Snow White, Snow Bright: Ellis Faas' Signature Red

(http://www.ellisfaas.com/)

I just read about a new beauty line called Ellis Faas in the last issue of Vogue Paris. The woman behind the label is renowned Dutch-born make-up artist Ellis Faas (she's worked with prestigious clients on major projects, such as creating Kate Winslet's look for Lancome's internationally-run Tresor ads).

The brand was recently launched with Ellis Lips, a collection of lip colors offered in three different textures: Creamy, Milky, and Glazed. What fascinated me most is that the color palette is based on "human colors"--which means that, for example, a shade of purple in a bruise could be used in an eyeshadow. According to the website, since these colors naturally exist in the human body, they are universally flattering.

There's already a signature color, Ellis Red, which was inspired by the color that Snow White's mother wished for her daughter's lips to have: blood-red. Since the color of human blood is the same in everyone, this color theoretically works on all skin tones and ages. I've been looking for the perfect red and I think this might be it. The hefty price tag makes me hesitate, though: €24.95. I think I might still try it, but I'll wait a little. I'm still in recovery from the YSL Tribute Too pumps and that eBay splurge on the Prada cape/coat.


I find the other colors in this range equally ravishing:

The Maxi Trench Coat Dilemma

(The Sartorialist - July 17, 2007)

A few years ago, I purchased a vintage 1970's spy trench coat that looks very similar to the one seen above: maxi-length with a beautiful swing in the body to give it a touch of drama. To me, it was just what I needed on an upcoming trip to Paris that year. I did end up wearing it throughout the trip, feeling particularly chic strolling alone the Seine, but the truth is, the length made it unwieldy to move in. I've rarely worn it since then due to this reason so I think I'm going to have to chop it off to knee-length. Aside from the unwieldy factor, I think that the maxi length looks disporportionate to my height (approx. 5'4"). I'm a little bit wistful because I like to keep really cool items in their original form. Bah.

My Favorite Looks from "The Spectrum's Ends" (Vogue, July 2009)

This look makes me think of Holly Golightly. It's exactly the sort of attention-grabbing ensemble that I imagine a 1960's New York party girl would wear to catch the eye of a suave billionaire.




This is what I would call "the urban uniform." I like how Lazaro Hernandez and Jack McCollough of Proenza Schouler were designing this collection for the real city girls that they know.




The draping in this collection was dramatic and sumptuous. Nicolas Ghesquiere transformed the "tux" into something dramatically feminine.




Alber Elbaz of Lanvin is a master at creating effortless volume!




I've always loved the detailed embroidery work in peasant blouses and I personally like to contrast them with something more luxurious like a black satin pencil skirt.




If you have this issue, you can see that this skirt is completely beaded. Amazing. I love that it's paired with a slim black turtleneck--the effect is very modern, intelligent and elegant.

Bazaar Bites the Dust with July 2009

Did anyone else find Bazaar's July 2009 issue to be stale and uninspired? The editorials featuring Milla Jovovich and Doutzen Kroes look so outdated compared to the dynamic feature in this month's Vogue titled "The Spectrum's Ends" (shot by David Sims). The looks in Bazaar were very... Samantha Jones, wouldn't you say? Cougar-esque. Not very forward or new. I was disappointed in this issue. Anna Wintour is probably telling Vogue interns to wipe their asses with this issue, and smirking triumphantly in her office. Haha jk.....But since we're on the subject of that wonderful Vogue shoot, I'll post some of my favorite looks in another post.

Fall 2009 Investment: Prada Wool Cape/Coat from F/W 2008 Runway

Why is it that Prada's F/W 2008 collection looks fresher to me now than it did last year? It's as if I suddenly "got it." I did love certain pieces from this collection--and even purchased (1) a beige & grey silk tunic that fades into mohair and (2) a silvery mint green sleeveless sheath dress--but I didn't think much of the double-breasted cape/coat seen pictured above. My initial thought was that it was impractical and too masculine.

What a difference a year makes. I ended up scouring eBay for this piece and finally came across it last week. Given that it was a fraction of the retail price, I went in for the kill. (For the past two years, my staple fall/winter coat was an unstructured grey wool wrap-coat by Marni. I seriously wore it everyday.) I can totally imagine myself wearing this number through all of the cold days, layering underneath and, of course, donning long leather gloves. It works as an everyday piece or for evening--very versatile. Best part is that it looks absolutely fierce with the YSL Tribute Too pumps. Yes, I had to go there with "fierce"!

Neo Classiques Wishlist Update

I'm very proud to announce that I purchased these exact YSL Tribute Too pumps in a most recessonista fashion: I sold a Chanel bag that I never wore and parlayed the funds into these babies. I tried them on with practically everything in my wardrobe and they gave everything an instant refresher--a silk Prada sheath transformed into a modern vision! Also, I must note that, while being six-and-a-half inches higher in altitude in these shoes, the air certainly feels different... I feel as though it's a more beautiful world haha.

Nothing like a karmic exchange to rid one of the guilt associated with high-end purchases.

In the Pits: The Curious Case of Gludgeons

Let's face it--in terms of beauty, there are plenty of things to envy about Sienna Miller: her long lithe figure, perfectly slim yet toned legs, and gorgeously defined bone structure. But, judging from the spread in Vogue's July 2009 issue, if I were to steal one feature it would be her armpits!

I promise that I don't have a peculier armpit fetish. It's just that lately I've been increasingly bothered by my own, given that summertime attire exposes this area. There's a little unsightly bulge that sometimes peeks out from my sleeveless blouses or strapless dresses. An article called "Up in Arms" in Vogue's August 2008 issue defines this issue as "gludgeons." Can there be a word that is any more accurately ugly-sounding than that? My complaints don't end there. Unlike Sienna's smooth, flawless armpits (see photo on second row above), mine have wrinkles! (Well, not wrinkles exactly, but more like deep folds.)

Hopefully, I'll be able to afford Thermage treatments, Botox injections, or a mini-armpit lift to remedy this situation one day. In the meantime, I'll try to ignore this flare-up of vanity... Or find someone who can airbrush those gludgeons out of my photos!

eBay Heartbreak: YSL Fall/Winter 2007 Runway Dress

It has happened to fashionistas the world over: the eBay steal that got away.

This week, for me, it was this fabulous silk/wool/cashmere dress from the Yves Saint Laurent Fall/Winter 2007 runway dress. It was supposed to replace my long-sleeved Narciso Rodriguez number as the Go-To LBD in my wardrobe. This dress would've worked in numerous settings: Sotheby's cocktails, nice dinners, business meetings, or just on a regular day where I feel like dressing up more polished than usual. It would've been the perfect blank canvas where I could experiment with different belts, gloves, shoes, hosiery, and jewelry.

My highest bid was $175. The dress sold for $188. Tragedy!!! Quel dommage!!! I checked my email and realized that I never received any warnings from eBay about being outbid. Pourquoi??? I actually wailed with sorrow when I saw that big red X followed by "Sorry, you were outbid."

Now I am left with thoughts of what would've been. Sigh. The worst.