Bite Beauty Deconstructed Rose Lipsticks - Damask, Centifolia, Grandifolia, Crimson

My love of roses was inherited from my mother. She has cultivated a gorgeous garden in her backyard for decades, with varied types, carefully tended beds and a gorgeous, all-encompassing fragrance. (Compared to my approach to gardening, which is loosely based on Game of Thrones - you bloom or you die. My roses are aggressive little shrubs with prolific blooms and little scent to recommend them.)

Since rose is my second favourite floral - next to lilacs - I tend to have a fondness for products that remind me of them. (I know a lot of people associate rose with "old lady" perfumes, but I find the scent elegant and deeply comforting.) When I saw that Bite Beauty was doing a small series centred around a rose theme, I was ALL ABOUT THAT.

The Deconstructed Rose collection has four lipsticks: Damask, a rosy pink, Centifolia, a muted peach, Grandifolia, a fiery red, and Crimson, a muted dark purple.

(Side note: Glandifolia means "large leaves". So for example, Fagus grandifolia is a species of beech tree. Pereskia grandifolia is the rose cactus - and not a rose at all. I think what they meant is Grandiflora - which means "large bloom" and is used to describe a rose cultivar group. )

Bite Beauty Deconstructed Rose Lipsticks

Clockwise from top left - Centifolia, Damask, Grandifolia, Crimson

From top - Damask, Centifolia, Grandifolia, Crimson

Despite the typo, I'll forgive Bite, because damn, are these colours gorgeous or what?? Like...really, really ridiculously good-looking. The descriptions are pretty apt too, though I would categorize Crimson as more of a deep berry than purple. They are housed in the same kind of casing as the rest of the lipstick line, but special care was taken with the exterior packaging to play on the rose theme. I have the say that the boxes are so pretty that I'm finding excuses not to throw them away. (I think part of why I blog is so I can have the pictures of all the lovely things so that I can use them/throw away the packaging. It's an issue.)

I can't say if the formula for these is distinct from the regular line, as I don't have much to compare it to. I do find them all to be very rich, well pigmented and supremely buttery - almost too buttery. I find these a little tricky to apply, actually, as they tend to slip easily past my hipline. The best method, for me, is to pat a little on from the tube, spread out with a brush, blot, and add another thin coat. This gives me the most control and precision, without sacrificing the creamy feel and intensity. If I don't do this, I end up looking a five-year-old who's gotten into her mom's purse.

That said, if you like a hydrating, creamy lipstick, you have it right here. The wear time is surprisingly long for a lipstick with this kind of texture, though not comparable to a matte or truly long-wear lipstick. They also tend to collect a bit at the outer edge as they're worn when a thicker layer is used. (Again, patting and blotting thin layers work best.)

These lipsticks are also all scented with rose otto, which is a natural distilled oil. It has supposed anti-aging benefits, but if you have sensitivities to fragrance, I would suggest doing a patch test first. Even if you're not sensitive, the scent is not remotely shy, so be warned. (Like I said, I love rose, so no issues for me personally.) The taste is, as with most Bite products, faintly sweet and pleasant, despite the floral perfume.

Left to right: Crimson, Grandifolia, Centifolia, Damask

Damask

Centifolia

Grandifolia

Crimson

Availability: The Deconstructed Rose series is exclusive to Sephora and limited editions, and they retail for 32$ CAD (28$ USD).

Have you guys tried these lipsticks, or any others from Bite? I have to say that I'm 100% coveting the new Matte Creme Lip Crayons right now, and need to head over to Sephora for a swatching session.

(I purchased all of these from Sephora. This post is not sponsored or compensated, and all opinions are my own.)