May Lippy Review: Besame Classic Color Lipstick in 1959 – Red Hot Red

The second lip product review for the month of May is the Besame Cosmetics Lipstick in Red Hot Red, which is meant to be an exact replica of a colour from 1959. Besame is a relatively new makeup brand, having only been established since 2004, and is a family run business that focuses on making luxury cosmetics inspired by the golden age of cinema – in other words, cosmetics that are luxurious, vintage and glamourous.

This lipstick costs USD22 for 3.5g of product, which is not too expensive as compared to other high end brands, but it’s certainly not a drugstore price. Red Hot Red is a bold and brazen warm red with yellow undertones, with a semi-matte finish. The lipstick is supposedly enriched with squalene, vitamin C and aloe. I think the name is really apt, because this is really a red hot red, and one coat is enough to give amazing full coverage.

This lipstick goes on very smoothly, perhaps just a tad dry if you compared this with other semi-matte lipsticks, but not if you’re comparing this with other matte lipsticks. I don’t see any patchiness; the only problem that I could name, if I tried, is that it will not be an easy one to apply for lipstick newbies! It’s so pigmented that a small dab will give you colour. It’s very comfortable on and doesn’t feather even when I don’t line my lips.

I love how they took so much effort in providing the history behind the lipstick and the guide on how to apply the lipstick! This shade is a replica of a color from 1959, which is Marilyn Monroe’s favorite shade – a fire engine red. It’s supposed to look good on all skin tones, particularly those with yellow undertones – I tend to agree with this description; I have yellow undertones and this looks amazing. It’s very brightening, yet very classic looking.

There’s a little pamphlet that teaches you to 1) prepare your lips by hydrating with lip balm and lining the lips, 2) pre-stain lips with a thin coat of the lipstick with a lip brush, and 3) apply the lip colour. I usually just head straight to step 3, but if I want a very long lasting application, I find following the guide gives me really great extended wear time. This lipstick stays on about 3-4 hours on me, but longer if I use it the recommended way.

This comes in a red and gold bullet inspired by the 1940s, which I find really cool and vintage-looking. I think they should have gone one step further to make this more luxurious by adding more weight because the cap feels very light and gets scratched easily. I think it’s important that the packaging can withstand some handling because lipstick usually requires reapplication, so it has to be brought out and tossed around in the bag. I love the packaging and I want it to stay looking that good, but at the same time usable.

I’m truly in love with these lipsticks and I actually just made an order for a few more – because I love the formula, and I think they will look so adorable as a little set on my make-up table! It’s expensive but I feel like it’s more worth it than other high end brands – which they just push out – because there’s so much research and story behind each lipstick! What do you think? Have you tried these lipsticks?