Because sometimes even a Domestik Goddess needs to be a little more “goddess” than “domestic” — and because I’ve probably watched way too many old movies— I am rather enchanted by the Bésamé line of cosmetics, which harken back to the sophisticated styles of the 1930s and ’40s.
Retro shades for face, lips, and eyes are packaged in faithful replicas of the essential boudoir items of the Golden Age of Hollywood Glamor. Just look at those containers — and the dainty powder puffs, the mirror-lined lids of the half-dollar-sized compacts.
What we’ve got here, my dear, are cosmetics designed for the fabulous modern woman who’s confident enough to drop the briefcase, after hours, and go all-out frankly feminine when a little glamor is called for…
The face powder (with a faint scent of vanilla, yum!) is probably my favourite of the products in the Luxurious Trio gift set, I think. (Bésamé recommends giving your face a light dusting to even out the oils before applying powder rouge or eyeshadow, by the way, and then using the powder to set your make-up… It works like a charm.) Check out the semi-matt lipstick in a range of vintage shades, with the chisel shape that lets you outline lips precisely, just like they did it in the movies. The Boudoir Rouge, which rounds out the Trio, is a subtle powder blush and easy to control in application, but I think that the best thing about it is the adorable little compact!
It all makes me think of Hedy Lamarr, steaming up the screen with those amazing lips and eyes, and then going off to invent Something Very Technical which was essential to the development of modern wireless technology — which is exactly what she did. And that’s why we have cell phones. How perfect is that?