In my eternal hunt for the perfect red lipstick I have decided to help you out by reviewing some.
I start with my new favourite Besame Classic Colour Lipstick courtesy of the wonderful What Katie Did. If you read to the end I also have an exciting giveaway of not one but TEN brand new full size Besame Classic Colour Lipsticks.
The Blurb
Besame cosmetics is a tiny brand run in LA by husband and wife team Gabriela and Fergus Hernandez. Gabriela is passionate about vintage cosmetics and creates colours and formulas as close as possible to those used by Hollywood Stars in the 40s and 50s. The original Besame “enchanting” lipstick was a tiny 55mm long, period correct as vintage lipsticks were very small, but modern girls demand more, more, more and Besame have now launched “full size” versions of the lipsticks.
The formula is heavily pigmented, semi matte, and made from nice, high quality, natural ingredients like beeswax, kaolin, carnauba and candelilla wax.
The Pros
Without a doubt this is the most beautiful lipstick I have ever used. I want to whip it out in public and reapply every 20 minutes (though sadly it lasts horribly well so I don’t need to) The case is a rounded gold metal decorated with deep red floral design and it comes in a little red velvet pouch with a gold draw cord and a little gold tag.
I tried both Red Hot Red (based on Marilyn Monroes favourite red) and Besame Red and liked both shades, though personally I preferred Besame Red as I felt it was a slightly deeper red colour.
The lipstick applied smoothly, has a wonderful satin texture and I didn’t experience any major feathering.
I wore it on both New Years Eve and Christmas Day. I confess it struggled slightly to cope with a full on 3 course Christmas Dinner and needed reapplying, but New Years Eve was no struggle for it at all. I topped it up a couple of times, mostly because I wanted to get the tube out in the toilets, but it dealt admirably with the eating and drinking.
The colour Besame Red on my lips (no lipliner!)
The Cons
The first con that needs addressing is the price. Like with any other product you often pay more for a product from a small company as they don’t have the economies of scale of the biggies.
The full size Besame lipstick costs £22. This is expensive, but I have never seen such beautiful packaging and for me that does justify the cost. For Comparison Mac lipsticks are about £13 and Chanel Hydrabase around £20. If you would spend £20 on a Chanel lipstick in black plastic packaging, then the gorgeous gilt and the red velvet pouch make this worth the money! The fact that it’s also a very good, long lasting lipstick is another justification, and I suspect it will last a long time.
Another slight problem for me was the tip shape. It is designed angled so you can tilt it and use it to line and fill in your lips without the need for liner and lipbrushes. I’m more used to the rounded “tear drop” shape of most lipsticks, so I found it slightly uncomfortable at first to apply, though I soon got used to it and actually found it easier to get a neat lipline on my cupids bow.
Excuse the pale and pasty face, blame bright winter sunlight and the vestiges of a cold….
The Giveaway
What Katie Did have been kind enough to offer not one, but TEN chances for one of you lovely vintage ladies to win a full size Besame lipstick, worth £22. You can chose from Red Hot Red (the favourite at What Katie Dids last red lipstick workshop) or Besame Red, the shades can be seen on the What Katie Did website.
All you need to do to enter is answer this easy peasy question and enter your email address. What Katie Did will send anyone who doesn’t win a special offer email if you REALLY don’t want to receive this then please feel free to leave a comment on this post with the words “OPT OUT” and I will remove your email from the list!
Good Luck!
[competition_7]
The Competition will run for 2 weeks, closing at midnight GMT Wednesday 19th January The competition is open WORLDWIDE (but you are responsible for any customs fees etc!) The final winners will be selected at random from all available entries The winners will be notified by email and have 48 hours to respond. No cash alternative is available! By entering you agree to your email address being passed to What Katie Did for the purposes of receiving a Special Offer email.
Comments
29 responses to “Retro Chick Reviews: Besame Red Lipstick (+ Giveaways!)”
Fab prize, i love red lippy…only trouble is i’ve found it hard to find one to suit me. I think this one would be perfect 🙂
Really awesome giveaway prize! I’ve read reviews on Besame before and the only drawback is always the price! Would love to give the Besame Red a go!!
Great giveaway, and also like Vicki I struggle so much to find a red that works on me. People keep telling me that with my pale skin and dark hair and eyes it would look good, but then I try and I feel like a Cindy doll that has been made up way too many times, if you see what I mean.
Price-wise it does sound expensive but completely agree that if Chanel and other brands are working on prices like that with a cheap package, us savvy consumers should go for products like these from Besame Cosmetics.
Love this Red shade, and it comes in a lovely case & Pouch, very nice..
Fab giveaway 🙂 I have everything crossed 🙂
Great review, it looks like really strong coverage. And I do love the pretty packaging, I admit I buy much of my cosmetics based on how it will look on my dressng table.
I have longed lustered after the Besame lipstick! Not only do they have a range of fantastic shades, but the presentation of the lipstick is also something that I think is worth paying the little bit of extra money for.
You look B-E-Auuutiful! The shade really suits you.
Belated New Year wishes!
♥
Leanne
x
always wanted one of these lipsticks but could never afford it
SO hope i win!
x
Wow, amazing giveaway lady! I have my fingers and toes foirmly crossed! I have nit yet tried Besame but heard fabulous things about it. I have a Mac red but I find it dries my lips out, even with the primer, so would love love love to try a beautifully packaged Besame one!
xxx
Beautiful lippy! I’ve entered! My favourite lippy (until spying this) was a Boots No7 ‘reproduction’ (of their first packaging) from a few years back. I tend to use Urban Decay (because they are natural and have pretty packaging) – I usually wear a dark cinnamon/brown/red (sounds yuk, but it looks nice), kind of 40s tweedy shade- but you can’t beat a classic red.
I have the mini version of the Besame Red lipstick and I absolutely adore it, although it is my special occassion lipstick due to the price
What an amazing giveaway! I would LOVE to win the Besame Red lipstick ~ it looks absolutely darling.
xox,
bonita of Depict This!
Have read rave revues but out of my price range so all extremeties crossed
oh i so hope i win this ive been wanting to try besame for sometime i love red lipstick!
I love red lippy and have tried loads. I do hope the Besame will be up there as it looks so good.
This really is an amazing giveaway! I love the richness of that color!!!
I haven’t tried a Besame lipstick before, but it’s on my list. The colour looks fab on you! x
Red is THE lippy colour this season and this lippy looks glam and has all the wow factor. Loving the case and the girly holder that comes with it, beauty comes at a price, so they say, and i would love to be the one that wins it so that i can convince my friends how good it is! how glam!! wowza!xx
Oooh lovely. On the mobile version of this page I couldn’t see what I am responsible for as an international. Shall check the website but just to let you know that for some reason not all of your content transfers to the mobile site. X
What an amazing giveaway! I would LOVE to win the Besame Red lipstick ~ it looks absolutely darling.
Thanks for doing a review with great photos of this lipstick. Just prior to Christmas I started my journey to find MY perfect red. Besame lipstick looks LOVELY!
How well timed. I keep meaning to buy a Besame lippie but haven’t got around to it yet. Hehe. ;]
-Andi x
Just so you know, your skin isn’t pasty. It’s BEAUTIFUL! You just glow!
Heard some fab reviews on this lippy, but way out of my price range, so fingers crossed.
Red is sooo my favorite colour, always wearing it!.x
ooooooh I’ve entered! I’ve always wanted to try this lipstick but have been so broke lately it’s such a luxury item, I’m keeping my fingers firmly crossed!!!
terrific giveaway! xx
lovely lipstick, fingers crossed i win one
Gabriela and Fergus Hernandez
<3
What a delightful review! May have to get some if I don’t win xx