Ellis Faas Milky Lips 201

In light of the Christmas season, I wanted to share with you one of my favorite reds: Ellis Faas Milky Lips 201. It's a makeup line where all the products are bullet shaped, brush tip or sponge applicator as seen below:

This is definitely a line that has GREAT products, but the standout items are their lipsticks and concealer. Now, for those of you who know me, I'm a die hard fiend (yes, fiend) for red lipsticks. Now, every line has a nice red, but most of the mainstream lines have a blue based red. As much as I love a blue based red, the mainstream lines have the same blue based red l/s and it does get a bit...well, boring. To those out there who love red lipstick, we are always looking for a unique shade. You know, that shade that people can't help but ask, "What color are you wearing !??!" That shade of red that stops traffic, that people pause and look at you. Unfortunately for people like me, there aren't many lines that have that kind of red. 

Ok so back to Ellis Faas, she's known for her awesome shades of red. She actually has 9 lipsticks, but they come in different finishes: Creamy, Milky, and Glazed. As much of a skeptic as I am, I had to try them out. Yes, she has awesome reds, my favorite being Milky Lips 201 (aka ELLIS RED). Can we discuss how gorgeous it is? Well, I'd rather just show the picture: 

From top to bottom:

Ellis Faas Milky lips 201

MAC Russian Red

NARS Trans Siberian

NARS Fire Down Below

It's a glorious blood red. It's not a blue red, it's a true blood red. I can't even explain how gorgeous it is. Definitely one of a kind shade and worth buying if you have the opportunity. The lasting power is great, but I do recommend wearing a lipliner with this one since it's definitely a bit milky in texture. It wears off to a nice stain too. I've worn the shade once and some guy walked into a wall when he saw me. :) Fortunately for a lot of people, Ellis Faas is now sold at Space NK, as well as Bergdorf Goodman.

Seeing Lauren's good question to see how 201 looks in comparison to Chanel Dragon, they're similar..you can say Dragon is the blue/burgundy not as unique sister of 201. Why you ask? Dragon's undertone is blue/burgundy based, whereas 201 is a true blood red. They're both pretty, but 201 is the winner (it lasts longer, slightly nicer texture and a more unique shade). 

My conclusion: RUN, do not walk to your nearest Space NK or Bergdorf whether it's in store or online.

Ellis Red from the Ellis Faas website

Le Metier de Beaute Marchesa Holiday Palette

Hi all!

I wanted to share with you my most anticipated purchase of this month, the Marchesa holiday palette !! YAY !! There wasn't much information regarding information on the colors, or what it would consist of, until now :D

It contains:

a retractable eyeliner in black
a mascara
a dual ended gloss
and of course, the e/s palette.

now onto the goods: 

I fell in LOVE with this palette, even though it is smaller than I had anticipated. I'm a sucker for packaging to begin with, and when I opened my palette I just HAD to play. I'm anti-purple when it comes to eyeshadows, but this palette is so pretty. What's a bonus is that this palette has a mini brush, unlike the sponge applicators, which irritate me. The pink is the perfect pink, the purple isn't too warm with pretty sparkles and it's a satin finish, and the black is more of a dark charcoal shade (satin-matte like finish).  The glosses are a soft, cool mauve/light plum shades, it's definitely wearable on its own. 

I've never been a fan of palettes, for two main reasons: there was always a shade or two that I wouldn't know how to use, plus palettes can just overall get messy. All the colors in the set have shades for a lot of skintones, which is an awesome plus.  It's just a beautiful and it just all makes sense in terms of how to wear the colors.  

Here are the e/s swatched with a quick swipe with my finger:

The glosses:

The downside: the price = $250. But at the same time, these aren't easy to find. I'm fortunate that my MA held one aside for me, because there were literally very few left at my Bergdorf Goodman, and there were a lot of phone orders as I was buying mine in store. It is a limited edition set and it's worth it to me because they're colors I'd actually use.

Le Metier de Beaute Peau Vierge +

Hi All!

I seriously apologize for not blogging in the past few months. I've been sent to and from different places due to work, as well as being sick. Anyway, I really had no idea how much work it takes to have and maintain a blog. My work schedule is taking a drastic change too, but it's to your benefit since I'll have more time to blog.

OK, so back to the original intent of this post: Le Metier de Beaute Peau Vierge.

straight from the Bergdorf Goodman website:

Offering sheer, lightweight coverage, Peau Vierge Anti-Aging Complexe provides a sheer wash of flawless, luminous finish. The formula feels like second skin with a gossamer-like texture. Light-diffusing pigments help fade away lines and instantly impart a renewed radiance and healthy appearance to skin. With SPF 20, Peau Vierge helps guard against the damaging effects of the sun.


• Contains anti-aging powerhouse Retinol, known for its ability to smooth and plump wrinkles from deep below the skin's surface, stimulating collagen cell rejuvenation and bringing elasticity back to skin. 
• Retinol is delivered through a patented and proprietary delivery technology called Syntoc Actif, which encapsulates the Retinol and allows it to safely and effectively penetrate the skin. 
• Traditional over-the-counter products have very poor penetration—less than 2% of active ingredients are actually absorbed. In comparison, with Syntoc Actif, 20 times more Retinoic Acid is absorbed into the deeper skin layers, making it the most effective cosmetic Retinoid treatment on the market. 
• Talc, Fragrance, and Dye-Free.

The Syntoc Actif delivery technology is highly compatible with the skin and easy to metabolize. As a result, it delivers actives more efficiently and effectively, allowing the active ingredients to penetrate deepest layer of the skin where all the action is and deliver Retinol where it is most effective. 


Formula: it's liquid, it's definitely a little shimmery, but the liquid in terms of consistency is very moisturizing, oddly enough. when it's first applied, it's VERY sparkly on your face. I had tried it a few times at the counter at first and I was turned off by the shimmer factor. Then again, this is coming from someone who thinks anything with shimmer is the enemy. I tried it on, and after 10 minutes, the shimmer wasn't as shimmery once settled into the skin. It's definitely a luminous finish, which is something I'm not personally used to.

Another aspect to this tinted moisturizer/treatment is that there are only two shades. Light to Medium (for cool skintones), and Medium to Dark, which is what I have. The medium to dark looks DARK, like MAC NC37 dark. The foundation is self adjusting to your skin. I'm NC25/30 and the color straight from the bottle I told myself "I'll look dirty", but when applied, it actually did adjust itself to my skintone.

This is what it looks like against my NC25 part of my skin. See what I mean when I saw this and thought to myself, "this isn't going to be a good look on me" ha ha. The color is just a smidge darker in person.

Towards the left see how it's shimmery? Thats the foundation semi blended in in order to see how shimmery it is. Just one more swipe with my finger it would be the exact same shade as the inner part of my arm, which is pretty pale.












The price: It's $125. Yes it's expensive, and even I had a hard time justifying the purchase. What made me realize the price isn't "so high" is By Terry has a foundation that's $140 and it doesn't have any skincare benefits.

How it looks:

 

I was wearing the foundation when I wore Tom Fords Smoke Red. My chin is very red and blotchy normally, but this stuff totally covered it. I normally wear medium coverage foundation because the redness on my face is so hard to cover. 

How to apply: I use 1 to 2 pumps to cover my face and my neck, plus dabbing a little extra on the super red areas on my face. I use my fingers, but I would like to use a synthetic foundation brush because it seems like I wouldn't use up as much product. 

SPF factor: for all of you out there asking what's used in terms of SPF, it's 5% Titanium Dioxide, 5% Zinc Oxide.

In terms of what it claims in terms of improving your skin within 7 days: I did have two small pimples forming when I had first purchased it, and using this stuff, they disappeared. My pores shrank a bit, my skin wasn't as blotchy. I don't expect miracles when wearing it, but this stuff did make some difference in my skin. Due to being sick and traveling (and not having it with me) my skin sucks as usual, but I have been wearing it again consistently for the past week and my skin is slowly improving. I'll have to give you an update after 3 months or so with consistent use as to how my skin looks/feels. 

Worth the purchase: yes. I've tried Retin-A and it wrecked my skin and it didn't improve it at all. I love this stuff because it gives you SPF as well. It's nice to know that I'm wearing  a foundation actually has great skincare benefits and improving my skin. I would recommend getting a sample before purchasing it, only because of the $.