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?)

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A quick excerpt & photo below (because it’s late, I’m tired, and I’ll be damned if I have to come up with more unnecessary words).

With the 2012 Pantone Color of the Year being the bold, punchy Tangerine Tango, Spring and Summer are the easiest times of the year to wear it. Compared to 2011′s Honeysuckle (a dark, vibrant pink), I’ve been finding the orange hues of Tangerine Tango harder to get away with – it’s a very obvious, stark colour on my complexion, and the saturation makes it difficult to integrate it into the rest of a makeup look.

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! »

A quick tutorial on adding natural-looking colour for everyone from the chronically ill to just the mildly hungover. (Hey, I’ve been both. And unfortunately, I can therefore guarentee that the same principles more or less apply.) (Think about that the next time you go out drinking. Man.)

Read it here.