Pixi Fall 2015 and New Skincare

Flush from the success of its massively popular Glow Tonic, Pixi has launched an extensive skincare range directed at producing healthy, glowy skin. The line-up includes a Glow Mud Cleanser, Glow Mud Mask, Nourishing Cleansing Balm, Nourishing Sleep Mask, Nourishing Lip Polish, 24k Eye Elixir, Beauty Sleep Cream, Glowtion Day Dew, H20 Skin Drink, Hydrating Milky Mist, Hydrating Milky Serum, Overnight Glow Serum, Rose Oil Blend and Glow Peel Pads infused with glycolic acid. Pic below by London Beauty Queen from the brand's recent press preview event in London.

What I like about Pixi is that their skincare is packed with effective active ingredients and comes in simple no-nonsense packaging for a reasonable price. For example, the Glow Mud Cleanser contains 5% glycolic acid plus hyaluronic acid, aloe vera, and avocado oil for nourishing the skin while the Glow Peel Pads contain 20% glycolic acid plus soothing Vitamin E and aloe vera. The products are already available if you do a search by the individual product name. The official launch date is 3 August. International shipping is available at a flat rate of £14.50, which is reasonable if you are ordering several products. If you are in the US, the US retail prices are significantly lower than the UK price. I'm already on my 7th bottle of the Glow Tonic and will need to replenish soon.

The Pixi Fall 2015 makeup collection is also set to launch on 3 August on their website. Shown below are the new Mattelustre Lipsticks (US$12/£14) from Pixi's Instagram. See more swatches labelled with the shade names here. I'll definitely be picking up a couple of these at Target when we get back to Illinois later this month. The collection includes Cat Eye Ink Liner, Color Correcting Powder Foundation, Endless Brow Gel Pen, Natural Contour Powder and a travel size 100ml Glow Tonic. There is also a new Endless Silky Eye Pen in Slate Grey and four new Mesmerizing Mineral Palettes.


There is also a new Professional Brush Set of 9 brushes going at £38 with a retail value of £145. In the past, I found Pixi's brushes to be overpriced for the quality but this set looks much more reasonably priced. I also like their Full Cover Foundation Brush.

Operation Use It Up

Cleared out another batch of product empties in February and March. We are moving again at the end of this year so I'm trying my darnedest to stick to a no-buy where skincare and bodycare are concerned and really whittle my stash down to a reasonable size.

1. Avene Cleansing Water: I use this non-rinse cleanser on my baby, mainly for cleansing his bottom. Love how gentle and effective it is.

2. REN Clearcalm 3 Clarifying Clay Cleanser: This cleanses very gently and never leaves my skin feeling stripped or dry. However, I did not notice any significant effect on preventing clogged pores.

3. Biore Hydra-Clear Makeup Remover: This removes foundation effectively and thoroughly but it stings my eyes.

4. Lancome Bi-Facil: This removes eye makeup in a jiffy although it does struggle sometimes against waterproof Japanese mascaras. It's way too expensive to purchase regularly, so I usually buy L'Oreal's bi-phase Gentle Eye Makeup Remover instead.

5. Pixi Glow Tonic: This was my second bottle of four that I hauled in London last year before giving birth. I use it once daily at night to help keep my skin blemish-free. It doesn't sting or leave my skin sticky for ages like Paula's Choice CLEAR Extra Strength Anti-Redness Exfoliating Solution does.

6. Suqqu HA White Mask: I didn't see much improvement in my skin to justify this mask's ridiculously expensive price tag. Suqqu had to recall three of their whitening products but this mask wasn't one of them. For Suqqu, I would just stick to the makeup line.

7. By Terry Creme de Rose Nutri-Lift Comfort Cream: This hydrated my skin nicely without any greasy feeling. Like most of By Terry's products, it bears a rose scent but I don't mind it.

8. DHC Deep Cleansing Oil: This emulsifies and rinses off easily, removing all base makeup in a jiffy. However, I still prefer the lighter texture of Shu Uemura's Fresh cleansing oil (pink).

9. L'Oreal Play Ball Beach Fizz: This was a freebie with a magazine purchase at Kinokuniya Singapore a long time ago. It helps give a bit of structure and volume but wasn't really that special to warrant a re-purchase.

10. Percy & Reed Finishing Polish: This is my second tube and I already have a back-up ready. It tames flyaways and frizz without making my hair stiff or crunchy.

11. Lush Tea Tree Water: This is supposed to help detoxify oily, blemish-prone skin but I didn't notice any significant improvement in my skin. I'll stick with Pixi Glow Tonic instead although that is harder to get hold of.

12. Ma Cherie Moisture Conditioner: Love the sweet floral scent and feminine packaging but I think Tsubaki conditioner (which is also made by Shiseido) boasts more hydrating power than this.

13. Laline Mickey & Minnie Shower Gel: A gift from a friend, this had a nice scent and lathered up well but not particularly memorable enough to re-purchase.

14. Lush The Jilted Elf shower jelly: This lathers up nicely with a bath lily. A pot usually provides me with around 10 uses. I took so long to get around to using this that I think the scent had gone off a little.

15. A Scent by Issey Miyake Body Lotion: I liked the clean scent and light, non-greasy texture.

16. Life NK Jump Start Body Lotion: This was included in a Glossybox (UK) which I used to subscribe to when my husband was based in London. Love the fresh uplifting scent of grapefruit, spearmint and peppermint.

17. Bliss Lemon+Sage Body Butter: Intensely hydrating, this takes some kneading to get it to absorb fully. It came in handy in the winter months when my legs get really dry.

18. K-Palette Lasting 2Way Eyebrow 02: A daily staple, I've used up too many of these to count.

19. Too Faced Shadow Insurance: Another daily staple, I prefer this to Urban Decay Primer Potion. It really helps to make my eyeshadows last all day with minimal creasing. A tube lasts close to a year even with daily usage. I already have a back-up tube somewhere.

Pixi H2O Skintint, Bronzebeam Endless Silky Eye Pen and Shea Butter Lip Balm

During BeautyBay's recent 15% off sale, I purchased the new Pixi H2O Skintint (£21, 35ml), Endless Silky Eye Pen in BronzeBeam (£11) and Shea Butter Lip Balm (£8) in Ripe Raspberry from the Spring 2014 collection.

The H2O Skintint is a water-based tinted face gel that is supposed to be hydrating, long-lasting and water-resistant with a semi-matte finish that lasts all day. Aside from being paraben-free and fragrance-free, it contains antioxidant-rich green tea, moisturising rose water, soothing english chamomile and relaxing lavender. I was surprised to see that it is made in Korea.

The lightest shade No. 1 Cream was a good match for my MAC NC20 skintone. The pump dispenser is easy to control and the plastic tube packaging makes this convenient for travel as there is no fear of breakage. The texture is a very light cream that feels cool upon application. I had rather mixed results with this as depending on the skincare that I used prior to applying it, there were variances in the finish. When I used Paula's Choice Anti-Redness Exfoliating Solution, the H20 Skintint applied patchily with a tendency to pool in my pores and dry patches also appeared on my cheeks. It applied much more smoothly when I prepped my skin with Shiseido Ibuki Refining Moisturiser instead.

Being a tinted moisturiser, I did not expect this to offer much coverage. Indeed, the level of coverage is pretty light and does not cover blemishes well although it does even out some of the redness in my skin. It also takes quite a bit of blending to achieve a smooth, streak-less finish. Although titanium dioxide is listed as the third ingredient, there is no SPF level stated on the packaging which is disappointing as it means you can't rely on this alone for sun protection. Overall, I was a bit disappointed with the H20 Skintint as I was hoping that it could be a fuss-free all-in-one product for those days when I do not have time for applying foundation.

List of ingredients is below.

The Shea Butter Lip Balm has a nice creamy texture. It does not feel as balmy as Fresh Sugar Tinted Lip Treatments but it does keep my lips hydrated without any peeling thereafter. Ripe Raspberry is a sweet pink that shows up nicely with just a couple of swipes.

Being a longtime fan of Pixi's Endless Silky Eye Pens, I always pick up any new shade that they release. Bronze Beam (center in the pic below) is a medium brown with a bit of a glimmer. It's not as muddily flat as Black Cocoa (left) and lighter and cooler than Copper Glow (right) which is more chocolate. I find Bronze Beam a bit too light for the upper lashline but it's nice for adding some depth along the lower lashline.

Swatched from left to right: Black Cocoa, Bronze Beam and Copper Glow.


In the pics below, I used Bronze Beam on both the upper and lower lashlines.


Below is the look that I did using all three products, along with the Metallic Magic Eye Alchemy palette from their Holiday 2013 collection.



BeautyBay is currently offering 20% off all Pixi products until 17 March to celebrate St Patrick's Day, with free international shipping, but they do not have the H20 Skintint in stock while they only have a few of the eyeliner pencil shades available (excluding Bronze Beam). I received my order in just under two weeks. The Skintint is also available on ASOS.

Operation Use It Up

Just in time for Chinese New Year, I managed to clear out this bumper crop of products, which were used up between December and January.


1. Pixi Glow Tonic: I hauled back four bottles from London to Geneva after reading the online raves sparked by Caroline Hirons' recommendation in this blog post. Pixi has literally not been able to keep this on the shelves since Hirons wrote about it. It used to be available only in their flagship store in London but it recently became available on their UK and US websites in a new clear bottle packaging. The UK website ships internationally but is currently out of stock again of the tonic. It's not that expensive at £16 for 250ml. It contains 5% glycolic acid for exfoliating the skin and warding off acne. Used once daily, it did help to keep my skin relatively clear, smooth and blemish-free without irritating it, although my pores still needed manual purging from time to time. The only time that it stung slightly was when I applied it after using a Lush fresh mask. I would definitely repurchase this again if it is available.

2. REN Clarifying Toning Lotion also worked well with my skin but is more expensive than Pixi Glow Tonic at £18 for 150ml. Used once daily, I finished this bottle in less than three weeks. The combination of salicilin from willow bark, glycolic acid, lactic acid, citric acid and tartaric acid works to exfoliate, tone and decongest the skin. I did not experience any irritation with this. It does help to keep my skin clear and is more easily available than Pixi Glow Tonic.

3. Astalift Cream did a good job of hydrating my skin but it also made me break out in small blemishes.

4. Astalift Moisture Foam is a pretty standard foaming cleanser that left my skin feeling slightly dry.

5. Astalift Essence Destiny is a light serum that comes with a pipette dispenser. I liked this better than the Astalift Cream as it hydrated my skin without making me breaking out.

6. Astalift Lotion does a good job of refreshing and toning my skin. I still have a full-size bottle of this in my stash.

7. Astalift Complete Make-up Remover Oil did a decent job of removing makeup but didn't feel that special to warrant a full size purchase.

8. Peter Thomas Roth Mega-Rich Body Wash has a lovely citrus scent and cleanses well without drying out my skin.

9. Peter Thomas Roth Mega-Rich Shampoo and Conditioner did not feel as deeply moisturising as Shiseido's Tsubaki range.

10. Lancome Tonique Radiance Clarifying Exfoliating Toner is alcohol-heavy (second on the ingredient list). I accidentally got some in my eye while closing the cap and it stung pretty bad. The Ren Clarifying Lotion and Pixi Glow Tonic are much better alternatives.

11. Helena Rubenstein All Mascaras Complete Eye Makeup Remover proved to be no match for Majolica Majorca's infamous waterproof mascaras. I still don't understand why HR's mascaras top many Japanese beauty magazine polls.

12. Kiehl's Clearly Correcting Dark Spot Solution feels very light on the skin and absorbs well without leaving a film. I didn't notice a significant reduction in the spots on my cheeks though so I probably will not repurchase this.

13. La Mer Moisturising Gel Cream worked surprisingly well with my skin. It helped keep the skin flakes at bay and did not make my skin too oily or cause any blemishes.

14. Lancome Genefique Yeux did a good job of hydrating the eye area without causing any milia. I liked it but probably won't repurchase it as I still have some other eye creams to use up.

15. Sarah Chapman Skinesis Neck and Chest Rejuvenating Complex: This deluxe sample was a gift with purchase. It did a decent job of hydrating but other than that, it was nothing special. I don't really see the point of using a different moisturiser for the neck versus the rest of the body.

16. Clinique 7 Day Scrub Cream is gentle enough to use two to three times a week. I find it to be more effective than Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant. When I use this, I skip the exfoliating lotions so as not to over-exfoliate my skin, which can cause it to get thinner.

17. REN Frankincense Revitalizing Night Cream worked well in hydrating my skin during these dry winter months without making it excessively oily. It does have a distinctive scent but I didn't mind it. The Frankincense range has been revamped and renamed the V-cense range.

18. Vera Wang Satiny Body Lotion was nicely hydrating and did not leave an oily film. The scent is cloyingly sweet though.

19. Rituals Lao Tze Chinese Mint and Yi Yi Ren Cooling Foot Balm did a good job of moisturing my feet and I loved the relaxing scent. The cooling sensation isn't that strong.

20. Bioderma Crealine Solution Micellaire cleanses away makeup pretty effectively except for eye makeup, so I always use a separate eye makeup remover. I also follow up with a facial cleanser to make sure that my skin is thoroughly cleansed.

21. Noble Isle Summer Rising Bath & Shower Gel has a lovely elegant green scent that makes me miss London.

22. L'Occitane Fleurs Merveilleuses Shower Gel has a sweet floral scent that is not too cloying. I liked L'Occitane's shower gels but I only purchase them when they are on sale as they are too pricey at normal retail price.

23. Philosophy Sweet Honey Orange Jam was a delicious orange scent but it does not linger on the skin much.

24. Josie Maran Argan Oil Hair Serum works very well for de-frizzing my hair and I like the scent too. It is pricey but I would repurchase this.

25. Nick Chavez Volumizing Shampoo wasn't particularly volumizing.

26. Percy & Reed Beautifully Bouncy Volumising Conditioner was also not that memorable in terms of the effect it had on my hair.

Pixi Endless Silky Eye Pen Iridescent Iris Swatches

My FeelUnique order of the new Pixi Endless Silky Eye Pen in Iridescent Iris and the Eye Alchemy Assortment in Metallic Magic landed yesterday! The special purple packaging is for the holiday collection.


This is just a quick swatch post of Iridescent Iris. Made in Germany, the waterproof pencil is free of mineral oil, parabens and preservatives. Actually, the preservative-free claim is a tad worrying as eyeliner pencils can go bad! Anyway, it's supposed to have a shelf life of 24 months.

Turns out that aside from the usual top-notch velvety texture that one has come to expect of Pixi eyeliners, it's a great dupe of Three Flash Performance eyeliner pencil in Eye Belong , which retails for more than double the price! (See swatches of my Three pencils here). Three's eyeliners are also made in Germany.

The pic below shows Pixi Emerald Gold and on its right, Iridescent Iris. It's a blackened purple with pink and silver shimmer. I wore it yesterday for a few hours and it stayed completely smudge-free after setting. It also glided on with ease without tugging at the eyelid. It does not look overtly purple when applied, and is great for creating a smoky eye with a bit of shimmer. I think this is easily my second favourite Pixi shade after Emerald Gold and definitely back-up worthy.

The pic below shows Three Eye Belong and on its right, Pixi Emerald Gold. If you've been wanting Eye Belong but can't stomach the price tag, I highly recommend getting Iridescent Iris instead.

In the pics below (from left to right): Three Eye Belong, Pixi Emerald Gold and Iridescent Iris, Urban Decay Ransom and Binge, By Terry Royal Navy. You can see how patchy and uneven the Urban Decay eyeliners swatch in comparison to the smooth richness of Three, Pixi and By Terry.



Below are a couple of quick pics of the Eye Alchemy palette, will review this after I've played with it.

Pixi Holiday 2013 Eye Alchemy

The Pixi Eye Alchemy holiday collection has quietly landed on FeelUnique.com. It's a nicely edited collection with two eyeshadow palettes, a lipgloss quad and a new shade of their fabulous Endless Silky Eye Pen. You can use the code 8TODAY for 12% off but act fast as the code is only valid until midnight (BST) Friday 4 October.

Icy Eye Palette Buff Blizzard (£12): This winter wonder palette may be called Icy Eyes, but don’t let that fool you - with these ultra-enhancing eye shadows, your gaze will be hot enough to melt anything that comes your way! Celebrate the festive season with these charming shades to take you from day to night effortlessly.

Eye Alchemy Assortment (£24): Containing a whopping 36 metallic shades, the Pixi Eye Alchemy Palette - Metallic Magic (Limited Edition) features all the colours you need to make your eyes the centre of attention. With a range of neutral and bold colours so you can create both daytime and evening looks, this versatile palette also comes with a duo brush for easy application. Enriched with minerals, the silky smooth colours glide on effortlessly and are fully blendable, as well as being suitable for even the most sensitive of eyes.


Icy Lip Buster Snowbunny Glace (£11): This year, our limited-edition holiday gloss kit features four bestselling colours in a gorgeously high-shine, super-silky formula. Keep one in your purse, evening clutch or coat for a touch of gloss anywhere, anytime. Contains Shimmering Gloss 2 x 3.1ml and Tinted Gloss 2 x 3.1ml


Endless Silky Eye Pen in Iridescent Iris (£11)

Pixi will also be making its bestselling Glow Tonic available on its US and UK websites soon.