Besame: Kenley Collins Scarf and Lipstick Set

As I mentioned in my review of Besame’s 1920s Deco Collection, my favorite vintage-style makeup store currently also has another special “set,” which is the Kenley Collins Scarf and Lipstick Set.

If you have watched “Project Runway,” you might remember Kenley Collins from Season 5. She was the saucy, 1940s-inspired designer with the nasally voice, who was labelled the show’s “problem child” by fashion mentor Tim Gunn. Kenley Collins also returned to the show a second time for “Project Runway All Stars.”

I really loved the clothing designs she came up with for the individual competitions, and was also a fan of her collection as a finalist on Season 5. I’ll admit that I was also a fan of the bitchy, stuck-up attitude that seemed to put her out of the favor of most other people, both on the show and in the audience. I just liked that she was different, and a badass, and that she didn’t give a hoot. And I liked her even more when she exhibited a new level of maturity upon her return to the show, for “All Stars.” She had “grown up” a good deal, and proved she could actually be pleasant to be around, while still somehow retaining her badass-edness.

Well naturally, when I saw that she and Besame were collaborating on a scarf and lipstick set, I knew had to have it. I first learned about the set from the YouTube promotions that Kenley did with Besame’s founder, Gabriela Hernandez:

I am glad I got the set, despite my realization that the scarf really does not go with any of my outfits, or even any of the decor in my house. While I appreciate the design as a stand-alone piece, it really doesn’t fit my personal style, and I doubt I will ever wear it. However, I like having it. The chiffon feels wonderful to touch, and I just keep it in an area of my house with all my lingerie and hosiery and gloves, just enjoying it being there.

I do love the color of the limited edition lipstick, which is called “Kenley Red.” And I have already been wearing that.

click images to view larger

kenley besame scarf

kenley collins scarf

kenley red lipstick swatch

kenley red besame

In my first Besame lipstick review I noted the similarity between the colors Besame Red and Red Hot Red. Well, I found that Besame Red is even more similar to Kenley Red than it is to Red Hot Red. The photo below actually shows the differences between swatches quite well, considering that, in certain lighting, a difference can hardly be detected at all.

red lipstick

besame lipstick swatches

It seems that Kenley Red has maybe a pinch more warmth, like a bit more of a raspberry hue than Besame Red. And because I do love raspberry hues, Kenley Red might just be my favorite of the three. Still, the colors are so very close to one another. The Besame lipstick colors I have so far are either bright red or dark red, and I have six tubes. I am excited to have more on the way, which will fall more into the pinkish category. It will be nice to try a color from them that’s really different.

Overall, I like the Kenley Collins Scarf and Lipstick Set by Besame, and look forward to more limited edition and special collections from them in the future.

Thanks for stopping by, and happy mouth-painting!

xox,
The Lipstick Lady

MAC Lipstick Review

I have more MAC lipsticks than I do of any other brand. This is mostly because they have such a wide array of colors, they are fairly inexpensive, and because they come out with really fun limited edition sets (the Wonder Woman Collection, the Venomous Villains Collection, and the Marilyn Monroe Collection, to name a few). It will take me a while to photograph and write about all my MACs, so I will do it in chunks, in between reviewing other brands.

Some of the MAC lipsticks I review have been discontinued, but a lot of the time you can still find them at Amazon, where resellers still have extra stock.

I’ll start with some of my more earth-toned colors.

From left to right: Velvet Teddy, Viva Glam I, Charred Red, and The Prowl.

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mac lipstick earth tonesmac lipstick earth tones swatches

Out of the above, Viva Glam I is definitely my favorite. It is a nice, somewhat neutral matte red, and it goes with pretty much any outfit. Velvet Teddy is a tad light for my taste, but I can imagine it being very flattering on someone else, with a bit of liner in maybe a shade darker. Charred Red is good for goth days. And although I like the name, I am definitely not a fan of The Prowl. Really odd consistency, and the color just isn’t flattering on me.

And now, to contrast all of that earthliness, here are some pinks and purples!

From left to right: Violetta, Satin Spitfire, Show Orchid, and Viva Glam Gaga.

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mac lipstick pinks and purplesmack lipstick pinks and purples swatches

I absolutely *adore* Violetta. Pictured above is my second tube, being that I used my first one down to a sliver. It is the prettiest violet shade I’ve ever worn, and goes on so smoothly. I do think that Violetta is one of the discontinued colors, which is unfortunate. Satin Spitfire is part of the limited edition Wonder Woman set, and I am also a big fan of that one, as I am of Show Orchid. Finally, Viva Glam Gaga is really pretty for a very light shade, which is why I keep it, despite its- -ahem- -condition.

What I find a bit odd about MAC lipsticks is that the texture isn’t always consistent. Some of their lipsticks feel dry whereas others feel more creamy. It could be that some of the lipsticks I get are simply newer than others, which would explain the issue.

You can probably gather that I am more of a fan of the bright colors than the brownish ones, so my opinion is probably a bit biased in that way. I do love reds, though, and my really red MAC lipsticks are reserved for a future blog entry.

More soon; thanks for stopping by!

xox,
The Lipstick Lady