Bésame Cosmetics

Bésame Cosmetics is an American beauty house devoted to a single idea: that the glamour of the twentieth century is worth reviving properly. Founded in 2004 by Gabriela Hernandez, a cosmetic historian and author who emigrated from Buenos Aires, and run with her husband Fergus, the brand recreates archival formulas and packaging from the 1920s through the 1970s. This is not retro styling applied to modern products. Bésame researches original formulations and reissues them, from a cake mascara revived from a hundred-year-old formula to lipsticks named for the year of their shade, such as Enamorada 1947. Gold-plated compacts, cream rouge and loose face powders are made as collectible objects, and the brand's telling of the 1912 suffrage red lipstick story has become part of its identity. Disney and Marvel collections sit alongside the archive. Formulations are free from harsh chemicals, parabens, mineral oils and gluten, and the brand is 100% cruelty-free with no animal testing. Hernandez works directly with the chemists. Bésame has also operated sustainably for over seventeen years, using reusable and refillable packaging and biodegradable materials, which suits a brand designed to be kept rather than discarded. Priced in the mid-range tier at roughly ten to thirty-six dollars, it competes on craftsmanship rather than novelty. For shoppers seeking paraben-free, cruelty-free, women-owned American beauty with genuine historical depth and packaging built to last, Bésame is without real equivalent.