Ellis Faas Blush Review – we’re officially impressed!
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As some of you may recall, we were fortunate enough to feature the eponymous makeup line from Amsterdam-born makeup artist Ellis Faas before. If you read my previous post, Lips, Prepare to be Wowed, on this up-and-coming brand, you will have read that not only did I adore their lip products, but I was anxious to try out their cream blush. Well, the powers that be were kind enough to humor this poor blush addict and sent me one of their cream blushes to try out (Woo-hoo!) To say I was ecstatic, is pretty much an understatement…
Like their lip products and every other product they offer (except for their face powders), Ellis Faas’ blush ($32) is packaged in a silver, bullet-shaped click pen. And as I discovered with my lip colors, the click pen packaging makes their product wonderfully portable, so you can pop it in your purse wherever you go (Am I the only person who doesn’t leave her house without extra blush? Probably.). The pen has a sponge-tipped applicator which can be used to apply the blush directly. The product inside is a creamy liquid that has the consistency of a thick lip gloss.
The color we received was S302, a warm, pearl coral rose. I say pearl instead of shimmery because you cannot detect noticeable shimmer, only a glowing quality reminiscent of a pearl. This effect makes for a really different blush and adds to the natural appearance of this flush. The end result is dewy and youthful, which is something most of us work hard to achieve, and this blush delivers with the click of a pen.
I believe the coral (still the “it” shade of the moment) hue of this blush is universally flattering and would complement all skin tones, which was the intent of the line’s creator – the colors from this collection are inspired by colors that occur in the human body and the theory is that these shades will flatter everyone. The cherry on top is that this formula contains vitamins C and E, essential oils, and rosewater – thus this blush not only makes you look good, but it’s good for your skin, too.
Besides the good for you, super flattering hue (as seen here on Stef), this blush blends superbly. It is fool-proof. You only need a dab for each cheek and the color looks very natural – like you’re not wearing any makeup at all and just look like you’re blushing from within.
The color also has great longevity for a creamy liquid blush – I only needed one touch up in 12 hours (this is huge). The Ellis Faas website recommends that you dab a small amount in the middle of each cheek using the sponge applicator and then blend, but I found that the click pen didn’t seem to dispense product evenly with every click. I had better results just clicking up a small amount of product, swiping it on my middle finger, dabbing it on the other middle finger and then applying it to both cheeks and blending well. I found that I didn’t waste as much product that way and I got a more even application.
I have to say that so far, I’m loving Ellis Faas. I judge most makeup companies by their blush and based on this gorgeous product, I have to say I am officially impressed.
Is anybody else out there officially impressed with this cosmetics line? Should we organize a parade or some other celebratory event in Ellis Faas’ honor? (and am I the only person out there that needs blush more than oxygen?)
Don’t forget to check the comments for more reviews on the Ellis Faas Blush from members of the we heart this review team.
Disclosure: This review includes products that were provided by the manufacturer/PR firm for our consideration. For more info, or any questions, please see our disclosure policy.
I was one of the lucky ones to receive the Ellis Faas blush. When I first received it I was immediately wowed by the packaging and yet unsure of what it was. Quickly I discovered that it blush. I can safely say that this is the most awesome high-tech James Bond looking blush that you will ever use.
But as much as I love gadgets. I am ashamed to admit that it took me awhile to get this one working. Maybe it was just me. Or maybe I had a somewhat faulty blush. But I sat for over 30 minutes clicking the darn thing. Nothing came out. And then all of a sudden it came wooshing out. After that initial snafu all was right in the world.
But I do agree that the product doesn’t dispense super evenly. So for me it has been best to use my fingers as well. It is a lovely color. It gives you just the right amount of youthful looking glow. Very pretty and natural. Just like @Stef. And it feels good on as well. It doesn’t have a weird cakey, blush feel.
I highly recommend this blush. It looks great on. It feels good. And the packaging is pure make-up geek awesome! I hesitate to do this because I may have had a faulty blush. But because of my initial problem dispensing I will give it a 4 stars. Otherwise I would not hesitate to give it a 4 1/2 – 5 stars. Regardless, I highly recommend this sleek blush.
A blush clicky-pen?!? I’m totally sold. Even with the spotty dispensing, I think I’d love this. I rarely use the recommended application instructions/devices anyway. (I HATED Urban Decay’s mineral makeup until I ripped that bad boy open and used a brush instead of its wasteful sponge applicator…)
@Stef, that blush looks amazing on you, SO natural! I love that they are making products that fit every skin tone; it’s so fun to go to the website and look at the shades and go, “Hey! I’d wear ALL of those!”
I’d like to ask the testers how long you think the product will last. (In terms of number of applications, not longevity during the day.) I’m a fan of great products, but I’m also notoriously cheap. :-)
@kellie76 – it wasn’t just you, I had trouble getting the ball rolling (or the blush moving) with this too. Not just the first time either, every time. Click, click, click, click (repeat about 20 times) then a little burst of blush. I didn’t have this problem with the lip products.
Despite that annoyance, this is one beautiful blush! The shade is like no other I have. I think the pearl description @krista used is exactly right. And the warm peach is so glow-y!
Best of all, it wears forever. Which for a cream blush is almost unheard of. I barely make it out of the door with color still on with most cream blushes. They usually just seem to slip off my oily skin. With Ellis Faas, I was still blushing by the end of the day.
I did like the sponge tip applicator and used it to rub the product in. Once it finally came through, I quickly dabbed both of my cheeks, then went back to blend. It felt like the perfect amount of pressure. I tend to get over crazy with my fingers and rub off all the product.
I’ll repeat what I said in my lip product review, I’m not crazy about the names. S302 is not very sexy, especially when you look at the packaging, which is incredibly sexy. And with out their special holder, these are a bit cumbersome to store (they roll off my vanity, they’re kind of big, the only way to tell which is which is the tiny sticker of the bottom/or popping off the cap).
But, the product itself is so amazing that despite packaging issues, this gets a solid 4 stars from me. If these were in a more user friendly case, I wouldn’t be able to give them 5 quick enough…
.-= Stef´s last blog ..MOR Little Luxuries perfume oils =-.
@lyssachelle – how long will the product last? Sadly, I have no idea…
Looks as nice as the lipstick! Is this the same size @Stef?
I was also one of the lucky ones to receive this high-tech looking blush. I was so excited, I pulled it out of the package and waved it in my husbands face saying “Guess what this is! No, guess!” He didn’t share my enthusiasm when he found out it was blush, LOL, but he did think the packaging was pretty cool.
I’m glad I’m not the only one that had a problem getting the product going. I was just about ready to give up when the last click gave a spurt of blush, huzzah!
The application is a little spotty, and I had to use a LOT of it to get it to show up on my skin. I did find that the fingers method was best, but as pale as I am it shouldn’t have taken so much work to get color!
The packaging, as cool as it is, makes me wonder about how much product I’ll actually be able to get out of it. I’m that type of girl who will scrape out every scrap of lipstick from my tubes, etc. With plastic bottles like UD’s eye primer you can cut open the bottle and get a LOT more product. However, having metal packaging, that would be a lot harder with the Ellis Faas, LOL!
The color is beautiful and buildable and it does last all day long, but the packaging, while super cool, doesn’t seem to be very functional. Overall I give it 4 stars.
I love the idea of a blush that glows rather than shimmers! Ellis Faas is new to me and I’m going to check out the line the first chance I get!
For those of you that had click pen issues where it took forever to dispense product—sadly, I had similar issues. It wasn’t even just the first time, it was almost every time. Then I realized I’d been storing this on its side. I then wedged it into one of my standing makeup holders with the dispenser side facing down. This helped quite a bit with that issue. It didn’t make the issue completely go away, but I got product within 10 clicks instead of the 30-40 it was taking. That being said, I am still loving this blush. Like Alyssa, I am wondering how long this would last, though, as it takes quite a bit more product to get a good flush than it does to get a good lip application. Where the Ellis Faas lip product would probably last a good long while, I estimate I might get 2 months of daily wear out of this. I don’t imagine I’d get more than that. While I like the futuristic silver bullet packaging, I can’t help but wish there was a way to see how much product is actually in them…4 stars from me!
I am new to this line as well, but no stranger to the click-y pen! Being a YSL Touche Eclat devotee, I have cramped up clicking and clicking until…whoosh the product finally comes out and you’ve wasted precious highlighter!
I imagine it would be tricky to use this in blush form, but the glowy descriptions and sleek packaging will force me to try this for myself!
@krista – that’s genius! Of course storing it applicator side down would work better, the product has less a distance to travel. That’s how the Ellis Faas holders store them too…
Thank god one of us is smart!
OK. I am seriously lemming the entire line of Ellis Faas products. Your current post is awesome and you look fab in that color. Gah. I wish Washington, DC had a retailer for this line. Thanks so much for the informative review!
I generally shy away from cream blushes because I’m afraid I’ll apply it weird and it’ll just look like high school theater makeup, but this sounds nice and it looks great on in the photo! Such a nice natural glow! I’m sold!
I haven’t tried Ellis Faas yet, but after hearing your reviews, I’m eager to give this cream blush a try. I’ve had a hard time with cream blush in the past, because it never seems to stay put on my face, so the fact that this one stays on all day is a huge plus for me! The color looks awesome, Stef, and very natural. Thanks for the visual!
Hmmm a blush in a tube? That’s new to me. The color looks great on you @Stef. I like how Ellis Faas uses colors found in the body so that their colors will flatter everyone. Might have to try this one out!
@Stef the color looks so good on you!
$32 for a blush clicky pen that has clicky issues? I don’t think so. Pretty, yes, practical for those of us with CP? No.
This blush looks so pretty on you @stef…just wish they had the click part figured out. I’m such a gadget lover.. this has my name written all over it. Let’s hope they can make it work better because I’d love to try it out.
So, lissen up, Pilgrims, as The Duke used to say. The line to Bergdorf Goodman starts here, right behind me. The only place in NYC to buy Ellis Faas products is at BG, and they have given them the dinkiest, itsy-est counter at the extreme edge of BG’s MAMMOTH lower floor. This is beauty Nirvana, all you other-state beauty buffs, a gigantic temple of cosmetics and skin care counters all gleaming and spacious — and then, well, and then there is my poor, dear Collin Robison. All alone in Ultima Thule. And the only way he can move out of the boondocks and into the exquisitely flattering light of the main floor is to bring Ellis Faas goodness to the masses. Masses of masses. Help him, people. Seriously, this a line well deserving of space to demonstrate and attract attention, not to be hidden away. I’m doing my best, but I am only one slightly geriatric New Yorker.
I have the Ellis Faas travel case, which doesn’t need to travel at all — it can sit right on my makeup shelf or vanity. It holds 6 eye or lip bullets plus the larger foundation, all snug and poised for action. If you do plan a road trip, it keeps all the lovely stuff organized and ready to hand. I would not advise traveling by plane with these bullet-y babies, because Homeland Security has not had the word. Nor, apparently, have they seen the photos of Ellis herself wearing her Belt o’ Many Colors, looking just like a modish guerrilla fighter. Or a tony terrorist. Collin tells me she is coming to the US this summer to do demos in several cities. Look for her. You know I will.
I’m quite fascinated by this line. I have the blush in 301 and love it, I have an eyeshadow and a lipstick. I love the futuristic design of the containers so it won’t keep me from buying more. I just wish I could test these out.
So guess what I had to run out and buy? A cool holder (2 buck at Ross – look at the bathroom accessories and the kitchen stuff for good options) that sort of matches the one I already have for my make up brushes to store of of my clicky pen products. @krista – you are so smart S-M-R-T!
@marciaF -ooh S301 is a pretty blush ( a rosy shimmer) however I’ve got to agree with Stef here, more descriptive names would be nice – S301 doesn’t “speak to me” you know.
But, all in all totally impressed with this line so far. I love getting to see a great brand break out so close up – I think Ellis Faas is going to be reeeaally popular someday soon.
@justjoan – you rule. If I wasn’t already sold on EF your comment would have me running for the door!
.-= Tyna Werner´s last blog ..8 Awesome Father’s Day Gift Suggestions =-.
Oh yeah, @justjoan – that’s one hell of a comment, as always! In my head I was like “I need this! I need this!! Oh wait…I have this.” I do wish I was near a counter to swatch though. Please swatch often for all of us!
And I have to say again @krista, you really are a genius and I feel like such a dummy. After a night of storing this applicator down, I used this in the AM and the product came to the tip in just a few clicks, and didn’t shoot out like it had an appointment to get to.
.-= Stef´s last blog ..TALIKA Paris – The European eye care specialists =-.
Oh, pshaw, women! You will turn my head into Linda Blair territory. If you go to the BG Facebook page under Ellis Faas you will see the awesome new silver and gold eye colors. Makes me want to be Katy Perry. Without the Britney dress.
@stef and @tyna -I am glad that I was able to open up whole new worlds for you! Storing this beauty applicator-side down really does help eliminate the need for excessive clicking.
Tyna, you cracked me up with saying I was smart, S-M-R-T. It also reminded me of when I lived outside Baltimore and people would say smart like “smrrrt”. Awesome :)
This is a very cool line.. I’m wondering if it’s available at our Saks or Bloomindales.. heck, it could even be for all I know at Nordstroms! I’m going on a hunt in June.
NOPE! According to Ellis Fass website, the only lucky U.S. distributor is in New York at- Bergdorf Goodman – 754, 5th Avenue – 212 872 8713 or 800-967-3788 ext 8713. What in carnation is that all about!? Please come to California- I have an aching in my heart! We like clickie things over here!
Ellis Faas has an American-friendly website. They will ship stuff to you directly from their London store, which is the way I would buy products before BG, but unfortunately the exchange rate is not in our favor. If you have a Neiman Marcus over your way, see if they can order it for you: NM is a Bergdorf partner, so it is worth a try.
@stef, could your eyes look any bluer? I swear they look like the blue sea!
I won’t be buying it, althought it looks great. So did my lipgloss (304), that I bought after reading almost nothing but positive comments. Well, it’s one of the worst overpriced glosses I bought; the color bleeds, takes up to 6 clicks to get the product out and it dries the lips as crazy. Not to mention it costs 25 €!
Hi Van, Sorry you were less than thrilled. And you’re right, it even stings more to be unhappy when a product costs so much. I liked the lip glosses quite a lot, but some of our testers did complain of dryness.
But 6 clicks? I’d jump for joy if this came out in 6 clicks!
.-= Stef´s last blog ..TALIKA Paris – The European eye care specialists =-.
Joan, I went to BG and met with Colin, what a wonderful Guy and Saleperson, yes we need to tell the masses so they move him from that awful corner. But with that said by the end of the consultation I was SOLD I bought everything that he tried on my face and after two months these are best products I have ever had… I spent aloooot of money, you bet, but it was worth every penny. The only problem that I have is that you buy extra pens and they don’t fit in the holder but I’m going to follow the ideas given here.
Carmen – welcome to we heart this. That is so awesome that you paid a visit to Colin and even more awesome that you love your Ellis Faas stuff! Some day we need to have a wht field trip to NYC and descend upon that corner counter at Bergdorf Goodman.