Why You Should Love Besame Cosmetics

Note to Reader: The following is a review of Besame Cosmetics, written by one of our Art Deco Divas, Chandra Savaso, a licensed cosmetologist and a celebrity makeup artist. 

Besame Crimson Rouge product!

I think the first time I learned about Besame Cosmetics was in 2009. I always try to stay in-the-know about new products because the industry is constantly changing and improving the "stuff" we put on our faces. 

Besame caught my attention in a big way because of their attention to detail in their product packaging. It is, to say the least, an absolute work of art. Even if the contents within the package were complete rubbish, I would probably purchase them because of their external beauty.  Besame was founded by Gabriela Hernandez in 2004. The inspiration came from Gabriela's recollections of childhood aunts, never leaving the house without their "lips" on. 

From Gabriela’s bullet style lipsticks to her intoxicating, yet lightly scented Brightening Violet Powder, all are encased in gorgeous ways.  To my delight, not only is beauty in the packaging but it is also in the ingredients and quality of these products.   

Bésame does not test on animals and only uses natural ingredients and organic oils in all their products. Their product line is formulated to be beneficial to your face. How much more can you hope for? The colors they have created are actual vintage reproductions, so you truly are putting a little vintage glam on your face--except it smells and tastes so much better than the lipsticks of yesterday! The lipsticks do not contain any lead ingredients and they are paraben free. And bonus: They are scented with real vanilla extract.

I would love to eventually try them all, but there were a few specific products that I have been wanting to try for quite a while.  These are the products I am reviewing:

- Cerise & Red Masterliner Pencil

- Besame Red Classic Color Lipstick

- Crimson Rouge Vintage Inspired Cream Rouge for Cheeks and Lips

- Brightening Violet Powder

The Cerise & Red Masterliner Pencil comes in a gorgeous gold double-ended encasement.  Both ends have the liner and they are sharpened for precision application. I lined my lips first with the liner, which was creamy and made application so easy.  The color is a rich deep crimson red.  This product has better staying power then so many liners I have used. I was really amazed!

Besame Red Classic Color Lipstick was applied next.  The scent is so delicious you want to eat it instead of wearing it! It smells of vanilla but not an overpowering fake vanilla. It is very pigmented so although the size is probably smaller than an average lipstick, a little goes a long way.  It has a sheen to it so it is not really a matte red.  I like it because you could wear it and not have to top it with a gloss.  But it is not too shiny if you like the more matte look.

The Crimson Rouge has a sort of vintage smell to it, but it is a nice pleasant scent.   This too is really pigmented so one swipe of a finger in the pot will give your cheeks a rosy glow reminiscent of back in the day. I applied it to my cheeks and it blended so easily. Be sure to apply it before you powder. It gave me that flushed look, like the kind you get after receiving a smile from a handsome gentleman.  Surprisingly, I applied the rouge to my lips and Wow! I have to say, I may even like it better on my lips than on my cheeks.  It has got a sheerness to it, and it makes your lips look youthful without looking overly made up.  Paired with some black cat eyeliner and mascara, it would be a beautiful look to sport for daytime. Simple, chic and classic.

Last but not least, the Brightening Violet Powder was the product I was most excited about.  I’m not sure if it is because of the name or because of what I hoped it would do for my skin.  The older we get, the more sallow our skin appears.  I used my regular foundation and lightly applied the Violet powder all over my face with a powder brush.  It comes with a little puff in the compact but I wanted to keep that looking new.  

I was first impressed by the scent.  It is a delicate violet scent.  I am not typically into strongly scented cosmetics; they sort of scare me.  Fragrance on my face is not appealing to me.  But the powder has just the slightest hint of violet, enough to notice but not overwhelming.  And the result?  It decreased my shine, but it gave my skin a little boost of brightening.  My skin looked amazing and yes, brightened. 

I would highly recommend all of these products and I plan to replace them when they’re gone.  For now, I am going to enjoy looking at them and using them daily.

I am so very impressed by Besame Cosmetics.  From their packaging to their customer service.  This is a company of integrity, quality products and such a beautiful concept.  I know they will stand the test of time.  They have brought back the beauty, boudoir and luxury of days gone by.  Thank you Besame for letting me experience a little bit of history in a new and improved way. 

For more information and store locations:

www.besamecosmetics.com

Besame Cosmetics Boutique

1558 Victory Blvd.

Glendale CA 91201