5/17/2023 0 Comments Timeless beautyHernandez herself always tries products on her own very sensitive skin before releasing them. After she approves a formula, it undergoes microbiology and sensitivity testing. She then tries “to figure out a way to remake that formula so it retains some of the properties … but with modern ingredients that are good for you now, instead of what they were using in the past,” she said. Hernandez starts by analyzing the formula of an original vintage makeup product she collected from an estate sale, auction, or antique store, so she can recreate the color and texture. (Courtesy of Bésame Cosmetics)Ĭreating new products is a long process, each one taking a year or longer to develop. Bésame’s Cake Mascara, one of its most popular offerings, is a water-activated, all-in-one mascara, eyebrow enhancer, and eyeliner based on a 1800s product. Aside from the lipsticks, her most popular product is the Cake Mascara, a reformulation of an 1800s product that can act as mascara, eyebrow enhancer, and eyeliner. Since then, Hernandez has developed 18 full-sized, highly pigmented classic color lipsticks, from the 1920 Bésame Red to the 1969 Chocolate Kiss, along with a range of other makeup essentials, including cream rouge, powder blushes, and finishing powders-and that’s not including a series of limited-release special collections. The first product Hernandez introduced was a very small lipstick, modeled on a 1940s design. She named it after the Mexican pianist and songwriter Consuela Velázquez’s 1940 song “Bésame Mucho,” which is about her first time being kissed. In fact, she designed the logo and original product packaging simply to amuse herself, but after friends saw and loved her designs, she knew she had to try to bring the brand to life. In September of 2004, while designing products for other companies, Hernandez started Bésame Cosmetics “as a side project for myself,” she said, not expecting it to be very successful. After the products were gone, the containers could be saved and reused. Hernandez studied design, so it’s not surprising that one of her favorite things about vintage makeup products is “the way that the containers were designed purposely to convey more than just a functional piece, but more of a jewelry-type aspect.” Rather than the flimsy plastic containers of modern cosmetics, antique makeup containers were beautifully designed for display on a vanity, or to be proudly carried in one’s handbag. She adored “the way those were made, and the romance of makeup in the past,” she said. Young Hernandez was fascinated by the design of her grandmother’s antique cosmetics. It was more than just routine it was a romantic experience. Growing up in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Hernandez remembers watching her grandmother putting on makeup to get ready for each day. (Courtesy of Bésame Cosmetics) Inspired by the Past Bésame’s products, such as the cream rouge, lipsticks, and cake mascara pictured here, are all based on classic cosmetics. Bésame’s award-winning products have been featured and reviewed multiple times in Vogue, Allure, and many other print and digital publications, and won fans in customers from around the country. That’s where Hernandez and her retro-inspired products come in.Īlthough it started as a niche interest, her company has grown into a recognized and respected cosmetics brand. But while you can wear dresses, hats, and shoes made years ago and carefully preserved, you can’t use decades-old cosmetics for more than historical reference. The final touch in a polished vintage look is historically accurate makeup. People had less, but they made it work, and they really did a good job because they groomed themselves well.” What was the secret to women’s simple, classy style back then? According to Hernandez, “the whole thing about vintage is that less is more. Since 2004, her vintage makeup company Bésame Cosmetics, based in Burbank, California, has been recreating beauty staples of the 1920s to the ’60s for new generations to experience and enjoy. You might be surprised to learn that there is a thriving community of vintage, retro, and reproduction (repro) businesses-and enthusiasts-that honor and replicate the beauty and fashion of decades gone by. When you watch old movies, browse antique magazines, or recall your mother or grandmother’s style, perhaps you wish those traditional beauty standards weren’t a thing of the past.
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