The Spirit of Nature – Skincare and Scents from Ligne St Barth – an Interview With Ceo and Founder Herve Brin

Arrive in St Barth, by yacht of course, and the luxury begins, dockside spa treatments await from celebrity favorite, Ligne St Barth, luxury skincare and fragrance synonymous with the beauty and sophistication of this phenomenal Caribbean destination.  Whether you’re there to party, like Leonardo DiCaprio, or just relax like Princess Charlene of Monaco, a pampering facial or soothing full body massage with the natural essences of the Caribbean’s fruits and flowers is the refresher you need before disembarking.  Ligne St Barth Founder and CEO, Herve Brin, realized back in the 1980s when he started this naturally indulgent and supremely effective line dubbed “the spirit of nature,” that no CEO much less a Hollywood star would want to be seen in these posh circumstances looking and feeling anything but vital and energized.  Of course, Ligne St Barth under M. Brin’s stewardship has grown vastly since it began in the early 1980s. You will find the line at exclusive wellness retreats from Manhattan (of course, including The Hamptons) to Malibu. Spas worldwide offer Ligne St Barth, notably here in the US you will find their treatments at The Delano in Miami, and Shutters on the Beach in Santa Monica. Ligne St Barth offers 40 products in the line, it’s available in 30 countries around the globe. Beautyhabit.com, the modern luxe apothecary, has long been a champion of Ligne St Barth, their e-commerce site offers the best of the collection shipped to your doorstep.

Essentially Ligne St Barth is a cult classic,  the go-to resource for four decades now, it’s the ultimate Island takeaway for those in the know who discovered the line during a visit to St. Barth– and now depend on it when they can’t be there. It all began for Herve Brin with his Grandmother, descended from the Island’s original settlers, the Arawak Indians.  She taught him the healing properties of the fruits and flowers native to the Island, growing in their garden. And so he learned to press the oil from Coconuts and Avocados and sold these early elixirs – still in the line and still best-sellers – on the beach. Made in St Barth from all that is local – mango, papaya, lily, vanilla orchid, and more – Ligne St Barth is based on recipes handed down in M. Brin’s family for generations.

The place to stay in St Barth is the Eden Rock, the first hotel built on St Barth, for 50+ years the ultimate haven for the rich and fabulous. It’s only natural then that this equally coveted spa collection would be the treatment protocol of choice for the hotel’s glamourous Eden spa. Spa manager Laura Derozey, considers their menu of treatments with Ligne St. Barth “an olfactory journey, a sensory voyage inspired by an iconic local brand because we are an iconic hotel in St. Barth,” noting that the most popular treatment is the Eden Flower Treatment, a relaxing massage with frangipani (plumeria) flowers. Though M. Brin’s grandmama may have gotten him started with skincare essentials, after all, a family tradition, his own motivation took him further,   “I started in the discipline of science – and decided to make a business out of it – at that time my grandparents used to produce coconut and avocado oil – I decided to do something with it and modernize the presentation. I used rum bottles as the packaging – I hand-wrote the name of each product with a golden marker – I opened a small shop for locals and tourists.  It took time but it prospered through word-of-mouth. Even celebrities come to my shop for the products.” The signature Ligne St Barth product is Avocado Oil scented with Tiare flower (Gardenia) fragrance. An after-sun hydrating, replenishing treatment for hair, skin, and body according to its many fans including Claudia Schiffer, supermodel and star of the new spy thriller, Argylle.  Coming in second, M. Brin, reveals is the sumptuous mango butter creme. And then for cooling refreshment after a day in the surf, there’s the aloe vera gel with mint. Men love this spearmint-infused gel as an after-shave.

All indigenous ingredients are locally sourced,  M. Brin explains, “Avocado oil from Martinique, Roucou seed (these red seeds are used in Ligne St Barth‘s popular Roucou tanning oil) from Dominica, the Aloe Vera from Curacao or French Guiana. Where to find Ligne St Barth on the Island? “We have two shops  — one in Gustavia by the harbor and one at the facilities where they are produced. It’s in the countryside.” Ligne St Barth knows what a man wants, M. Brin explains. After all, Stephen Spielberg and Michael Kors are fans of the line, stocking up on every visit. You’re likely to find them in the Island’s Gustavia shop rubbing elbows with other A-listers enjoying holiday sojourns in St Barth, among them JLo and Ben Affleck,  Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez, Beyonce and Jay Z, Gwen Stefani, and even, Elon Musk.

Reinventing Caribbean fragrance tradition is on M. Brin’s agenda, to that end he recently expanded the Ligne St Barth immensely popular men’s collection with a new trio of scents, each a long-lasting eau de parfum: L’Original – a crisp invigorating citrus floral, Vetiver – a sensual warm green classic made with the finest Vetiver from Haiti and Islander – Pirates of the Caribbean-worthy, spiced-up modern take on classic Bay Rum. You could say M. Brin has captured the allure St Barth in a bottle, so the question is, what keeps fans of the Island coming back for more? “It’s very peaceful – a very relaxing atmosphere –  no one will try to sell you anything – the beauty of the landscape, the brightness, friendliness, cleanliness, it’s simply captivating,” M. Brin continues. “No advertising billboards or fast-food chains. Very good infrastructure and very good Internet services, and a good food supply chain from the US and Europe – we have world-class gastronomy with great chefs and a great choice of restaurants. Plus French cabarets in a beautiful atmosphere. Here, women can wear their most beautiful jewelry and men can wear their most expensive watches.”

Landlocked or Ocean-bound, dockside or curbside, Ligne St. Barth will sweep you away to a world of Caribbean nonchalance where relaxation rules. Find their fragrant collection in the USA at  https://www.beautyhabit.com/collections/ligne-st-barth