Pixi Beauty Foundation Comparison and Swatches

Cruelty free drugstore makeup review written by Claudia Materdomini of @iliketotalkblog.

Anyone else get overwhelmed by the number of options in beauty out there right now? I’m a big beauty lover but with new releases from so many brands at any given time, my head starts to spin! I really love it when I find a brand to get really nestled into and use a huge range of their products, and one of those brands is Pixi Beauty. 

I’ll have to limit my raving about Pixi’s skincare because that’s a blog post on its own, but that stuff is GOLD in my book. Their eyeshadows apply like a dream, whether they be liquid or powder, and their liquid lipsticks feel like velvet on the lips. But today friends, we’re going to go over some of Pixi Beauty’s complexion products that I’ve been testing and comparing over the past couple weeks. 

The Pixi Beauty H2O SkinTint has been a HUGE favorite over the past year for me actually. I discovered it last spring and have been telling people about it ever since. Its unique water-based gel formula feels light and hydrating on the skin and gives me a natural, hydrated look.

I use Pixi H2O SkinTint almost daily. The coverage on this is lightest out of all three I’m sharing today, but buildable without cake-iness issues. It has such a different feel to it compared to any other type of foundation or tint product I’ve used. If you want something that evens out skin tone and blemishes while feeling like no makeup at all — this one is for you!

• Available in six shades
• Hydrating and water-resistant
• Fragrance free

The Pixi Beauty Illuminating Tint & Conceal has found a place in my regular rotation lately and I wish I knew about it earlier! The tinted moisturizer includes a stick concealer on the cap which makes it super easy to perfect my makeup. This definitely has more of a creamy, thicker feel to it than the H2O SkinTint. I find that it covers a bit more than the H2O SkinTint on first swipe which surprised me since it’s only a tinted moisturizer. The cream does have illuminating properties to it that make my skin look healthily moisturized (if the word “glowy” scares you). I think it can best be described as slightly opalescent for that “lit from within” thing going on.

Not only does the illuminating tint have slightly more coverage than H2O SkinTint, but can also be built up in areas that need a little more. The cream to powder concealer stick on the cap is perfect for my under eye area, center of forehead, sides of nose and any blemishes I have. I use it just like a crayon under the eyes and blend it out easily with my fingers. I hope they extend the color range here since there are only three shades for this product but it’s a great option with a good natural feel to it. I love the illuminated look of this one and have been pairing it with my favorite bronzers and glowy eye shadows. 

• Provides SPF 20
• Includes a full coverage cream-to-powder concealer 
• A creamier option that can offer a bit more coverage

The Pixi Beauty Beauty Balm is the latest complexion product added to the Pixi Beauty family. This hydrating full coverage balm is the real deal. I’d consider this a CC cream since it does correct color and mask imperfections the most out of all the options above. If you prefer a matte finish I don’t think this will be for you. The hydrating finish of their Beauty Balm will continue to give that hydrated, glowy look which I personally prefer over matte. Pixi’s Beauty Balm also touts the benefits of hyaluronic acid, ceramides and adenosine for additional smoothing, plumping and hydrating of the skin.

I find the coverage of this product too much for my personal taste. I’m okay with some unevenness of my skin and I think it suits my skin better to think of complexion products as more of a veil, than as an overcoat. I also need to mix two colors to get the right shade for me. Not a big deal, because that happens with a lot of complexion products but just putting it out there. That said, if you prefer fuller coverage, clean-slate makeup, this is a good one with a nice finish and feel to it. I’ll be holding onto this for days when I might take pictures and want a clean canvas to start with. 

• Medium to full coverage foundation
• Available in six shades
• Has added skin enhancing skincare benefits
• Has deeper skin tone shades available compared to the previous products above.

I thought it would be good to see that the textures of the products do look similar to the naked eye. When I swatch them they look orange on my arm but blend wonderfully on my light-medium neutral skin tone. PROMISE!! Don’t let that color alarm you –what I want you to see is how much color payout there actually is with even the lightest coverage product rubbed into the skin. I remember when I first pumped out H20 Skintint at the beginning of this year and was worried I got the wrong color — I’m glad I didn’t return it!

Is there one winner for me? I’d say the H20 Skintint is and always will be a favorite for summer when I sweat a lot and just feel like I don’t want anything on my face at all. The Illuminating Skin Tint will be my drier fall/winter choice because of its illuminating capabilities. My skin looks more dull in cold, drier months so the added opalescent really helps my skin look lively again. The Beauty Balm has more coverage than I prefer for daily use. It will come in handy on days where I need to take photos but for the most part I like to let my skin show through makeup.

Have you tried any of these? Do you have a favorite…what do you think about them?