If you were to ask me what beauty brand exudes springtime, I don't think anyone could top Pixi. From their pastel green packaging, to their glow inducing, rose-infused skincare, to their soft, ethereal makeup, Pixi's products are basically the cosmetic equivalent of frolicking in a field of flowers. Sweet, feminine, and effortless, Pixi Beauty is the perfect brand for more minimal makeup lovers, and is one of my go-tos whenever I'm craving a lighter look.
As we're FINALLY starting to see the signs of Spring here in New England, the timing is perfect to start playing with some fresh, new makeup. Earlier this year, Pixi released a new range of products to their Influencer-created Pixi Pretties collection. Last year's offerings, such as the It'sEyeTime Palette and Double Cleanse, were some of my most treasured products of 2017, so I was incredibly excited to see what new collaborations Pixi had in store for us.
In true beauty junkie fashion, it took all of 15 minutes after this collection arrived on my doorstep before I was ready to dive in and start playing. I shared a first impressions and wear-test video over on my YouTube channel so that I could document my initial thoughts on all of the products, and give you a better look at how each of them perform on the skin. Overall I was really happy with how my final look turned out, and have only continued to enjoy using these products since.
For this year's Pixi Pretties collaborations, Pixi worked with three different influencers to create range of products for face, eyes, and lips. Chloe Morello curated the Romantic Radiance Palette - complete with three blushes, three pairs of shimmering eyeshadows that double as highlighters, and three brow or liner shades, as well as a glittering, golden lip topper called Lip Icing. Dulce Candy designed two multi-tasking, 9-pan palettes - one with shimmering powder-to-cream shades for face and eyes, and the other with cream-to-powder lip and cheek stains. Last is Weylie Hoang, whose Dimensional Eye Creator Kit contains both a 6-pan eyeshadow palette and a dual-ended black liner.
While I have generally had positive experiences with the collection as a whole, I definitely have my preferences for certain products over others. Let's take a closer look at each and what my experience with them has been.
First up are the two Dulce Candy collaboration products. The Cafe Con Dulce Palette ($24) is a collection of 9 shimmering powders that can be worn as highlights, blush toppers, or eyeshadows. The unique formula applies like a powder, but has the richness of a cream. From the moment I swatched this palette I had a feeling it was going to be one of my new favorite things. All of these shades have a beautiful glow, and blend and layer really well with one another. I've been especially loving mixing Bon Bon with Dulce for a highlight on my cheeks that radiant without looking harsh and unnatural.
Even though the texture of these powders is a little chunky to the touch, I found that this didn't translate onto the skin when applied with a brush. The are very buildable, and go from a light sheen to a blinding highlight, depending on your preference. The same goes for using this palette on the eyes. You can apply the powders with a brush for a more diffused look, or pack them on with your fingers if you want an intense, foiled shine. I've found that they've had a very decent lasting power, and will hold up through a standard 8-hour work day.
When it comes to overall versatility, I think the Cafe Con Dulce Palette might be my favorite product of the entire collaboration. I think these shades will work beautifully on a number of different skin tones, especially considering that they can all be used on the face or eyes. If you push yourself to experiment and think outside of the box of what these shades might traditionally be used for, you might be pleasantly surprised with the results. For example, if you aren't a fan of shimmery blush, you might assume that the middle row of rosy shades will be a waste for you. However, I find them to be absolutely stunning when applied all over the lids for a pop of pink-hued shimmer. Overall I think this palette gives me the most inspiration and desire to be creative, and has quickly become my go-to whenever I want to add some glow to my look.
On the flip side, I am a little less enamored with Dulce's Lip Candy ($24). This is not to say that the quality of the actual product itself is bad, I'm just not typically a huge fan of lip palettes. While I appreciate the more artistic side of being able to mix and create custom shades, my issue with lip palettes is that they're often bulky and make touch-ups way more inconvenient than a traditional lipstick. I mean, let's be real. This palette requires quite a bit of real estate within your purse. And even if you have a bag that's big enough to take it with you, you'll find yourself also needing a travel-friendly lip brush (the retractable kind that won't get lipstick all over the inside of your bag) and a mirror. Ain't nobody got time for that.
You may be able to get away with using your fingers to apply some of the lighter, less pigmented shades. However, the majority of these colors are quite creamy and opaque, and necessitate a lip brush if you want any kind of precision. That being said, this palette does create some really beautiful lip looks. I enjoy the texture of the product, which is more like a melted down bullet lipstick than a balm, for how creamy and comfortable it is. It leaves a soft, semi-matte finish that doesn't leave your lips cracked and dry.
At the same time, non-drying formulas are unfortunately not very long-wearing or transfer-proof, which again goes back to the conundrum of touch-ups. As a blogger it's one thing to appreciate something that is pretty for a video or photo shoot, but I think for the average person in the context of where and when they'd use this palette, it's not entirely practical.
Now, if you're a fan of cream blush, you should note that you can also wear these colors on your cheeks. Most of the shades would be flattering to use and wear as blushes, however you might want to leave Beso to the lips. The texture does lend itself well to this application, since the finish is not glossy or tacky, and will blend on top of your foundation pretty easily.
Long story short, if you're going to use this product as a cheek palette that also just happens to double for lips, it may actually be worth investing in. But if you know cream blush is not your jam, its probably a more solid investment to just buy a lipstick or two that you love instead.
When it comes to Chloe Morello's collaboration products, my feelings are again mixed. On one hand the Palette Chloette ($24) is a nice option for traveling. You've got three blush shades to choose from, six shimmering eyeshadow shades that can also double as highlighters, and three matte shadows that can be used for brows or as liner. In essence, it's a more "complete" palette than any of the others from this collection, and doesn't require as much in the way of additional products (depending on the type of look you're hoping to create).
That being said I feel like there were a few missed opportunities with this palette. Had she swapped out one of the blush shades for a matte, mid-toned brown to act as a bronzer/contour, matte crease color, or even a brow color for those with lighter hair or setting powder for those with deeper skin, I think it would have given the palette an overall more well-rounded feel.
Yes, technically one of the three provided brow/liner colors (Knot) could theoretically serve the purpose of a crease transition to create a more complete eye look, however, I found this shade to have almost zero pigmentation. When I tried to use it on my brows in the YouTube video I shared above, it was essentially invisible. Now, I totally understand wanting a brow powder to be a little sheer so that it looks more natural, however, I think the formulation could have been a touch more rich if they were also intended to be used as shadows or liners.
As far as the quality of the blushes and highlighting shades, I think they're on-par with what I'd expect from Pixi. Everything is smooth and has a buildable pigmentation that's fairly easy to work with. The blushes all have a bit of a glow, which will give your skin a natural radiance that isn't too over the top. The highlighters are very creamy and light-reflective and will certainly work beautifully as eyeshadows. I appreciate that there are shade offerings for all skin tones, and that most people will be able to use something from this palette (although I think those with lighter skin will have the most flexibility).
While the wedding theme is cute and generally well executed in this palette, it doesn't excite me as much as the Cafe Con Dulce palette does. As a makeup lover with a relatively large collection, the Palette Chloette doesn't give me anything new or revolutionary that would make me want to reach for it again and again. Anyone with a more modest makeup bag and a preference for natural looks might see this as well worth the $24 investment, but for me I already know it will probably end up on the decluttering chopping block.
On the flip side, I'm not planning on letting go of the Lip Icing ($14) anytime soon. This sheer lip topper offers a beautiful sheen and subtle sparkle to the lips without being sticky or goopy. It also has a delicious lemon pound cake-esque scent that I can't get enough of. I can wear it alone or use it to top a liner or lipstick, and love that it works with just about anything. I also really appreciate that it doesn't feel gritty on my lips the way a lot of glittery products can. All in all this one is a keeper and something I have a feeling I'm going to get a lot of use out of in the coming months!
Finally we have Weylie's Dimensional Eye Creator ($20) kit. Of all the Pixi Pretties products, I think this set gives you the most bang for your buck. Not only are you getting a neutral, 6-pan eyeshadow palette, but you're also getting a dual-sided eyeliner. I could easily see either of these products retailing for more than $10 on their own, so to get the pair for $20 seems more than fair to me.
Let's first chat about the liner. If you're a regular in these parts or a subscriber to my YouTube channel, you've probably heard me rave on more than one occasion about the Tarte Tarteist Double Take Eyeliner. I love the convenience of having an automatic gel pencil and felt-tipped liner in one pen, and have always felt that it was more than worth its $24 price tag. Needless to say, you can imagine how excited I was to see that Pixi had created a more affordable dupe. There was, of course, a little fear that the quality wouldn't be on the same level, but I have to give it to Pixi for really bringing their A Game. The gel pencil side is incredibly smooth, creamy, and black, and worked fairly well in the waterline, and the felt tipped liner is as inky, sharp, and easy to work with as one would hope. The finish on the felt liner is not matte, however. So if you aren't a fan of shiny eyeliner you're going to want to set it down with a black shadow. Overall I was really impressed with the wear time and ease of application with this product, and can only hope that maybe one day they'll make it available for purchase on its own!
As for the palette, I've been seriously enjoying this little guy for creating everyday looks. The matte shades are smooth and even in pigmentation, but aren't so opaque that they're difficult to blend. Some sheer shadows barely show up on the skin, but that isn't the case with this formula. It is definitely not a full color shadow that goes on with a ton of intensity, but I actually think that's what makes it so easy to work with. You can build up the color to the level you want without a lot of effort, which I think will be greatly appreciated by those that are less experienced with eyeshadow application.
The same goes for the shimmers. They are most certainly capable of bringing intense shine, but could also be sheered out for just a subtle wash of glow. The shade Gurl! is SO ridiculously stunning all over the lid, although I would recommend applying it with your fingers to minimize fallout and to create a more impactful finish.
All in all, the Dimensional Eye Creator Kit is a win for me!
Overall I think Pixi and this year's creators did a fantastic job putting together the 2018 Pixi Pretties collection. If you're someone that prefers more bold, artistic, and colorful makeup this collaboration might not excite you, but if your makeup preferences are a little more soft, glowy, and neutral, I think you'd be hard pressed to not find at least one product from this range to love.
If you've also tried anything from this collaboration, I would love to hear your thoughts! Let us know in the comments down below what you loved or what didn't work out for you.
Are you excited for this collab?
