Pixi Beauty Review – Luxurious Products at an Affordable Price!

Pixi Beauty is hands down my favourite skin care brand at the moment (big claim!).  Well I say skincare, but more recently they are also doing some amazing makeup products too, so I guess I should say ‘beauty brand’ rather than skincare brand.

Pixi is best known for their award winning Glow Tonic, which was the first product of theirs I ever tried years ago, and I have been using it ever since! In more recent times Pixi has really upped its game, and in addition to their Glow Tonic they have some really beautiful and effective products to their name.  Not to mention their clever product names and gorgeous pastel packaging, which is always a bonus.  However, there is so much more to Pixi than their great packaging.

To me, Pixi is an affordable brand that produces high quality products and that’s exactly the kind of beauty brand I love! I truly feel that Pixi is very underrated and deserves far more attention in the over saturated world of beauty.

Given my growing obsession for this brand (which was heightened during a visit to their Carnaby Street store in London over Christmas) I thought it might be a good idea to write about the products that I have tried so far, what I like about them and what they do for my skin.

Glow Tonic – £18

What better place to start than with the cult product that is Glow Tonic.  Glow Tonic is a resurfacing and revitalising toner.  It contains glycolic acid and aloe vera which work together to counteract dullness and add luminosity to your skin.  Glow Tonic can be used morning and night but I usually alternate depending on what other products I am using at that time.  Despite containing glycolic acid, which is an exfoliating ingredient, Glow Tonic is very gentle due to the aloe vera, which is known for soothing and hydrating the skin.  I like to use it after I cleanse and before applying serum or moisturiser (as the toning step).  I pour some onto a cotton pad and sweep it across my face.  Glow Tonic gently exfoliates to remove dead skin cells to tone, smooth and refine skin texture.  It can help reduce signs of sun damage, scaring and fine lines (I have all of the above!) .  Personally, the greatest benefit I see is in the texture of my skin.  For me, Glow Tonic is like a slightly milder (and more affordable) version of Alpha H Liquid Gold which I also love.  I can see Glow tonic being in my skincare cupboard for ever, as it’s one of those reliable products that I always turn to on a bad skin day and it just works wonders! It is so appropriately named too as I feel like it really does make my skin glow.

Peel and Polish – £26

Next up is Peel and Polish, which is a radiance revealing enzyme peel.  Firstly, without knowing anything at all about this product, it’s name ‘Peel and Polish’ was enough to make me want it! (the power of good marketing!) – I LOVE anything that claims to peel.  Salon peels have become such a huge thing in the cosmetic industry but they are expensive and it’s so important to ensure you have the right person doing it.  When I read that Pixi’s Peel and Polish was a ‘salon peel treatment made easy at home’, I knew I had to have it! The product contains natural fruit enzymes and claims to exfoliate and polish the skin, lifting away dead skin cells to reveal a more smooth, radiant and healthy complexion without irritating the skin.

Peel and Polish can be used in the morning or evening.  I usually apply a thin layer over my face and leave it on for about five minutes.  For extra exfoliation it is recommended to gently massage into the face for 30 seconds (which I always do).  After I use this, my skin feels incredibly clean.  Again, the name is spot on as I genuinely feel as though my face has been peeled and polished.  It gets rid of dead and dull skin, making my face feel smoother and look brighter.  Despite giving salon-like results, the peel is gentle enough to use up to three times a week.  It contains tiny exfoliating beads and to me it smells strangely like cucumber.

I find that makeup applies so smoothly after I use this product and again, it helps so so much with improving skin texture.  I can see this being a useful product to keep in my bathroom cupboard for days when I need a quick fix exfoliating treatment.  I love the convenient and compact tube packaging, and it is such a handy product to use just before jumping into the shower or in the evening before slathering on lots of serum or facial oils.  Because it contains AHA (Alpha Hydroxy Acid) it makes my skin more sensitive to the sun so it’s VERY important to wear an SPF after using this product.  On the subject of SPF, the one which I have been using for the last year or so is this one – Heliocare 360.  

Rose Flash Balm – £26

Rose Flash Balm is marketed as an instant skin booster.  This is an absolutely BEAUTIFUL product.  It is a thick rose scented 3-in-1 moisturising balm that boosts radiance, acts as a primer, and works as a revitalising mask.  We all know I love a multi-use product! The balm boosts hydration and radiance to waken up tired looking skin in a flash.  This is a perfect product to use after cleansing your face just before applying makeup, as it cuts out the need to use a moisturiser or primer as this is both! Superb! The balm is oil free so it is quickly absorbed into my skin.

To use as a mask, I apply a thick layer and leave it on for five minutes.  I generally just tissue it off and rub the excess into my skin like a moisturiser.  I love using it in this way and it makes my skin feel so soft and healthy.  I must say however, in terms of using this as a mask, I would prefer to use Glossier’s Moisturising Moon Mask.  I use these both in the same way but I feel as though the Glossier one offers me slightly more hydration than the Rose Flash Balm, and it is quite a bit cheaper.  Whilst I really do like Rose Flash Balm, I feel that it is a little overpriced.

The balm contains rose, olive leaf and witch hazel extract so it feels incredibly gentle and nourishing on my skin.  It has a very strong rose scent which usually I’m not a massive fan of, but I like this one.  Overall, I do really enjoy this product, and the fact that it has the most adorable packaging ever is just a bonus.  I can especially see myself using Rose Flash Balm a lot when I travel as it is lightweight, compact and covers so many uses in one! So handy!

Rose Oil Blend – £26

Continuing on the rose theme, Pixi’s Rose Oil Blend is a nourishing face oil.   It is infused with youth boosting oils to enhance elasticity and luminosity – and who doesn’t want that?!  Facial oils are one of my favourite skincare products and I have tried so many different ones.  Some great, and others not so great.  The Pixi Oil Blend is definitely up there on the great list alongside the likes of Trilogy, Kiehls, Pai.  It is packed with amazing ingredients (sweet almond, rosehip, jojoba, pomegranate seed and rose geranium oil), it blends into my skin really well and it smells amazing.  Again, it has quite a strong rose scent, which you would expect given the name, but the inclusion of many other oils makes it smell even better than just a rose scented product.

You can use the oil in the morning and evening.  Generally with facial oils I tend to keep them just for use at night time as I find them to be a bit too greasy for use during the day, but this one soaks into my skin so quickly that it is perfect to use in the morning before applying makeup – especially on days when my skin feels a little dry.  When I use this overnight, by morning time my skin genuinely looks brighter and feels so supple and nourished.  I really enjoy this product and think it is great value for money.  A good facial oil can be quite expensive, but this one is typical of Pixi skincare – a luxurious product at an affordable price.

H2O Skindrink – £24

The H2O Skindrink is probably the one product that I was most excited to try, but turns out that it is the one I am most unsure about.  Again, the name of this really drew me in – I love anything that sounds hydrating and I really like gel textured products.  This one is marketed as a pure hydration, intense moisture gel that instantly re-hydrates dry skin, so on paper it ticked all of the boxes for me.  I was really expecting this to feel like a very hydrating serum that melted into my skin.  However, this has more of a velvety texture and it made my skin feel very sticky and tacky, which I am not a fan of.   It is recommended that this is used before applying your makeup but I just can’t see myself using it in that way.  It feels far too sticky.  I am more likely to use this on days where I will not be wearing makeup and just want an extra boost of hydration.  Pixi also recommend storing this in the fridge for extra depuffing.  I haven’t tried chilling mine, but that does sound good to me so maybe I should give that a go.

If you are after a really hydrating gel serum, I recommend Ren’s Instant Firming Beauty Shot. It’s less sticky and felt more moisturising to me.  I also think that if you have the Rose Flash Balm then you really don’t need this product as well.  For me they do very similar things.  In my opinion, it doesn’t offer anything more on top of what Rose Flash Balm already does.

Hydrating Milky Mist – £18

This Hydrating Milky Mist is definitely one of my favourite products by Pixi right now.  If you have been following my blog for a while, you will be familiar with this product already!  It featured in my ‘Travel Essentials‘ and my ‘Winter Skincare Essentials‘ blog posts.   Pixi have a number of different facial mists on the go at the minute, targeting different needs, but when I read that this one had hyaluronic acid in it that was the deciding factor for me.  Hyaluronic acid attracts water and maintains moisture levels.  Now, I am well aware that there are hundreds of facial mists from many different brands in the market these days, and so many of them are similar and even the basic ones just get the job done.  With that in mind, I didn’t set my expectations super high for this product. However, this hydrating milky mist is definitely one of my favourites.  It is like a spray-on moisturiser for your face.  It is such a fine lightweight mist and they got the nozzle just right! Some of them are horrible to spray in your face but this one is honestly a pleasure.  This is such a soothing product that won’t irritate your skin and just makes it feels healthy, glowy and refreshed.

I tend to use this spray at all different times of the day.  I use it in the morning after cleansing and before applying serum, I use it at night in the same way,  I sometimes use it as a makeup setting spray or to help make my makeup look nice and dewy, or I will sometimes just randomly use it throughout the day if I fancy a refreshing treat.  It feels so awakening yet comforting on my skin and has a really fresh scent which makes it so nice to use in the morning especially.  For me, this is a more affordable version of the Tatcha Dewy Skin Mist which I absolutely love, but it is a ridiculous price for what it is ($48).  In my opinion, the Pixi one smells better too!  It really makes me want to try the other facials sprays in their range.  The Tatcha Dewy Skin Mist featured in my ‘Favourite Beauty Tools‘ blog post.

Nourishing Lip Polish – £14

Onto something a bit different now – this isn’t exactly skin care, nor is it makeup but I guess its somewhere in between.  This is Pixi’s Nourishing Lip Polish, which is essentially a gentle lip scrub.  Now, I absolutely love lip products but scrubs are something that I find can end up leaving my lips feeling dryer and more chapped than before, so I generally don’t use them very often.  This lip scrub is VERY different though.  It comes in a small tube rather than the usual pot, and has a rubbery applicator that kind of massages your lips as you buff the balm in.  The product squeezes out through the applicator as you apply pressure and it is a blend of shea butter, sweet almond, apricot and evening primrose oils which are super nourishing and gorgeous ingredients for a lip product.  The massage applicator also stimulates circulation, making your lips appear plump and voluptuous lol (exactly what I need).

This is such a genius product and I haven’t really seen anything like this on the market.  It is a much milder way to get rid of dead skin on your lips and certainly for me is much more effective than using a sugary scrub.  You don’t have to apply it and then rub it off like other lip scrubs.  You simply massage the balm into your lips with the applicator and you are good to go.  Well done Pixi!

Shea Butter Lip Balm – £8

The Pixi Shea Butter Lip Balms are one of my earlier Pixi discoveries.  In fact, I ordered this with my first order of Glow Tonic because I think it was free delivery if I ordered over a certain amount (like I need an excuse to buy a lip balm lol).  These lip balms are quite simply brilliant!  To me, these are almost as good as a lipstick because they are actually tinted lip balms.  For a lip balm, the colour is very pigmented and I have definitely worn this on days when I don’t want to wear lipstick but want some bit of colour on my lips.  The added benefit is that they are super nourishing and hydrating, which most lipsticks are not, and they feel very comfortable to wear.

I have the colour ‘Honey Nectar’ which is a lovely deep peachy nude colour, and I would love to try some of the others too.  They are such a handy lip product for keeping in your bag because it is like having a lip balm and lip stick all in one.  You have all eventualities covered with it! Plus, these are £8 each I think is pretty good value for money.

LipLift Max – Honey Sheen – £12

Last but by no means least is this LipLift Max.  I actually received this in my Marks and Spencer beauty advent calendar this year and I am so glad I did. This product is something I would never have picked out for myself but I love it!! This is essentially a lip gloss and I usually don’t really wear lip gloss, but this year it is making a come back and these Pixi ones are stunning! The product contains peptides which intensively hydrate, firm and replenish lips.  It has a really minty scent and feels a bit tingly on my lips but I love that feeling.  The shade I got was Honey Sheen and it is a sheer peachy nude colour.  In fact, it is like the gloss version of the honey nectar lip balm, and it has little flecks of gold shimmer in it which make it look really flattering on the lips.  I love wearing this one on its own or on top of a lipstick.  I was so pleasantly surprised by how much I like this, and I would definitely buy this in the future when my little sample size runs out.

That’s it for my review of these Pixi products – I am genuinely so impressed by this brand at the minute.  They are getting it so right.  There are however so, SO many products in their new lines that it is difficult to choose which ones to buy.  I have certainly not tried all of them (not even close), but if I were to recommend just three, they would be:

1. Glow Tonic, as over time it genuinely improved the texture of my skin
2. Peel and Polish, as it offers a salon style treatment at home
3. Rose Oil Blend, as it offers the ingredients and results of a luxurious and effective facial oil at a very reasonable price

I love that Pixi are doing something a little different and I think they have been so clever with the direction they are headed.  I love everything about it from the branding, to the selection of products, the beautiful packaging, the pricing strategy and most importantly the high quality of the products.  As I said at the beginning of this post – Pixi are quite simply an affordable brand producing salon worthy, luxurious products.  I can’t wait to try more of their products sometime soon.

I’d love to hear if you have tried any products from Pixi and what your thoughts are.  Please also let me know if you have any questions on any of the products that I have mentioned.

Hope you have a great weekend! I’m off to use my Peel and Polish! 🙂

 

SHOP THE POST