Gloriously gorgeous make-up from Ellis Faas

As you may have already realised, we’re total packaging junkies; if it looks luxe and glossy, we love it! Well-designed products that deliver cosmetic perfection are our make-up mission. One such collection comes from renowned make-up artist Ellis Faas. Fashion bible Vogue Paris called her “one of the most influential make-up artists of her time”, so suffice to say that Ms Faas’ beauty line had a lot to live up to.

Born in the Netherlands, Faas has worked with huge industry names from Mario Testino to Karl Lagerfeld, as well as with cosmetic heavyweights including Clinique, Lancôme and MAC. Thus creating her own range of make-up was both a natural progression and a life-long ambition.

Ellis Faas cosmetics are based on a concept she calls “Human Colours”; this means colours that by nature exist in every human body – “from the tawny peach of a freckle to the pure, vivid red that pulses through our veins.” The Faas collection offers shades to complement every complexion, whether you’re a pale English rose or a bronzed Mediterranean goddess. Does this mean an ultra au naturel look? No, Faas says: “Human Colours is all about going back to nature without having to appear natural.”

And the packaging? Think sleek, silver and almost sci-fi. The concept came from award-winning industrial designer Arnout Visser and the results are stunning; liquid colours are dispensed from pens which were inspired by bullets! Not only are the products very sexy, they’re all very portable too.

Faas says: “liquid makeup tends to blend into the skin more easily,” and having thoroughly road-tested the products we can concur. The Ellis Eyes collection divides into “Milky Eyes” and “Creamy Eyes”, as well as offering mascara and eyeliner. Creamy textured shadows use a brush and the milky shades are dispensed via a sponge-tipped applicator. We tried the “Creamy” E104 shadow, a soft, velvety-textured brown taupe colour which could easily become a permanent fixture in any make-up bag. It blends beautifully and stays on all day. And we really mean all day. What’s great about the brush applicator is that you can wash colour across the whole eyelid, use the shade to create a sultry look by blending into the socket, or even use as a soft eyeliner under the eye. “Milky Eyes” in E203 (a vivid, sexy grey-purple) allows you to create a more subtle, sheer colour effect – ideal for a modern smoky-eyed look.

The Ellis Lips collection also consists of “Milky” and “Creamy” colours, as well as a “Glazed”, glossy finish. For long-lasting coverage, choose one of the “Creamy” lipsticks; these are really easy to apply thanks to the sponge-tipped applicators. We tested the L104 shade, which is a vibrant, sexy magenta colour – perfect for a pop of colour. In the “Milky” range, L203 is a natural, warm rich red tone which will complement any complexion; it’s a slightly more translucent, sheer finish. All of the lipsticks offer real staying power, which is what we expected from a pro like Faas anyway!

Perfectly designed products

We also tried out some of the Ellis Skin products; the range includes eight foundation and eight concealer colours. We tried the brush-tipped concealer which is highly-pigmented and offers excellent coverage. The formula includes karité oil and rice wax as well as Vitamins E and C to hydrate the skin. The result? A truly flawless finish. Illuminate your complexion with one of the Ellis Skin blushers which contain essential oils, rose water and vitamins C and E, offering a fresh finish as well as cooling and toning skin. We tried the S302 shade which gives a shimmery veil of peachy-pink colour and a pretty dewy effect. The blush lasts well too.

We expected to be impressed with Ms Faas’ make-up collection and we were. The packaging is slick, shiny, well-designed and easy to pop in your handbag. There’s a wide range of colours on offer and the liquid formula means that they blend superbly and stay on all day long. We agree with Vogue Paris – she certainly is an influential make-up artist and the effect that she has on our cosmetic collections (and credit cards…) will doubtless be as long-lasting as her lipsticks!

To buy Ellis Faas cosmetics, visit the website, or for a list of stockists see here. In Europe, Ellis Faas is currently available in the Netherlands, Belgium, France, Ireland, Germany, Poland, Switzerland, Spain and the UK.