Cheryl Shops

Website of the week
I will admit, I am a huge sucker for cosmetics packaging. While I count Nars as my favorite makeup brand, I love Paul & Joe's girly pots and tubes, and I'm convinced I look oh-so-chic pulling a Chanel lipstick or compact out of my purse. (Um, and I do!) But, really, no cosmetics line today beats the look of vintage makeup. Case in point: My terribly chic grandmother had a green mosaic compact-and-lipstick set from the '30s that was about half the size of a deck of cards and elegant beyond words. And she knew I admired it so much, before she passed away, she put my name on a piece of masking tape and stuck it to the back to make sure I ended up with it. (I did, and while the set is too dear to me for everyday use, I take it out every once in awhile to look at it. And the bright-red lipstick still works.) Picking up on this sentiment, makeup artist Gabriela Hernandez created Besame Cosmetics, a simple line of vintage-inspired makeup in ultraglamorous casings. Not only are they highly ornate and jewel-like, the containers are small enough to fit into your tiniest clutch, but they still carry full-size product. The shopping portion of the site is simple--shop by item (there are only nine or ten items). I want to order the Enchanting Lipstick, in a bullet-shaped container the size of a pinky finger, in Merlot, which appears to be an ultra-flattering brownish red. The Boudoir Rouge comes with a powder puff in a reusable container. And I think both the Vanity Case and the Trio Gift Set are an excellent introduction to the line. But beyond the products, the site fosters a sense of community for vintage lovers, with letters from one "Margo," vintage tips, and a rather extensive selection of links to shops and other online resources for vintage fans. So it all kind of ties together--we wear vintage (or vintage-inspired) clothing, put vintage furniture in our homes, and even do vintage-inspired activities, like knitting, playing ping-pong, and eating fondue. So it makes sense that we vintage-lovers start using vintage-inspired cosmetics. After all, beautiful packaging makes putting on your makeup every morning a little more tolerable.