Review: Pixi by Petra

Obviously, I'm way too excited and impatient to do this another day, so here we go!

As I stated in my previous post, I won all of this makeup from a Twitter contest held by Target Canada. I've never heard of this brand, and to be honest, at first glance it looked kind of cheap. I was excited when I opened it, but I worried it was just some low quality brand with no colour pay off, ashy tones, etc. But I went on to YouTube checked out some reviews and found that the quality isn't that bad, and when I checked out Pixi by Petra's website, their stuff isn't as cheap as I would of thought. By cheap, I mean in comparison to "Essence" sold at Shoppers Drug Mart. I don't think one product of theirs is more than $5 which is crazy.

This product is sold at Target and they don't test on animals.

Lips
Let's start with the Tinted Brilliance Balm.
"This balm provides hydration and sheer colour. With shea butter and lip-plumping hyaluronic acid, it will keep your lips in optimum condition."

First off, I love the packaging of this, it's almost a hard rubbery texture and it has a twist up "thingy" so there's no need for sharpening. These are so sheer but you can easily build on the colour. Maybe my camera sucks, but it can barely pick up the colour. I use Vaseline lip therapy regularly, and this Tinted Brilliance Balm has the similar slippery texture and is just as moisturizing. They all seem to have a slightly different scent to them as well.
No.1 Unique Pink is a very sheer peachy pink tone, this one could be used as an everyday balm as it probably wouldn't add much colour to your lips with a light application. I wore this colour to a movie, continued to apply it and once I got home my lips were pretty pink! This one has a very light sweet mint scent, like the smell of gum or a candy cane.
No.9 Orchid Petal has more of a baby pink colour to it when swatched on the skin, this one might give you some colour. When applied to my lips, there is a noticeable colour and would also be a great everyday balm. Again, you can build on the colour as you see fit. This one has a sweet, almost berry scent.
No.10 Lucent Glow (I received two of these) is pure glitter. Personally, I wouldn't wear it. It reminds me of something you give a little girl when she first starts playing around with makeup, but maybe some people can pull it off. This one smells sweet, but it literally just smells like lip balm if that makes sense haha.

Eye Pencils
Endless Silky Eye Pen
"Waterproof. Gives the intense colour of a liquid liner in an easy to apply gel pencil. No retouching required all day. Hypoallergenic. No preservatives, parabens or mineral oils."
Extra Eye Bright Liner
"Waterproof waterline liner. This precision inner rim liner makes eye-whites appear whiter, eyes larger and brighter. Twist-up, non-sharpening precision point pen. Hypoallergenic, paraben and mineral oil free."

No.7 Sage Gold
Beautiful colour, a very rich deep dark green with flecks of shimmer and a gold undertone. Very smooth application of course since it's a gel pencil.

No.10 Copper Glow
I'm in love with this colour! I would say it's more of a maroon colour than copper. It also has few flecks of shimmer and a smooth application.

No.2 Extra Bright
This is perfect for lining your waterline. No wood to worry about, you just twist it up if you need more product. It's a very light pink colour, which in my opinion would look better than actual white. Very smooth application, you need little to no pressure for enough colour to show. What I don't like about this is, is the lid. It clicks in so snug to the pen that when you pull it off it's more of a jerking motion, like pulling off a sharpie lid. This caused me to accidentally break the tip off while opening it to test it out. =( So be careful!

Nails
Pixi Nail Colour
"Toluene, Formaldehyde and DBP free."

All were applied with two coats, but even with one they don't look bad, just a more sheer colour. They dry pretty quick too, perfect for quick last minute manicures!
049 Fluoro Flamingo
Hot barbie pink!
050 Summer Sunset
A warm coral/red colour with flecks of gold. This one is my favourite out of the four.
051 Wakeup Wisteria
This is my second favourite. A true purple.
052 Mother of Pearl
Iridescent pink with maybe some gold too.

Eyes
Shade Quartette
"A tone-on-tone wheel of coordinated shades for the ultimate natural eye. Custom mixed formulas from satin to iridescent are silky to blend and give instant lustre. With added coated mineral pigments to reflect the light plus good-for-you nutrients."

Shades of Daylight
The two lighter tones I'm not a fan of because there's too much shimmer in it, more so in one than the other. They would be great for highlighting or for putting in the corner of your eyes. But the other two colours I LOVE. Wow. One is more of a pink tone and has an undertone of gold, so depending how you look at it it's slightly a different colour. Not enough that someone will look at your eye and notice though, it's very subtle, but gorgeous. The other is a copper colour. So beautiful.

Eye Glow Cube
"Cube contains: 2 Eye Base Powders, 16 Eye Shades + 2 Duo Applicators. Daylight-hued-eye-glow-in-a-cube of silky coordinated lid-finishers wraps your lids in embellished lustrous metallics. Fresh, natural & youthful, this palette enhances with creamy gold, nude, caramel & ancient bronze colours."

Lucent Lid Light
The eyeshadows have amazing colour payoff!! The picture doesn't do it justice. Wow. The two eyeshadow bases are nice too. The left one is a very soft pink colour while the one on the right is pretty shimmery and white/silver. On my skin tone at least.

Face

Beauty Bronzer + Kabuki

"This deluxe bronzing powder gives your complexion the warmth and luminosity of naturally sunkissed skin. Hydrating, silky-smooth and long-wearing, it also protects against free radicals."

These bronzers have the same hard rubbery packaging as the Brilliance Balms, and are twist off like loose powders.

Subtly Suntouched - Top Swatch

The colour of this is more peachy maybe even pinkish...on my skin tone. Not in love with it, it's too "cold" of a colour.

Summertime - Bottom Swatch

I like this one a lot more, and would probably even use it if it looks right on my face. It's more bronze than the other one. No complaints.

Kabuki

These are so tiny! No taller than 3 inches. But the bristles are so incredibly soft.

Soft Focus Fresh
"Kit contains: 12 Eye Shadows, 4 Lip Glosses and 6 cheek powders. Eliminate any beauty confusion with this entirely elemental go-to full face kit. We collected the best beauty hues to really enlarge eyes, enliven lips and add luster & highlight to cheeks. Shades range from cool to warm, contouring to brightening to help you create your favourite fresh-faced looks. Silky satin to glimmer and matte - these textures tease out the best in your features!"

I'm not going to swatch these because I'm sure you get the value of this brand. The eyeshadows are very pigmented, the balms are sheer and comfortable to wear, and the blushes are great. A couple of the colours, especially the lighter tones, aren't honest on my skin. They turn into a shimmery silver colour. The glosses in this kit are exactly like the Brilliance Balms beautiful sheer and perfect for every day wear.

This is the makeup kit that came with everything and held everything in this review, except for the Soft Focus Fresh Face kit, with some room to spare! I wouldn't of bought this kit if I saw it, but I'll use it haha.

Overall, I'm impressed with this brand! My first reaction wasn't the best, but once I got into it and tried it out, my mind was changed. I would definitely buy more from this product, I wouldn't buy everything, but I'd definitely get their nail polish, eyeshadows and Brilliance Balms. What I don't like about this brand is the waste of packaging! It's paper yes, and can easily be recycled, but why not get rid of it all together? Many makeup brands sell their product as is, sealed with the label or tape. MAC uses cardboard packaging, but at least they redeem themselves with their "Back to MAC" program. I also wish for them to work on the colour of their lighter toned products like their eyeshadows. It seems like they show up in a similar tone, white and silvery, but that might just be how it sits on my skin and not others.

Have you purchased from this brand before?

How did you like it?

What product would you purchase first?

Twitter Winner!

Hello!

A few weeks ago, I won a Twitter contest held by Target Canada (@Target_ca). They were giving away a Pixi by Petra Collection. I was expecting maybe five products tops, but I got the whole shebang haha. I don't wear makeup daily, but I do enjoy putting it on when I feel like it. I'm so excited to try this product out! I've never heard of it so it will be interesting to see the quality of it. Look forward to a review in the next few days!

Have you ever won anything on Twitter?

Exfoliate those hands!

I know I'm not a beauty blog, but whatever. =P

We all know about exfoliating our body and lips, but what about our hands? Lately I noticed my hands were dryer than usual, probably the worst they've ever been. I needed to repaint my nails, so I thought this would be the perfect time to do a full fledged at home manicure. Staying hydrated is the best way to keep your skin moisturized. Drinking enough water will benefit you, your skin, your body, and your health.

This hand soak made my skin so much softer and moisturized.

What you need:

A bowl big enough to soak both hands.

Moisturizing hand soap

1/2 tablespoon of sugar or salt

Olive oil

Hand towel

1. Wash your hands! Make sure you're using moisturizing hand lotion.

2. Fill your bowl with warm water, enough for you to submerge your whole hand, not just your fingers. Add as much olive oil you feel would be enough. I added about 2-3 tablespoons. Soak your hands for 5-10 minutes. The oil in the water will help moisturize your hands.

3. Keep your hands damp and put your choice of exfoliant in your hand. I used sugar, but you could use salt, sea salt or any cosmetic exfoliant you own. Rub it in between your fingers, around your nails and on both sides of your hands for as long as you feel necessary, then rinse.

3.5. This would be the perfect time to work on your cuticles and paint your nails, if you choose to do so.

4. Lastly, keep your hands damp and apply lotion. If you're hands are severely dry, you can mix in a small amount of Vaseline with your lotion.

For a quick solution, try Soap & Glory Flake Away! I seriously love this stuff. It leaves a slightly oily residue on the skin, which I will admit I didn't love at first, but it helps keep your skin moisturized. I don't use it religiously, but when I do use it I feel like I shed a layer of skin, in the best way possible haha.

What's your favourite exfoliating product whether is DIY or a store bought product?

Early Morning Run

Last night, I went to bed telling myself, "wake up early and go for a run!". I contemplated going to bed wearing my workout gear so it would be easier to get up and go, but I don't like wearing tight fitting clothes while sleeping. I set my alarm for 5:30|5:35|5:38AM, knowing me I wouldn't wake up the first time, but I did. I think it's because I only had four and a half hours of sleep. I rolled out of bed, had some diluted orange juice and headed outside. I was hoping to catch the sun rise, but by the time I got out of the house it was too late, maybe next time.

After today, I'd MUCH rather run early in the morning. It's so much better. The weather is cool, the sky is beautiful, barely anyone is outside, which means no stopping at crosswalks; I literally didn't have to stop or slow down once! I even saw a couple runners which was nice. The only downside is that I have to wakeup early, but I'd rather be up all day than sleep it away. I always use my Nike+ app when running to track everything, but my battery was about to die so I didn't listen to any music to make sure it would last during my run. This was a first for me, and I didn't like it. Music helps me zone out, I concentrate on the music more than what I'm actually doing, it's easier to push myself. Once my heavy breathing kicked in, it was all I could hear. Majority of the time it was all I could concentrate on, then my legs wanted to stop but my brain wouldn't allow it. I ran 21 blocks for a total of 3KMs.

Personal Freedom

I'm sitting in my living room, watching TV with the patio door wide open. All I can smell is BBQ! I want to have a big juicy steak cooked on the BBQ, maybe have some mashed potatoes or macaroni pie with corn on the cob. Or even better, sit at a restaurant patio eating greasy food and enjoying the music. I used to hate summer because of the heat, but I think I'm learning to love it. Although, Autumn will forever be my favourite season, always. 

I've decided to make a bucket list for this summer. I feel like I wasted my summer last year working and not enjoying life. I haven't fully thought up what I'm going to add to it, but it'll be a realistic list. After taking a break from work and watching a couple movies, I've come to the realization that life isn't about working to live. Paying bills, getting stressed over things that don't really matter, needing money to have fun. At first I thought taking a break from work was a "young and stupid" thing to do, but it's helped me immensely. I'm in a better mood more often than not, I've began to take care of my body and stick to it, and most importantly, I've realized that life isn't about money. You don't need money to do what you want to do. There are people in this world who love to help, that are willing to go out of their way to make your dreams come true. I'd love to live a life making money working from home, on my own schedule, but I'm not at that point in my life yet. I haven't found my "calling" I guess you could say. I sell Scentsy to make some extra money here and there, but not enough to live off of. So obviously, I'm on the hunt for a new job; but I'm very happy that I took a break. If you want to get inspired in this sense watch the movie "Into The Wild", It's currently on Netflix. It's so inspiring, if you're into the carefree lifestyle. I love watching movies and reading books that inspire you to be a better you. Whether it's a self-help book or an autobiography. 

Have you seen Into The Wild? What did you think of it?

What movies/books would you suggest I check out?

Sunday

It was so hot today, no clouds in the sky and the slightest breeze. It was one of those days where everyone and there mother was outside enjoying the gorgeous weather. Where your walking down the street and you can hear people having Sunday BBQ's, but that may of also been because it's Cinco de Mayo. One of those days, where you feel like you NEED to be outside, otherwise you wasted a beautiful day.

I love working out with my boyfriend, so when he asked me to run stairs I jumped at the rare opportunity. He meant the stairs in our building, but I convinced him to run the stairs outside. We took some pre workout, put on the sunscreen and headed out. When we got to the stairs it was so busy. I've never been to them before so I had nothing to compare it to, but for some reason I didn't think it would be so full of people. Clinton decided to run the path beside the stairs instead of running on them, which I thought was an interesting idea.

Clinton was first to take the trek, he bolted! Watching him run up made me think that this could be an awesome workout, away from the crowd and we could go a few times without having to weave in and out of people. That was not the case, at all. Once he made it back to me at the bottom, he told me how he thought he was going to fall on the way back, luckily he didn't. The hill was so steep and full of loose dirt, so there wasn't much to grip onto. Now, it was my turn. I was nervous and unsure if I could do it, too many people, an unfamiliar trail, gah. I sucked it up and went; the first little hill isn't too bad, it's the second hill that's the killer. Again, because it's so steep and has no hard dirt, lumps or bumps to grip onto. I ended up on all fours, laughing at myself looking back at Clinton saying I couldn't do it. Obviously he couldn't hear me so I pushed on through. It was tough, but I made it to the top. Once. Never again. I felt like I died. He managed to make it up twice which is flipping awesome!

We took a breather in the shade and then headed home to work on our abs. Of course we couldn't pass up such a nice day so we headed off to the park to relax.

Did you celebrate Cinco de Mayo today?

How did you spend your Sunday?

April Fitness Recap

I'm done! My first month is complete! Roughly 30 days of fitness and healthy eating has done me well. I've noticed the most growth in my arms, which isn't my favourite, but I'm happy to see progress. I started last month eating nothing but fruits, vegetables, chicken and turkey; had a couple cheat meals, added some granola to my diet for snacking, had a couple more cheat meals and ended with some vegetables. I'm going to have to start shopping for 3-4 weeks because mid-month grocery shopping leads to healthy carb snacks. Which I'd like to avoid. I am a huuuuge carb fan, and I didn't realize it until I started paying attention to what I ate. I would literally make pasta every night for supper. 1 - Because I didn't know how to cook and 2 - I just love pasta, I had no issues eating it everyday. It was so unhealthy, but so good.

As I said in a previous post, here's a progress photo from this afternoon after I had a fasted workout. I ran some stairs and worked on my abs and legs. I'm not going to give myself full credit because the lighting is working in my favour.

On an unrelated note, have any of you watched an episode of Bob's Burgers? I've been watching it a lot lately and I find it hilarious. I feel like it's one of those shows not many people really know about or care to sit through a whole episode. Watch one episode, if you enjoy Family Guy I promise you'll like it!