She was once called “one of the most influential make-up artists of her time” by Vogue Paris and her sensational make-up trends have always been a favourite among A-list celebrities across the globe. Ellis Faas, the famous make-up and hair artist, was recently in the capital as part of the Indo-Dutch collaboration with the Wills India Fashion Week.
Speaking about her collaboration with the Indian fashion industry, she reveals, “We are here in Delhi to collaborate with our Indian counterparts. So several designers have created collections with Indian ones for which I designed the makeup.”
Ellis executed the looks for the show together with a team of local colleagues and conducted workshops for professional make-up artists as part of the project.
The make-up queen says that she never kept track of trends and did her own thing from time to time. She says, “When I’m doing make-up, I simply do what my instinct tells me. That might be in line with a certain trend I’m not aware of, or it could even set a trend; or it can be something completely individual. In any case, I never do anything simply because it is a trend.”
Even though Ellis is famous in Hollywood, Bollywood excites her too. She says, “I don’t know any Indian celebrities, but that is definitely something I would like to explore. I don’t know a lot about Bollywood yet, but I am fascinated about it. I like watching people dance, but of course I especially love the enormous amounts of colour I see in stills from the movies.”
Ellis’ most famous look — the creamy eyes, is a hot favourite among celebrities like Gwyneth Paltrow, Mary J Blige and Jada Pinkett Smith. She says, “Indeed, the creamy eyes range has a lot of fans because they are easy to apply, feel nice on the lids, don’t get into the little wrinkles. And, above all, they simply stay put until you take them off with a cleanser — so they are extremely long-lasting. Personally, I love black or dark blue smoky eyes and using lips for making a colour statement. For Indian skin, I think shimmer suits very well.”
When it comes to make-up, Ellis believes in following the heart, and revealing her top beauty secrets, she says, “I like the fact that sometimes with simple make-up you can make someone feel more comfortable and self-assured. In my opinion, living is all about following your instinct, your heart and your own sense of style. Doing that you will become a happier person.”