The Pixi range was created waaay back in the year 1999 by the makeup artist Petra Strand. She created the line in order to simplify women's beauty routines, and give them wearable shades they could play around with. The Pixi brand has recently rolled out into select Boots stores, as well as being available online, and I've been trialling a selection of the products to gauge an overall opinion.
This isn't so much of a product review, as a review overview, and I'll share with you my thoughts on some of the bestsellers from the product range.
I tried this liner in No3 jade. The shade is described as a 'Intense deep forest green' but I'd argue it's actually more night time forest, the dark kind of shade you get when the sun starts to set in the woods, and your knees start to quake beneath that little red riding hood. The gel is pretty easy to use, as you simply paint it on with the small brush that it comes with. It's reassuringly thick and a small line gives you a very dramatic look. The waxy formulation ensures that it stays put, and once you have mastered the trick of using the brush you'll find yourself creating Winehouse-esque eye with ease. I would query the brush though, as though the product can't be faulted, the brush you're meant to apply it with is really, really small, so it can be fiddly- or you can use a separate one, which is a lot easier!
I was impressed as how slim this eight shadow palette was. Many companies describe their products as 'credit card sized' but this one actually lived up that promise, and was a mere few mm's thicker as well. The shadows are very complementary and there are a lot of palette options to choose from. I liked how you were given a few darker shades with the kit, which were useful for contouring with and they were well pigmented. I'm told that the shades are treated with Aloe Vera Leaf Extract and Vitamin E to soothe the eye, but noticed no difference from any other eyeshadows. The colours looked natural on the skin and had longevity, but I did find that repeated use tended to break up the powered and leave the surface of the shade slightly ragged and broken.
The lip palette follows the same design as the eye palette, a mint green slim packet that contains a variety of nude and taupe shades for the lips. The mirror is generously sized and there is a mini lip brush to apply them all with. The shades are all quite sheer, even the darkest ones, so you'll need to build up colour if you want a more dramatic look. They can also double up as cheek shades, but I found they worked best on the lips as they felt to greasy on the cheek area. It's a nice way to get into lipsticks if you're a little shy, and the lightness of the colours makes them suitable for everyone.
Pixi Nail Polish in No.8,Pink Shimmer £10
I was very impressed with the nail polish I tried. The finish was very sheer, iridescent pink shimmers with a hint of glitter and I loved the smooth finish. The high gloss coat made the nails sparkle, and it dried really quickly. I did need three coats to achieve the desired thickness of colour, but if you prefer your nails a sheerer shade I reckon you could get away with two.
This cheek stain is quite surprising as it's far more liquidy than it looks. The attached brush (part of the lid) is ideal for dispensing the stain onto the face, but you do need to quickly rub it in before it dries and leaves you marks. I tried this in Chestnut and was a little bit wary of how orange the colour looked, but it blended into a really natural finish. I also liked the packaging of the blush as the bottle looks very stylish and more importantly, the seal on the lid feels really secure.
Overall I'm fairly impressed with the range. There are a couple of things Pixi could do better, such as press their shadows more firmly, or package their products with better rushes, but I really liked the eyeliner and nail varnish, and the design is very pleasing on the eye.