The silver bullet - Ellis Faas wants your blood

Alright, alright... that might be a bit of a lie. What she wants is for you to wear her signature Ellis Red lipstick, which is the colour of (you guessed it) blood. Her reasoning is that everyone bleeds and everyone's blood looks the same so it must be a universally flattering colour. The verdict? She's bang on. And her anatomical understanding of the human body (and the colours that lie therein) has prompted the eponymous collection of Human Colours for the Dutch makeup artist. How has it taken so long for someone to realize that within each of us already exists a full-spectrum, flattering colour palette? 

The succinct collection of lipstick, blush, eyeshadow, liner, mascara, foundation and concealer is inspired by us, and because of that, the colours seem to be capable of simply melting into the complexion. By this I mean, the makeup never looks like it's wearing you. You're the master of your look with Ellis Faas. For example, you can do a subtle smoky eye with the taupe E105 in the morning and wear it all day without looking like a dirty stop-out. In fact, you look downright sophisticated. People will wonder what you've done... why you look so good. Right after work, you can swipe on the Ellis Red (not too blue, not too orange) and head to the pub without looking like a painted lady. The colours in the collection simply enhance you, sometimes a touch theatrically but never garishly.

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Year in review 2009

HERE'S OUR ROUND UP OF THE BEST, WORST AND MOST SHRUG WORTHY OF 2009

It was a strange year... deep in the depths of a recession that's having a so-called 'jobless' recovery [read: not recovering] and the end of a transformative (good and bad) decade worldwide. Lest we stray and get all serious, without further ado, our 2009 List:

BEST of

The coolest, cleverest and most exciting things in beauty last year...

ELLIS FAAS - This range has innovative (and clever) packaging, it's stylish and subtle and the colours are beautiful, moody and the Ellis Red is one I hope to see around (and use) for years.

THE PREEN POWER DRESS - Looks good on everyone, even Amy Winehouse and the two baps she's smuggling on her chest.

MAISON FRANCIS KURKDJIAN BUBBLES - Yet another innovative and playful product. Using bubbles to create a home fragrace. Whimsical and beautiful. What a great addition to the beautyscape.

LIBERTY BEAUTY HALL - I mean... it just gets better and better every year. Bravo. By far the coolest bricks and mortar place for beauty with some pretty cutting-edge brands.

LIVING PROOF no frizz - It's like teflon for the hair, so it keeps it frizz free but doesn't weigh it down like traditional anti-frizz serums do. Even good on thin, fine hair. Science being used for good, I say.

NICHE SKINCARE - 2009 was a beautiful year for niche brands and the free flow of foreign brands to new lands... evolve beauty, Absolution unisex skincare, Nature Girl, Nia, MV Skincare et al. It's a fine time for consumers on the prowl for something new and, possibly, quite good for you.

MIDDLE EASTERN SCENTS - Never ever before have I liked heady, syrup-y, smoky scents, but it was love at first sniff for me all because of Amouage Epic. We re-entered a bygone era perfume and, god damn it, I like it.

RENAISSANCE OF COCO - CHANEL and its namesake were everywhere this year, and we will happily be sporting our CHANEL badges and our Rouge Coco lipstick (launching February) straight through 2010 as well. We loved the movies, have the book on hold at the library and are over the moon about a strong, unique, truly accomplished woman being at the forefront of media attention again.

HOME FRAGRANCE - Frederic Malle, Hermes, Prada... everyone is getting in on the home fragrance game, with funky products like rubber incense, scented paper and diffusers. Haute fragrance for the home.

THE RECESSION - No, I know, the contracting of an economy does not feel good, but hopefully you did buy less useless shit this year, and that includes beauty products you never intend to actually use.

PACKAGING - Rob Ryan for Snowberry, evolve, Elis Faas, Le Metier de Beaute, Andrea Garland, Model Mirrors... The list goes on. Many are clever and beautiful, making our daily routines that much more streamline and pretty (and maybe a touch more environmentally responsible too).

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A new year, a new vintage with Michele Ouellet

The fashion world in the UK is used to seeing the same faces. Why, you wonder? Lineage, I say (but we'll leave the in-depth analysis of the UK's cult of caste to the ethnologists at UCL, shall we?). There are some (La Moss, teenage mum (way to aid the national stats, girl... the UK's got be on top somewhere!) Jourdan Dunn) who don't come from the landed (or simply titled, thanks to the economy) gentry. They seem to be the exception, not the norm.

In the US, there is an equally privileged set of girls who become models, fashion designers, whatever... And I have to say, If your last name is ASSOCIATED WITH A PUBLISHING HOUSE, you are not on the catwalk for any other reason, sweetheart. Well, fine, maybe you're a shade cuter and a sliver thinner than the average Jane, but, well, the last name doesn't hurt, does it?

Then there are those who come from money, lineage or whatever background and are actually worthy of the titles they are bestowed (and more power to this set, I say!).

This is where I see the young Miss Michele Ouellet fitting in. Given a winery for her 21st birthday (of sorts... more of a label but still trumps my a pint of beer), she's the face of Lorenza Rosé (her label) and cuts quite the cult figure in the model world. Bringing something of the olde worlde (i.e. Christie Brinkley/healthy/Cali, decidedly not street urchin) modeling style back, we're intrigued by the girl. And ecstatic to find someone with her fingers in a few other honey pots so far afield from the world of haute couture (variety is, after all, the spice of life, dears). So hurrah to her and keep reading for our five-minute chat with Oullette to see what has to divulge from her insider stance on the world of smoke-and-mirrors and the tools which are therein employed... and her wine. We are very curious about the wine

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