Exclusive Look at French Beauty Brand Bastide

Re-launched by French celebrity hairstylist Frédéric Fekkai along with wife Shirin von Wulffen, beauty and lifestyle brand Bastide will make you feel like you’re walking into Provence. Originally titled Côté Bastide, this French brand was originally created and founded by Nicole Houques in 1991, who was a friend and neighbour of Fekkai. After announcing her retirement, Fekkai and his wife decided to take over and re-launch the brand, changing the name to Bastide inspired by his own home country manor in Aix-en-Provence.

With the highly anticipated re-launch, the celebrity hairstylist re-imagined the brand as a way to share his passion for lifestyle and beauty. Now, Bastide is a well-known brand in Provence, taking up a boutique in the heart of Aix. The brand has become a common go-to place for visitors to pick up beautiful souvenirs, many of which possess lovely natural scents such as rose and lavender which takes after the region’s reputation of harvesting natural and high-quality ingredients. Although it has re-launched, they still stick to the same philosophies that they adopted since inception which includes being simple, and using ingredients that aren’t harmful, 100% non-toxic, and naturally potent – no questions asked. A cruelty-free brand, Bastide also doesn’t test on animals and even has their own blacklist, according to their “Bastide Promise.”

With the help of French artisans and beauticians, Frédéric and Shirin have collaborated with only the best of the best to create a line of products using local and natural ingredients. Today, Bastide has expanded and offers a wide range of products, including bath and body care, candles and potpourris, and unique perfumed fragrances that were created in Grasse, France.

We were lucky enough to receive a sample of Bastide’s very own “Rose Olivier Natural Body Wash,” which is made for dry and sensitive skin. Infused with Provence olive oil and coconut oil, this body wash makes your skin soft and supple while leaving a fresh, blooming rose scent. The key ingredient of Provence olive oil is also referred to as “liquid gold” in the south of France, due to gentle formula of providing skin-softening effects without stripping the skin’s natural oils.

(Cr: Chloe Cameron)

We were also fortunate enough to get an exclusive sample of Bastide’s newest addition “Verveine du Sud” to its fragrance collection, which has yet to be released on Bastide’s online store. Like all of the other eau de toilette products, this new fragrance was made in Grasse, France, and features authentic and pure scents dedicated to the art of life in Provence. A fresh and lively scent, “Verveine du Sud” features top scents of lemon, grapefruit, and peppermint, followed in heart by notes of verbena, peony and mint leaf. Sublimated in the bottom includes hints of fresh amber, blond wood and white musk, making this fragrance ideal for summer with its fresh scents.

(Cr: luxe-en-france)

With its unique and original take on the foundations of simplicity, Bastide is truly a hidden gem in the beauty and lifestyle industry. One of the few brands out there that uses natural ingredients while still being able to successfully incorporate heritage and traditions of France, Bastide has proved to be a one-of-a-kind brand that not only shows you that luxurious beauty can be made simple, but makes you want to visit Aix-en-Provence yourself to see what other beauties the region can bring.