One singular shade of blackberry. Three ways to be possessed by it — sheer, intense, or metallic.
All three Bête Noire formulas have been discontinued along with the wider Lipstick Queen range. The distinctive square purple brushed-metal tube in its leopard-print box makes it immediately identifiable on eBay and Poshmark. Possessed Metal surfaces most frequently secondhand; Possessed Intense is rarer. We recommend the alternatives below as your best ongoing options.
Bête Noire was Lipstick Queen's most conceptually focused collection — a single, super-flattering blackberry shade explored across three contrasting formulas. Where most brands offered a range of shades, Poppy King flipped the concept: one colour, three moods. The result was a collection that invited wearers to choose their intensity rather than their shade — an approach that reflected her conviction that the right dark lip was about texture and finish as much as colour.
The shade itself was chosen with equal care: warm blackberry rather than cold purple, blue-leaning rather than brown. Poppy King described being "inspired by the dark sensuality within us all" and wanted something "glamorous, intriguing and yet with no hint of goth." The warm blackberry tone consistently delivered — reviewers who considered themselves dark-lip-shy found Possessed Sheer approachable, while those seeking full drama found Possessed Intense and Possessed Metal equal to the task. The packaging matched the ambition: a square, heavy brushed-purple metal tube in a dark grey-and-black leopard-print box.
Bête Noire launched in January 2015 — the perfect timing for a collection rooted in the dark sensuality of winter. The name, meaning "black beast" in French, refers to something or someone that one particularly dislikes or fears, but Poppy King used it in its more colloquial sense: the thing you can't help being drawn to, the fascination that possesses you. The three lipsticks were named accordingly — Possessed Sheer, Possessed Intense, and Possessed Metal — as if the shade itself was the possessing force and the wearer was the vessel.
The conceptual decision to offer one shade in three formulas was deliberate and unusual. As Poppy King explained: "In tribute to the many sides of our personality, I wanted to design a singular shade in three contrasting moods. Explore your dark side and find your inner power." The shade she chose for this exercise was not a generic dark purple or a cold violet — it was a warm blackberry with blue undertones, a colour that leaned closer to black cherries and forest fruits than to grape juice or goth purple. Reviewers consistently noted that it was more flattering than expected for a shade of that depth.
The packaging was the collection's most dramatic statement piece. The square brushed-purple metal tube — heavier than the standard round Lipstick Queen case — sat in a dark grey-and-black leopard-print box with "Bête Noire" on one side and leopard eyes on another. Get Lippie noted that the tube was "hinting at the shades of blackberry within" and several reviewers cited the packaging as one of the main reasons they purchased. Each lipstick was priced at $40/£28 — the same premium tier as the Velvet Rope and Silver Screen collections.
The central innovation of Bête Noire was not the colour but the choice the collection offered. Each formula produced a different wearing experience from the same blackberry shade — covering the spectrum from first-time-dark-lip-wearer to committed vampy maximalist.
The Bête Noire formula for Possessed Intense was built around Castor Seed Oil as its primary emollient, supplemented by a sophisticated wax complex: Beeswax, Candelilla Wax, Carnauba Wax, and Synthetic Wax together provided the structural balance that made the formula creamy and comfortable despite its high pigment load. Jojoba Seed Oil added lightweight conditioning; Shea Butter contributed moisture; and Tocopherol (Vitamin E) served as the antioxidant stabiliser and conditioning agent present in all three formulas.
The distinguishing feature of Possessed Intense's formula was its pigment architecture. With a described coverage of approximately 90%, the formula used Calcium Carbonate — an unusual inclusion — as an opacity-building agent alongside the colour pigments (Red 7 Lake and Blue 1 Lake). Calcium Carbonate in cosmetics creates a soft, matte-leaning finish by diffusing light uniformly across the pigment surface, which is why Possessed Intense had a demi-matte rather than fully glossy appearance despite its rich formula.
Possessed Metal's formula added Apricot Kernel Oil (Prunus Armeniaca) as a specific conditioning agent — a light, fast-absorbing oil with a high oleic acid content that prevented the metallic shimmer particles from feeling dry on the lips. The burnished, multifaceted metallic effect was achieved through Mica coated with specific interference pigments rather than conventional cosmetic glitter, which is why the metallic appeared "multi-faced" and luminous rather than sparkly.
Lipstick Queen specifically recommended their Invisible Lip Liner before applying any Bête Noire formula, and this was not optional advice. Dark blue-toned shades like Possessed Intense and Possessed Metal feather more visibly than lighter colours, and the precision of the lip line matters more at this depth. Apply the Invisible Liner around the full perimeter of the lip before applying any Bête Noire formula.
Multiple reviewers noted that Possessed Intense could apply unevenly directly from the bullet at full intensity — a characteristic of highly pigmented, high-coverage formulas. Apply with a firm lip brush for the most controlled, precise result. Build from one coat (demi-matte satin) to two coats (full opacity). Possessed Sheer and Possessed Metal both applied cleanly from the bullet without a brush.
The most creative use of Bête Noire was to layer the formulas on the same lips. Possessed Sheer as a base allowed the natural lip colour to warm the blackberry; Possessed Metal over Possessed Intense added a burnished metallic dimension to the full-coverage opaque. Reviewers who owned multiple formulas regularly combined them — this was part of the collection's intended design as "tribute to the many sides of our personality."
As listed for Possessed Intense (skin-beauty.com):
Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil, Triisostearyl Citrate, Silica, Beeswax (Cera Alba/Cire D'Abeille), Vegetable Oil (Olus/Huile Vegetale), Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter, Euphorbia Cerifera (Candelilla) Wax (Candelilla Cera/Cire De Candelilla), Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Synthetic Wax, Copernicia Cerifera (Carnauba) Wax (Cera Carnauba/Cire De Carnauba), Calcium Carbonate, Cetyl Ricinoleate, Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil, Polyethylene, Phenoxyethanol, Acacia Decurrens/Jojoba/Sunflower Seed Wax/Polyglyceryl-3 Esters, Tocopherol (Vitamin E), Lauryl PCA, Vanillin, Red 7 Lake (CI 15850), Blue 1 Lake (CI 42090).
Highlighted ingredients are key actives. Calcium Carbonate is the opacity-building agent that produces Possessed Intense's demi-matte, high-coverage finish. Vanillin adds a faint vanilla fragrance note — unlike most Lipstick Queen lipsticks which are entirely unscented, Possessed Intense has a very subtle vanilla warmth. Red 7 Lake and Blue 1 Lake together produce the warm blackberry-with-blue-undertone colour. Possessed Metal additionally contains Apricot Kernel Oil for shimmer-particle conditioning. All three formulas contain Vitamin E.
Three products that deliver the spirit of Bête Noire — the same darkly flattering blackberry warmth, the same no-goth glamour, and the same sense of dark-lip dressing for the three formulas.
For wearers who loved Possessed Intense — the full-coverage, deeply opaque version — Pat McGrath MatteTrance in Deep Wyne is the finest available alternative. A rich, warm blackberry-wine with blue undertones that occupies the same colour territory without the cold, flat quality that makes most dark mattes feel costumey. The MatteTrance formula is among the most comfortable full-coverage mattes available, enriched with Vitamin E and a smoothing polymer base. The shade sits between Possessed Sheer and Possessed Intense in depth — deeper than a dark-lip introduction, more wearable than pure black.
For fans of Possessed Sheer — the approachable, dark-but-not-intimidating entry point — NARS Audacious in Bette is the most direct sheer-formula equivalent. A translucent, moisturising deep berry that delivers the same "crush of forest fruits" quality as Possessed Sheer: visibly present without feeling like fancy dress, deeply flattering on all skin tones, and exceptionally comfortable for all-day wear. The Audacious formula is the most hydrating NARS lipstick line, making it the ideal replacement for those who valued Possessed Sheer's balmy, non-drying quality above all.
For those who wanted Bête Noire's blackberry shade at its most wearable and flattering — the no-goth dark lip that worked in any setting — Charlotte Tilbury Glastonberry is the reference alternative. A deep blackberry-plum in the Matte Revolution formula that carries the same warmth and accessibility as Bête Noire's palette, packaged in the characteristic Charlotte Tilbury glamour. It leans very slightly more red-wine than the blue-toned Bête Noire, but occupies the same territory of deep, flattering glamour without theatrical darkness. The formula is the most comfortable of the Matte Revolution range.
"Possessed Metal is my favourite. Rather than being frosty like most metallics, this is a true metallic with a subtle shimmer texture that reads as a multi-faced matte metal. Completely unique."
I admit $40 is a lot to pay for a lipstick. But oh what a lipstick it is. The square purple tube is both beautiful and helpful — where is my berry lipstick? In the berry-toned package, of course. All three formulas contain Vitamin E for hydrating soft colour. Possessed Sheer is for dark-lip-shy folks who want a wash of rich colour. Possessed Metal is for everyone else. Genuinely unlike anything I have seen.
"I have never found a dark lipstick that doesn't make me look, well, dead. Possessed Sheer is probably the most flattering dark lipstick I have ever worn."
The formula is just divine. It feels slightly thicker than Medieval but is otherwise very similar — super smooth, almost balmy, super moisturising, and leaves a glossy shine. The violet is much more apparent on the lips than in the swatch, and it is hands down the most flattering dark lipstick I have ever encountered. I went back to get Possessed Intense for my friend immediately after trying this. The square purple brushed metal case is not sticky rubber. It is weighty and beautiful.
"The most beautiful lip product I own. A sheer berry tint with the staying power of a lipstick. Not too matte, not too glossy — just like you ate an ice pop."
I love a dark lipstick and I have over 30 tubes from Pat McGrath to Tom Ford and Marc Jacobs. Possessed Sheer sits among my absolute favourites. The colour description — blackberry without a hint of goth thanks to the warm tone — is exactly right. The packaging is extraordinary. The leopard box is not something I have seen on any other lipstick. I bought all three formulas within the same week. Possessed Metal is a genuine achievement.