Stila: Convertible Eye Color Review

I got this a couple of years ago, in my early beauty awakening days when I was all starry-eyed about makeup. Unfortunately, newer additions to my makeup collection pushed this Convertible Eye Color further and further into the back of my drawer.

I dug it out again and have been showing it some love lately. I was so sure that it would have been discontinued by Stila by now but I was suitably surprised to find out that it's still available, as per their website. I don't even remember now how much I paid for it, so I got this information from their website: Price - USD22. Contents - eyeliner: 0.007 oz / 0.2 g, eyeshadow: 0.007 oz / 0.2 g

According to Stila
This versatile, dual-ended eye color wand is a sleek, pen-shaped makeup ace that has an eye pencil on one end and a smudging tool on the other. Twist the middle and there you have the perfect coordinating eye shadow ready for application.

Perfect for the Stila girl who is looking for no mess, no fuss and no worry color-coordinated lids in a flash!

Ingredients
Eyeshadow
mineral oil (paraffinum liquidum), dipentaerythrityl tetrahydroxystearate / tetraisostearate, sorbitan isostearate, methylparaben, propylparaben, tocopherol, mica, synthetic fluorophlogopite, talc, iron oxide (ci 77491, ci 77492, ci 77499), titanium dioxide (ci 77891), ultramarines (ci 77007), ferric ferrocyanide (ci 77510)

eyeliner
ethylhexyl palmitate, triethylhexanoin, ozokerite, euphorbia cerifera (candelilla) wax/candelilla cera, microcrystalline wax/cera microcristallina, polyethylene, dipentaerythrityl tetrahydroxystearate/tetraisostearate, sorbitan isostearate, hydrogenated polyisobutene, tocopherol, mica, silica, talc, titanium dioxide (ci 77891), iron oxide (ci 77491, ci 77492, ci 77499), ferric ferrocyanide (ci 77510), ultramarines (ci 77007), manganese violet (ci 77742), carmine (ci 75470)

The Three Parts
Eyeliner
It is an eye pencil that can be twisted up and down. It is fairly soft, creamy and very easy to apply. So, there is little tugging involved here.

It is easily smudgable, which essentially means we're looking at an eyeliner and eyeshadow in one. It's partially waterproof, I've noticed. If it's a light application, it's easy to remove with normal eye makeup remover. If it's thickly applied and with an eyeshadow primer as a base, it would be better to use waterproof eye makeup remover.

It does crease within an hour or two but using an eyeshadow primer would delay that by about another three hours. It smudges a bit at the end of the day.

The one I have has a hint of shimmer. There is a reminder by Stila to always turn down the pencil portion of the pen before putting the cap back on. This would prevent breakage.

Eyeshadow
This is revealed by unscrewing the middle section. One portion has a stubby sponge applicator and the other is the well that contains the powder eyeshadow.

It can be a bit messy here with eyeshadow fallout. This eyeshadow definitely needs an eyeshadow primer as otherwise, it just disappears before you even get to your lipstick. Thumbs down.

It is a shimmery eyeshadow.

Smudger

On the oppposite end of the eyeliner, you'll find the smudging sponge. I tend to use it for its intended purpose and ocassionally, I'd use my fingers to smudge the eyeliner. It's a decent smudger but it gets dirty very quickly from the dark colour of the eyeliner. I wash it regularly in my attempt to keep it clean (pictured is the just-washed smudger).

As a Whole
The Convertible Eye Color feels light in the hand. The one I have is in Forest. The eyeliner portion is an olive green shade and the eyeshadow is a beige/champagne colour that takes on a golden tint on my eyes.

The Stile Convertible Color wands are available in a total of ten colour combinations. The eyeliners are dark shades and the eyeshadows are light-coloured.

Conclusion
Versatile indeed! It's a very convenient multi-purpose product that has:

• an eyeliner, plus
• two eyeshadows - a dark one (the eyeliner through smudging) and a light-coloured powder eyeshadow.

Image right: Eye look with just the eyeliner portion. I'll probably do one or two proper eye looks later with this product.

It's a clever product, no doubt. It's just a pity that:

• the eyeliner creases quite easily (needs eyeshadow primer)
• the eyeliner is not fully waterproof
• the eyeliner does smudge by the end of the day
• the eyeshadow has no staying power (an eyeshadow primer helps just a little bit)

I know that after reading this, you won't want to buy this Convertible Eye Color. My personal conclusion about this product will go against the grain: Since I already have it, I might as well make the best use of it. So, despite its shortcomings, I'm won over by its versatility and convenience. Its problems can be solved to some extent with the use of a good eyeshadow primer.

There is room for improvement and well, frankly, it would be great if Stila could also include a mascara somewhere in the product!

If only that were possible.......


More information:
Stila products are available through websites such as ASOS, Beauty Bay and feelunique.com.
Stila Cosmetics website

ELLIS FAAS: Glossy Orange Lips

I was joking on Twitter the other day about how fiercely the sun was shining outside and that I felt that I should be wearing sunglasses indoors.

So, I thought I'd do a light-hearted post this time. I took some pictures of myself indoors with shades on and with orange lips. I don't quite see myself as a slave to trends but hey, haven't they been saying that orange lips are in?

The closest thing that I have to an orange-coloured lip product is this: ELLIS FAAS Glazed Lips L304, which I received from the folks at ELLIS FAAS a while back.

As you might already know, ELLIS FAAS Glazed Lips are essentially lipglosses. They are pigmented and transparent, which seems like an oxymoron if you think about it, but you know what I mean, right?

If orange-coloured lipsticks seem too bold for you, then I'd suggest trying a lipgloss instead as the orange effect is subtler. On me, it looks coral.

Ummm, the future's so orange, I gotta wear shades.......

More information:
My review on the ELLIS FAAS Glazed Lips (with L302)
ELLIS FAAS website

Giveaway: Teeez Outta Control Holo Nail Polish

You can view my macro photos of the Teeez Outta Control nail polish here.

This giveaway is closed. Thank you.

You might remember Teeez Outta Control, that funky purple-violet holo polish I featured last month.

I would have started this giveaway earlier but I couldn't find Outta Control in the stores. I eventually did, thankfully, and I swooped three up.

So now, I have three bottles to give away to three lucky ladies!

Giveaway info in short:

1. Open worldwide.

2. Open to all who follow Witoxicity's writings.
Followers on Google Friend Connect or Bloglovin' receive one extra point.

- Google Friend Connect (one extra point)
- Bloglovin' (one extra point)
- RSS feeds
- Regular visitors (please be honest)

3. Fill in the form below (now removed).

4. Optional: Feature this giveaway on your blog (feel free to use the first image) - one extra point.

5. Optional: Follow me on Twitter – one extra point.

6. Readers who have been regularly leaving comments on Witoxicity (and I have noted who you are): You have already earned one extra point!

7. Submit your entry by 11.59pm (Central European Time) on Friday, 20th May 2011.

Full giveaway details can be found here.

I wish you luck, ladies!

More information:
My feature on this purple-violet holo nail polish: Teeez Outta Control

Adorned Nails: Catrice Purplelized

Purplelized is a relatively new polish from Catrice. It was one of those polishes that I knew I had to have when I first saw it at Kruidvat (a Dutch drugstore chain). There's something very charming about the silvery purple. It imparts both a vampy vibe and a metallic-y futuristic space-age feel, me thinks.

You're looking at two coats. The first two photos were taken indoors under normal lighting.

In the next two photos, you can see Purplelized totally flaunting its dense silver microglitters in sunlight. Gorgeous!

Application: Superb. Drying time: Fast. Durability: Average. Price: €2.49.

A cool, quality nail polish at a budget-friendly price. Honestly, this one really puts some high-end overpriced ones to shame.


More information:
Catrice website

Surprise: Winner of Teeez Smooth Holo Nail Polish

Every now and then, I like to do something unexpected. It's nice to give my readers a pleasant surprise sometimes as I truly appreciate the support.

Today is one of those days.

I got hold of another bottle of that berry pink holographic nail polish from Teeez, and I am giving it away to one lucky reader who left a comment on that post featuring Teeez Smooth.

I've used The Hat to help me choose the unsuspecting winner. The ladies who were eligible were the following (for comments left up to the time of publication of this winner announcement):

Using The Hat, I shuffled the names around and got it to pick one winner and the winner is:

Congratulations, Lolipop! Lolipop, please get in touch with me (see Contact page) so that I can have your postal details.

There may be other little surprises coming soon, so do be on a lookout.

The ongoing Hello, Holo! giveaway on Witoxichic, my style/photography site, also features this berry pink holo (together with a blue one). It ends 6th May.

Weleda: Pomegranate Regenerating Hand Cream

When I think of Weleda, I think natural, no mineral oils, no preservatives and biodynamic farming. However, did you know that the main founders of Weleda were a Dutch lady doctor and an Austrian philosopher?

You know I like to explore the heritage of a brand and this one on Weleda would be no exception. You may skip this section if you only want to know about the hand cream. Please note that this is more a feature than a review. The reason is given at the bottom.

Weleda
Weleda’s main founders: Dr Ita Wegman, a specialist in women’s medicine and Dr Rudolf Steiner, well-known philosopher and natural scientist. Both led the anthroposophical medicine movement in the early 20th century. Dr Steiner, the initiator of the science of anthroposophy, got involved in anthroposophical medicine when he started collaborating with homeopathic physicians and pharmacists.

Anthroposophy is a science that covers all aspects of life, be it physical, psychological and spiritual. In anthroposophical medicine, a person is regarded holistically – body, soul and spirit – and the body is encouraged to heal itself. It was also more about maintaining health than eliminating disease. One can be treated with homeopathic and anthroposophical medicine in conjunction with conventional medicine.

In 1921, Dr Wegman and Dr Steiner, together with a team of physicians and pharmacists, established a pharmaceutical laboratory in Arlesheim, Switzerland, which was also where Dr Wegman had established her anthroposophic medical clinic. There, they produced pharmaceutical products and cosmetics made of natural ingredients and this in effect marked the birth of Weleda.

I’ve read different accounts of the origins of the name. Most say it’s named after a Celtic goddess of wisdom and health. Another says that
Veleda/Weleda was the name of a revered healing priestess and prophetess of the Bructerian nation in Germany. If they are one and the same, I wouldn’t know.

Weleda’s brand logo is a loose variant of the Rod of Asclepius, the symbol of medicine and healing. The two squiggly lines surrounding the Rod of Asclepius were said to have been Dr Steiner’s idea to symbolise enveloping protection and social interaction (give and receive, produce and consume, doctors and patients).

Weleda Pomegranate Regenerating Hand Cream
I have been using this hand cream since late last year. Price €8.25 for a 50ml, housed in an old-fashioned metal tube.

I’ve reached that age where my hands should be receiving more intensive care and so, hand creams have become my new obsession! A quick note on the state of my hands: boney and veiny (both hereditary, I’ve had that since young), quite taut, starting to develop fine lines, no age spots.

According to Weleda
Antioxidant-rich, organic pomegranate oil helps reduce the appearance of age spots and improves the firmness of your hands.

Suitable for vegans

Ingredients
Water, Sesame Seed Oil, Glycerin, Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate SE, Shea Butter, Sunflower Seed Oil, Stearic Acid, Pomegranate Seed Oil, Millet Seed Extract, Ruscus Aculeatus Root Extract, Sunflower Petal Extract, Avocado Oil Unsaponifiables, Olive Oil Unsaponifiables, Xanthan Gum, Fragrance *, Limonene*, Linalool*, Citronellol*, Geraniol*, Citral*, Eugenol, Coumarin*.
*From natural essential oils.

Hand Cream
Scent
To me, it doesn’t smell like pomegranate or sesame seed oil. It’s just a tart, slightly citrusy scent. It's neither fantastic nor disgusting.

Texture
It is off-white in colour, not greasy and its consistency is quite thin, but not runny.

Moisturising Effect
Pretty good. I’ve been using it at bedtime (I use another hand product during the day). After massaging it in, it does take a few minutes to get absorbed into the skin, so you’d have to be a bit patient. It leaves the skin feeling a bit tacky (but not sticky) to the touch. In the morning, I do find that the skin on the back of my hands are softer, hydrated and (if my eyes are not playing tricks on me) rather glowing.

I haven’t noticed any difference in the firmness of my skin or a reduction in fine lines, but that’s not to say that it hasn’t worked. I do think that such matters need to be addressed much, much later, after a few years’ use. So, I might get back to you on this in a few years’ time.......or when I reach retirement age and still writing on Witoxicity.

I’ve finished my first tube and am now on to my second. Wish me luck!


More information:
Weleda website

Majolica Majorca: Lash Enamel Glamour Volume On Mascara Review

If you know of Majolica Majorca, you would surely have read about their mascaras before as they are much loved in the Far East and we're talking about Holy Grail material here.

I bought this the same time as when I got the Perfect Automatic Liner, which, by the way, is a pretty good liquid eyeliner. It was bewildering to start with as there were several variants (as is often the case in mascara ra-ra land), depending on one's needs: black and thick, distinct and long, plush and full, etc. In the end, I chose Lash Enamel Glamour Volume On (for ultra-thick lashes) in Black BK999. The name is a mouthful for sure, even worse if you pre-fixed that with Majolica Majorca. You should try memorising that whole name just for fun.

I just thought I should show you their claims in the brochure:

Ridiculously thick doll-like lashes in the two pictures, no?

The other thing that I want to show you is the meh plastic packaging. It's so disproportionately meh compared to the pretty tube inside. I said almost the same thing back then with the Perfect Automatic Liner.

According to Majolica Majorca
Thicker and thicker! A revolutionary volume-lifting mascara to pump up lashes for ultimate volume. Mascara coats lashes to give a shiny jet-black finish with just one stroke! With the new double comb wand, it creates ultra thick lashes that are irresistibly doll-like!

Ingredients

Mascara Packaging
It's definitely not your usual mascara tube design. Most ladies would call it cute, some might call it ornate. I'd go for the latter. The whole tube is less than five inches long. I love the emblem on the top of the tube, unnecessary but cool.

Mascara Applicator
It follows on that the applicator is quite short, which allows for better application control. Definitely a thumbs up.

Applicator Brush

It's a comb, not a brush. As you would have noticed, it's a double-sided paddle-shaped comb. One side is wide-toothed and the other fine-toothed. The combs are stiff-ish and they look and feel like plastic. The tapered end is good for getting at the lashes on the outer corners of the eyes.

The gist of what Majolica Majorca says on the packaging:

Narrow-tooth: for super-thick lashes, separates lashes, simultaneously giving volume.
Wide-tooth: for extreme super-thick lashes, styles lashes from the roots for maximum volume.

To be honest, despite all the superlatives, I couldn't tell the difference between the two after application. All I see is volume, length and curl with both types of combs.

Mascara
With the mascara on, my lashes feel natural to the touch and there is no weird stiffness.

I'm not inclined to say too much about the effectiveness of Lash Enamel Glamour Volume On. The photos say it all. I've taken to applying first with the narrow-toothed comb and then with the wide-toothed side. I suppose you can consider that as two coats.

Before (with tightlining and curled bare lashes)

After (two coats of mascara)

If you compare the results in reality with what was shown in the brochure (see again snapshot above), it would be a disappointment. The pictures shown in the brochure have obviously been doctored (or done with false lashes). It's just not achievable in real life, in my opinion. I think I'm grounded enough not to expect that, but it's nice to hope.

Misleading brochure pictures aside, I do think my lashes look greatly improved. Even though they're not doll-like, I'm generally very happy with the results:

Volume
Very good

Length
Good

Curl
Very good

Durability
Cast-iron lasting. First of all, it's waterproof. Secondly, it doesn't flake. Thirdly, it holds the curl. The following images were taken seven hours apart.

I've had it on for 11-12 hours before and my lashes looked almost the same as they were when I applied the mascara earlier in the day. I said "almost" as I think there was a tiny loss of curl in the lashes. That's acceptable considering that it was after more than ten hours' wear.

Clumping
As is typical of mascaras after a few months' use, this one has started to clump. It's obviously less fun to apply compared to the early clump-free days. Sometimes, I would just comb through my lashes with a separate brush.

Removal
Of course, you'd need to use an oil-based eye makeup remover. I've read that these mascaras are a pain to remove but I thought it wasn't any worse than other waterproof mascaras. I just place a piece of cotton pad soaked with the remover on my lashes/eye and hold it there for about ten seconds. Repeat twice and then dab, dab, dab. The mascara will just dissolve. There's no need to rub, tug and pull (and curse).

Conclusion
Fantastic mascara, if you don't allow yourself to be fooled by the unreal pictures in the brochure. It works great for fine, short and straight lashes (mine, mine and mine). Longlasting, waterproof and no flaking. What more could I ask for?

This mascara retails for around the equivalent of €12. Majolica Majorca products are harder to come by outside of Asia. I got mine while on holiday there.

If you're not familiar with this brand, please don't think that it's a Spanish brand. Majolica Majorca is a drugstore-category sister brand of the high-end Japanese cosmetics giant, Shiseido. Unlike Shiseido, Majolica Majorca is a girly-girly princessy brand that dwells on fairy-tales and, of course, doll-like looks.


More information:
My review on the Majolica Majorca Perfect Automatic Liner
Majolica Majorca website
From the list of countries listed, choose eg: Singapore for the English version. The website may take a while to load.

Adorned Nails: Teeez Smooth

So, you've seen the purple/violet holo from Teeez. Today, it's the turn of the berry pink holographic polish called Smooth.

To be honest, I thought the colour didn't look too dull under normal lighting to start with (image below).

I had this on last week. You're looking at three coats. I noticed some minor chipping on the third day but I'm not complaining.

Look at the explosion of berry pink! It's quite dominant on the nails but you would still be able to catch glimpses of yellow, blue and purple depending on how the micro-mirrors catch the sunlight.

In the following image, you might be able to notice the glint of blue/purple close to the nail tip, which then turns to yellow as I change the viewing angle (you might want to view it from further away).

Pink Me Up

I have too many skin sins, so this is probably the only time I'm doing a post like this. Umm, I believe you call this an FOTD?

Products used:

Face
Jane Iredale Disappear concealer - Medium Light
Jane Iredale PurePressed Mineral Foundation - Warm Sienna
Jane Iredale Twice Blushed Cheek Colour Kit 1 - Ginger & Whisper

Eyes (sorry, it's only a partial view)
GOSH Velvet Touch Eye Liner - Funky Violet
GOSH Wonder Volume Mascara

Lips
Catrice Colour Show Lip Gloss - Pink Me Up

Nails
Teeez nail lacquer - Smooth

The photo was taken indoors, so the holographic effect of the nail polish could not be seen. The sunlight photos are coming up next.

Outfit photos over at Witoxichic

Jane Iredale: Smokey Grey Eye Look

It's a smokey look today using mostly Jane Iredale products.

I used:

L-R
Jane Iredale PurePressed Triple Eye Shadow - Silver Lining
Jane Iredale Eye Highlighter Pencil (optional)
Annabelle Smudgeliner - Armour (optional)
Jane Iredale Eye Pencil - Black/Grey
Rimmel Sexy Curves Mascara

L-R: Jane Iredale (JI) PurePressed Triple Eye Shadow in Silver Lining (dark grey, taupe, light grey with slight shimmer)
JI Eye Highlighter Pencil (swatch is a bit faded)
Annabelle Smudgeliner in Armour
JI Eye Pencil in Black/Grey

Here's what I did (using a sponge-tip applicator):

Upper lid
1. Applied eyeshadow primer (not shown).
2. Using Silver Lining: applied the taupe on the whole eyelid fold, the light grey in the inner corner and the dark grey in the outer corner. Blended.
3. Optional: Lined with the taupe of the Smudgeliner Armour.
4. Tightlined with the black/grey of the Jane Iredale Eye Pencil.

Lower lid
5. Applied a thick line with the taupe of Silver Lining.
6. Over that, applied a thinner line with the dark grey of Silver Lining.
7. Lined close to the lashes with the taupe of Smudgeliner Armour.
8. Optional: Used the white end of the Eye Highlighter Pencil on the inner quarter of the lower lid.

9. Curled lashes and applied mascara.

Mini review: Jane Iredale PurePressed Triple Eye Shadow - Silver Lining

As mentioned, the eyeshadow trio is composed of these powder shadows: a dark grey, a taupe and a light grey with subtle shimmer.

According to Jane Iredale:
• Gentle, safe for sensitive eyes and formulated with good-for-the-skin ingredients
• Crease-resistant and long-lasting
• May be applied wet or dry to compliment any look
• Great for shading, highlighting, contouring and lining

If anyone's interested, here's its list of ingredients (notice how short and sweet it is):

Mica, Boron Nitride, Dimethicone, Pine Bark Extract, Pomegranate Extract.
May Contain: Titanium Dioxide, Iron Oxides, Carmine, Manganese Violet, Ultramarines, Chromium Oxide Greens.

The shadows applied silky smooth. The pigmentation is so-so, I thought, and you'll definitely need a primer. I have yet to try applying it wet. It's good that there isn't much eyeshadow fallout though, and I really like the sturdy, chique clamshell casing.

The Jane Iredale PurePressed Triple Eye Shadow also comes in ten other colour combinations, some more interesting than others. Individually, they retail for USD27 (for 2.8g). I got mine in a kit, which worked out to be a much, much better deal.


More information:
Jane Iredale website

Giveaway: Hello, Holo! on Witoxichic

Teeez holographic nail polishes, anyone?

I'm holding a little giveaway for spring on my new-ish style/photography site, Witoxichic.

I'll be giving away two bottles of Teeez holographic nail polishes: a berry pink holo called Smooth and a blue holo called Cool. There will be two winners, each winning the holo colour of her choice.

Full details can be found over at Witoxichic. It ends on 6th May 2011.

Of course, I will be showing more close-up photos of these polishes soon. Stay tuned!


More information:
My posts on Brand: Teeez
Teeez website