This product was sent to me for review purposes.
Is there anyone out there who hasn’t heard of Pixi Beauty? They are a brand started by make up artist and product developer Petra Strand and was launched over 20 years ago – so they know what they’re doing! They aim to create “innovative formulations that are infused with botanicals and beneficial ingredients,” as well as products that are multitasking and effective for people who are on-the-go and live a busy lifestyle.
They focus primarily on skincare (though do have some brilliant make up products too) and are especially known for formulations that create a beautiful, glowing radiance to skin – most famously their Glow Tonic! Recently they developed a full collection of products inspired by this favourite product, and I was ridiculously excited and lucky to get this whole range to share for you guys!
So, read on for more!
This is their Glow Collection and features five different products that encapsulate a full skincare routine (unless you are like me and like to add things) – to cleanse, tone, treat, hydrate and moisturise. These are:
- Glow Tonic Cleansing Gel
- Glow Tonic
- Glow Tonic Serum
- pHenomenal Gel
- and the On-The-Glow (which is a multi-use hydrating stick)
All of these products come in the signature light green packaging with accents of pink and rose gold (or copper, depending on how you want to interpret the colour). I personally love Pixi Beauty packaging – I love that it’s super feminine and delicate, but still has a clean and modern aesthetic to it. It’s understated, but their use of foiling and soft colour combinations really lifts the whole look. In general, the Glow Collection looks brilliant together.
So. since this collection is massive I am still slowly working my way through the products and introducing them to my routine one at a time. I find that most of these products use Glycolic Acid, so I have been careful not to overtreat my skin and also to give it enough time to get used to the new ingredients (hence why it is taking so long). I’ll be updating on Instagram as I test out these products too!
Glow Tonic Cleansing Gel | USD$18 (Available at Sephora for AUD$34)
The Glow Tonic Cleansing Gel is a hydrating gel cleanser that claims to remove impurities without stripping the skin and help “refine and brighten complexion leaving skin energized and smooth.” It contains:
- Moisclean™: a Pixi Beauty trademarked ingredient
- Glycolic Acid: exfoliating (I will discuss more later)
- Horse Chestnut Extract: soothing, anti-irritant and toning
- Aloe: to soothe and hydrate
- Ginseng: to improve blood circulation and energize
This is a formula that can be used both morning and night and, as a gel cleanser, should be suitable for even sensitive and dry skin types. Although this is the first step to the Glow Collection, this is actually one that I haven’t had the chance to try out yet! I have a few cleansers open at the moment that I’ve been trying to finish up first but this one is definitely next up.
Glow Tonic (100mL) | USD$15 (Available at Sephora for AUD$28)
The second step to this routine is, of course, the one that started it all! This is described as a “miracle working toner” that helps to brighten skin and give your complexion a healthy glow. It is formulated with 5% Glycolic Acid, a gentle AHA that helps to exfoliate skin and had a large number of skin benefit claims such as brightening, pore refining, skin smoothing and also helping with acne.
So, including that, this formula contains:
- 5% Glycolic Acid: exfoliates
- Ginseng: improves circulation & energizes
- Aloe Vera: soothes & hydrates
- Fructose & Sucrose: brighten
For this product, I would definitely recommend slowing working your skin into it because using a new acid can irritate some skin types. For me, I started with the Glow Tonic briefly but stopped because I was getting some break outs (which I think are hormonal, but I wanted to be certain), so I will be returning to it soon.
My first impression is that this is a very effective chemical exfoliant. It leaves my skin feeling very smooth and well toned. However, it isn’t a very hydrating formula and I feel like drier skin types may not like this (but feel free to tell me I’m wrong). Personally, I always follow up from the Glow Tonic with a more hydrating essence.
Glow Tonic Serum | USD$24 (Available at Sephora for AUD$46)
To treat your skin, they have brought out the Glow Tonic Serum which is actually my favourite in this collection so far! According to the Australian Sephora website, “The lightweight nature of this serum makes it the perfect product to tackle skin problems without clogging the pores. Few products can exfoliate, hydrate and nourish all at once, yet this treatment serum manages it while also softening and refining the surface of the skin. Your complexion will feel smoother and clearer before you know it!” Similarly to the original Glow Tonic, this also contains Glycolic Acid, Aloe Vera, Ginseng and other botanical extracts.
This product comes in a glass bottle (or I think that it’s glass – it isn’t plastic and feels cool to the touch, but I can’t fully tell what it is) with a seperate dropper. It originally comes with a gold cap. To be honest, I’m not fully sure why this is necessary, but it’s nice to know in advance because I freaked out at first. I thought I accidentally broke it in the box hehe!
So when you use this serum, you will notice that it actually has a thicker, almost viscous texture. It was pretty different to what I expected but, once you spread it out and tap it into the skin, the actual formula is thin and lightweight. It absorbs well and layers with other products too. However, since it does contain Glycolic Acid, I felt a slight ‘sting’ when I first applied it so this is a product you should slowly work into your skin routine.
This serum worked very well to give my complexion a very smooth texture – in fact, the results are visible overnight! I will need to keep using this to see how it goes but, so far, my skin is reacting well to it.
SO WHAT IS IT?
A Glycolic Acid serum for exfoliation and toning effects
RATINGS
- PRICE POINT | 4/5
- PACKAGING | 5/5
- ABSORPTION | 5/5
- EFFICACY | 4/5
OVERALL RATING? 9/10
THOUGHTS? I’m liking this so far and will definitely continue to use it in my skincare routine. I love how you can see visible results so quickly, which actually encourages me to use it more. Out of the whole collection, this is a hands down favourite for me. That being said, I’m not sure about how it will work for sensitive skin though, since even I feel a bit of a sting (and I’m not sensitive at all).
pHenomenal Gel | USD$24 (Available at Sephora for AUD$46)
To hydrate skin, Pixi Beauty brought out their pHenomenal Gel (stylised exactly like that) to help balance out pH level in the skin mantle for a soothing, dewy complexion. This formula has a gel formula that is a bit thicker than you would usually expect and applies to the face almost like a sleeping mask – however, it absorbs relatively quickly with no stickiness or residue. According to the Sephora website, this product “locks in moisture and locks out environmental aggressors that can upset your natural balance. Skin is stabilised for an ultra-calm complexion.”
This would be a great option for people with both dry or oily skin, as this can often happen due to pH imbalance. For people with sensitive skin too, I think that this would be a great, simple, ‘normalising’ gel moisturiser to use.
I tried working this into my routine for both day and night, ultimately preferring to use it during the night. Since I have combination skin, I do need quite a lot of hydration through the night but don’t like formulas that are too thick. This one works perfectly to provide an adequate boost of moisture while also helping to rebalance. I also use a sleeping mask on top of it afterwards and have no issues with layering my skincare.
When it comes to using it during the day, however, this just doesn’t work for my skin type. It gives the skin are very dewy finish which, for my combination skin, can overemphasise texture and also make me look greasy (I naturally oil up a lot in the t-zone). I find that this formula is thicker than the usual gel moisturiser so doesn’t absorb as quickly either, which doesn’t work when I’m short on time in the mornings.
For me personally, I will be keeping this as a night-only product and using something thinner in the day.
SO WHAT IS IT?
A pH balancing gel moisturiser
RATINGS
- PRICE POINT | 4/5
- PACKAGING | 4/5
- ABSORPTION | 3/5
- HYDRATION | 4/5
OVERALL RATING? 7.5/10
THOUGHTS? I also enjoy this product but feel like it doesn’t tick all boxes for me. It’s a good one for rebalancing skin pH and does a good job of hydrating without clogging pores. However, I usually keep my skin balanced anyway (I’m pedantic like that) and would actually prefer a gel moisturiser that is thinner and can work in my morning routine. I’m not totally writing this product off and would continue to use it, but won’t be repurchasing it personally.
On-The-Glow | USD$18 (Available at Sephora for AUD$34)
And lastly is the On-The-Glow moisturising stick – which is actually the first of it’s kind that I’ve come across! This is described as a travel-friendly moisturiser that is multi-use, and can be used on face, lips, body and hair. It is formulated with Vitamin D2, gentle acids and multiple vitamins to protect and treat skin, as well as (obviously) increasing moisture levels. It has both an immediate and long time effect.
Key ingredients and their functions are:
- Ginseng: Revitalizes & balances
- Glycolic Acid: Moisturizes & renews
- Vitamin D2: Powerful antioxidant
The most unique part of this product is – of course – that it comes in a stick form. This is definitely handy if you have very dry skin and want something that can be ‘on the go’, or for putting into your hand carry when you’re travelling. I haven’t managed to give this a proper try yet but, on first impression, I actually think that it has too much oil content for my face. I will likely be trying out this on my body instead, but will be doing a patch test on my face to confirm.
Overall, this is probably a formula that is best suited for dry skin or to target dry areas. The format and formula of this is really unique though and I do love Pixi Beauty for their innovation and dedication to creating fast and effective products.
So, that’s the whole Glow Collection! As I mentioned, I’m definitely still working my way through it so I will be updating this post as I gather my thoughts and experiences on things too. Let me know what you think of some of these products or if you have other Pixi Beauty products that you love!
Personally, I’m using their new Pixi Pretties collection (which is a cosmetic line that they collaborated with a bunch of beauty gurus for – including my love, RachhLoves) and also their new Retinol Collection, because it’s been a long time since I used a retinol and I think I should again.
Once again, thank you so much to Pixi Beauty for sending this collection my way! I can’t wait to keep seeing everything that your brand brings out!
