Reviews

Tell us about yourself: London is where I work (and shop.) My beauty interests lie mostly with the smaller, independent lines (Mr London jokes that the best way to describe my taste in anything is ‘esoteric’.) My beauty style is classic with a twist. I like taupe eyes, and red or rosy lips.

For our reference, what’s your skintone and hair coloring? My skintone is a pale cool olive (I’m about MAC 20 depth, although NW is too pink and NC too yellow.) My hair is a dark chestnut, and I have brown eyes.

How did you find out about Edward Bess? I first read about the Lip Wardrobe in Allure. When the products started to be sold separately a couple of the ladies that I know on emakemeup.com bought some, and one of my makeup twins there told me I needed to try the eyeshadows (and then enabled the purchase for me across the pond.)

What do you love best about Edward Bess? The excellent quality and textures of the products. The eye products are just fabulous neutrals; they’re wearable and classic without being dull or muddy.

Top favorite products/colors? Dusk and Intimate eyeshadows, and Midnight Bloom lipstick. Dusk and Intimate are the perfect neutral shadows to wear with a red lip (a khaki taupe and a beige with very subtle green/pink shimmer respectively), and Midnight Bloom is a lovely cherry red (pictured below).

Is there anything that didn’t quite work for you? Night Orchid lipstick is hard work for me to wear. I picked it because at the time it was the only pink lipstick in the range, but it is a little bit brighter than I feel comfy in. I have one of the three new lipsticks on the way to me (Tender Love) and I’m really looking forward to trying this; I think the line has been crying out for some rosy/plum lipshades.

What are your other favorite beauty brands and or products? Other brands I love include: Julie Hewett, Beaute, Kevyn Aucoin, Rouge Bunny Rouge, RMS Beauty, Lipstick Queen.

So what is an Edward Bess fan like? From what I gather, we all love those unique and more independent lines. We go for that simple minimalist but classic polished look. Leanne, another Edward Bess fan, shares her experiences and reviews on the line. She was the first one to help me with my millions of questions back in September and immediately gave me the latest scoop on the newest upcoming lipsticks (released in the fall) giving me super descriptions and details based on what she knew. Leanne definitely pointed me in the right direction starting me off with Intimate Eyeshadow & the fall lipsticks and glosses.

From Leanne:

I’m a 53 year-old visual artist, mother of two, and yoga fanatic from the Pacific Northwest. I consider myself something of a minimalist. I’m a sucker for really good design, whether it’s fashion, handbags, or furniture (I have a particular soft spot for Scandinavian style).

I have pale skin with cool undertones and blue eyes. My natural hair color is a medium ash blonde. I am in the process of letting it grow out with some gray and toning to blend it, so the overall effect is light blonde.

I would call my beauty style “simple chic with added quirkiness”, and “working what you’ve got”. I love the French concept of bien dans sa peau, or “feeling good in one’s skin”– being happy with who you are, flaws and all. I practice good skin care and work with my natural hair texture (which is curly/wavy and worn just below the shoulders). I’m the same weight I was in high school because of my yoga practice and a fairly healthy diet (I’m no saint, but I avoid fast food). My favorite makeup is a natural, neutral but polished look with a deep or striking lip color (think of the late Carolyn Bessette Kennedy). As I age, I’m spending more time on things that define my features, like eyebrows and lipstick, rather than trendy colors or complicated makeup.

My finding Edward Bess story is rather poignant. I became a widow last year, and decided that one way to ease myself through such a difficult time was to pare down my beauty routine but splurge on the absolute best products for the job. Researching on Makeup Alley and reading beauty blogs was a fun distraction when I needed it. The first thing I discovered about the line was that his lipsticks were great but you had to buy them all together for hundreds of dollars. My initial reaction was “pull the other one, Edward, it’s got bells on”– not exactly positive! Then I discovered that he was in fact expanding his line and selling products separately, with prices comparable to Chanel, Chantecaille, and Giorgio Armani. I was entranced by the reviews– his take on makeup sounded so in tune with what I wanted– and I contacted Leslie for her advice. She was, of course, lovely and very helpful. I started out with a few lipsticks, and I was a goner. Orders for the highlighter and concealer happened next, followed by purchases of eye shadows and more lipstick. (You see where this is going). I started getting rid of similar items from other lines that just didn’t stand up to these products. For me, having his line of cosmetics is like having a great quality wardrobe of a few simple, gorgeous, versatile pieces that all work together. The quality of these products– the texture, the scent, the lovely color palette, the simple black packaging– makes them a pleasure to use and wear. And the wear time is phenomenal.

My favorite products are Intimate eye shadow, Afterglow highlighter, Soft Beige Platinum Concealer, and several of the Ultra Slick Lipsticks (Eternal Passion, Tender Love, and Night Romance). There were a few lipstick shades I tried that didn’t work for me, but definitely have more hits than misses.

I love small, independent beauty lines and Julie Hewett’s is another that deserves more attention. Of the larger brands, Nars has been a consistent favorite of mine.

I can’t wait to see how Edward Bess expands his line. I hope he continues to do it with the same thoughtfulness and care he has put into it so far!