Pixi Skintreats Vitamin-C Collection

Without question, Pixi Beauty is one of those brands that I just love. Skincare or makeup, there is always a hidden gem waiting to be found.  Over the years I have got to know quite a few Pixi products, some of which have been gifted and others I have purchased for myself and I am yet to find something I am not a fan of.  A few months ago, I was invited to an incredible event which gave me the opportunity to try a whole host of new products from Pixi and part of that included a few products from the Vitamin C range.  Then, a few months ago, this amazing Vitamin C package arrived and I was delighted to be able to try more from the range.

Vitamin C as an ingredient has been quite the thing to have within your products, it is definitely something I have been using a lot of in some of the products I have been recently sent or have bought. Said to be one of the most potent antioxidants available and from everything I have read and understood there are three benefits to having Vitamin C within your routine and they are:

• Brighten - We know that environmental factors can cause structural changes to the skin and this, in turn, can lead to uneven pigmentation, age spots and dark spots to name just a few. It is said that Vitamin C works to stop what is referred to as the biochemical reactions that cause uneven pigmentation to effectively brighten skin.
• Defend -  The potent antioxidant properties within Vitamin C help to counteract the effects of oxidative stress and free radicals and also helps to enhance the skin's natural defence system.
• Firm - Vitamin C renews the skin’s surface as it boosts the production of substances that help to keep the skin looking firm whilst at the same time helping to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.

From Pixi, we have a whole host of products designed to do all of the above and more and you can use all five products to create quite the routine.

Now it is well documented that Pixi packages are amazing and this one is no exception. Packaged inside the tube, which was personalised with my name on it.  The Vitamin-C range is made up of 6 products and today I am sharing five of them with you.

The first product is the Vitamin-C Tonic (£10) I know a lot of people are a bit scared of Glow-Tonic and some find it a bit too much for their skin, so this option might be a better try.  Described as being a 'lightweight and refreshing skin toner brimming with antioxidant powers, that visibly corrects dark spots and brightens the complexion, promoting a renewed radiance', what I like is just how weightless it does feel on the skin. It uses a blend of White Willow Bark and fruit extracts which work together to perform a gentle chemical exfoliation to remove impurities and dead skin and in doing so, it leaves the surface of the skin much smoother as probiotics work to fortify skin’s barrier and boost resilience to harmful stressors.

Next comes the Vitamin-C Juice Cleanser (£18) and this is one product to have really caught my attention within this package.  Described as being 'an aqueous no-rinse face cleanser that gently removes impurities from skin’s upper layers whilst visibly brightening the complexion and promoting a renewed radiance'. On the skin, this cleanser is incredibly refreshing and I love how it feels. Its job is to rid the skin of all traces of makeup and other pore-cloggers while at the same time lightening the appearance of dark spots for even and lustrous skin. Also within this cleanser is Ferulic acid and probiotics which further helps to preserve and protect skin from damage caused by external stressors.  I love that this is a no rinse cleanser, you can apply with a cotton wool pad or your hands and just simply allow it to works its magic.

The product I really loved from this range is the Vitamin-C Lotion (£24) and it was the one product I expected to like the least. Described as being a 'super-lightweight and fast-absorbing moisturiser that visibly brightens the complexion and promotes a renewed radiance'. Naturally, Vitamin-C is one of the main ingredients and it is designed to not only deeply hydrate the skin but to also enhance the healthy collagen synthesis and lighten the appearance of dark spots all whilst protecting the skin from damage caused by external stressors. What I have liked about this lotion is how hydrated it has left my skin, it absorbs much quicker than I had expected it to on the application.

My favourite product within this collection has to be the Vitamin-C Caviar Balm (£24). Not only does it have one of the most beautiful orange fragrances, much like the rest of the range, but I really like how smooth it feels on my skin.  As you might have guessed it is also formulated with antioxidant-rich vitamin C, orange blossom water and citrus extracts and together not only do they help to protect the skin against to give that visibly firmer, brighter and healthier look. To use this balm, the guidance is to apply it to your skin and then allow the encapsulated vitamins to melt into the skin and then let it absorb. You only need a thin layer of this balm on your skin and as you apply it, there is a cool feeling.  For me, the hydrated feeling after using is what really makes this a great product.

My skincare routine will always include a serum and having just finished one, I switched over to include this within my routine.  The Vitamin-C Serum (£26) is described as being 'Brightening & antioxidant serum provides a boost of immediate and long term radiance'. Formulated with potent and antioxidant-rich vitamin C, grapefruit water, ferulic acid, citrus fruit extracts and retinol this formidable formula helps to boost collagen production for firmer and healthier skin, improved skin tone and texture, lifted luminosity and protection against free radicals and the effects of sun damage.  This serum is really easy to use and I add it to my skin after cleansing and toning and you literally need 2-3 drops at the most for your face, neck and decollete and because it isn't greasy or tacky, my skin drinks it up.

• Brighten and Cleanse - Vitamin-C Juice Cleanser
• Tone and Energise - Vitamin-C Tonic
• Treat and Protect - Vitamin-C Serum
• Moisturise - Vitamin-C Lotion
• Boost and Nourish - Vitamin-C Caviar Balm

So if you want to add a new lease of life into your routine and want to try something that smells as good as it feels on the skin, this Vitamin-C range from Pixi is one to definitely grab hold of.  You can find Pixi skincare via Pixi Website, Lookfantastic and Cult Beauty and Boots.

*this post contains PR samples and/or Affiliate Links unless indicated otherwise - you can learn more on my Disclaimer page.

Urban Decay Stay Naked Foundation

I was really excited to see Urban Decay has launched a new foundation with Stay Naked. I am horrendously fussy when it comes to liquid foundations and I have a love-hate relationship with most products I try. I don't like something that is too thick so it feels like you have just applied your second layer of emulsion on to your skin and equally, I hate that skin is a bit suffocated feeling too. I often add the thickest of foundations to my moisturising cream to make them work for me when I feel the need.

Newly launched from Urban Decay comes Stay Naked Foundation and it is available in a pretty remarkable 50 shades. Most brands are roasted if they deem to come up with what we feel is less than reasonable when it comes to the number of shades available, I remember when you had a choice of light, medium and dark and that was your lot, if you didn't fit into those categories, then you are either yellow or orange and that was an end to it. It is now an issue of not just your shade range but also the undertones that go with that shade - are you neutral, cool, pink or somewhere in the middle of it all. 

"This 24 hour longwear foundation has a real-skin matte finish that not only looks gorgeous but feels amazing thanks to its breathable and flexible formula," 

As well as the choice being of 50 different shades each one has a name and you will find 10NN is the lightest and 90CB being the darkest but from this Urban Decay break the foundation down much further and you will find 9 different shade intensities, 3 mastertones and 7 undertones. The best part? The bottle has a pump.

I was lucky enough to be shade matched by Urban Decay for my foundation and I am usually always the lightest shade without question and this was my expectation with Stay Naked, only to find I actually wasn't the lightest shade, but that I fit right in the middle of the lightest shades with 20NN.  I was shown the lightest shade and it was much paler than I actually am, which impressed me, but I was shocked more to find it wasn't the right fit for me.

When it comes to liquid foundations, I really am not a fan of fully caked coverage, I hate how it feels on my skin and every time I will opt for the lightest possible liquid coverage I can find. Urban Decay foundations are usually thick and gloopy, anyone who has tried the original Naked foundation, I am sure will agree it is a bit like paint because it is so thick, so much so, I added it to my moisturising cream.  Stay Naked thankfully is not as thick, it has much more movement to it when applied.

 The swatches above are, as always, unedited and taken in natural daylight and as you can see, it is not thick in texture and it is one of the easiest liquid foundations I have used in a very long time.  Once it has been buffed onto the skin it feels weightless and similar to how my Korean CC cream feels to make a comparison.  It doesn't feel cakey, it definitely have that medium coverage and it doesn't oxidise like a few other liquid foundations do. For me, this is the ideal coverage and texture.

Priced at £29.50 here* (you can grab 20% via Lookfantastic currently too) it has been the product I have gone too over the past few weeks and I have had quite a few compliments on how natural it looks when applied. 

*this post contains PR samples and/or Affiliate Links unless indicated otherwise - you can learn more on my Disclaimer page.