Home » More About BBG » Pressroom
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 9, 2008
CONTACT
Leeann Lavin: 718-623-7289, leeannlavin@bbg.org
Kate Blumm: 718-623-7241, kateblumm@bbg.org
Cherry Blossoms Thrill the Senses!
L'Occitane en Provence Partners with Brooklyn Botanic Garden to Honor the Garden's Flowering Cherry Tree Collection
Photo: (left) L'Occitane en Provence offers a Cherry Eau de Toilette inspired by the magnificent ornamental flowering cherry trees of Provence, the same comprising Brooklyn Botanic Garden's unparalleled collection of over 220 specimens. (right photo by Helena Fierlinger, courtesy BBG.).
Brooklyn, NY—April 9, 2008—Brooklyn Botanic Garden (BBG) celebrates Hanami, the cherry blossom viewing season (April 5 through May 11), culminating in New York's rite of spring, the 27th annual Sakura Matsuri Cherry Blossom Festival (May 3 and 4). From the delicate first budding of spring to the breathtaking petal carpet of fallen blossoms, BBG's trees constitute a kind of performance art that dazzles the senses through the season. So it is no surprise that L'Occitane, the renowned beauty and skin care company that takes its inspiration from nature, was keen to use the unmatched beauty of the Garden's cherry collection to offer an exclusive preview of its limited-edition line of cherry blossom inspired products, as well as to showcase its permanent line of cherry blossom beauty offerings.
Brooklyn Botanic Garden's spectacular collection of more than 220 ornamental flowering cherry trees—the largest number of cherry trees in one place anywhere outside of Japan—will be glorified in L'Occitane's dazzling cherry blossom window displays in its 17 metropolitan area boutiques. The cherry blossom window display launches in all of L'Occitane's 160+ boutiques across the country on April 16, and celebrates the limited-edition products during the ephemeral weeks of spring, just when BBG's enchanting collection bursts into bloom.
In addition, L'Occitane U.S. fragrance experts Hollis Hillhouse, vice president of international training, and Anne-Cecile Brilland, senior marketing manager, will enlighten Garden visitors about the mesmerizing olfactory properties of fragrances such as Cherry Blossom Eau de Toilette during a lecture, "Cherry Blossoms and the Art of Perfumery," during BBG's Sakura Matsuri. In this interactive seminar, attendees will learn about the history of fragrance and the art of creating scents; they will discover fragrance ingredients and how they combine to create a unique scent; and they will learn tips and secrets about how to maximize the impact of a fragrance on mood and memory.
The lecture is scheduled for Saturday, May 3 at 2 p.m. (please visit bbg.org for a complete list of scheduled weekend activities). At the same time, L'Occitane's Cherry Blossom line will be available for sale in BBG's newly renovated gift shop.
Hanami at BBG
Hanami is the Japanese cultural tradition of viewing and cherishing each moment of the cherry's flowering season—from the first buds, to the luminous blossoms, to the waterfall of petals cascading from the trees. At Brooklyn Botanic Garden, Hanami includes a series of seasonal events that pay tribute to the Garden's iconic collection of Japanese flowering cherry trees.
Hanami visitors can begin with BBG's online CherryWatch feature to plan visits to the Garden, where they can stroll under a canopy of flowering cherries, view enchanting wall-size murals and expressive oil paintings of cherry trees in the exhibit Cherry Blossom Visions: Works by Charles F. Gustina and David Wander, and celebrate the 27th annual Sakura Matsuri (Saturday, May 3–Sunday, May 4, 2008). Sakura Matsuri is BBG's two-day festival celebrating the striking beauty of the Garden's cherry trees and their magnificent blossoms with a weekend of Japanese culture, arts, and performances for all ages. As Hanami draws to its seasonal conclusion, visitors will revel in an experience traditionally thought to bring good fortune, when cherry blossoms cascade from the trees to create a petal carpet.
L'Occitane & Cherry Blossom: A True Story
From its inception, L'Occitane has sought to establish itself as a socially and environmentally responsible organization. There is a true story behind each product, be it an ancient technique, a controlled-origin label, a forgotten traditional cultivation, or a sustainable development program.
L'Occitane's Cherry Blossom line celebrates the poetic beauty of the delicate, feminine flowers during the first days of spring. The cherry tree is part of the Provençal landscape and is widespread in the town of Apt, in the Lubéron region. The L'Occitane line includes:
- Cherry Blossom Eau de Toilette, an unforgettable scent with a "head" of cherry, freesia, and blackcurrant notes; a "heart" of cherry blossom, lily of the valley; and a rosewood, amber, and musk "base."
- Cherry Eau de Toilette, a deliciously summery fragrance that reinterprets the freshness of Cherry Blossom, enveloping the skin with fruity, sparkling, and tangy essences. The fragrance recalls carefree summer afternoons spent in the orchard, and the memory of an armful of sun-drenched petals infused with the sweet flavor of juicy, colorful fruit.
- Fragrant Touch, a concentrated gel, luscious and velvety, that captures all the softness, delicacy, and freshness of the Cherry Blossom perfume. Brush it on throughout the day at the body's pulse points (neck, décolletage, wrists) to revive a perfume fragrance.
- Petal-Soft Hand Cream, which makes for soft, perfumed hands, as if they had just played with cherry blossom petals. Enriched with nourishing shea butter and vitamin E, this lightly textured cream envelops hands in a delicately perfumed, hydrating veil.
- Caressing Bath Pebbles, which transform a bath into an occasion of pure well-being. When dissolved in water, they sparkle with a thousand bubbles, releasing gentle color and a lush scent.
- Lip Gloss in a nourishing balm (ten percent shea butter) with extract of cherries from Lubéron, in Provence. Lanolin- and mineral oil-free.
- A Scented Candle, which brings the sweet scent of spring into one's home, diffusing the delicate, floral perfume of Cherry Blossom and evoking the fresh air of a stand of flowering cherries.