I realise I'm a little late to the party when it comes to Pixi Glow Tonic. I've seen it recommended on countless blogs and Youtube channels over the last couple of years but with its heavy price tag and my set in stone skincare routine, it wasn't something I was desperate to try. When I realised it came in the Marks & Spencer Beauty Advent calendar though, I was so excited to try it. I've been using it for almost a month now and I'm really impressed with how long it is lasting for a sample- 100ml is pretty generous for a mini. I've been using it after my Garnier Micellar Water and Simple Cleanser, in place of my Simple Toner.
First of all, I actually really like its packaging. When I first saw Pixi products online I thought they looked quite Disney-esque. I would never have put orange and pale green together but they actually work well and make the bottle look distinctive. It has a screw top and a well-functioning dispenser so you can easily control how much product you put on a cotton pad. I like the name 'Skintreats' too- who would say no to a treat for the skin? My skin feels fresh and squeaky clean when I use it.
One thing I don't like about this product is the smell. I may just be used to the almost scentless Simple but to me, this smells like chemicals, or an industrial cleaning product. It also stings my eyes quite badly even though I avoid them when using it. I do think my eyes are more sensitive than most people's though as I remember the same thing happening when I tried out Liz Earle skincare.
Having said all that, I have actually noticed a vast improvement in my skin since using this. Usually changing one skincare product doesn't make much of a difference to my complexion but this definitely has. I am prone to spots and breakouts but this has kept them completely at bay.
I'm now torn between wanting to incorporate this into my routine because of the improvement of my skin, despite the smell which I can put up with, and the scary price tag. I can justify having a few high end beauty bits and bobs that I repurchase time and again but I'm still a poor student!
Have you tried Pixi Glow Tonic? What do you think of it?
I'll use any excuse to post a picture of freshly washed makeup brushes. It's such a big task, forever on my to do list, that when it finally gets done I go crazy with the camera so I can look back and remember that one day they were like new. Its quite sad really, but anyone who uses makeup brushes will understand the struggle. I don't use any kind of specialist brush cleaning products (if you do and would recommend it, let me know) but instead I just use hot water and the mini shampoo or soaps you get from hotels. In my opinion, as long as they lather up and are rinsed thoroughly, they do the job totally fine. The only downside is my hand is really wrinkled after spending more than half an hour under running water.
It was quite a few years ago now that I saw the idea of using old candle jars as brush holders and I've been doing it ever since. These are the perfect size and make finding the brush I want much easier than if I were to search around the bottom of a makeup bag.
The brushes I'm really loving at the moment are my MAC 217 blending brush, my RT eyeliner brush and my RT expert face brush.You have probably heard enough about the cult 217 brush to know that its super soft and one of the best brushes for blending out there. I only have one MAC makeup brush and I'm so glad that I went for this one. I'm a RT loyal overall though, as you can see from the photo. I've never used angled brushes and they've always been neglected in my collection. However, I've found a love for the eyeliner brush since I started filling my eyebrows in with eyeshadow. Its really precise, dense and picks up just the right amount of product. I've also been using the RT expert face brush a lot lately for applying both foundation and concealer. It blends both products so easily into the skin and has a really high density too. I'd say its as near to a sponge as a brush is going to get while maintaining precision. Its an ideal size for applying base products too. Some of my RT brushes I've had for upwards of 3 years and still they never shed a single hair. I've also got to give a special mention to my rose gold eyelash curlers which came in a Ted Baker set. They're so pretty!
What's your favourite makeup brush?
However superficial it may be, I wear watches as accessories rather than to tell me the time. I just use my phone for the time- maybe quite a lot of you do too. I don't wear a watch religiously either, so I don't spend lots of money on them. When rose gold watches first became popular, I was extremely pleased at myself for finding a Michael Kors dupe on Missguided for around £20. I then replaced that with a €10 number from Penny's (Irish Primark) last summer. However, I have a really, really weird tendency to lose watches. Of all the things to lose you'd think that wouldn't be one of them but somehow I take them off and never see them again. Maybe one day I'll stumble upon a secret cove of all my watches from days gone by. As it stood a couple of weeks ago though, I needed a new watch. Since I'd had two, I was pretty much over the solid rose gold and wanted something a bit different. I found this khaki/ mauve watch with a rose gold face in New Look for only £12.99 (plus 10% student discount). It's smart and goes with pretty much all my outfits because I'm really into subtle shades right now like pale pink, navy, camel and white. I really like it and think it looks more expensive than it actually was. This is also the first picture I've ever posted where my nails aren't a bitten mess. My new years resolution was to grow them and so far I have had them long 4 or 5 times - but I can't keep it up. They were nice for this picture though!
Do you splurge or save when it comes to watches?
I've never went in for the whole hair, face or body oil thing. I thought it would be greasy and I would be slipping about everywhere. How wrong I was. In the Marks & Spencer Summer Beauty Box, which I was lucky enough to receive for my birthday, came a 10ml sample of the NUX Huile Prodigieuse Dry-Oil. In case, like me, you're wondering what Huile Prodigieuse means, my friend Google informs me that it translates as 'prodigious oil'. As a 10ml sample, it's perhaps not the most prodigious in size, but it certainly is a remarkable product.
It comes in elegant, square-shaped glass bottle with a gold top. It doesn't have any sort of dispenser so you have to be careful that it doesn't all run out at once. What I love most about this product is the smell. It's quite heavy, classic and womanly- it reminds me a little of Clinique Aromatics. I would wear it as a perfume it smells so nice.
I haven't used it on my face as I think it might be a little rich for my temperamental skin. I've tried it on the lengths and ends of my hair and it was how you'd imagine an oil to be on hair- oily. I have quite thin hair too- it might have been absorbed better into thick hair. The next day though, my hair looked super healthy and felt sleek and soft. By far the best results I've had with this product is as a body oil. It isn't greasy or shiny and absorbs quickly since its a dry oil. It's a pretty thin liquid so a tiny amount goes a long way. Most importantly though- it just feels really, really nice on the skin: both light and luxurious. It does wonders for the skin on my hands- they're so soft and supple after using this. I think I love it all the more because I've never used a product like it before and its quite a novelty for someone who is so used to standard body lotion or body butter.
With a price tag of £17 for 50ml, this is a splurge and I would only buy now and again as a treat but if I could, I'd buy it by the gallon and shower in it. (Ok slight exaggeration- but it really is amazing)!
Have you tried it? What other NUXE products would you recommend?
