Everything's "coming up roses" at Berwick Beauty, or so they say. I was honored to receive a full-size jar of each of the products shown above, so I could test and review them. This was just after Earth Day Week, and of course I was stoked to try a new botanically-based skincare line and I want to tell you all about it.
Above, you see three of the products in the 5-item line. From left: Balancing Day Cream, Eye Contour Gel, and Restoring Night Cream.
I'll tell you a little more about the line and why I thought the night cream could possibly rival the well-known cult classic Crème de la Mer in one aspect... but you have to keep reading!
Those pink blossoms are Damask Rosea, which are very well-known when it comes to the aromatherapeutic values of their essential oil. Aside from its calming, soothing, and harmonizing, and even antidepressant scent, it's also reported to be very healing and antiseptic when used topically. By the way, Damask Rose essential oil is pretty rare and therefore pricey - keep that in mind (I find these products to be quite reasonable, but other products with it will be quite dear).
Why am I on about these roses? Well, if you're starting to guess that they are probably an ingredient in Berwick Beauty's cosmetic offerings, you'd be right. Because the product is antiseptic, because it can benefit all skin types, because it is "non-toxic, non-irritant, non-sensitizing" and because it smells lovely, Berwick Beauty believes they have come up with the perfect plan for skincare. They may be right...
Balancing Day Cream: This is a lightweight cream that is meant for all skintypes. Ingredients include Vitamin A (antioxidant), Vitamin E (antioxidant), organic Rose Damascena, and Jojoba oil (moisturizing), among others. See a full list of ingredients here.
My review: I don't love the pot since it's not terribly hygienic. But it does feel decadent to scoop up products that way, doesn't it? Or maybe that's just me. This is certainly light on the skin, and sinks in quickly. It leaves a nice feel to the skin after it absorbs - not that horrid stickiness that some products leave behind. I also like that there are antioxidants here to help protect the skin- and jojoba is a nice moisturizer I'm turning to more and more. Overall, a really nice product.
Eye Contour Gel: This eyecream is a lightweight gel with red beads, which I'm sure freak some people out. (To those people I say this: They're meant to burst when you massage the product in, people, releasing the special magic ingredients within and strengthening the delicate eye-skin! This technique of encapsulation is employed in quite a few products, and it's quite normal!) Ingredients are soothing Rosa Damascena and Cassia Angustifolia (senna, which also promotes skin regeneration), keratin (strengthening), and D-Panthenol (firming and soothing). A full list of ingredients can be found here.
My review: Meh. It feels nice and cool, so that's a plus. It's so light that I have a hard time spreading it, and those daggone balls are too hard to smoosh without roughing up the eye area. (I've seen these work much better in other products, specifically one of my favorite eye creams, B. Kamins Eye Cream)
Restoring Night Cream: Again, lightweight and gel-cream-y. This absorbs quickly and leaves a soft feel to the skin. Night is when the skin works hard to regenerate, and this product aims to soothe the skin while it detoxifies and restores itself. Ingredients include Allantoin (moisturizes, smoothes, soothes and calms), Apricot Oil (softens, hydrates and nourishes), Vitamin A (an antioxidant that promotes healing, and it's moisturizing, too), and Rosa Damascena. You can view all of the ingredients here.
My review: No mention is made of the luminous (almost translucent) quality of this cream, but it's noteworthy - obvious as soon as I opened the jar. Not sure what causes it, but it's neat. Anyway, this is cooling and silky when applied, and sinks right in so there's no fear of gumming up your bed (or bed partner!) with it. Again we have the heady rose scent, but I can ignore because my skin absolutely glows in the morning after using this - the only product that has imparted that kind of glow before, and I've tried many many many, is Crème de la Mer! Now, does this have the same impact on the skin as Crème de la Mer ( mysterious healing powers, etc...)? I don't know and only time will tell, but it's GREAT on my skin!
NOTE: I like these products, despite the overpowering rose scent (which does fade quickly, thank god!), however, I broke out something fierce at the time I was testing these. I'm going to give it another try once my skin is back to normal, as I had a hormonal thing going on when I tried it and that may be to blame for the blemishes, but I'm wary. I'll try to update this later and let ya know.
These products do not contain mineral oil and are paraben free. However, they are also SPF-free, so just be aware (Berwick's explanation for that is on their FAQ).
Berwick Beauty also currently offers two other products that I have not tried: Nourishing Cream and Lightening Cream. The line will eventually be expanding to include cleansing products, according to the website.
By the way, I give props for including this on their FAQ!:
Q: Can I use Berwick products in combination with other skin care brands?
A: Absolutely, it is a marketing myth that only one brand of products can work well when used together for your skin.
(image source)
Related topics:
If you'd like to learn a bit more about the therapeutic and aromatherapeutic benefits of Damask Roses, you can do so here - that's Berwick's site, but during my research I found the article to be well-supported (though for some of you it may wax a bit poetic and New Age-y at times). I don't see the need to reinvent the wheel by retyping the whole thing in my own words. ;)
There's a really neat article on how Damask Roses are harvested and processed here - I recommend you read it if you're into natural ingredients, like aromatherapy, are interested in these Berwick Beauty products, or even just like to know cool stuff.