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.)

Bite Beauty Best Bite Set

Despite their generally non-existant customer service and one-sided social media presence, Bite Beauty puts out consistently good products. When I saw this little set - with the balance of good value and try-it-out variety - I jumped on it.

The packaging is cute, sturdy and travel friendly (should you feel the need to bring all four of the lip pencils with you at a given moment), with a very handy mirror to boot. It's also, of course, reusable for whatever else you'd like to carry neatly in your bag (personally I'll be using it for the twelve million bobby pins that inevitable find their way to the bottom of my purse).

The pencils themselves are a smaller version of the High Pigment Pencils, and are priced very favorably at 25$ USD for the set of four 0.05oz pencils (with the regular size coming in 24$ USD for 0.09oz). Essentially, you get four half-sized items for the price of one regular-sized item, which is both a good deal and a low-commitment way to test out a selection of shades. 

(If you can no longer find this set at your local Sephora - as it no longer seems to be available online - you can at least purchase the shades in the regular format.)

The texture of these is absolutely dreamy. They are intensely creamy and rich feeling when applied, and surprisingly hydrating for a lip pencil, particularly one that has a non-glossy finish. That creamy texture carries through the duration of the wear, so while they do dry down to a satin finish, they remain flexible. That translates to both a more comfortable wear, and a slight tendency to bleed, especially with the richer colors. 

They are also deeply pigmented, and appear opaque with the first swipe. That high pigment load is possibly what helps them adhere and last better, given their buttery texture. 

I also love the fact that they twist up, because, well, I'm lazy like that. And really, who wants to sharpen these things anyway?

Madeira, Cranberry, Rhubarb, Quince 

Now onto the colors!

Madeira is a slightly warm-toned nude. It's lighter than my lips and marginally deeper than my skin tone, and once on it basically just blanks my lips out entirely for that ever-so-sexy zombie look. Not something I would ever wear on its own, but a good base for a pink-nude gloss. This is also the only one that picked up on dryness, caking up a bit.

Cranberry is a deep but vibrant red, just a touch cool-leaning. It is classic and sexy and totally gorgeous. And makes your teeth as white as can be.

Rhubarb is mauve-rose, with a slight brown undertone that makes it the Most Likely To Flatter of the bunch. It's not the attention-getter of the set, but it's by far the one I'll be reaching for most regularly.

Quince is a stunning fuchsia rose - grounded by the rose tone to keep it wearable as opposed to searing. Quince is super-confident, but not overbearing, and as such is a beautiful alternative to the classic red for a 'power' lip. It's also just a fun, flirty, fabulous color. (Alliteration for emphasis!)

So aside from the minor issues I had with Madeira, I am very impressed with the Best Bite Set, and all the more tempted to own ALL THEIR THINGS.

What about you guys? Have you tried any Bite items that you love (or loathe)?

(I purchased this item. This post is not sponsored or compensated, all opinions are my own.)

Bite Beauty Cashmere Lip Cream - Port

I love supporting Canadian-grown companies, especially indie brands. Bite Beauty is an easy one for me to love, as they generally do products with superior formulation and good-for-your-skin ingredients.

That said, I was a little taken aback when I opened up my box of the the Cashmere Lip Cream in the shade Port - the liquid inside appeared to be separating from the sides of the tube, and when I pulled out the wand applicator the consistency seemed oddly dried out. I was concerned that I had received a bad batch, and I attempted to contact the brand (by email and twitter) to see if the appearance of my item was unusual. I waited for about a week, but since I received no response, I'm going ahead with this review as is.

Aside from the issue stated above, I thought the packaging was both sleek and organic-feeling (at least insofar as the exterior packaging).

The Cashmere Lip Creams are supposed to have a much stronger pigment percentage - four times higher, in fact - and a creamy, buttery application that nevertheless becomes matte as the oils evaporate off.

Without a doubt, these are extremely pigmented. My concern about the dried-out texture of the wand was unfounded, as what was on it applied both smoothly, and with faultless payoff.

Despite the intense pigmentation, this didn't looked thick or like it was sitting on top of my lips, and it didn't bleed or collect in the lines of my lips. It felt comfortable on, though not quite the feather-light texture that the copy promises. I could definitely feel that I was wearing something.

The oils and butters are supposed to evaporate at different rates, creating that smooth application and eventual matte finish. It actually stayed looking creamy longer than I expected, and though it dried down, it stayed flexible and didn't turn crackly or parched. When I pressed my lips together I could still feel a touch of creaminess and after about 3 hours, and it didn't make it through my lunch the way long-wearing, truly matte finishes can. I actually don't mind that, as it overall felt a lot easier on the lips than that sort of finish.

I also really liked that I got lipstick level coverage, with the precision of a wand applicator. For a vibrant shade like this, it's a real time-saver to not need a lipliner or lip brush.

Speaking of colour, isn't it gorgeous?? Again, the copy states that this is a deep wine, but once on my lips it was more of a slightly blue-leaned medium-to-deep red. Rich and elegant, but not as dark as I expected. It's the near-perfect red shade for me, making my teeth white and my complexion brighter.

It has a very faint, naturally fruity fragrance that I find pleasant.

Availability: Exclusive to Sephora, for now. Price is 32$ CAD.

Pros: Incredible pigmentation, smooth and creamy texture, comfortable wear. Precise application with the wand, eliminating need for lipliner. No bleeding.

Cons: Average wear-length and general tenacity, whereas I expected more due to the state matte finish. And though this is not a reflection on the product as such, communication with the brand was non-existent, which I find a little off-putting when a brand uses social media and advertises a customer service email.

(I purchased this item from Sephora. This post is not sponsored or compensated.)