unisex grooming products and they also have a male member of staff. It’s not something you always see in shops that sell beauty products so it’s a definite plus point.

This was a wee quick visit to pick up some shopping for my Big Sis.
I could not find the soap that I wanted Lemon Verbena the displays were all gift sets.
I have had the winter lurgy this week and I took a very bad coughing fit in the shop I was really embarrassed. One of the assistants was very kind offered me a seat and a cup of tea, how sweet was that, anyhoo I declined and she found the soap for me offering several alternatives thankfully I took the one Irene wanted.
I love L’Occitane products particularly there foot cream and the super douper hand cream a must for us nurses. I will be back for Christmas shopping once I stop coughing

L’Occitaine reminds me of a slightly more commercialised Arran Aromatics, but i believe this was on the Glasgow high street first. My friends and i went through a wee stage where we would buy each other stuff from here for birthdays or Christmas, perhaps to make us feel a bit more sophisticated. It was probably a bit too mature smelling for us then, but i go back and buy things now, as i loved the stuff so much.
I have pretty sensitive skin so i have to be careful of highly perfumed soaps but i was really pleasantly surprised to find that L’Occitane really cater for people like me. L’Occitane is a French company (the clue is in the name) and all products are made with natural ingredients from Provence, which makes it sound even more special than it looks. The bottles and packaging are lovely and elegant, really classic looking and they look very expensive.
You get what you pay for here at L’Occitane. The products are pricey but very good quality, and a little goes a long way. I have used the Shea butter and cotton Ultra comforting cream, which sounds luxurious and really is. It is specifically for sensitive skin, and they also do ranges for mature skin, oily and dry skin, and a men’s range which i am told is just as good.
You will pay over 20.00 for most lotions and potions in here, but they always come gift wrapped and in a wee cute bag so you feel like you are buying something special. Recommended for treating your skin to a little bit of pampering. Go on… You deserve it!

I must admit I am not a big fan of the kind of stores that sell lovely
packaged, overpriced and heavily scented beauty products that don’t have any actual substance behind them. For example the Crabtree & Evelyns, The Body Shops and the Lushs of the high street. While these products might be a nice little indulgence they rarely «do what it says on the tin». The moisturisers look and smell lovely but they don’t actually moisturise your skin as well as some good old Palmers Cocoa Butter from Boots at a fraction of the price, and that sort of thing.
However I believe L’Occitane is different. Not only are the products pretty to look at and smell but they also work really well. The staff in the store seem to genuinely know about caring for your skin and hair and can direct you to the range which is most suitable for your skin type. While the products are quite expensive I feel that it is worth it if you are trying to address a specific beauty concern and of course they do sell lovely gift sets for men and women if you want to treat someone special.
For Christmas this year I bought my Dad a great old fashioned shaving set from L’Occitane with a proper shaving brush and bowl and some rich, creamy shaving foam which I know he uses on special occasions instead of his usual «slap on some Gillette foam» routine.
For myself I keep the Almond Soap in constant supply. It contains tiny little pieces of almond shell for exfoliation and leaves my skin lovely and soft. I also love the Roses 4 Reines Bath and Shower Gel. It contains four different kinds of rose and the smell is gorgeous and subtle, not overpowering and the bottle looks great in the bathroom. It reminds me of something an old Hollywood beauty like Grace Kelly would have in her bathroom. What I like best about L’Occitane products though is that they are mostly free from parabens, mineral oils and other nasties, which is a total bug bare of mine!

L’Occitane has helped me a good few times when i’m in a last minute present panic! Everything here smells absolutely amazing and i’m a sucker for anything gift wrapped so this place is great, even if it’s not so great for the old bank balance.
The fragrances tend to be traditional smells such as rose, lavender, bergamot etc. All the fragrances together are a bit overwhelming as you enter the shop and it kind of makes you want to bottle all the smells into one perfume.
They have an extensive range and apart from fragrances they also sell skincare, hair and body products and bath and shower gels. Prices range from around £10 and upwards and you can also get gift sets for around £25.
The staff are also very helpful and are always more than happy to let you test any of the products and answer any questions you might have.