Flower power

NEW YORK—Save for a handful of Japanese beauty staples, I tend to steer away from skincare products with cheesy names, or worse, packaging seemingly suspended in an ’80s time capsule.

So when I came across Berwick Coming Up Roses at a recent trade fair/bazaar, my first instinct was to smile politely and walk away from the booth.

But before I could flee, the yuppie couple selling their wares had me at “Bulgarian Rosa Damascena”—and I was instantly intrigued.

“Our products are made from organic Damask Rose oil from Bulgaria,” said one of the sales managers.

After a quick retort about how the name of their product reminded me of a song from the late ’90s, I discovered the line contains no mineral oil, paraben or harmful preservatives.

At once, the beauty editor in me kicked in and asked a stream of questions: Where is your cream produced? (“Bulgaria.”) Do you package it here or in China? (“Los Angeles.”) Does your day cream contain sunscreen? (“No, because we still haven’t found a sunscreen gentle enough to be combined with the rest of the ingredients.”) I was impressed!

Flower-infused skin concoctions are nothing new in the beauty industry, but if you peruse and pursue the essential-oil route, note that rose extract is touted as a natural toner, oil-controller and complexion-calmer. It is surprisingly tolerated by most, if not all skin types, and in some cases, promotes the speedy healing of scars.

I’m on Day 5 of using the Coming Up Roses Nourishing Cream—a velvety smooth treat that so far has left my skin a notch more pillowy in the last couple of days. (I am also getting a kick out of watching my forehead recover from a recent bout of acne.)

With the consistency of creamy yoghurt plus a soft hint of fresh roses, the cream goes on light and is absorbed quickly—so fast that I’ve been applying extra on my cheeks.

Other than the organic Damask Rose oil and rose water, the rest of the ingredients are quite straightforward: hyaluronic acid, vitamin E, vitamin A, organic jojoba, wheat germ, sweet almond oil and glycerin.

Note that the products contain lanolin, so skip them if you’re allergic. And like most skincare creams, keep your jar of Coming Up Roses tightly closed and stored in a cool, dry place. Cheesy packaging and all, it’s what’s inside that counts.


Mariel Chua is the former beauty editor of Cosmopolitan, Seventeen, and Ok! Magazine. She is now based in New York City. Visit NyMinuteNow.com.

(Original Inquirer article link here.)