Pixi

Since Pixi launched in Boots stores in May 2010, it has become alot more accessible to us all.  Buying cosmetics online is always a tricky business because you're never quite sure how the colours will look in real life.  The creator of Pixi is Petra Strand, a Swedish makeup artist, who is also a mum.  The whole premise of the brand is to offer a simplified beauty routine with multi-purpose products containing skin loving ingredients.  The packaging is unique but being a lover of the YSL luxe look, it's not something that immediately grabs my attention.  The packaging is lightweight plastic and although it doesn't look amazing, it does make the products really easy to pop into your handbag for touch-ups without feeling like you're weighed down.

The Eye Beauty Kit in No.5 Miracle is probably one of the prettiest, most girly eye shadow palettes I have seen in a long time.  It contains Soft Peach, Soft Bronze, Soft Gold, Soft Baby Pink, Antique Gold, Yellow Gold, Raspberry & Rusty Brick.  This palette is perfect for anyone who prefers more natural shades for their eyes.  The golds and bronzes are beautiful and have a pretty sheen to them.  Some of the shadows do contain a small amount of glitter so obviously they would be more suited to night time.  I am not a fan of wearing glittery products during the day, it's just too obvious.  All the colours in the palette are so flattering and they would suit most skin tones.  The shadows themselves are buttery and have good staying power when you apply them over a eye primer.  All the eye shadows contain Aloe Vera, Vitamin E & Natural SPF.  As usual, the applicator isn't great so I stick to my trusty MAC brushes.  The palette is really compact and super thin so it would be perfect for taking on holiday or popping in a small handbag.

I also have the Energy Blush in No.3 Naturally Sunny which is a creamy peach blush with a nude bronzer.  On first impressions, the creamy peach side looks more like a pale gold/beige than a peach.  This blush would be perfect for enhancing your tan when you blend them together.  The blush does have a sheen to it due to the 'peach' shade so steer clear of this if you prefer matte or satin blush.  The Energy Blush contains Aloe Vera and Carnauba Wax to stop it looking cakey on the skin.  I like to wear it over my matte bronzer to slightly intensify it on my cheeks and to add a bit of radiance.  I think this is definitely a product that is more suited to the summer months or for when you pop off on holiday to somewhere sunny.  It catches the light beautifully on your cheekbones and I would say that I wear it in the same way I would wear a MAC MSF.  The brush you get with this blush is actually very soft and I would be happy to use it for touching up my makeup later in the day.

The Lip & Shine in No.1 Pale Petal which is a soft baby pink shade is a handy way to carry a lip liner AND a lipstick with you.  I hate spending ages searching for a suitable liner for whatever lipstick I'm wearing that day.  The lip liner is a great match for my lips and enhances them without looking too 'done'.  The lipstick was actually alot creamier than I initially thought it would be.  It contains Vitamin E and C and didn't dry out my lips or highlight any dry patches.  The shade is really pretty and is very easy to wear on an everyday basis.  It's the kind of shade you can just apply and go, without having to fuss over it too much.  The lipstick didn't have amazing staying power but it lasted a good 3 hours without fading too much.  That's ok in my book as I don't own many lipsticks that last all day.

The Voluptuous Mascara claims to nourish your lashes whilst creating thick, elongated, healthy lashes.  It has a long rubber wand which I never associate with creating volume.  These types of wands tend to be great at lengthening but not so great at creating voluminous lashes.  The best volumising mascara I have ever tried is the Rouge Bunny Rouge Amplitude Mascara and that one has a big chunky natural bristle wand which is perfect for grabbing every lash and making the most of what you have.  The Pixi Voluptuous Mascara goes on without clumping, it gives a strong colour to the lashes and defines them, whilst lengthening them.  BUT I didn't find that my lashes look any thicker which was a bit of a disappointment really.  I like the sleek silver packaging but as an everyday mascara that I can rely on to add some va-va-voom to my blonde lashes? It just didn't cut the mustard for me.

Have you guys tried any of the Pixi cosmetics? What did you think?