French skincare and fragrance brand L’Occitane is known for its use of herbs and flora from Provence. Its core lineup of scents focuses on one key ingredient, like its popular lavender, verbena or green tea range.
For its new fragrance L’Arlésienne, L’Occitane deviates from its use of a single highlighted ingredient and focuses instead on the concept of an ideal woman.
“The woman of Arles is mischievous and mysterious, an ideal beauty. She is the illusion of perfection: vibrant, colorful and free,” says Rustan’s marketing and communications manager Sevrine Miailhe.
The woman of Arles is still very Provençal. The proximity of the region to Spain lends the L’Arlésienne woman a mysterious and independent allure,
qualities the brand tries to encapsulate in a bottle.
“Whereas our other products focus on ingredients, this permanent collection is tied up with a persona,” says L’Occitane’s Southeast Asia general manager Nancy Ferriman.
She adds: “It’s a new scent that’s never been done. It’s a scintillating, beautiful evocation of saffron flower, violet and rose—elusive and finely tuned floral notes fused with unexpected facets.”
According to Ferriman, saffron in full bloom has peppery and spicy notes. The fragrance includes a hint of Mandarin orange and enhanced with a few sprigs of lily of the valley and then tapers off to a milky sandalwood note.
L’Arlésienne marks L’Occitane’s first collaboration with renowned designer Christian Lacroix. Also a son of Arles, Lacroix put together a curated collection of artwork and photographs
powder
inspired by L’Arlésienne. The exhibition was staged in 40 galleries and in the chapelle de la Charité, Boulevard des Lices.
To channel your inner L’Arlésienne, Ferriman recommends layering the fragrance with its complementary skincare products, such as the body oil, which is perfect for humid weather.
“The body oil has a more silky feel, and the scent lasts longer because dry oil sticks to your skin; because it’s a dry oil, it won’t feel greasy or sweaty in the humidity,” says Ferriman.
For special occasions, Ferriman recommends the Beautifying Powder, a limited-edition sparkly scented concoction for the holidays that adds shimmer, blended with the signature L’Arlésienne scent.
L’Arlésienne is available at Rustan’s The Beauty Source and L’Occitane boutiques. Follow Rustan’s The Beauty Source on Instagram @rustansthebeautysource.