ESCAPE TO LA GACILLY AND PARIS WITH YVES ROCHER

Oh wow, how do I start this?

If there was ever a moment where I had to pinch myself because there was no way this experience was happening to me – this was it. I remember when the wonderful folks at Yves Rocher approached me to partner with them for 2019. I couldn’t believe it! The pioneers in botanical beauty wanted to work with me and I would get access to their extensive line of skin and beauty products.

When they invited me to celebrate their 60th birthday in La Gacilly, I was in shock and humbled that they selected me to be a part of the festivities. The end result – the most amazing trip I have experienced where I got a chance to connect with fellow content creators around the world and learn more about the genius who was brave to change the way beauty products were created.

Maison Yves Rocher, nestled in the picturesque quiet city of La Gacilly, pays homage to its founder and visionary behind the brand – Yves Rocher. This man was ahead of his time by rethinking of how beauty products had to be created. For Monsieur Rocher, it was all about finding key characteristics of species within the plant kingdom, doing chromatography analysis on them and finding attributes that were needed by the modern-day woman of the time. They would find plants all around the world and somehow created an environment to grow them in harmony within their property while they studied it, analyzed it’s unique properties and extracted what was needed without damaging the ecosystem.

For someone who was a member of the environmental club for five years, I fell in love with the brand all over again because of the conscience decisions the founders, scientists and visionaries have made throughout the 60 years connected with me on a deep level.

I got the opportunity to visit a replica of Yves Rocher‘s famous ‘attic’. This attic is where he created his very first product, a cream, based on a recipe shared with him by a woman in town. From there he slowly started creating a profile analysis on all the flora and fauna that he encountered, the analysis would become valuable when he started expanding his product line.

To find his consumers, Yves posted ads in the Paris newspaper and before you know it, the small town that he grew up in, La Gacilly, became slowly known as ‘Yves Rocher Town’.

If you are a fan of Yves Rocher or are curious about the ingenuity behind this global botanical focused brand, a visit to Maison Yves Rocher is a must. On the second floor of the main structure, you will be guided for a comprehensive tour giving you insight on how the brand came to be and the wonderful initiatives they have created around the world focused on giving back.

Less than 5 minutes drive from Maison Yves Rocher is the beautiful La Gree des Landes Yves Rocher Eco Hotel and Spa. This oasis is surrounded by lush green hills and offers it’s visitors the perfect place to run away, unplug and recharge. An ode to a place where someone can truly achieve peace and unwind.

La Gree des Landes is the first 100% ecological hotel spa located on the side of a hill in La Gacilly, France. It’s a beautifully designed resort to help limit the waste of energy, food, and water. The architect, interior design, spa, and food focus a great deal in helping its visitors get in contact with Nature, something that holds great value to the Rocher family.

The hotel boasts 29 rooms, each with a private terrace looking on to the beautiful countryside. If you get hungry, head down to the restaurant and be wowed by the talented chef on staff. If you don’t want to wait for your meal, head outside and take a stroll to admire their beautiful herb and vegetable garden. I took a stroll and was surprised to see poppies with paper-thin petals surrounded by bees who were equally wowed by these beautiful flowers.

Need to take a little time out, don’t forget to make a trip to their spa or maybe take a dip in one of two pools located on the property. If you need to work out, there is a full workout facility you can visit and maybe visit the eucalyptus steam room to rest and release any tension that you might have.

Want to head out of the property? No worries, there is  a beautiful area that you can go for a private day boat ride on rue de l’aff or go for a quite bike ride that hugs around the stream.

Every inch of this property is beautiful and peaceful. My only regret is that my stay there was far to short that I’m looking forward to convincing my husband on making another trip there – but this time with him.

Thank you so much Yves Rocher for giving me the opportunity to experience the magic that surrounds the birthplace of your beautiful brand in La Gacilly.