Kiss Me Katie

It's been hard to escape the incessant doom and gloom of recession and the turmoil that's blighted this country in the past few months: economically, politically and environmentally! Especially when it's plastered all over the newspapers and beaming out from every television set. The good news is that there are a few products which can truly be deemed 'recession proof', and one that is a legendary morale booster... lipstick! The idea of using makeup to 'put on a brave face' has seen us through two World Wars and several recessions. And the 'Lipstick Effect' is clearly in force today, where, despite many luxury brands suffering, makeup sales are still going strong.

Once, as well as cheering us up, lipsticks and compacts themselves were true art forms. But over the years, the stylish designs of yesteryear have given way to dull, mass-produced plastic, although the formula and staying power of cosmetics have of course vastly improved. However, there is one modern makeup company trying to revive the art of beautiful vintage packaging: America's Besame Cosmetics. How very apt, then, that What Katie Did are now stocking the full range of Besame, their cosmetic counterparts, on their website (in the Wardrobe section) and in their Portobello Road Boutique! And guess who was asked to do a shoot for them this week?


Meee! :)

Just like What Katie Did, Besame produces products with a real old Hollywood flair. The beautifully crafted metal containers, etched with art deco flourishes contain period perfect lipstick shades like Carmine and Noir Red and blusher that would produce cheeks as peachy as Rita Hayworth's. The chic little Classic Enchanting Lipsticks come in a 1940s style bullet-shaped tube (perfect for a small evening bag), and are specially shaped to help you create a film star pout. The newly introduced Voluptuous Lip Colour sets contain a full-sized, black enamel-clad lipstick, along with a matching lip pencil and ergonomically designed brush... the ultimate gift for a glamorous girlfriend! The rest of the line features equally stunning products with evocative names: Enriching Lip Glaze, Vintage Boudoir Rouge, Vintage Alluring Eye Shadows, Classic Masterliner Pencil and the Signature Compact with Cashmere Pressed Powder – which looks equally at home on a dressing table or being pulled out of your vintage handbag! If that wasn't enough to tempt you, Besame pride themselves on only using the purest, natural ingredients, and never test on animals meaning their products are as ethical as they are elegant. I managed to model SIXTEEN different shades of lipstick, gloss and balm, so as you might imagine, my lips were feeling a bit worse for wear by the end! But they're such moisturising lipsticks that it wasn't too bad. All the products are wonderful to use... it was all I could do not to buy everything on the spot. I already own one Besame Classic lipstick in a lighter pink, that I tend to blend; loose powder and a lovely pink blusher, but now I am definitely going to invest in a set of Rapture Rose - Katie and I both fell in love with it as a perfectly vintage alternative to red!

Some more piccies:

All photos by the super talented Tony Nylons. Find him at Peek Magazine (his new venture)!

The site and shop will have everything in stock, saving you both shipping and customs fees (and in fact I don't think Brits will be able to shop from the US site at all now...). But it's worth visiting the shop if you can, to see and touch these gorgeous products in real life. If you fancy a pillar-box red pout, but don't know where to start, you'll be delighted to hear that almost every staff member at the boutique is a trained makeup artist! I guarantee you won't find any better vintage makeup advice anywhere else!

Do hop over and have a look. I just need to decide what to buy first...

Have great weekends everyone!

Fleur xx
DiaryofaVintageGirl.com