FOTD: New-to-Me Besame Reds

It's very rare that I feel compelled to write a company and tell them I love their products, but Besame's lipsticks have wowed me to that point. So I shot them a quick email expressing my love, making sure to add that I've tried a squillion lipstick formulas at this point and nothing has quite compared. Imagine my shock when they replied, said they loved my blog, and would like to send me a few more things to try.

Maybe "shocked" isn't the best description. I was stunned, then elated, then suddenly insecure because I felt unworthy, then proud of myself because BESAME NOTICED ME AND THEREFORE I'VE MADE IT AS A BLOGGER.

They mentioned sending a few lipsticks in the bundle, and since I'm nothing if not thorough, I sent them the long list of Besame shades I've already tried and photographed. I openly admit that I was holding out for one of their warm reds, like Carmine or Tango Red, but I knew I'd be excited about whatever they sent me. I also assumed they'd send along 1920 Besame Red, since...I mean, it's named after their brand.

Sure enough, they sent a tube of Besame Red (on the left) along with a tube of 1933 Merlot (on the right). I actually hadn't noticed Merlot until recently, but it looked really beautiful in swatches, so I was beyond thrilled to receive it. For the record, I've already reviewed the Besame formula, but here's a quick summary: dense but not heavy, opaque, not overly drying on the lips, great staying power as long as you apply-blot-reapply (which I do with all of my traditional lipsticks, anyway), applies smooth as silk, photographs like a dream, creamy satin finish. The only shade I've tried thus far that hasn't fit this description is Noir Red, which I found drying, smeary, and not as smooth to apply.

1920 Besame Red is not the sort of red I'm immediately drawn to, but it's definitely lovely and flattering. It leans cool toned and has a muted quality that gives it a certain softness. Of all of the Besame shades I've tried, Besame Red somehow feels the most "vintage" to me. I like this one best with a relatively simple makeup look, since it's so beautifying and classic.

I have a slight preference for 1933 Merlot, which is a deep shade with a brick-brown side to it that makes it very striking and lush. (My mother said it looks "rich," which is probably the simplest yet most apt description.) Because it's a more glamorous shade, I like it with a little more on my eyes. Usually, that means winged eyeliner, but on this particular day, I decided I have a lot of nice powder eyeshadows and I should probably use them more. And since I lack eyeshadow application skills, I basically just smeared them on. If it works, it works.

Frankly, when it comes to Besame's red lipstick range, neither of these tops my beloved Victory Red, but that's a tough shade to beat. I do think Besame Red would be a better option for light to medium skinned people who found Victory Red too bright, and Merlot will look especially stunning on deeper skintones. Thanks to these two shades, my love of Besame lipsticks has only grown.

These lipsticks were sent to me by Besame. As I made clear to the company, I only write honest reviews. I do not accept financial compensation for my posts.

You can purchase these shades on the Besame website.