Provence Dream

L'OCCITANE'S CHARITABLE PLEDGE

The luscious beauty, skin-care, and fragrance lines of L'Occitane en Provence have tickled the senses and soothed the souls of devotees for almost

30 years. But the company's zest for la belle vieis equaled by an exceptional ardor for philanthropic work. Olivier Baussan, L'Occitane's founder and creative director, who also runs the European olive-oil emporium O & Co., has spearheaded several initiatives to assist and benefit the blind. More than a

decade ago, L'Occitane began adding Braille to almost all its products, and, in 1996, Baussan oversaw the opening of Provence dans Tous les Sens, a for blind teenagers in the Alpes-de Haute Provence region. "I wanted the brand to be open to everybody, to be a tolerant brand ... the goal is to help these children discover something different and escape their everyday lives," he explains.

"The most important thing is not to be blind to other people." This month L'Occitane launches a special-edition gingerbread candle beautifully packaged with seven felt coasters inscribed in Braille with the word "Light." Twenty percent of each sale will directly benefit the American Foundation for the Blind. 'Tis the season for giving, and this gift gives just a little more.

EMILY POENISCH