Has Anything Disappointed You Lately?

As much as I love reading about favorites, I think it's also helpful to hear about disappointments so one knows to steer clear! I've had a few lately:

• Ellis Faas Milky Eyes- really for the packaging more than the product. Wednesday morning I had the migraine to end all migraines. Like one of those "call your mother to tell her you love her just in case migraines." Luckily and coincidentally I had an appointment with my migraine specialist for that morning but I had to get myself up and dressed so that I could go there and then to work. I thought that Milky Eyes 203 would make for a quick, polished eye so I took it out (I store it applicator down) and turn the dial. Nothing. And again. Nothing. I must have done this 7 times and nothing came out so I put it down, walked away for 5 minutes and came back and turned it. Nothing. I thought I'd turn it one last time and lo and behold, enough for 5 uses came pouring out. I have no patience for this kind of thing when I'm spending $36 a product. The Milky Lips has the same issue but not nearly as bad. As pretty as the blush and some of the other products look, I'm done with this line.
• MAC Technokohl in Photograuvre- I love this color. It's a dark brown with a lot of black, or a soft browned black. Either way, it's not too harsh but gives a very defined line. Unfortunately the product drags and skips along my lash line. It's just not soft enough. Maybe I am just spoiled by my Laura Mercier Kohls and UD 24/7 liners.
• Aromatherapy Personals- this line of aromatherapeutic roll ons has a variety for seemingly every need from anxiety to crave control. Unfortunately the scents don't last more than a few seconds on the skin, rendering them useless. For a similar de-stress elixir, Origins Peace of Mind works wonderfully.
• Organix Coconut Milk Shampoo and Conditioner- hello, dry, straw-like hair!
• L'Oreal- I've written before about how badly the Healthy Hair Creme Gloss Color destroyed my hair. I sent an email to L'Oreal customer service about it and never received a response, yet I keep receiving email surveys from them asking me to rate the helpfulness of their reply. And these emails are sent from an unattended mailbox so I can't reply to them, letting them know that their advice was beyond useless since they simply ignored me. Frustrating!

Has anything disappointed you lately?

I'm Back...With Some Things I'm Loving Right Now!

I had a doozy of a week! Between moving and a raging bout of insomnia, but DVR capacity managed to reach 92% and my poor blog went a bit untended. For those of you who noticed, thanks (yay! It means you're reading!)! Well now I'm back, my new apartment is almost together and I got a whopping 6 hours of sleep last night which is remarkable for me! So here is what earned MVP status this week:

1. Rock and Republic Imitate Mousse Blush in Rumor- the mousse blushes and eye shadows were absolutely the stars of the Rock and Republic line. The texture is fabulous, it blends effortlessly even on parched skin, and the color can perk up even the most pallid complexions. If you ever bump into these, I can't recommend them highly enough!

2. Carol's Daughter Lemon and Jojoba Cuticle Oil- Between schlepping boxes, cleaning like crazy and washing my hands over and over, my nails, cuticles, and hands have just been ravaged. This cuticle oil smells just like a lemon dessert and moisturizes and protects. It does leave your nail beds greasy initially but in sinks in, leaving your cuticles better looking in the morning.

3. Dermstore.com- I had posted that I was disappointed in the Julie Hewett pink Camellia lip balm I ordered since it was completely colorless despite being described as providing a tint, and Dermstore.com took it back with no hassle, and even emailed me when they had processed my return. I will absolutely be ordering from them again. Fabulous selection and customer service.

4. Shu Uemura Rouge Unlimited Supreme Shine Lipstick in BG935- this is a great, ultra-hydrating, swipe on and go beigey pink. A very my-lips-but-better shade that's proved to be a workhorse all week.

5. Rapidlash- I was the biggest skeptic when it came to this, but I really truly have seen a difference. I have always had the thinnest, puniest, blondest lashes and a makeup artist asked me last weekend if I was wearing false eyelashes they were so long and lush. Rapidlash (plus my beloved Korres mascara) really has changed my lashes.

6. Julie Hewett Goldie Shimmy- I've been swiping this iridized champagne cream on browbones, cheekbones, above the brows, the cupid's bow...anywhere I want to bring luminosity and glimmer. It also makes skin look luminous and alive.

7. The Container Store- I could spend hours and thousands in this store! I used to think that Bergdorf Goodman was a black hole for time meaning meaning that I'd walk in and then realize it was hours later when I left, but The Container Store may have eclipsed it! There is definitely something a bit perverse about having to buy more things because you already have too much to store, but it's addictive nonetheless. I never realized that I needed so many drawer organizers, mason jars, fole folders, and boot boxes, but I'm happy to have them!

8. Ellis Faas Milky Eyes E209- I hate hate hate the mechanism on this. I'm not sure if I got a bad one or if all of the products work this way, but I twist the applicator...nothing happens. I do it again and wait 30 seconds. Nothing. Again. And again. All of a sudden, 4 minutes have elapsed and on the 7th click, 7 clicks worth of product shoot out! It's incredibly time consuming and wasteful, but I LOVE this color! The formula needs to be layered for the pigment to really show up, but when it does it's just the most beautiful, natural peachy beige color that reads "oh no, I just wake up looking this fabulous" and not "nice eye shadow."

9. My new Closetmaid 25 Cube Organizer- I love shoes but living in NYC apartments, storage has always been a huge issue. I picked up 2 of these for my new apartment and am very happy with them so far! They were not difficult to put together (no cursing was involved) and are a decently efficient use of space. Some cubes fit a full pair (of heels), others fit 2 pairs of shoes (flip flops, thin sandals), and with bulkier items like sneakers, only one shoe will slot into a cubbie. Overall, they were worth the $100 and are the best way I've discovered thus far for apartment shoe storage.
10. West Elm Scent Diffusers in Lapsang Tea and Cinnamon Cedar- They are beautiful to look at, have great throw and the scents are clean and comforting with no hint of that nauseating, fake, potpourri smell.
So what did I miss? And I'd love to hear what you're all loving this week!

Ellis Faas Milky Eyes Review

I have to admit, I am not as enamored of my Ellis Faas Milky Eyes as I am of the Milky Lips, though it is partly my own fault. The concept behind both products is the same--a semi-sheer, stain-like effect in a fluid texture. Whereas the Milky Lips has a brush applicator, Milky Eyes has a flocked "showerhead" tip (to use the parlance of the brand), that, in my opinion, does not work very well for evenly dispersing the product on the lid and into the crease. Thus, I have to dispense the Milky Eyes onto the top of my hand or allow it to flow through the tip and use my fingers or a brush to apply.

The shade I chose is E209, and this is where I believe I may be partly to blame for my ambivalence toward the product--its quite a plain, boring shade. E209 is a warm peachy beige that happens to create a clean, polished look all on it's own, but is easily duplicated by a myriad of other products, (an example of such being Laura Mercier Eye Basics in Wheat) at a fraction of the price. However, the shade is not the sole problem. My other qualm is that while I expected a translucent product based on the description, E209 is really quite sheer and takes several "coats" for the color to really show up at all, even on my fair skin. It takes a good 3-4 clicks of product to produce my desired effect and at $36 for the Milky Eyes, those are some expensive clicks! I was hoping for the sheer, soft, stained wash of peachy beige and it is achievable, it just takes a lot of layering for the peach to show up at all. Oddly, it shows up on my hand pretty well when swatches, it just doesn't translate the way on the eyes.

Overall, I think that the shade is flattering, the texture is lovely and the product lasts quite well. I believe that with a different applicator and either slightly more pigment or in a different shade, I'd like the Ellis Faas eye products more. I haven't written of the line yet and do want to try the Creamy Eyes in E104 before I do.

With Flash (heavily applied):
Without Flash (heavily applied):
Blended out just a bit:

Ellis Faas Milky Lips

My Ellis Faas arrived from Bergdorf's today, having taken 5 days to go 40 blocks and in a box big enough to hold a pair of boots! No matter, they're mine now! One of the two items I purchased was Milky Lips Lipstick in L207, which turned out to be $35 and not the $36 I was quoted. It's a warm deep nude with a good amount of brown and peach in it. In my opinion, the Ellis Faas colors definitely run warm. It's not the most flattering shade I've ever worn (I'd have preferred if it had a tad more pink) but the texture is very, very nice. It's fluid like a stain but a bit thicker. I suppose it's somewhere between a gloss and a stain and the lasting power is very good, especially given how moisturizing this feels. I would call the finish velvety. I do not think that the product will completely blow your mind of revolutionize the way you think about lip products, but because of how novel the texture is it is worth owning one Ellis Faas Milky Lips for sure.

Primed and ready to go:
Swatch:
On Lips:

Some Initial Thoughts on Ellis Faas

Ellis Faas Cosmetics launched in the US at Bergdorf Goodman yesterday, and after reading various raves I had to do some reconnaissance! According to the Sales Associate I was only the second person to the counter so the display were quite pristine, despite the counter being tiny and tucked away in the corner next to Bulgari Skincare and behind T. Le Clerc. Shortly after I arrived, a very frustrated and seemingly angry woman from Women's Wear Daily approached the counter saying that she had an appointment with the line's PR person and had been walking around the cosmetics floor for over half an hour looking for the line and couldn't find it. The Bergdorfs beauty level is not that big so I don't understand the issue, but wanted to point out just where the counter is located lest anyone else struggle! (Interestingly, neither Ellis not the PR rep were there when the WWD writer showed up for her scheduled interview appointment--there was some debate as to whether they were at a meeting or outside "having a smoke". When Ellis did show up--in lovely makeup, by the way--she asked the writer if she should "just go through the motions" and began going through the line's concept, history, etc. It should be very interesting to read WWD's review of the line!). Back to the actual makeup...

All of the products are housed in long slender silver tubes with pointed caps intended to resemble bullets. The various liquid formulas flow through either a "showerhead," the line's name for a hard flocked sponge top applicator with several holes through which the product is dispensed, or an attached brush. The only product not dispensed this way is the Powder, which is a standard pressed powder cake. Ellis also makes a large cylindrical metal tube to house your various Ellis Fass products, though it's rather large and unweildy. It features a built in powder compact at the bottom since the pressed powder currently comes only in a plastic clamshell for packaging. The Holder would be lovely if your entire cosmetic collection consisted of only Ellis products or you needed a handy weapon with which to clobber someone over the head, but for makeup junkies like myself it's just impractical.

Ellis also makes a Skin Veil Foundation and Concealer. The foundation is light in texture and features minerals to illuminate. It contains sunscreen and the 8 shades are in the same bullet style tube, just fatter, and come with a refill. The concealer seemed light and silky but it was no match for my serious undereye circles. For those with minor imperfections to hide, this might be a good option. Ellis Faas will soon be coming out with a Skin Luminizer as well.

The Blush comes in four shades, my favorite being S302. It's a very, very pretty shimmery peachy pink and will likely be my next Ellis purchase (more on what I did get later!). I can definitely see it being one of those shades that works on nearly every woman. The blush blends right in and has good pigment for a liquid. The shimmer is not over the top, just gentle and fresh. A really lovely product.

The Powder comes in 3 shades which did feel nice and creamy and didn't look heavy when applied, but the fact that it doesn't come in a compact is a deterrent to me.

Ellis Eyes are some of the line's star products. These fluid eye shadows come in two different formulas, Creamy Eyes and Milky Eyes. Creamy Eyes is a slightly thicker textured cream and are smooth and velvety, glide on and and give you time to blend them before they dry. Once they had set on my hand I had difficulty removing them, even with the makeup remover provided! This is one long-wearing shadow! They are full coverage and are available in 7 shades, ranging from a light yellow beige to a red plum to a sooty charcoal. Ellis mentioned that her line is nearly shimmery free, and the only one of these shadows in which I could discern some shimmer was E109--a pretty shimmery vanilla. You can click on all of the swatch pictures to enlarge them.

Milky Eyes are more translucent in texture. I would not describe them as sheer or unpigmented, merely more transparent, akin to stained glass. The shades in this collection are more vivid, yet can be blended down to a stain or gentle wash of color. The texture is lighter, spreads easier, and can be layered for inensity or to combine shades. I used two "coats" of the the shade I purchased (E209- a light beigey peach) to achieve my desired effect.

Ellis also makes a Mascara in brown and black and an Eyeliner in brown and black. The liner, like the shadows, transform from a liquid to a powder and feature a nice applicator brush.

The other standout in the line are the lip products, in 3 formulations: Creamy, Milky and Glazed. Creamy Lips are dispensed through the aforementioned showerhead component and are full coverage but with a soft and velvety feel. They don't feel drying in the least and I can see them blotting down nicely. The pinky-nude L108 would be my top choice. Milky Lips are lighter in texture than Creamy Lips and a bit less pigmented, but not quite a gloss. Thicker than a stain and thinner than a lipstick, the product is very unique and comfortable to wear. I chose L207 for myself, a natural my-lips-but-better shade similar to Laura Mercier Nude Lips. Last is Glazed Lips, a sheer, wet looking non-sticky gloss. L308 is a sheer nude brown that I really liked. All of the formulations come in 9 shades, but the line's standout and most publicized is Ellis Red, which comes in all 3 formulas. This shade is designed to be a universal, versatile red that is supposedly flattering on all women.

So why no pictures of the items I picked out for myself? After all the time I spent playing and swatching and sampling and choosing, I go to pay and the Sales Associates realizes that none of the items (save for the Ellis Holder) have been entered into the store's computer system and thus they could not be purchased! Bergdorfs really dropped the ball on this one! The store launched a line and made it so that customers can't actually buy it! The Sales Associate took down my credit card and shipping information and they are supposedly shipping my items to me today. I will be sure to post a follow up when I receive them but in the meantime I'm looking forward!

The line's biggest downside is the pricing. The line is, in my opinion, exceptionally (and rather unnecessarily) expensive, especially since some of the items cost quite a bit more than when you convert the overseas pricing into USD. If I'm happy with my new Milky Lips and Milky Eyes, I would go back for the blush and likely a Creamy Lips, but it's not a line to which I can afford to really develop a strong addiction or sizable collection. When I was at the counter, a woman (a tourist and without prior knowledge of the line) came by to play with the eye and lip products, and asked the Sales Associate the pricing to which the answer was "everything is $36." The shopper then opted to add the foundation, concealer, and a few other items to her haul, not realizing that the $36 was only for the eye and lip products she was eyeing when she asked (nor did I at the time). Since we could not be properly rung up and were not given totals, this poor woman is going to find herself back in Pennsylvania with a $500 bill and not know why! Oy!

Here are the prices:
Ellis Holder- $35
Skin Veil Foundation- $65
Skin Veil Concealer- (not listed but I believe $45)
Blush- $40
Powder- $25 (no compact provided)
Creamy Eyes- $36
Milky Eyes- $36
Mascara- $34
Eyeliner- $36
Creamy Lips- $36
Milky Lips- $36
Glazed Lips- $36

The Sales Associate I worked with, Claudia Pinto, was extremely nice and helpful. She apologized any time I was kept waiting, when she went to work with another customer and when the register wouldn't scan the items. She allowed me to play and never hovered or put pressure on me to purchase anything and was happy to offer advice and suggestions. She is also knowledgeable about the line, the products and the shades. I called today to confirm that the products were shipped and that there were no issues and she not only remembered me by name, but let me know that she had already shipped the items and ran my credit card info through the shredder. That, to me, is top-notch customer service. If you'd like to order through her, her number is (212)872-8713. I have absolutely no affiliation whatsoever and receive nothing from posting this or her contact information. She was just a very helpful Sales Associate and nice person with whom to deal.

If you've tried the line I'd love to hear your thoughts and suggestions for additional products to try!Oh, and here are some quick iPhone pictures of swatches and products. The lighting in Bergdorfs is notoriously yellow and bad (why on earth you'd but beauty level in a basement is beyond me) but hopefully they can provide some additional guidance.
Top row: Glazed Lips 308, Milky Lips 207, Creamy Eyes 108
Center: Milky Lips 208
Bottom row: Milky Eyes 206, Milky Eyes 109, Blush S302
Top row: Milky Eyes 206, Glazed Lips 308
Middle row: Milky Eyes 109, Milky Lips 208, Milky Lips 207
Bottom row: Blush S302, Creamy Eyes 108

Coming to NYC January 8th...

I know where I'll be this coming Friday! At Bergdorf Goodman! The Ellis Faas makeup line will be making it's US debut on January 8th at Bergdorfs. For those not familiar with this little-known yet highly touted line, the concept behind Ellis' eponymous line was to create products based on "the colours that by nature exist in every human body." The products feature high quality ingredients and are all a fluid texture housed in bullet style long tubes. I've read repeated raves for the brand on other blogs (notably London Makeup Girl--check out her reviews and lovely photos) and am excited to finally be able to try the range myself! The pricing on this line abroad is quite high so it should be interesting to see how they've priced it for the US market. I promise to report back!