First Impressions: Ellis Faas Skin Veil Foundation (Shade s101)

I went into Mecca Cosmetica yesterday thinking I was going in to repurchase a bottle of my beloved NARS Sheer Glow. Turns out I was actually going in to suss out what other foundations I could try. I couldn’t help myself. Once I was in the presence of all that makeup my mind went into overdrive trying to figure out which section to check out first. Sheer Glow kind of became an afterthought, after all I’ve already tried it! After my little shopping trip (in which I purchased no foundation but instead opted for the Too Faced Milk Chocolate Soleil) I came home with three different foundation samples. I got the Eve Lom Tinted Moisturiser, Guerlain Parure de Lumiere and the subject of today’s review, Ellis Faas Skin Veil Foundation.

This was supposed to be a trilogy, with a ‘First Impressions’ each day for three days, but it’s only to be two now because when I swatched the Guerlain on my arm this morning, not only was it a bit too dark, but it also started stinging and itching. Suffice to say I won’t be applying it to my face.

Without any further ado let’s get stuck into the review. I’m going to break it up into three sections to coincide with how often I checked up on the wear of it.

12:00 PM:

I applied the foundation with my Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge, just like I do with most of my liquid foundations. Right off the bat I wasn’t impressed with the application. Don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t awful, but for $110 a bottle I expected a hell of a lot better. Just so you know, I’m comparing both of the foundations to the Sheer Glow because it’s the benchmark they have to live up to in order for me to even consider purchasing them. With that in mind, as soon as I apply the Sheer Glow it looks amazing, especially when using the sponge. Actually this is the first high end foundation I’ve ever tried that hasn’t made me look instantly airbrushed by using the sponge. In the photos below I have myself after moisturising and primer but before foundation and then after the foundation was applied, and finally after I applied the rest of my makeup.

Like I said, it’s okay, but not great. So far I’m nowhere near as impressed as I was told I would be. I’ve barely heard a bad word uttered about this stuff, and I just don’t get it. Not at the ridiculous price point it’s at anyway. Oh, and just so you know, I know how crap the photos are in this post, but I think it's also because I wasn't enjoying the foundation and felt a little self-conscious about it. Basically I just wanted to take the photos quickly haha! 

4:00 PM:

So the foundation’s been on for about four hours now and it hasn’t really changed in appearance at all, except for one section. Around my mouth and on my chin it’s gone really cakey. I don’t think you can see it in the photo below (in which I'll ask you excuse my squinty eyes, it was really sunny when i took it), but trust me, it was. When I first applied the foundation I had trouble blending it into that section, and I’m pretty disappointed to see it’s gotten worse. As for the rest of my face it’s okay, but I’m still not happy with it.

10:00 PM:

Hour 10 and the foundation is definitely looking worse for wear. I never really expect a foundation to last this long anyway, but when comparing it to my Sheer Glow, it’s looking much worse than the Sheer Glow does as this point. By the 10 hour mark with the Sheer Glow the foundation is starting to go a little bit patchy, but it’s still mostly there and if I were to simply touch up with a bit of powder I think it would be right for another few hours. With the Ellis Faas I feel like to get a half decent finish again I would pretty much have to wash it off and start again. Now, this isn’t a huge problem. I rarely wear makeup for too much longer than 10 hours anyway, but at $110 you kind of want a freaking miracle from the foundation. The photo below shows the state of the foundation at hour 10.

OVERALL:

To this foundation I just say no. It doesn’t apply anywhere near as easily and nicely as the Sheer Glow and it’s nearly double the price. Personally even if I loved this foundation I would have a very, very hard time trying justify the purchase to myself. In a way I’m almost glad it disappointed me. It takes away the angst I would feel if I loved it but couldn’t afford it. I’m sure that the people who rave about this aren’t completely out of their minds. The whole reason I’ve been wanting to try this for ages is because Wayne Goss loves it and gave it such a great review, and since he’s so awesome, I tend to believe him. After all, he turned out to be right about the Bobbi Brown Skin Foundation Stick (once I found the right moisturiser)! Unfortunately I can’t jump on his bandwagon with this one. There are so many other foundations out there that are absolutely beautiful which will not require a mortgage, your soul and your first born to be able to afford.