Is PIXI BEAUTY turning into the MAC of skincare in that they are just coming out with releases left and right? I just received their latest Vitamin C Collection and was going to write it up and just noticed they have a new retinol collection. Now I’m a huge fan of retinol and just recently went back on it after getting my brows bladed again. It’s really the only thing that has evened out my skin tone and kept acne away. This one on amazon is called the French Retinol and has received a lot of praise.

Anyway, let’s take a look at this latest collection from Pixi. First, why is vitamin C (also known in ingredient lists as L-ascorbic acid) in skin care and why should I care? It has been proven to help your skin produce collagen and it contains a lot of antioxidant properties so it will fight free radicals in the environment and damage from UV rays. It also works on reducing fine lines and scars as well as overall dullness. If you have sensitive skin or Roseacea, you may want to do a patch test of any vitamin C product or consult your derm.

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Lately, I’ve been watching quite a few videos by Australian YouTuber, Schellea Fowlwer, on her fabulous50 channel. She focuses on tips and tricks of applying makeup for those who are older. I’m not 50 yet but I have hooded lids and lines around my lips, and she shares tips on how to work with these aspects. There’s almost nothing I love to watch more on YouTube, and she just gives me the most useful tips and they are easy to replicate.

Her '5 Biggest Makeup Mistakes On Mature Eyes Tutorial Over 50 by Fabulous50s' was my introduction to her and I've referred back to it a few times. Since gravity is already working against you to drag the outside corners of your eyes down, her whole point of this video is that you should always look for ways to bring the eyes up in that area and not down. I was doing a few of her "don'ts" so it was nice to see what they were and why some are not flattering. 

Pull away tips:

• A thick line of liner on the mobile lid will make your eyes appear smaller. Tighlining the top lid is better.
• Black liner on the bottom water liner can make eyes look more almond shaped.
• Don’t follow nature when applying shadow! Don’t bring the shadow all the way down on the outside.
• Neutral or nude eyeliner pencil can open up the eye look.
• Eye primer is a must!
• Only apply a highlighter in the middle just under the brow, not all the way across.

Since I’m loving the new PIXI BEAUTY Eye Reflections Shadow Palette in Natural Beauty ($24 @ pixibeauty.com) I thought I’d try it out using some of her tips. The palette has both mattes and shimmers in it so this sole one can be used to create a whole look.

Click the link to see how I did it and what I used!

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This Vivid & Vibrant Collection from STILA COSMETICS is a tricky one. A lot of the items are filled with shimmer and glitter so I had to be choosy when it came to what I used for this look and take my time b/c I would have been easy to go overboard!

Click the link below the bottom pic to see what I used to get just the right amount of shimmery glow for this look!

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What’s your favorite type of shadow to wear? I tend to gravitate towards mattes but lately, especially at night, I’ve been leaning towards these kinds. Like those, these PIXI BY PETRA Liquid Fairy Lights ($15 @ pixibeauty.com, target.com) are super glitter shadows with dynamic staying power. It’s max glitter without any of the fallout. Like these, the glitter is suspended in a cream so it stays on the skin nicely after it dries down, which is important as they don’t call glitter the herpes of crafting for nothing.

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Well, well, well, look who’s getting into the liquid lipstick game!?! PIXI BEAUTY MatteLast Liquid Lip ($14 @ pixibeauty.com, target.com) is made up of 6 nude-based shades. 

I’ve been dying to try these to see how they stack up against other brands! Infused with rosehip oil, these dry down all the way to a matte and non-transferable finish.

So how do they wear? Click the link below to find out!

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If there’s one thing I go through regularly, it’s toners. If I’m going makeup-free for the day, I swipe one all over 2 or 3 times a day. There are only a few I use regularly and one of them is the Glow Tonic from PIXI BEAUTY. This stuff is just sooooo great for giving my skin a quick clean without stripping it.

What I like about this toner is that is contains 5% Glycolic acid, aloe vera and ginseng, to exfoliate, soothe and hydrate the skin instantly. In a world full of toner that contain alcohol, you can rest easy knowing this one is alcohol-free!

And it now comes in a pad form called Glow Tonic To-Go ($18 @ pixibeauty.com, target.com) so I keep a container on my work desk and in the car!

And be sure to enter their #GlowTonicChallenge  on Instagram to win a year supply of this Glow Tonic. They pick one winner each week! Good luck.

Me n’ a lip stain go together like shala-la-la! So these PIXI BEAUTY GelTint & SilkGloss ($12 @ pixibeauty.com, target.com) are right up my alley. I can get a little tired of liquid lipsticks here and there, so these are a nice alternative to color that will last longer than 1 hour.

Choose from:

• BerryTint & SweetGloss
• PinkTint & PrettyGloss
• BeachTint & FreshGloss

And the tints seem to be a tad mint infused but know that the mint is not irritating in the least. And the tint color is buildable! While i only got about 2.5 hours of wear, I'm will to trade-off longtime wear for the weightlessness these delivered.

My favorite of the bunch is the BerryTint and I’m not much of a gloss person anymore so I rarely use it, but the tint is great by itself and it doesn’t dry lips out at all.

Disclosure: Samples of these items were provided for review purposes.

I’m really becoming a sucker for the skin care products from PIXI BEAUTY. From this one to this one and now this latest one Peel & Polish ($24/2.71oz @ pixibeauty.com, dermstore.com). In addition to have a little grit as the physical exfoliator, it also uses fruit enzymes like papaya, lemon and orange, as well as lactic acid to help exfoliate and turn over those cells. Now the amount of lactic acid is only 6%, which is a lot less than what you’ll find in a doctor’s office and probably best since most doctors don’t recommend high amounts in at-home products anyway.

So what are products with lactic acid really good for? Besides the aforementioned exfoliation, it can also help even out the skin’s tone and it’s also known to work great on keratosis Pilaris (KP) or chicken bumps, which can occur on the backs of the upper arms and legs.

And out of the three alpha-hydroxy acids available (the others being glycolic and salicylic) lactic is the best for those with sensitive skin, which I didn’t know.

Safe to use 2 to 3 times a week for 5 minutes at a time.

Will you be picking up a tube of this?

Disclosure: A sample of this item was provided for review purposes.

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Spring is finally here so perk up your parts with some new products. Are you ready? I am  and here’s how I'm doing it. 

1. Hands – TOUCH GermBlock ($5.99/1oz @ walgreens.com) – this one claims to protect hands from germs for up to 6 hours! How do you know it’s working? Well, I can’t think of a way to test it so just have to take their word for it or better yet, test it out. Available in Unscented, OceanMist, Tropical Breeze, and Mint Green Tea Aloe.

2. Refresh - PIXI BEAUTY Vitamin Wakeup Mist ($15/2.70oz @ pixibeauty.com) – when temps rise I make sure I always have a face mist at the ready and Pixi just came out with a few news ones. This one sure wakes my skin up!

3. Skin – ACURE Purifying Fruit Peel ($22.99/1.4oz @ acureorganics.com) – this one uses acids found naturally inside mangos, bitter cherry and raspberry, among others to exfoliate. A thin layer on the face and neck for 5 to 8 minutes 1 or 2 times a week is all it takes.

4. Hair – CUVÉE BEAUTY Champagne Spray ($45/5oz @ revolve.com) – I find that when I spray this one and this one both on towel dried hair, I get the perfect blowout that lasts for a few days. A perfect tousled/piecey look!

5. Lips – HIGHLIGHT Liquid Lipstick in Sahara Rendezvous ($25 @ highlightcosmetics.com) – lipstick is good but metallic lipstick is better this season! And this coppery/bronze shade will go with any tan. And this one dries down all the way but not dry like a desert.

6. Cheeks – BENEFIT GALifonia Powder Blush ($29 @ benefitcosmetics.com, macys.com) – a pinky blush with a touch of sunkissed gold and smells like grapefruit and vanilla. Yum!

7. Complexion – COLORESCIENCE Tint Du Soleil Whipped Foundation ($54/1oz @ colorescience.com, ulta.com) – this is one of those all-in-one foundations that includes SPF30, nourishing vitamins for the skin, and it wear beautifully. Available in 4 shades.

8. Clean - LE COUVENT DES MINIMES 3-in-1 Micellar Water ($19/13.5oz @ ulta.com) – time to lighten things up now that the temps are going up! So gently remove makeup and clean the skin with this one.

Nothing makes me think of springtime like roses! Here are three that having we whistling while using.

PIXI BEAUTY Makeup Fixing Mist ($15/2.70oz @ pixibeauty.com, target.com) – makeup setting sprays are H-O-T right now. This one contains rose water and green tea to balance pH and hydrate.

KYPRIS Beauty Elixir I ($225/1.5oz @ kyprisbeauty.com, nordstrom.com) – this is the Rolls Royce of beauty elixirs. It contains 19 active natural ingredients, which includes organic and biodynamic Bulgarian Rose Essential Oil, and CoQ10, vitamin C, among others.

GIORGIO ARMANI BEAUTY Sí Eau de Parfum ($86/1.7oz, $112/3.4oz @ ulta.com, sephora.com) – I’m a fan of the original Sí and this one has a touch of rose to the mix.

CRYSTAL HILLS ORGANICS Crystal Love Body Serum ($58/4oz @ crystalhills.com) – I don’t waste my time with body oils that contain fillers like silicones. This one has a lot of great ones like rosehip, coconut, apricot kernel, and rice bran oils.

Disclosure: Samples of these items were provided for review purposes. 

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