Ellis Faas Milky Lips L201

A couple of months ago, when I finished my old Ellis Faas L101 Creamy Lips pen, I decided to replace it with the same shade in the other texture, Milky Lips L201.  Milky Lips has a slightly lighter texture but has a similar finish (at least in the signature shade, "Ellis Red") and feels just as comfortable on the lips.

Ellis Red is the color of blood, hence the slightly disturbing swatches. It's wonderfully flattering, though, and can be easily sheered into a barely there stain. The texture is phenomenal and feels wonderful on the lips-- never drying, even in the middle of winter.

Ellis Faas pen applicators are somewhat controversial. They're pretty and slick, but also annoying-- it takes a while to dispense the product, there's a learning curve until you get the feel of just how much liquid lipstick you need (therefore wasting some in the process), and the plastic brush (or sponge in the case of Creamy Lips) is not necessarily the best tool for the task. I use a regular lip brush to transfer the color to my lips and apply it, and I clean the tip after every use with a makeup removing wipe (I do the same with Ellis Faas eye shadow pens) and have no issues of blocked applicators.

It occurred to me that Ellis Red is very similar to Shiseido RD607 (Nocturne) from the Lacquer Rouge line. You can see that Nocturne is a touch more wine colored while L201 is the promised blood red shade. Ellis Faas Milky Lips is not quite as opaque and dense as Shiseido Lacquer Rouge so it's easier to wear as a daytime red, but both are glorious. I know that I'm going to get questions as to which one I prefer. I always have a hard time recommending one over the other because it's always a "your mileage may vary" situation, but if you insist I'd say Ellis Faas, despite the applicator issues, because the formula is more nourishing.

Ellis Faas Milky Lips L201 ($35) is available from Sephora (select locations and online) and from ellisfaas.com.