theNotice: a beauty blog

The product: Ellis Faas Spring 2012 Set

   ↳ Milky Lips L207, Creamy Eyes E106, and Light E304

Every now and again, I tell myself that I’m done publishing on Ellis Faas. The packaging’s so finicky, after all, and my click-pens are constantly breaking.

Giving up Ellis products is kind of like giving up chocolate cupcakes, though. You know they’re bad for you, and you really shouldn’t, but… well, maybe just one more. 

Ellis Faas E303, E106, L207 swatches

This year’s Spring set contains two eye products and one lip product, which I really like – it’s always nice to have at least two textures and shades to create an eye look, and I’d much rather be getting another eyeshadow than a mascara or blush. (I’m extremely loyal to tubing mascaras, which Ellis’ isn’t, and I worry about the silicone content of these blushes with my sensitivities.)

And oh my god, these shades. You know how, usually, there’s a product in a set that you just know you won’t wear? For the first time in a very long time, I’m finding this isn’t the case. Not only are all three shades gorgeous on their own; together, they’re absolutely perfect for the season.

Ellis Faas Light E304

Ellis Faas Creamy Eyes E106

Ellis Faas Milky Lips L207

This year’s Spring set contains Light E304, a gorgeous, shimmery lilac; Creamy Eyes E206, a complex, creamy taupey-brown; and Milky Lips L207, a warm nude-pink.

And honestly, I don’t think the shades could have been better picked. I actually owned L207 before this, and it’s my most-worn Ellis product; comfortable, lightweight, and with a really natural-looking finish and shade. It’s bit warm for me (I tend to mix it en masse with a tiny bit of lavender pigment in a sample jar), but it would be a great MLBB “natural nude” for neutral and warm skintones. (Lip swatch here, though the post is old and the comments have been lost.)

As for the eye products – well, I think the swathes speak for themselves. I love how longwearing Ellis Faas eye products are, (they hold up to my oily lids like nothing else), and both the shades and textures of E304 and E206 work well together. The sophisticated taupe of the Creamy Eyes shadow seems very “grounding” to the shimmer & sheen of the Lights formula, making the bright lilac more demure than daring.

Ellis Faas E303, E106, L207 swatches (Lights, Creamy Eyes, and Milky Lips, respectively.)

The verdict?

Maybe it’s not that I shouldn’t feature Ellis Faas at all; maybe it’s just that I shouldn’t give strict yes-or-no answers to them. As always: I think these products are absolutely gorgeous, and I love how long-wearing Ellis’ eye products are, but the packaging drives me up a wall.

The Spring set is $85 USD (€65/£55), which, while pricey, is $28 cheaper than buying the products separately. (Lights are $42, Creamy Eyes are $36, and Milky Lips are $35.) And as I mentioned before, I do actually really love all three shades and products in the set, so if you’re an Ellis fan… I think I’d actually have to recommend it, despite all of my problems with the packaging.

Because, seriously, you guys, these shades make me want to run around doing happy flails until the cows come home.

(What can I say; I live in Alberta. I don’t actually have any cows, but that’s more or less negligible, right?)

Keep reading! »

The product: L’Occitane Pivoine Délicate Lip Shine in 02 Rose Frémissant

Okay, so I’m maybe having a bit of a Pivoine Délicate “moment” right now. As with the lipstick, I just can’t get over the packaging of these glosses – it’s just so delicate and cute! The entire aesthetic of the line makes me think Paul & Joe Beauté, minus the cat heads and parabens. All in all, it’s pretty damn endearing.

The formula of L’Occitane’s Lip Shines is heavy and thick, but not terribly sticky. The scent is stronger than that of the lipsticks in the line; it’s more strongly floral, though this does fade quickly. There is no added flavour to the gloss (at least, no intentional added flavour, I think), but I can taste the peony if I lick my lips. Which, for the record, is gross and you shouldn’t try it at home.

(It’s the gloss that’s gross, though – not the peony. You’d be surprised just how many fragrance molecules are actually quite tasty without the presence of denatured alcohol.)

L’Occitane Rose Frémissant Lip Shine lip swatch

L’Occitane Rose Frémissant Lip Shine swatch (at right)

Rose Frémissant, the shade of this Pivoine Délicate (the collection) Lip Shine, pairs well with Pivoine Délicate (the lipstick; I know, it’s confusing). On its own, it’s a light pink with plenty of silver shimmer, plus a small amount of gold and fuchsia shimmer. The particle size of the silver shimmer is larger, making it quite obvious both when applied and in the tube.

Like with Pivoine Délicate, I’m not generally a huge fan of colours like this one, but I do think it was executed well. I’d have liked to see less shimmer in the formula, or at the very least less gritty shimmer, but I didn’t find the colour settled into my lip lines or built up in places it shouldn’t be — when worn in moderation, of course. (Put on enough of any light gloss and it’ll go where it shouldn’t, but you should know that by now!)

The verdict?

While I didn’t think this to be a bad product, by any means, I didn’t love it. The Lip Shine doesn’t exude the same kind of elegance as the Pivoine Délicate Lipstick, but I think it can stand alright on its own merits.

If you’re just buying for the gorgeous packaging, I’d recommend the lipsticks in a heartbeat; however, if you’re on the market for a sheer, sparkly, high-shine gloss, this one’s a keeper. The finish & shimmer of Rose Frémissant, as I said, isn’t my cup of tea – but if that’s what you look for in a gloss, then it should probably be noted that L’Occitane does it very well.

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The product: L’Occitane Pivoine Délicate Lipstick in 02 Pivoine Délicate

Pivoine Délicate, one of three lipstick shades in the eponymous collection, is a soft pink with silver reflects. It’s fairly sheer, for a lipstick, and I think I’d group it alongside something like the Rouge Coco Shines – perfect for a really natural, refined lip, but the colour can’t really be built up.

I’m on the fence about the shimmer, though; I almost always prefer creme finishes or (if I must,) micro-shimmer in the same shade as the base colour. Which means that I should hate this one, seeing as the shimmer almost jumps out at you in the bullet – but I don’t. The silver shimmer adds just enough interest to keep the shade interesting, making it something more than just another indiscriminate pink shade.

It’s kind of nice, which is something I didn’t expect to be saying about silver shimmer anytime soon. L’Occitane got the particle size and dispersion amount just right, and it adds a bit of a playful edge to the shade.

L’Occitane Pivoine Délicate Lipstick – lip swatch

L’Occitane Pivoine Délicate Lipstick swatch (left) and Rose Frémissant Lip Shine swatch (right)

This isn’t the kind of lipstick to reach for if you’re looking for something bright and punchy, but I find myself quite fond of it. The formula, despite the sheer colour and rather agressive scent in the tube, feels comfortable on my dry lips and (surprisingly enough), the scent doesn’t give me a headache when I wear it.

Unlike most lipsticks, Pivoine Délicate actually leaves my lips feeling more hydrated when I take it off – quite a feat for a lip balm, much less a lipstick!

The verdict?

At $16 USD/$22 CAD, I would absolutely recommend this. I have to admit, L’Occitane had me at the packaging – the entire Pivoine Délicate collection is just gorgeous; perhaps even moreso than last year’s lovely Pivoine Flora collection. (I don’t know, though. It’s a pretty close call.)

Skip this if you’re looking for a bold, scent-free summer lippie, but give it a try if you want a sheer-but-polished shade. The packaging may have grabbed my attention to begin with, but it’s the comfortable, hydrating formula that really sells the Pivoine Délicate lipsticks.

Keep reading! »

The product: Hello Kitty Graffiti Eyeshadow and Blush Palette

The packaging: Alright, so I’ll start with the packaging, because I’m a little love/hate about it. On one hand, I’m not twelve, I’ve never understood the Hello Kitty appeal, and I can definitively say that I dislike the graffiti-ness of the Graffiti palette*.

*Partly because I’m not big on random splashes and speckles of colour; partly because it “pays tribute to the daring artists who decorate Hello Kitty’s favorite downtown sidewalks.” I happen to disagree vehemently with the whole “defacement of public property is cool!” mentality, so.

(I  mean, don’t get me wrong – street art is very cool, but only when it’s been encouraged and/or commissioned!)

On the other hand, though, I like the solid build of the packaging, the bi-layer design, the inclusion of a mirror, and (dare I say it?) I’m even a little fond of the silver bow. Plus, each palette’s packaging is unique (compare this one to the Sephora stock image if you’re confused), which is quite cool.

The eyeshadows: On the Sephora site, the four shades are listed as a shimmery gray, a greyish teal, a soft pink, and a charcoal. Unlike a lot of product listings, I’d say those descriptions are actually spot on, which is a nice deviation from the norm!

The shimmery grey is on the sheer side, with a watery, translucent vibe and a bit of taupe hidden in the shade. The greyish teal is a breathtaking, intense, slightly desaturated teal. (Aside: I’m really liking this “greyish teal” thing — here’s to hoping we see more of it in the next few months.)

The soft pink is the sheerest shade of the four, with wearable yellow undertones and a very low likelihood of making you look like you have pink eye. Finally, the charcoal is a deliciously pigmented, easy-to-blend dark grey.

All four shades are soft, blendable, even-textured and shimmery.

Hello Kitty Graffiti Palette – eyeshadow swatches, dry on primed skin.

The blushers: I admittedly paid less attention to the two cheek products in this palette, but I can tell you that they’re really quite pretty. And I swear, whoever produced this palette got right into my brain when they did the finishes – the eyeshadows are just the right kind of shimmery, and the blushers are spot-on as well.

The shades are described as a bronzy peach (completely matte; think of a cross between a peach blush and a contour powder) and a dusty pink (that newfangled sort of matte – you know the one; where it’s matte but if you look really closely at the pan, you can see a few super-tiny bits of shimmer?).

And, well, yeah. They’re both kind of lovely; pigmented and smooth. Both shades are medium-toned, as well, so most skintones won’t have to worry about them showing up – they’ll be more obvious on lighter complexions, of course, but I can see them working on most.

Hello Kitty Graffiti Palette – blusher swatches; heavily then blended out.

The verdict?

You guys. You guys. This is perfect, absolutely perfect, for Spring.

I’m in love! I’m in love with a ridiculous-looking Hello Kitty palette and I can’t even bring myself to care because everything inside it is just so pretty!

On a more serious note, though, I was actually quite impressed by the quality of this palette – the shades are gorgeous, both individually and together, and the quality of each of the six (four eyeshadows, two blushers) products ranges from “good” to “great.” It’s hard–harder than it should be–to find a palette without a “weakest link,” but Graffiti manages it with grace.

And it’s paraben-free. And on sale. I don’t think it gets any better.

Ingredients, Graffiti vs. Blue Sky, & a whole bunch more photos »

Despite the rather unfortunate wear time, I’m still a bit head over heels for the gorgeous intensity of the new Clinique Quickliner for Eyes Intense eye pencils. Here are eye swatches and descriptions of Intense Charcoal and Ivy; for Intense Black and Plum, please visit this post instead!

Swatched L-R: Clinique Quickliner for Eyes Intense in Intense Black, Violet, Charcoal, and Ivy.

Intense Charcoal

Used also in this week’s ethereal blue Clarins Colour Breeze makeup look, Intense Charcoal is a dark, gunmetal grey with silver and gold microshimmer. While definitely still dark enough to bring a bit of depth to the lashline, it’s a good deal less sharp than a straight-up black, and it isn’t as obvious as a soft navy – a good choice for a softer, more romantic eye look.

I have absolutely no idea what else I used in these photos, but I believe a I had outlined a similar eye look to go with the Intense Plum swatch (in part 2 of the review.) Apologies in advance! I rather wish I could remember what I had used on the outer half of the lid, though; I’m rather fond of how it captured on film.

Clinique Quickliner for Eyes Intense in Intense Charcoal lid swatches

Wearing Clinique Intense Charcoal

Intense Ivy

My current favourite of the range, Intense Ivy is a gorgeous gold-flecked green – darker than olive drab but lighter and more yellow than hunter green. ”Ivy” is a fantastic description of the dark olive shade, with its intense pigmentation and yellow tones; it’s a very earthy green, with a rustic feel rather than a synthesized one.

I can see this working on all skintones, but I think it would be particularly gorgeous on olive complexions.

Clinique Quickliner for Eyes in Intense Ivy lid swatches

Wearing Clinique Intense Ivy

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I believe that’s all for the Quickliner for Eyes Intense pencils on theNotice, folks. Hope you enjoyed the coverage! I do plan on doing a comparison with the Quickliner for Eyes (original) range sometime in the near future, though, so keep your eyes peeled for that if you’re interested.

(And, I suppose: don’t hesitate to give me a sharp jab in the side in a month or so if I seem to have forgotten. Because if that’s the case, I probably have.)