I hardly ever get the chance to write anymore, and I figure that I've said about as much about makeup as there is to day, but this- this is special. This is worth locking myself in my room with a Diet Coke (wild Friday night) and bringing the ol' blog out of retirement for!
Several long months after announcing the Agent Carter Collection Besame Cosmetics finally launched it. I have talked about Besame many, many times before. I think they have an incredible product, in packaging pretty enough that their cosmetics are tiny works of art. I also believe in supporting small, woman owned businesses, especially when those businesses are run by women of color. Besame, which is also cruelty free, checks all of those boxes.
The first release was of three Agent Carter inspired lipsticks in a makeup case also inspired by the show and embossed with Peggy's initials. Its stunning, and if you google you can find many, many reviews of the initial product release. As much as I love Peggy Carter (and I lovvvve Peggy Carter) I couldn't justify the $68 price tag when I already own the shades in the kit, just under their original packaging. The 102 Sweet Dreams color is also "Red Velvet," which is Peggy's signature color, and the product that got me hooked on Besame to begin with. So, I decided to wait for the rest of the launch.
I have to say, that I am disappointed that the line has so few products. Don't get me wrong, each is more beautiful than the last, but I feel like this was a great opportunity. Besame is the vintage makeup company, and Peggy Carter is the epitome of 1940's glamor, so it feels like a really perfect pairing. When the full line launched, I decided that the eye palette was the product for me, because, truthfully, its the only thing I don't already have. I have Besame powder, and a gold compact, and the lipsticks, and the rebranding itself wasn't enough to make me want to buy them. The eyeshadow was something I didn't have though, and I was so excited to receive it.
As usual, Besame didn't disappoint in their packaging. My palette came wrapped in The Besame Bugle, a vintage inspired newspaper, in this instance filled entirely with articles about Agent Carter and the makeup she wears. Its so beautiful, and I really can't wait to sit down and read every word. As a side note, both seasons of the Agent Carter TV show are on hulu, and if you haven't watched them, you really should. Its incredibly well written and visually delicious. Its a crime it only got two seasons.
Anyway.
Look how pretty!
And now we've all learned a little something!!
The palette retails for $36 and comes with six colors in a combination of both shimmery and matte shades that the website describes thusly:
DUGAN a beautiful shimmer brown, ZERO MATTER a shimmering buttery beige, ENGLISH a pastel shimmery pink, ALLIES a shimmery army green, LEVIATHAN a deep matte purple, and MIDNIGHT OIL a dark matte brown
These are all named after characters or items from the show, which, again, if you haven't watched, you should. The palette itself is heavy, and dark blue in color. Its vegan, but the material looks like one of the leather bound books that smells of rich mahogany that Ron Burgundy keeps in his house.
It is meant to look like Peggy's passport, and its execution is really well done. This isn't a cheaply made product. The only quibble I have with it (and it pops up a few times within this collection) is that Peggy's middle initial isn't P, it's E. Her name is Margaret Elizabeth Carter. Since the line is also branded by Marvel, the obviously had license to use the character, and not some knock off "agent" so it kind of bothers me that this isn't correct. I don't know if it was a creative decision for people who aren't that into Peggy Carter, but then, the line was obviously designed with Peggy's fans in mind, because Peggy really put Besame on the map. It's a minor thing, but since they obviously worked hard to make something of quality, I wish that just a tiny bit more attention to detail was paid.
Moving on.
The inside cover is still meant to look like her passport, with a little mirror so you can travel with the palette and use the mirror for application no matter where you happen to be. The palette opens and closes by magnet, and it takes a bit of force to get it open, which I like. It means I have an outside chance of catching my daughter when she decides to play with it before she destroys the whole thing. May the odds be ever in my favor.
The shadows themselves have a wonderful, buttery texture, and don't feel dry or powdery at all. There isn't any fallout to speak of, which is always good. They don't have a scent, and they seem to pick up from a brush very easily. I was very excited to swatch them!
So. If you are looking for intense pigment on your first swipe, these will make you sad, I think. They are described as "highly pigmented" and... I don't think so. They are swatched in the same order they are in the palette, with "Dugan" closest to my wrist, and "Midnight Oil" at the other end. "Leviathan" is the darkest color, but even then, the swatch in the picture has two passes. "English," which you might be able to see on my arm if you squint is the most sheer. It is a shimmery sort of baby pink color that I could see myself using as a base, because its basically my skin tone, except with a little bit of sparkle.
I'm actually not too mad that the colors are so sheer because they are buildable. Most of the time, you wouldn't want to slap bright green or purple eyeshadow on, but they can be really lovely if they're built up slowly. I would actually call all of the colors in this collection lovely, and they are in a great range of colors so that you could make multiple looks. I would recommend this palette if you are more of a beginner with eye shadow, but want to treat yo' self to something more in the luxury price point. Since the colors are so buildable, they can be as light or as dark as you want. Overall, I'm very pleased.
I hope that the Agent Carter line will be expanded. Nobody does beautiful makeup like they do, and Peggy Carter is such a beautiful badass. "Do as Peggy says" and check the line out for yourself!
