Ellana Lip in Luxe Matte Liquid Lippies + Video + Workshop!
I've been playing with the Ellana Lip in Luxe Matte Liquid Lippies (PHP 499)* as of late, and okay COLOR. The thing I appreciate the most about Ellana is they know their colors, and they localize it.. I love how they dared to release medium foundations in a land where everyone seems to think that they can only be light beige or beige. They're also one of the only local brands I know who offer olive-toned foundation (Cafe Mocha), a must for an ethnically-diverse country such as ours.
They have 12 shades of Lip in Luxe, 5 of which were released just last week. I have a swatch-fest and capsule review of 5 shades from the older collection.
IN SUM:
Colors- The colors are all awesome. They're calculated very well and unlike the bulk of local collections, have none of that unflattering blue undertone going on. I like how easily wearable it is across a lot of the local skin tones I've encountered. Even the risky-looking mauve Love is the Answer looked classy on me. I like using them as a lip-and-cheek, but didn't photograph that way because I didn't want to erase and re-do my cheeks for every swatch.
Application - They're perfectly matte and even in one swipe, except for Love is True, which streaks as it dries throughout the day. I do like how they don't set quickly, so I have time to perfect my application without worrying about clumps. It's not really messy while it sets, unlike Kryolan and Clio Lipnicure, which tend to stick together while wet.
While they do stay flat and unflaky throughout the day, I guess the tradeoff is that they're dry. I never really noticed this, but I also have a lower threshold for lip dryness, being the queen of crust that I am. Friends with bigger liquid matte collections have opined that it could be better in that respect, and I only then did I start to notice how it feels tight. I've started putting balm under it and the staying power is more or less the same, but it transfers more easily when I eat oily food.
Love is the Reason is a peach-pink nude which I love! It has a great balance of warmth and lightness to suit my warm skin tone. My issue with local formulations is they tend to add too much blue in the mix, and I feel this makes us look old and dated. This looks warm yet reasonably bright.
Love is the Answer is the risky mauve shade I mentioned earlier. I get a lot of compliments on this, especially from people who don't wear too much makeup. I don't know what makes it appealing to their eyes, but I guess they like how it looks like such a strong color without being actually distracting.
Love is Noble is a plum wine. I don't reach for it often because it feels like it's in between the mauve Love is the Answer, and the cool red Love is True. My moods are often pretty extreme so I've worn this the least. I almost forgot how It makes my teeth look REALLY white! It's a really easy way to wear purple, and I should wear it more often.
Love is Pure is a reddish-pink. It's a pretty standard stoplight red, and I love pairing it with white tops. Like Love is True, the other red, it seems to have dimension. My lips look 3D and the color doesn't look flat on my lips.
Love is True is a blue-toned red and my favorite of this collection. I've gotten more compliments off Love is the Answer and Love is the Reason feels the easiest to wear, but this is still my ultimate fave. It reminds me of a discontinued favorite, Lancome Orgueil, which I love for it's rose petal-like finish. I love how it appears almost black on the corners, and is a brighter red on the center. The only downside is that throughout the day, it streaks up.
While I'm erasing all my lippies, I want you to know that I also have a video but I'm still uploading it on Youtube. Hope you can follow my channel, Beauty By Tellie, for tutorials. You can turn on the notifications to get an alert every time I upload - which is every two weeks for now until I get the hang of things!
By the way, I am also holding a workshop with Ellana this Saturday, November 25, in their brand-new kiosk in Robinsons Galleria! It's located in the 2F Atrium, near Pandora, and my time slot is 3PM - if you arrive and register earlier, you have a chance to win some gifts from Ellana. If you're there too early my dear friend Liz is doing the 1PM workshop! Hope to see you all there! I'm excited to share so many tips about Ellana as I've been using it a lot these days :)
*I received these items as gifts.
