There are some changes in Edward Bess' lipstick range. Some colors were discontinued and others were added. Night Jasmine and Roulette Rouge were the obvious choices for me (my friend Jessica of Tinsel Creation reviews Midnight Hour). Night Jasmine is a berry mauve shade, exactly what I consider as "my lips but much much better". The lipstick is creamy, gives a full coverage and dries into a velvet satin finish. I find Night Jasmine slightly dry compared to other Edward Bess lipsticks-- not drying, but not moisturizing either. I judge that based on the appearance of the scar on my bottom lip. Topping the lipstick with a gloss (the new Edward Bess Wild Passion. Swatches and review next week) corrects the issue completely.
Roulette Rouge is a perfect true red. It's warmer than the previous red from Edward Bess (Midnight Bloom, now discontinued) and looks as classic as they come. Again, the coverage is full, the finish is satin-like and the lipstick feels quite light. Roulette Rouge speaks directly to my red-loving heart.
Edward Bess lipsticks and glosses are intensely scented. The fragrance is fruity (they call it wold fig, but I have yet to eat a fig that smells like this) and assertive, but thankfully fades before I get annoyed. If you're sensitive or allergic please take this into consideration. There's something a bit retro about a perfumed lipstick, so I don't mind too much, even if I'd prefer a vanilla scent.
As many of you know, Edward Bess changed manufacturers a couple of time throughout his career. As a long time customer I have lipsticks from different phases. The newest products are made in Taiwan, while older lipsticks and glosses were made in Italy and in the US. I can't tell if the formula is different (other than the relative dryness of Night Jasmine), but looking at the ingredients as printed on the boxes shows they are not 100% the same. Since my last organic chemistry class was in 1988, I can't decipher much (or any) of this. If you have a professional insight, please chime in. I can tell you that the caps on both these new lipsticks don't sit as tight as they should. It's especially evident in Roulette Rouge, so this one will not make it into my purse. From what I hear from friends this is not a universal issue, so some have caps that click firmly into place. I do miss the old Italian packaging, that's for sure.
Bottom Line: still as beautiful as they come.
Edward Bess Roulette Rouge & Night Jasmine Lipsticks ($32) each are available at Bergdorf Goodman, select Neiman Marcus locations and also online from Sephora.
I had a newer one that I had to return for a firmer closing cap. It fell off in my purse a few times, and I couldn't have it getting ruined. I do love his lipsticks though!
ReplyDeletebesides the palette, I never ventured on one of his lipsticks. They look beautiful, though
ReplyDeleteDear Gaia good morning from Greece! I love your chic and sophisticate blog!Excellent point about manufacturers.All products made in Asia now and in Europe the economy slowly die.sorry for my English.Amalia
ReplyDeleteugh what a disaster about the caps. that should absolutely never happen and makes me think that edward bess the brand is losing the attention to detail that made it so special in the first place. i wonder if it indicates that mr. bess is losing interest and getting ready to sell out to estee lauder or lancome.
ReplyDeleteHis products are now made in Taiwan so I'm not surprised about the caps.
DeleteHi Gaia, I was wondering what shades have been s
ReplyDeleteDiscontinued ?
Those are such beautiful colors, but I just can't bring myself to spend $$ for that packaging. I had terrible luck with the Blush Allure/Demi Buff/whatever the third color was called in the trio, which I think were the former new lipsticks before these current colors. The caps on the sharp, square, plastic packaging are, indeed, not a tight fit, and the lipsticks (which were notably less "slick" than the originals in the round metal tubes) became somewhat dry and cakey. There is nothing ultra slick about the new formulas.
ReplyDeleteI once loved his brand, but I haven't bought anything in a couple years.
i, too wonder where his brand is going. now its available in sephora, which is nice that it is available at an additional location, but i feel its a sign of times to come for the brand...selling out. too bad about his quality going down. makes me re-think about wanting to buy any of his products, even though im lemming his highlighters hard... :/ - ocelot1
ReplyDeleteJust got Night Jasmine and the similar color in the gloss ( the name escapes me). I also have his lipsticks with (I think) 3 different tubes. This latest incarnation is really horrid - very cheap and bulky. I'm about to go post my feelings about this on his Facebook page!
ReplyDeleteThis comment is very late, but just in case there are some new readers, I want everyone to know that Edward Bess has taken to heart the negative comments about his latest lipstick/gloss release. He has taken the extraordinary step of actually contacting customers himself to talk about their concerns and to assure them that he is going to make everything right. You can see my comment about the call I received from him under Gaia's post about Wild Passion gloss (7/5). For those of us who were becoming worried about the direction his company was taking, I find his personal and proactive stance reassuring. FYI, I am not affiliated with EB in any way. I'm just a long time customer who happens to have her contact info on file at EB counters.
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