La Vie En Fleurs

About a month ago I posted a blog post talking all about the beautiful scents from Bienaimé  (Link here)  I was so obsessed with the products that I had to buy a bottle of perfume. After debating back and forth I decided to go with La Vie En Fleurs. Its a beautiful feminine scent that was originally created by Robert Bienaimé in 1935, it was one of the original scents that was created in the first year of the house of Bienaimé. Starting with the outside, it comes in the iconic cylinder Bienaimé box, it's pink with a red trim. Of course the glass bottle is stunning!  It has a gold art deco seashell lid, which I was shocked had so much weight to it, its very high quality. The perfume is beautiful of course, it's light and floraly but also has a bit of powder to it. It's the perfect daytime fragrance. It smells like how I imagine a woman in the 1930s smells like while getting ready at her vanity, big fluffy powder puff and all. 

Since I was already placing an order, I also got their perfume sampler to test out some of the other scents. It comes with 5 perfume samplers, all enclosed in a gorgeous striped pouch (amazing to store things in your purse after!). I've been so obsessed with La Vie En Fleurs that I haven't dug into the other fragrances yet!  But It's the weekend so I might just test them out.... and who know maybe I'll add another perfume to my collection. 

Bienaimé - Step Into The World Of Vintage Inspired Scent

I received the most magical box from Bienaimé. Not only is it pink and tied with a bow but its filled with the most incredible products! But let me start at the beginning:  I've always loved scent, I remember being obsessed with my moms perfumes as a child, constantly grabbing them from her vanity to smell the bottles. I collected many perfumes as a teenager (bought wayyy to many lol)  and now as an adult I like exploring more unique scents. I am a firm believer that scent is the final touch to an outfit. So as someone who dresses vintage I've found it hard to find scents that match my outfits.  I don't buy perfume or scented products as excessively as I used to,  I want to have a small collection that I feel represents who I am and match my style. I also want someone to be able to think of me when they smell a certain perfume or "type" of scent. 

So I turned to Bienaimé. Created by Robert Bienaimé in 1935, The brand lived on until about the 1960s, and then had a rebirth in 2021. The scents truly are a journey through time, to time of art deco and immense femininity.  They were kind enough to send me 3 of their scents in 3 different formulations for me to test out, in hopes of finding my next signature scent. 

Vermeil - Baume Onirique 

Body Balm 
This is probably the most powdery of the trio. It's like stepping into a vintage art deco makeup compact, in the best way possible. The top notes are: Carrot seeds and Aldehyde. The heart notes are: Iris, Violet, Rose, and Raspberry. And the base notes are: White Musk, Tolu Balsam, Sandalwood and Heliotrope.
This body balm isn't a thick cream its more of a thicker body oil that absorbs quickly quickly and leaves your skin feeling silky smooth and smelling incredible. It also comes with a little spatula for easy application. Trust me once you've tried it you'll wonder how you've lived your whole life without this balm! If you like powdery feminine scents this is perfect for you ! It's luxurious and feminine.  

Jours Heureux - Liquid Soup
This is such a unique scent! It's like nothing I've smelled before. The top note is Almonds. The heart notes are: Carnation, Violet, Geranium, Rose. And base notes are: Vanilla, White Musk, and Tonka beans. It's a bit of a warmer scent but still very clean and filled with layers. The more I smell it the more I like it which I think it speaks to the complexity of the scent. When I use it in the shower I feel like I'm being pampered and hugged with the scent. It's beautiful, and it makes me think of days gone by.

La Vie En Fleurs - Hand Beauty Cream 
This might actually be my favourite scent of the bunch. It has a delicate flower powdery scent that is perfect for daytime. Very feminine like a string of pearls. The hand hand is so soft and buttery it leaves my hands feeling soft with no greasy texture. I can honestly say it might be my new favourite hand cream and I will have place an order as soon as it runs out. And as a side note the packaging is so beautiful and perfect for carrying around in your purse. 

I think this goes without saying but I am blown away by the scents. They are come complex and filled with layers compared to most modern scents. I also can't conclude this blog post without talking about the gorgeous packaging. Each item comes in a sturdy pink and red box. They come in different shapes and sizes, it makes me feel like I stepped back in time shopping at a luxurious boutique. it's very special. 

 I also wanted to mention that you can purchase all of these products and many more (including their perfumes) directly from their website here.  There are two shops here in Toronto that carry some of their products! 100% Silk shop on Dupont and Euclid Farms on Queen St West. I will definitely be purchasing my new signature scent from Bienaimé.... as soon as I can make up my mind on which one I love more! So for now I'll be over here using all of these products until I decide. Stay tuned to see which one I pick! 

Begin The Beguine

[GIFTED] Us vintage girls are always on the hunt for some vintage inspired cosmetics. Nothing truly compares to makeup from the 1920s-1960s. The packaging was gorgeous and full of detail, something you were proud to put on the counter or take out of your bag. So when I saw this new Canadian lipstick company I swooned ! The brand is Starlight, it launched in 2024 and I think they made my new favourite lipsticks. Their packaging screams old Hollywood! and I was blown away by the quality and weight of the lipstick.  In these photos I am featuring Begin The Beguine - A lipstick swatched from an original 1930s lipstick. It's a gorgeous warm toned, semi matte finish with a subtle vanilla flavour. I did also get  A Salute In Red - A 1940s inspired lipstick (let me know if you want to see a full blog post on they too !)
And the best part is that the lipsticks are refillable !  Similar to how old lipstick were in the golden age of Hollywood, you can buy your full complete lipstick for $45 CAD and refills are $25 CAD. They are also Gluten free, Mineral and Paraben free. AND they come with a small individual velvet pouch to protect your lipstick in your purse. I can't find a single flaw ! I already know I'll be buying refills for the two shades I got because they are stunning! And I'm crossing my fingers that they expand their cosmetics to more products because I would love to see what they come up with. 

Lips Worth Fighting For, Bésame Victory Red

I have been wanting to try Victory Red by Bésame for YEARS. To be honest I'm not sure what was holding me back from buying it... but as soon as I saw that they were releasing a special edition boxed set with a replica Victory pin I knew I HAD to order it !  I pre-ordered it as soon as it was announced and waited for it to arrive in the mail. 

The shade Victory Red  is a replica from a lipstick from 1941 that was specifically designed for women in uniform. It was also encouraged that women in the home front wear lipstick to boost morale. It was seen as "beauty as duty". I love this part of history so I wanted to film a small video referencing this specific time period, Which is also the inspiration behind these photos. If you want to see how the video turned out scroll down to the bottom. 

As for my thoughts on the lipstick !  I've tried Bésame lipsticks in the past and they are always high quality and have good coverage. This particular shade is semi matte and I will say the coverage is incredible! I even drank coffee and it stayed put. Due to the shade and undertones I think it will be flattering for many skin tones, its not too bright and not too deep. It also photographs beautifully and the red really pops. I have a feeling this is going to be one of my new go to lipsticks ! If you want to get your own Victory Red lipstick there are still some special edition boxes left !  Get yours here