Today, I have a review on the Besame Holiday 2016 Mini Lipstick Set that I purchased at Sephora. The set comes with 5 mini lipsticks ($25.00 for 0.18 oz), which are all available full sized individually (the set is now sold out, but full-sized are available as these are not limited edition shades). Overall, I think this is a nice set to try out different shades in Besame's collection. I adore that they are all different shades of the red family (plus one rosy pink shade) since these are all colors that I typically gravitate towards and find myself wearing most often. I also think the brand concept of Besame cosmetics' is really cool. They are inspired by vintage makeup and shades from the different eras (hence the lipsticks are each named after a year and the shades are replicas of an actual lipstick color from that year). I and loving the old hollywood, vintage, glam vibes.
First, lets take a look at the swatches
Left: Indoor fluorescent lighting, Right: with Flash
Indoor florescent lighting, direct light
Indirect indoor florescent lighting in bathroom, with some natural lighting
My thoughts:
- Formula: The finish is a satin finish, not very glossy nor matte. Besame recommends putting on one coat, blot with tissue (this sets sort of a stain), then apply a second coat for maximum lasting power. I do like using this method when applying the lipstick and I find that blotting it gives it a more matte look on the lips.
- The lipstick itself is pigmented and I like that it has sort of a cling to it (not super slippery like some lipsticks I own, more of a drier formula). This is especially important to me when I'm wearing a bold red or deep shade of lipstick so I feel more secure that the lipstick will stay in place and I don't have to worry about my lipstick slipping/sliding/moving to other parts of my face. Despite the "drier" formula, the pigmentation is great, so I like it. - Lasting Power- good for a lipstick. Doesn't leave behind a strong stain like Revlon's or Jordana's balm stains, but the reds and deep colors leave a slight stain since they are such rich colors. Also because of the formula I mentioned above, it doesnt slip off or wipe off as easily as a more glossy or balmy lipstick would.
- Shades:
- 1930 Noir Red- A vampy deep wine red. I love this color so much, it's one of my favorites! A perfect shade for the fall and winter, and definitely on par with the vampy lips trend. I like how truly deep it is, and isn't overly purply or berry (some of these deep shades tend to look deep in the tube, then when applied come off as a fuschia/berry/purple which I don't like)- I like that this has a more red and brown undertone.
- 1935 Cherry Red- Classic deep red. Has a bit of a pink/blue undertone. Perfect for the holidays.
- 1946 Red Velvet- Another lovely red shade, this one leans a bit warmer and it's a bit lighter.
- 1969 Dusty Rose- Mauve pink shade, really great everyday my lips but better (MLBB) shade.
- 1970 Chocolate Kiss- My favorite shade of the collection! Gorgeous terra cotta brick color. It's like a medium red with brown/orangey undertones. I have been really obsessed with terra cotta, pumpkiny, warm red/mauve shades lately.
Overall, I think this is a great set to try out the different shades. The lipsticks in this set are truly mini though! I would say they are smaller than other lipstick sets you'd see at sephora, the size of the container is about maybe my pinky size in height and the actual lipstick itself is about 1/3 of my pinky. I think each mini lipstick would probably last 15-20 uses potentially. However, I was still glad I purchased this set, as I think it is a nice way for me to test out the different shades. The lipsticks are super cute with the gold and red packaging, and although they are plastic, it still looks luxe at least.
The standouts for me in this set was 1930 and 1970- they're different from the shades I have in my collection and I may have to buy a full sized of the 1970 shade.. I just love it.
Hope this review was helpful and thanks for reading! What's your favorite shade? Have you tried Besame cosmetics?
Until next time...
xoxo,
Kathleen
