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| Above: The minimalist, streamlined Ellis Faas Hot Lips packaging. |
I first learned of the Ellis Faas Hot Lips formula release while watching a video on Donna Shorts1’s channel (her videos are entrancingly lovely and she has always been a great BP supporter) and when I witnessed the way in which velvety lip color glides on with intense pigmentation and coverage, I instantly went on the hunt to track it down, which, I might add, was no small feat. I discovered that Space NK no longer carries the line at their counters, which led me to ferret out the formula at small beauty boutiques in the area…finally, I located them at Woodley and Bunny, a wonderful beauty apothecary in LA (though there are multiple locations) that caters to independent, niche and organic beauty and skincare lines. My dear friend Merrady who manages the 3rd Street location kindly assisted me by phone (323/951-9906) and I had my Hot Lips arrive to my doorstep in a single day!
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| Above: L408 is described as a “baby pink” though I would say that it is the boldest baby I’ve ever encountered ; ) |
Retailing for $35, this wildly pigmented wonder comes in a silver, streamlined, click pen of sorts, indigenous to the Ellis Faas line; in this case, the applicator tip is flocked and, upon twisting up end, the rich, vibrant lip color is released through minute holes at the top. L408 is described as a “baby pink” but I that it translates as much bolder (while still somewhat light) on my pigmented lips. It’s ability to be simultaneously soft, velvety, bright and electric is impressive…I can truly say that I do not own another lip color the likes of this!
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| Above: The velvet flocked applicator tip. |
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| Above: The initial release of the lip color. |
From a formula persecutive, this lip color is incredibly concentrated…just the tiniest bit (the size of a mustard seed or so) is sufficient to thoroughly drench the entire lip area with pigment. I added a touch of balm before application and then dotted the flocked applicator onto my lips, using my fingers to spread and blot it down to a stain of sorts. And therein lies the beauty of this formula…a minute amount and the lips are stained with rich color, a touch more and a full-impact lips are created. I find that this formula wears better and feels more comfortable than the Ellis Faas Creamy Lips formula, which actually feels a tad dry in comparison, especially after a hours of wear. It is lightly scented with the a subtle herbal fragrance that reminds me a bit of Anise…I love the overall effect and find the sensory experience delightful!
Ingredients: Ricinus Communis Seed Oil (Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil), Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Dicalcium Phosphate, Stearalkonium Bentonite, Silica Silylate, Propylene Carbonate, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Aroma (Flavor), Tocopheryl Acetate, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate. May Contain[+/‐]:Ci 77891 (Titanium Dioxide), Ci 77491/77492/77499 (Iron Oxides), Ci 45410 (Red 28 Lake), Ci 15985 (Yellow 6 Lake), Ci 19140 (Yellow 5 Lake), Ci 42090 (Blue 1 Lake), Ci 15850 (Red 6/ Red 7 Lake).
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| Above: Hot Lips applied heavily and smudged out to a stain (not how much lighter the stained effect appears). |
Below: Images of Ellis Faas Hot Lips L408 (in various lighting situations) applied directly from the tube and blotted down with my fingers…I much prefer the casual, imperfect application; it helps to downplay the boldness of this brilliant formula….
Bottom Line: The Ellis Faas Hot Lips formula in L408 is tremendous! Highly pigmented, terribly long lasting and fairly moisturizing (especially in light of its first to aforementioned attributes), this is a bold lip color lover’s dream. When I wear it, I opt for pared down makeup on the face and eyes as to not compete with its powerful color statement…that being said, L408 is the lightest, most subdued (!) of the Hot Lips shade offerings, which puts into context how “hot” this formula truly is. I think I will be embracing this L408 tonight for my casual NYE gathering…it is just the shade to ring in the new year with zeal and gusto!
I hope you enjoyed this very last post of 2013…what a glorious year it has been! Thank you for all of your support and encouragement…it is truly what makes this blog worth maintaining. I should have my massive “Best of 2013” video post live later on this week (currently in the throes of editing) and can’t wait to share it with you!
Blessings and beauty in the New Year…xoxo from my heart,
–The Beauty Professor
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Comments (14)
Rachel that was so lovely of you to put my link in this post, and My Goodness, you look so fantastic, the most glorious advertisement for this lipstick imaginable. Happy New Year beautiful, Donna… xoxo
Oh my…how could I not?! Your channel is so inspiring and your very person is brimming with beauty and grace…thank you so much for sharing this lip color formula in the first place and thanks also for your generous compliment!
Blessings and love in the new year, my friend…xoxo,
–The Beauty Professor
Hello dearest B.P!!!!!
HAPPY NEW YEAR to you, your family and your lovely readers!!! I am wishing you the absolute richest of blessings for 2014. May this year be filled with more joy than you can imagine, more love than you can ponder and more success than you can fathom! It is great to read your review of the Ellis Faas lip color which looks gorgeous on you. I have never tried their lip products before however I have purchased 2 eye-shadows in the past. Whilst I really enjoyed their metallic finish and long wearing properties, I found the following deal breakers:
– The product was cumbersome to use as it took a while for the liquid to emerge and when it finally did, it tended to spurt out.
– I found that despite meticulous cleaning the nip continued to cake and became unsanitary.
– After extended wear time I experienced a tight sensation on the eyelid which was not painful, however was nevertheless unpleasant and uncomfortable.
Maybe I happened to get a bad batch I don't know. I loved your review on the Koh Gen Doh Aqua foundation and completely agree with your comments about it. I am in love with this product and I am so happy to have finally found a foundation that is long wearing and provides a gorgeous finish! I have been so impressed with this line and am eager to try more products. I recently picked up the Laura Mercier secret camouflage concealer as I wanted to see what all the fuss was about (have you tried it?) and the Naked 3 palette. I do not own the other two and have never been interested in them, as I was never attracted to the shades or textures. However when I spotted the Naked 3 I immediately responded to their cool and rosy shades so was eager to experiment! I have to say that tracking down number 3 turned out to be a huge ordeal here in Australia as this line is not readily available to us, and the product was proving particularly elusive to me. That is until my lovely hubby stepped in and was able to get it for me! Between you and me I think he is officially an urban decay member now (he,he).
For NYE we celebrated at my parents place as my sister was in town (she resides in another state), so my parents threw a lovely party for her as she also revealed that she is 4 months pregnant! I have a precious few days left of leave before I have to head back to work, so I will try to enjoy these as best as I can. On Friday we will celebrate my sister's 30th birthday which should be fun. My cat Lucy has been ill for the last 3 weeks as she ingested something that did not agree with her and that triggered respiratory pneumonia and a shut-down of her immune system, so we have been faithfully tending to her on a daily basis, and monitoring her constantly. She is slowly responding so we can relax a little more now.
I cannot wait to hear more exciting news about what you have been up to during this festive season and of course, wonderful posts!
Sending a big hug, Karen
Hello Karen,
Happy New Year to you and yours!! Thank you for your wonderfully kind well wishes for the year ahead. I hope all the same for you!
I appreciate your detailed feedback on the Ellis Faas eye shadow experience. I must say, I have only tried the EL foundation (which is lovely and glowy for light coverage days) and the lip color…nothing else, so I cannot speak to the eye shadows personally.
Thrilled to hear that you are loving the KGD foundation…it is just a superb formula and I love mixing it with something more opaque when I want to step up the coverage. I do indeed have the LM Secret Camouflage concealer in SC-3 and am probably on my 5th or 6th compact…I've been using it for over 15 years and l love it for covering blemishes (thankfully not as much of an issue now as in years past…growing up does have some perks!) or dark spots. It is so opaque and lasts forever. I really need to do a blog post on it but it has been such a part of my life for so long that I always forget to feature it! Applause to your husband for tracking down the elusive Naked 3 palette…how wonderful. I haven't personally used it but there is so much buzz about it that it definitely seems to be a hit.
It sounds like you had a beautiful NYE…family, fun and exciting news…how perfect! I am so sorry to hear about your kitty…that is so stressful but how wonderful to hear that she seems to be on the road to recovery. She will be in my prayers!
After a delightfully casual gathering with family and friends at our house last night, we spent a blissful day at home, moving slowing and soaking in the rare leisure time that the first of the year so kindly brings. I have a few blog posts to line up this week and a bit of shopping planned with my mom before the weekend signals the cusp of my return back to work. I aim to make the most of every minute!
Have a beautiful rest of the week and talk soon…xoxo,
–The Beauty Professor
Dear B.P,
A gathering with friends and family sounds like the perfect way to prepare for the week ahead, I wish you a truly smooth and ruffle-free transition back to work! Thank you for so beautifully reminding me of the importance of appreciating each special second given to us, in addition to making the most of every moment.
How exciting to hear that you are a fan of secret camouflage! I also use number 3 and so far I have been impressed with it's longevity and opacity, without looking cakey. I don't know why I hadn't tried it before but I am glad that I finally gave in to my curiosity!
Sending a big hug, Karen xo
Take care, Karen
Hello Karen,
It was wonderful, indeed. I hope the remainder of your week has been lovely! So glad to hear that you are loving the LM Secret Camouflage thus far…it is so stalwart, especially during a long day.
Have an utterly beautiful weekend, my friend…xoxo and looking forward to talking soon!
–The Beauty Professor
Thanks for the shout out! xo
My pleasure, lovely! Thanks again for all of your help! I am hoping to make a pilgrimage to your store tomorrow…will call ahead to make sure you are going to be there ; )
xoxo,
–The Beauty Professor
Rachel, sometimes I think we are cosmetics sisters… or at least cousins! I also only wear nude or light pink (very occasionally pinkish-coral) lipsticks. AND I was at the Woodley and Bunny here in NYC on Monday of this very week and I too swatched the Ellis Faas HotLips! I swear I even thought to myself while doing it "I wonder which of these the Beauty Professor would like as a Pinky-Nude?"!!! I eyed shade 409 which is even called "Pink-Nude". I swatched it on my wrist and it seemed a bit too dark for me. I would have tried it on the face but staffing levels there were low due to the holidays and there were no applicators around (didn't want to apply out of the tube – eeeww). I also have EXTREMELY dry lips despite trying every treatment product under the sun. Even though it didn't feel that drying I was hesitant.
Don't try the Ellis Faas eyeshadows – the colors are beautiful and the longevity is outstanding. But the applicators are a huge pain in the rear. And I do find they make me look a little crepey in the inner corner part of my eyelid after a few hours.
At any rate, the Hot Lips 408 is simply beautiful on you. I'm so happy you found a lovely new shade to ring in the New Year.
xoxo sj
Hello Cosmetic Sister ; )
Oh my goodness…that is wild that you were at Woodley and Bunny on the opposite coast and took at peek at this formula. Love it! Even though the Hot Lips are more hydrating than the other EF lip formulas I've tried, I would recommend wearing over well-moisturized lips or at least a really good balm so it might have been wise that you didn't try it yet. I do think, however, that you might like #408, especially if you have a pale nude lipstick (like Tom Ford Nude Vanille) nearby to tone it down a bit ; )
One recently dry lip remedy that I've been loving lately is the Sara Happ Nude Slip gloss…I deal with extremely dry lips on a semi-regular basis (especially now!) and this particular formula is so soothing and hydrating. An auspicious discovery!
Thanks for your tip on the EL shadows…I definitely don't want to deal with an unpleasant applicator.
I so appreciate your kind compliment and hope you have an utterly beautiful weekend…xoxo and talk soon!
–The Beauty Professor
Thank you for your review on Ellis Faas. I was thinking of trying her foundation and was wondering if that's what you're wearing in the pictures above. Your skin looks absolutely perfect , like real skin , glowy, dewy and flawless. That's the first thing i noticed, so i had to ask what foundation/primer/ concealer etc you are wearing!
I have been on the forever search for a beautiful hydrating foundation that doesn't look like foundation. I used to use Shu Uemura face architect smoothing fluid foundation before it was discontiuned , and it was sooo perfect, however since then I can't seem to find a good foundation :/.
Thank you
xoxo
Sam
Hello Sam,
My pleasure and thanks! I am not wearing the Ellis Faas foundation in the pictures (it's the Kanebo Sensai Cellular Performance Cream Foundation in #22, as well as the LMdB Peau Vierge as a primer and Cle de Peau concealer in Beige) but I do own the EF foundation and it is lovely. If you are looking for a sheer, glowy, skin-like finish, then I highly recommend the EF foundation…it's superb!
Hope that helps…xx,
–The Beauty Professor
Hi Beauty Professor, thank you so much for your quick response! In the last few days you have become my favorite beauty blogger, and the first I ever left a comment for :). I actually called Kimmie today at Neiman's and she's sending me a couple samples of the Kanebo foundation. I told her I found out about the foundation and her through you. She laughed and said she has been getting so many clients by way of your blog. I think that's so sweet of you.
So since discovering your blog I have become more foundation obsessed then usual and have decided to try out the Suqqu, Kanebo and By terry cover expert due to your recommendations. I especially loved the Suqqu on you in another picture where I noticed someone else had actually commented on how great your complexion looked and I was thinking the same thing. So off I go to find my holy grail foundation, and crossing my fingers that at least one of these foundations look as good on me as they do on you! I have dry-ish skin thus i thought the Ellis Faas would be great but I tried it today and it just melted off by hour 3 of just being indoors.. I tried the 102 and it was a little to pinkish for my taste as well. I think it looked good at first application but not so good that i wanted to jump up and down. And the fact that I look like a grease ball by hour 4 made me cross if off my list.. I didn't set it with any powder because I wanted to get the real look of it. I also didn't use a primer, just a moisturizer. How important do you think it is to wear a primer? I kinda feel like if a foundation is really good and that expensive it should be pretty good to go, or at least not be that greasy.
Anyways I love your blog, and I just watched a couple of your videos. I usually grow ansy while watching videos but yours were great, not too long and I learned a few new vocabulary words:D, I'm a student at UCI.
Thanks so much for a great and informative blog, thanks to your great swatches that make things so easy
xoxo
Sam
Hi Sam,
Happy to help! Thanks for your very kind words! I am so glad you are getting samples from Kimmie (she's amazing) and look forward to hearing your thoughts on the foundation. In terms of lasting power, the EF foundation is great for some and not as effective for others…I get about five hours of wear before needing to blot/touch up but I know others who get serious all day wear. Some elements are just attributed to chemistry, I suppose!
I like using a primer in most cases…the Le Metier de Beaute Peau Vierge I wear daily acts as a moisturizer, primer, illuminator, anti-aging serum and light SPF so I get a lot of benefit from a single product!
Thanks for your words about my videos…so glad you like my style ; ) Sounds like you are in my neck of the woods! What are you studying at UCI?
Have a beautiful week and do keep in touch…xoxo,
–The Beauty Professor