Wife. Mother. Dame.: Shopping and tea--what else can you ask for?!

Should the Lady by Choice ever ask you to tea, do say, "YES!" You will not regret it. But I am getting ahead of myself.

Store front

Tricia asked me to accompany her to check out the new Besame Cosmetics boutique in Glendale. Afterwards, she suggested tea at the Rose Tree Cottage. I was quite happy to join her as I'd been an online customer of Besame for years. Plus, who doesn't love tea?!

The cosmetics boutique is absolutely darling. It's a small store-front, but perfectly shows off Besame's gorgeously packaged, vintage-inspired cosmetics. Gabriela, owner and founder of Besame, was on hand to show off their new products, like the violet-tinted loose powder. She even gave us a sneak-peek on several up-coming goodies. Coming soon items include an adorable travel case (pictured), a scarf and lipstick set created with Kenley of Project Runway fame, a reformulated moisturizer, cake mascara, and a gorgeous new powder compact. I am very much looking forward to all of these!

Travel case-coming soon!

I could not help myself, I just had to pick up some new powder and I love it. The violet powder is not at all chalky, but gives a gorgeous matte finish to my make-up. The package is small enough that I could pop it into my purse for touch-ups, but I also picked up a new pressed powder refill for my on-the-go needs.

Oh! And do take a moment to gaze at Gabriela's collection of vintage make-up and beauty items on display at her shop.

Vintage cosmetics

After our shopping adventure, we went to the tea room. While Tricia had been once or twice before, this was my first time at Rose Tree. It certainly will not be my last. I am a certified tea expert (seriously, there's a bit of trivia about yours truly), and do enjoy a good cuppa as often as I can. The Rose Tree Cottage did not disappoint. They offer multiple seats each day for tea instead of a menu service. Even so, they graciously accommodated my dietary restrictions without fuss. They serve their own blend of English tea; a tasty, full-bodied black perfect for afternoon tea, but perhaps a touch light for breakfast. I enjoyed it with a touch of milk and sugar, but it was also lovely on its own.

Alas, Rose Tree does not allow photography, so I came away without pictorial evidence. (Tricia did ask for a photo of us to be taken, and may have posted it to her own blog.) But all told, it was a lovely tea and featured some very tasty goodies. I was particularly fond of their Yorkshire pudding.

In addition to their tea service, they have a small store within that vends their own tea, British imported treats, and Barbour clothing. (I found a gorgeous red Macintosh coat that, try as I might, I could not justify spending nearly $500 on.)

The day was a grand time. Great company, shopping, and decadent tea all make for a perfect afternoon.

Here are some additional photos from the Besame store: