A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of attending an intimate breakfast to welcome Pixi Beauty back to Canada and their new home at Pharmaprix and Shoppers Drug Mart. This cult beauty line was founded by makeup artist and product developer Petra Strand in London in 1999 with the goal of providing clients products that would help them embrace their beauty with formulas rooted in botanicals for a fresh and naturally radiant look. Being a working mother herself, Petra also wanted to create products that were easy to use and were perfect for the woman who wanted to pamper herself even when pressed for time. With both makeup and skincare components, Pixi Beauty has distinguished itself in the rather saturated beauty market by producing products that not only work wonderfully and look (and in all honesty, smell) lovely but also are offered at a price point that won’t make you and your wallet wince. Another awesome component of Pixi Beauty that particularly resonated with me is that Petra is committed to providing cruelty free products and has done so from the very beginning.
It’s no secret that the brand’s Glow Tonic has been its breakout star, but there’s also another star behind the scenes at Pixi Beauty that I had the pleasure of meeting at the breakfast. Amanda Bell is a powerhouse makeup artist and a Global Colour Ambassador for the brand. Her knowledge, enthusiasm, and general loveliness totally captivated me and got me so excited to further discover the brand at home thanks to the very generous selection of products we were sent home with. My first impressions have been wonderful – the Black Lacquer Lash Primer is the product that I didn’t know I needed but now can’t picture my makeup routine without, and the beloved Glow Tonic is definitely worth all of the hype.
I thought it would be wonderful for all of you to have a chance to meet the lovely Amanda and learn a bit more about this wonderful beauty line from the best ambassadors they could have chosen. Scroll down to get the full scoop and learn just how you can achieve a flawless look in five minutes!
What do you think sets PIXI apart in the rather crowded world of beauty?
The ethos of the brand has stayed the same over the last 18 years where Petra puts so much care and attention to detail in each product whether it is skincare or colour. It is a very authentic line and I love that, there is literally something for everyone and the price point is so inclusive for the quality.
There’s so many amazing products that make up the PIXI line, what are some of your must-have items?
I am renowned for being very fastidious in skin prep (whether it is a model/actress-actor or private client) and I keep giving away some key pieces from my kit…because these particular products work instantly:
Glow Tonic– Works on the texture of the skin- smoothes/hydrates and revitalises
Rose Oil– Instantly hydrates and nourishes and it smells delicious
Hydrating Milky mist– calms and soothes all skins in a weightless moisturing mist form
Flawless & Poreless Primer– creates a velvety smooth complexion
Correction Concentrate– A little peachy hued pot of genius…that makes you look less tired and more rested
Endless Silky Eye Pencil– A multi award winning vegan pencil that has amazing colour pay off and it has a luxe buttery texture and the spectrum of shades….swoon!
You travel a lot in your role as an acclaimed makeup artist and global color ambassador for PIXI, what are your travel makeup bag essentials?
Cleanser…. Literally the most important….if you aren’t cleansing your skin properly it renders all other skincare null and void… Hydrating masks/mists and face oils….
Colour wise- Eye lash curlers- a hydrating tinted moisturizer, a peach tint for covering darkness under my eyes & and a multi use tinted balm for eyes/cheeks & lips,
What’s the one makeup trend that you wish would just go away?
2…..Blocked/heavy brows…I think people will look back and think oh no…..can be very severe and too dark… & using too many layers of base/foundation/concealer powder…so that the skin looks un-skin like.
Who do you consider a beauty icon and why?
I love diversity and really interesting looks from Tilda Swinton to Grace Jones….but I love the aesthetic of the Golden days of Hollywood so: Ava Gardener, Veronica Lake, Dianne Carroll, Rita Hayworth… just so beautiful!!!
You balance life as a makeup artist on sets all over the world and global color ambassador for PIXI with a being a mum, I’m guessing you have some killer tips for faking a well rested and refreshed look. Can you share some of your secrets?!
Wherever I am in a hotel, I never hit the mini bar…I make room for some skincare: Toners/masks/eye treatments so that they are revitalizing…I know hardly rock and roll ha ha! I have ridiculously sensitive skin that can be affected by water in different cities, so I add 2 drops of rose oil to my sink full of tepid water when cleansing my skin so that it is soothed/hydrated.
You only have 5 minutes to do your makeup, what do you do?
Primer/Tinted moisturizer/under eye concealer- I use it across my lid too to look fresh/mascara/brow pencil and a cream nude colour on cheeks and lips….the very last thing I will do is tap a little highlighter on my cheekbone & inner corner of the eye- that is my 5 minutes to flawless face.
