35+ Stunning Photos of One Editor's Epic Trip to Provence, France

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, 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

The Hotel Grounds

The Hotel Grounds

Here's a shot of the stunning hotel grounds. I stayed at Les Couvent Des Minimes Hotel and Spa. Source: Instagram user laurenlevinson

The Pool

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

The Spa

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

The Massage

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

The Hotel Lobby Part Deux

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

The Hotel Restaurant

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

The Beauty Lineup

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

The Hotel Room

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

The Lavender Fields

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

The Lavender Up Close

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

The Famous L'Occitane Tee

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

The Rosé

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

The French Bread

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

The Cheese

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

The French Roses

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

The Bouquets

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 (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

The Bouquet Ponytail

The Bouquet Ponytail

Some of us got a bit creative with our bouquets. Pin-spiration, anyone? Source: Twitter user LaLev

The French Roses Part Deux

The French Roses Part Deux

More views of those dreamy roses in the town. Source: Instagram user popsugarbeauty

The Kitchen

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

The Pastries

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

The Wine Cellar

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

The Rosé Part Deux

The Rosé Part Deux

Behold, the biggest bottle of rosé ever! Vino for all! Source: Instagram user laurenlevinson

The Fragrance School

The Fragrance School

Calling all DIY fiends! L'Occitane has a fragrance mixology university — so you can get a degree in scent-making. How cool! Source: Instagram user popsugarbeauty

The Lotion Making

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

The Ingredients

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

The Scenic Beauty

The Scenic Beauty

The landscapes of the French countryside made me feel like I was in a painting or postcard. Source: Instagram user laurenlevinson

The Local Homes

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

The Town

The Town

Somehow the French signs are just more charming. Source: Twitter user LaLev

The Cafes

The Cafes

While I didn't get to dine here, I did feel jealous of those with balcony seats. Source: Twitter user LaLev

The Little French Frock

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

The Cheese Part Deux

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

The Farmers Market Flowers

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

The Local Homes Part Deux

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

The Beauty Crew

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. Source: Instagram user laurenlevinson

The Pool Part Deux

The Pool Part Deux

It was hard to leave . . . I wanted to lie out there all day, every day. Source: Instagram user laurenlevinson

The Landscape

The Landscape

One last look at the gardens and alps! Source: Instagram user popsugarbeauty