As a kid, I remember always being in awe of the L’Occitane store in the mall. It smelled like a lavender field, and everything looked so sophisticated and beautiful! I revisited one of their shops recently, and I can tell you nothing’s changed. I still get that “everything’s better in French” feeling when I walk in, and I still am instantly transported to my happy place (yes, my happy place is almost always somewhere in France).

Best of all, I’m actually old enough to try all the products when I visit now. I love that everything makes me feel just as sophisticated as I had always imagined they would. But now that I care more about content, I’m glad to see that L’Occitane’s products manage to give you that happy feeling while providing completely effective, natural skincare (many are even 100% organic), made from essential oils, extracts, and all sorts of other plant-based goodness. Seriously, their ingredients page reads like a botanical dictionary.

While I love everything, it’s the shea butter hand cream I always gravitate to first…if only because I love the packaging. But mostly, I admit, I’m still in it for that delicious scent of lavender when you walk in the door.

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