Fresh Lipstick for Noir Bombshells

Trying to channel your inner Rita Hayworth or Dolores del Rio? You can score vintage duds and pin curl your hair, but what about authentic makeup? Retro-loving gals can now turn to Glendale-based Besame Cosmetics, a new line launched in September that recalls the glamour of the postwar era. At Besame, lipsticks come in bullet-sized metal containers, gold cigarette cases house makeup sets, and the old-school rouges have red satin puffs.

“I always liked classic beauty and values because I was brought up that way,” says creator and owner Gabriela Hernandez, whose website, www.besamecosmetics.com, also has imaginary letters from ‘40s ingenues and fashion ideas illustrated with models in period hairdos and clothing.

“I remember thinking my grandmother and mom were so glamorous when I was little,” says Hernandez, a graphic designer and makeup artist who was raised in Buenos Aires before moving to Los Angeles at age 14. After studying fine arts and photography at Art Center College of Design, she and husband Fergus launched a design and advertising agency that now houses Besame’s headquarters and by-appointment retail space. Five years ago, armed with a flurry of old cosmetics ads and a collection of antique makeup, Hernandez began the painstaking process of finding local manufacturers who were willing to re-create the ornamental metal containers of the ‘40s and ‘50s. While the line isn’t aimed specifically at one ethnic group, Latinas are avid customers, Hernandez says. “Latin girls like the era because it’s easy to reproduce the look with their dark hair, and my line has a lot of deeper colors,” she explains. “These girls already have it going on.”

Besame Cosmetics are available at Revamp in Los Angeles, Lula Mae in Pasadena, Vintage Inspired in Mission Viejo and by appointment at 1558 Victory Blvd., Glendale, (818) 548-2628.