One of my absolute favourite Makeup Brands is the wonderful, Bésame Cosmetics which was founded by Gabriela Hernandez in 2004 and is primarily devoted to recreating authentic vintage makeup! As a true vintage girl myself, Bésame is basically a dream come true and is such a refreshing and unique concept in a 21st Century world. Also, all Bésame Cosmetics products are cruelty and gluten free as well as being PETA certified, which is very comforting to know.
Not only do Bésame focus on recreating a variety of retro products from the 1910s to the 1970s, they have also collaborated with Disney on a number of Classic Film Collections; starting with Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs (1937) (sadly no longer available!) Mickey Mouse (1919) and Peter Pan’s Mermaid Lagoon (1953). Fast forward to now and the latest collaboration is to celebrate the 60th Anniversary of the eternal Sleeping Beauty (1959) which just so happens to be one of my favourites and features my most loved Disney Princess, (along with Cinderella!)
Each Disney Collection is intricately researched, with Bésame having rare access to the Disney Archives to recreate the famous colours from the film cells and tell the story as authentically as possible. With this particular collaboration, Gabriela incredibly recreated the famous Sleeping Beauty book, which features in the films famous opening sequence!
Although I dream of having all of the products, I sadly had to think with my head and not my heart and therefore purchased the following four items; 1959 Eyeshadow Palette, Locket Cream Rouge, Maleficent Lipstick and Briar Rose Blush Palette.
The 1959 Eyeshadow Palette may quite possibly be the most beautiful one I have ever owned, I didn’t think the Urban Decay Game of Thrones Palette could lose it’s number one spot but, this has definitely taken prized position! Inspired by the Fairy Tale Book in the opening scene of the film, the palette consists of twenty – yes twenty (!) matte eyeshadows. The shades are authentically reproduced from Aurora, Maleficent and the three Fairies’ colour palette that is used in the movie. The product actually includes four real pages inside, which recreate the looks for you to emulate and a mirror is also included!
At £57 this is the most expensive Eyeshadow Palette I’ve ever bought, but I can say with all honesty that if you’re a Disney, Sleeping Beauty, Bésame fan or super makeup lover, it is one hundred percent worth it. The quality is incredible and the time, effort and attention to detail that has gone into making this is truly laudable and does not go unappreciated. This product is without doubt a collectors item and if you were willing to pay an extra £8, you could purchase it with a special display case – however, that option is sadly sold out!
Here are the names of each shade within the palette;
Aurora – Color Call Outs;
Iris, Eyes – Grey Blue 104
Lips with peasant costume – Grey Pink 109
Eyelids – Rose 105
Skin – Coral 102
Legs – Adobe 102
Lips with pink & blue dress – Blush 105
Hair – 89343
Brows – Dust 107
Crown, necklace – 89339
Blouse, peasant costume – White 106
Skirt, peasant costume – White 107
Pink dress – Beet 105
Blue Dress – Royal 106
Maleficant – Color Call Outs;
Lips and nails – 89396
Eyes – 89348
Eye shadow – 89349
Ball on staff – 89350
Pleat of cape and sleeves – Plum 107
Skin – 89352
Staff – 89353
Within the collection their are three lipsticks available; Sleeping Beauty Pink – based on Aurora’s lip shade, Make It Blue Make It Pink – a blue lipstick which applies pink – clearly a nod to Aurora’s colour changing dress and Maleficent – which I purchased.
As a red lipstick wearer I wanted to choose one that was closest to this colour and of course, that was Maleficent. Although most of us Disney fans associate red lipstick with the iconic evil fairy, the film cells actually show that her shade was more of a deep pink with a cool undertone, which I found really interesting! All three lipsticks retail for £20 and come in the stunning Sleeping Beauty pink packaging, as well as the 1940s vintage reproduction gold cases with the 1959 film logo. The finish is a semi matte satin, like all of Bésame’s products, which is faithful to the vintage era – although I would love a true matte, simply because I like my lipstick to not move all day. However, we can’t have it all and I do love the iconic shape of Bésame lipsticks, which helps create perfect precision and again is a nod to the vintage era.
At only £15, the Locket Cream Rouge is a wonderful bargain and a true collectible that once again recreates the stunning Sleeping Beauty Book on the front and features a portrait of Princess Aurora on the back. The product is rose gold plated and features a magnetic closure which when opened, reveals a pink cream rouge. This can be worn on both the cheeks and lips and if you want to use the locket for an actual photo, the rouge can easily be removed. Therefore, not only do you get a stunning necklace like no other, but it also features a unique Sleeping Beauty product – such a must have!
The final item I purchased from the collection was the Briar Rose Blush Palette, which comes with two rouge shades and two highlighters for a total of £29. All four colours are once again thoroughly inspired by the exact colours used in Sleeping Beauty. The two lighter blush and highlight are worn by Aurora in the film and the two darker blush and highlight are Maleficent’s. Therefore, you can create a lighter day look with Princess Aurora and then vamp it up for a dramatic style with Maleficent’s. Or, if you’re feeling creative, you could even mix them all together! The compact also comes with a mirror inside which features forest artwork from the film and adds such beautiful detail, as well as the front image recreating an actual film cell used from the movie.
Overall, it’s safe to say I am without a doubt blown away by this whole Collection and feel extremely fortunate to have been able to purchase four of the items. Furthermore, I also must note how with every special collaboration, Bésame creates their very own, “Bésame Bugle” which is inspired by a vintage newspaper. This particular one features all the behind the scenes information from the Sleeping Beauty film and the makeup products! It’s an absolutely stunning collectible itself and I will treasure it. Lastly, my only hope is as Cinderella’s 70th Anniversary is next year, I pray that a collection is released to celebrate this!
A big thank you to Bésame, Gabriela and Disney for creating such beautiful collectible products for us all!
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