No matter what time of year it is, I firmly believe a little colour on the lips or cheeks goes a long way in bringing life and energy to one's complexion, which is why I was so delighted by some of the recent Pixi Beauty samples to arrive at Solo Lisa headquarters. These are not new launches nor are they limited editions, but considering Pixi has only been available Canada-wide at Shoppers Drug Mart since January, they still feel pretty new here north of the 49th parallel!
Pixi Gel Tint & Silk Gloss
The Pixi Gel Tint & Silk Gloss features a highly pigmented gel lip colour on one end and a sheer gloss on the other. You can layer the gloss over the gel tint or wear the lip colours separately, making this versatile 2-in-1 product a great choice for travel. Shown above, from top to bottom: Berry Tint & Sweet Gloss, which is the closest you'll get to a nude pink lip; Beach Tint & Fresh Gloss, a bright red-orange coral that pairs well with a summer tan; and Pink Tint & Pretty Gloss, a bright fuchsia lip tint and sheer pink gloss duo.
The packaging is pretty basic, but there's something charming about the signature pistachio green and rose gold Pixi branding and how the product's tube is slightly chubby and oversize. The slim sponge applicator makes filling in and lining lips a cinch.
You may have encountered double-ended long-lasting lip colours before where the pigmented but very drying matte shade feels very tight on the lips and the clear gloss on the other side is meant for moisture. Pixi's version is not like that at all as each colour can be worn alone comfortably. The gel tint didn't have any slip to it once it set, or feel emollient in and of itself, but it sat on my lips as an opaque veil of colour and made them feel plumped and velvety. I was pleasantly surprised to find that the gel tint felt good all day, even when I didn't re-apply the gloss. It didn't feather or bleed, but it did start fading in intensity around the 5-hour mark. As for the gloss, it's just a basic gloss well-executed: sheer colour, no stickiness, but with plenty of slip.
As you can see from the swatches of Pink Tint & Pretty Gloss (above) and Beach Tint & Fresh Gloss (below), the shades may look bright and clash intimidatingly in the tubes, but when applied they're much more complementary than they appear at first glance. The deep brown/burnt orange of Beach Tint actually looks closer to the bright red-orange coral of Fresh Gloss, while Pink Tint and Pretty Gloss are both pinks with cool undertones.
Pixi Sheer Cheek Gel
In a lot of ways, Pixi Sheer Cheek Gel ($24) reminds me of the cult fave Benefit Benetint, but minus the higher price tag and the brush applicator (which can be fussy, messy, and wasteful). The adorably tiny upside-down squeeze tubes dispense just the right amount of product with minimal waste, and the sheer cheek gels can be applied with brushes or blended out with clean fingertips. Although they appear intimidatingly intense in the tubes, they actually look quite sheer and flattering on. What's more, the gel texture feels slightly cooling on contact (perfect for hot weather!) and the formula is moisturizing, lasts all day without fading, and can double as a sheer lip colour in a pinch. Shown above, from left to right: Rosy, a magenta pink with gold stealth shimmer; Flushed, a shade that looks like a deep, bruised blood red in the tube but applies more like a dark mauve; and Natural, a dusty rose pink with gold stealth shimmer.
The swatches below were obtained with huge globs of product, which I don't advise when you're applying it. My best tip is to start with a tiny dot of product (about the size of a pin's head) on the cheeks, tapping and blending out the colour with clean fingertips, adding and blending more tiny dots of product as needed until you've built up to the intensity of colour you want. Swatched below, from top to bottom: Natural, Rosy, and Flushed. As you can see from the two swatches at the top, the stealth shimmer isn't noticeable at all once the product is blended out.
Overall, I'm pretty pleased with the performance and ease of use of these Pixi lip and cheek colours, and their versatility and portability have me seriously considering throwing one or two of them into my suitcase for Italy, or in my gym kit for freshening up after a barre class. What about you? Are these products something you would try?
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