Miramar Hosts Maison Caulières Farm to Skincare Reception

On a recent summer evening, Xavier Deforges, founder of Maison Caulières, shared his homeland with a group of locals through a collaboration with the Rosewood Miramar Beach Resort and its Sense Spa.

“Scent is deeply connected to memory,” Deforges said, addressing the crowd who’d gathered on the hotel’s Lanai Lawn for his Farm to Skincare reception. I brought an oil decanting belle to my nose and inhaled the yellow-flower aroma of the French Loire Valley. Suddenly I was taking in the smells of the French countryside, where Deforges grew up. 

Maison Caulières’s inception story is truly homegrown. It began when Deforges’s father noticed that the oils from harvested produce moisturized his skin. In 2011, Deforges and his five siblings joined together as an entrepreneurial team to develop skin-care products using ingredients from their parents’ farm. 

Growing up in the countryside, they were immersed in colors, smells, and atmosphere — elements they’ve successfully captured in their skin-care line. Launched at the Rosewood London in October 2014, Maison Caulières has grown into a global brand. The products are divided into four groups, each representing a different season. However, according to Deforges, they can — and should — be used year-round.

“Even if it’s not cold here, you need to deeply moisturize your skin,” Deforges said as we rubbed a creamy Flocon Blanc into the soft part of our forearms. Karina Chung, director of Sense Spa, believes that skin-care product ingredients should, like the Maison Caulières line, be safe enough to eat.

After the reception, I was lucky enough to receive the spa’s Like a Fertile Land Massage. It’s a 90-minute journey into olfactory bliss, during which I experienced the scents of a bouquet plucked from the Loire Valley. Chung hopes to spread the word that the spa’s treatments aren’t just for Rosewood Miramar guests — they’re for us locals, too. 

Hands down, the Cuvée d’Or dry body oil was the afternoon favorite. After sampling it, Gina Brooke, an internationally acclaimed beauty expert, pronounced, “I didn’t just like it; I loved it.” Apparently, Elizabeth II, Queen of the United Kingdom, is of the same opinion. After the Duchess of Kent gifted her a bottle, she requested more on a regular basis.

I could see, or rather smell, why. Each product unlocks one of Deforges’s memories, such as picking apples with his great-grandmother to make compote for the winter. We soaked in the nostalgic moments while making new, happy associations. “These scrubs, creams, and oils contain the history of my family,” Deforges told us. “The scents are our legacy.”

The skin-care line is offered exclusively through Sense Spa at Rosewood Miramar Beach.