Blooming Beautiful

Flowers, plants and lush vegetation are a huge part of the style zeitgeist this season. We investigate the quintessential British bloom; the rose 

Botanicals are having more then a moment right now. They’re staging all-out colourful, aroma-rich world domination. And we like it. From the runways to restaurants to restorative skincare and everything in between, it seems we just can’t get enough of nature. The most on-trend style, beauty and food destinations are all bringing the outside in. Selfridges’ new fifth floor Forest On The Roof Bar & Restaurant whisks you into a bloom-clad oasis, (slap bang in the centre of the urban jungle). Sip on a ‘Lav’tender’ (an aromatic blend of vodka, lillet blanc, lime juice, basil, egg white and homemade lavender syrup) and indulge in the delicious brunch style menu. The hottest new restaurant on the block, Restaurant Ours, from Michelin starred Chef Tom Sellers (of Restaurant Story fame) features an interior punctuated by three enormous trees. And at both the Neom Organics treatment rooms in Wimbledon Village and Jo Loves scent boutique on Elizabeth Street, blossom and blooms adorn the windows and interior. It’s utter heaven for the aroma/petal junkie and frankly, good for the soul.

On a personal note I have an out and out love affair with the most quintessential British bloom, the rose. My obsession with this flower kick-started many years ago at a beauty press launch for Guerlain for its then named Issima range. One sniff of their Cleansing Flower Cream and beauty lust hit me in a rose-scented waft. I was hooked, for life. 

Serene, yet fresh, soft yet sensual, these days the flower has shaken off its dated image and is coveted amongst the most cutting-edge brands and beauty aficionados. It’s a perennial in the scent world but it’s now starting to garner more interest in the health, wellness and food arenas too. 

Here are Live Gorge’s top ten picks for rosy living:

1/ Charlotte Tilbury Charlotte’s Magic Cream
This cult potion has taken the fashion and beauty world by storm over the last few years. One of Charlotte’s hero products of her hugely acclaimed (and in our eyes rightfully so) range, this indulgent cream is formulated using Damask Rose water and rose hip oil, hyaluronic acid and frangipani extract. It’s rich but not in the slightest bit greasy (a miracle for combination skins of any age) and smells softly of crushed rose petals. It plumps, firms and brightens and leaves skin feeling cosseted, cushioned and calm. It’s a skincare keeper. 

2/ By Terry Baume de Rose
A multi-rescue salve that’s arguably the best on the market. A few slicks hydrates lips back to their dewy, silky soft best thanks to a blend of rose flower essential waxes, pastel oil and shea butter. The soft pearlescent sheen lends your pout a beautifully glossy, yet natural finish. In the words of By Terry Founder and Makeup Maestro Terry de Gunzburg (she of original YSL Touche Eclat fame), it’s “a rose in a jar." 

3/ Chantecaille Rose de Mai Face Oil & Pure Rosewater
If there’s one luxury brand whose name is synonymous with the rose, it’s Chantecaille. The range is formulated around Rose de Mai. This rose variety grows in Provence in the south of France and takes it name from the month (May) when it blooms and is harvested. It’s loaded with antioxidant Vitamin C, is an exceptional anti-ager and even works to counteract digital fatigue by restoring the body’s own electromagnetic field. 

The Pure Rosewater is expertly distilled to capture 100% of the rose essence (most other brands don’t come close to that percentage) and has the enveloping scent to prove it. This rosewater forms the basis of all the other products in the skincare line. Serious rose addicts should invest in the Rose De Mai Face Oil, which claims to pack 1000 petals into each glass bottle.     

4/ Choi Time Damask Rose Tea Buds
Melissa Choi’s collection of flowering, bud and green teas are exquisite. Not only do they allow you to steal a few minutes of downtime as you sip, they also look beautiful on your kitchen worktop. The Damask Rose Tea Buds are our go-to favourite. The mini rose buds are sourced from the Fujian province in China and are packed with vitamins A,B,C, E & K. The tea boosts your circulation and has a wonderfully calming, restorative aroma. That’s our kind of zen.  

5/ Pearl & Groove Pistachio and Rose Cake
The newest boutique bakery on the block, Pearl and Groove has opened its doors on Portobello Road (at the Westbourne Park end). Inside you’ll find a funky, colourful space dedicated entirely to flourless, gluten free cakes that frankly look like baked objets d’art. No they’re not cupcakes, all the flavours here are baked in mini loaf tins using ground almonds as a base. Some are gluten, sugar and dairy free. All are lip- smackingly good and guilt-free. 

6/ Aromatherapy Associates Rose Treatments
If you fancy getting your rose fix at the spa then the Aromatherapy Associates Boutique and Treatment Rooms in Knightsbridge is the place to book in. Choose from the Essential Rose Facial, which transforms lacklustre, tired complexions into goddess worthy lit-from-within skin in sixty or ninety minutes. For the body, go for the Rose Hydrator treatment, an intense hydrating ritual combining exfoliation, massage, restorative wrap and Ayurvedic scalp massage. You’ll leave feeling as if you’re floating on a rose scented fluffy pink cloud. No, really.   

7/ Juice Press Water + Rose and Cilk Rose Presse Extract
Both our Antipodean and transatlantic cousins have recently launched lines of functional rose waters and drink supplements. These new generation drinks blur the line between beauty and wellbeing. And we at Live Gorge HQ are sure they will soon hit Wholefoods and independent health boutiques in London. (watch this space). 

At the East-coast raw juice bar boutique chain, Juice Press, a new line of functional waters includes a Water + Rose flavour. This one contains double distilled rose blooms from the Damascena variety grown in the rose valley of Bulgaria. 

The Australian born Cilk Rose Presse Extract is marketed as a ‘beauty beverage.’ To put it simply, it’s a pure rose supplement that you add to fizzy water. But don’t think Berocca. Cilk is natural, pure and subtly flavoured using organic hand-selected roses mixed with hibiscus and vanilla. So its way more sophisticated. And the key ingredient here again is Damascena rose. Add ten drops to a standard sized glass of sparkling water to aid dexotification, digestion, promote dermal regeneration, prevent acne and harmonise both the skin and mind.       

8/ Rose Latte at Farm Girl Café 
Trying to ditch your macchiato habit? Need a change from your Matcha Green latte? Then head to Portobello Road’s Farm Girl where Co-Founder Rose Mann (coincidence, right?) has just the tonic. Introducing the Rose Latte- just the right balance of the indulgent and the holistic. You'll find us mainlining these for a little while.   

9/ Sisley Black Rose Precious Face Oil
Yes, its expensive, but it’s genuinely worth the hefty price tag. Sisley’s skincare products are impeccably researched and formulated using some of the finest natural ingredients. This Face oil is no exception. Harnessing the power of rare black roses, which have a regenerative, nourishing and anti-ageing action, it sinks effortlessly into the skin, instantly plumping it and lending a dewy, radiant glow. What really strikes you after using this for a few days is the texture of your skin; it’s impossibly soft (silk-like dare we add). Packed full of potent skincare actives, this super-fine oil is also rich in vitamins, omega 3 and 6 and magnolia and Bulgarian rose essential oils. A skincare investment that really works.   

10/ Claudie Pierlot Bunny Top
Hit refresh on your wardrobe with this botanical print blouse. Featuring a whole host of pretty blooms in pink, coral, turquoise and black, it features smocking at the front and back and delicate frills. Pair with a faded denim skirt or flared jeans for insouciant 70s boho style.