Finding a lightweight yet high coverage, satin finish foundation with a fair price point is more of a challenge than you’d think it to be. But after falling in love with the Pixi Beautifeye hudrogel eye patches, I thought I’d give the Pixi Beauty Balm a go.
I found it in Boots with a third off, taking it down from its usual £22 to just £14.67, which may be more than your average drugstore foundation, but still pretty affordable.
Read more: Undereye bags? These Pixi eye patches make you look like you got 12 hours sleep
Launched in 2019, the medium to full coverage foundation is formulated to keep skin hydrated all day, which is just what my painfully dry skin needs. The hydrating formula contains ceramides, which are fatty acids found naturally in the skin, which help protect the skin and prevent it from infection and dryness. Likewise it contains hyalauronic acid – an active ingredient we’ve all heard of by now thanks to that L’Oreal Paris advert.
The cruelty-free and paraben free beauty product comes in six shades, offering a more even skintone and a second-skin like feel. The ingredients list also features chamomile extract to soothe, nourish and calm skin, blending skincare with makeup.
Pixi’s Beauty Balm comes in a tactile green tube with gold lettering and a pump dispenser, which is less wasteful than most glass bottles. I find that one good pump is enough to cover my whole face, but occassionally add an additional half-pump if I feel like I need more coverage. I use the shade cream, which is the lightest, and find it to be a fairly good match for my skin when properly blended. However, with such limited shades, many people might find themselves between shades.
I find it applies well with a dense buffing brush or a damp beauty blender, starting from the centre of the face and blending out and down. The coverage starts at a medium but is very buildable, layering well without splitting or leaving any unwanted texture. For those days when you’re looking for a sheer coverage, you can even mix a little moisturiser with the balm, providing a softer, more natural looking finish.
The overall finish on the foundation is a dewy satin, offering a healthy glow without too much of a sheen. My skin retains it’s texture but looks healthier and smoother, hydrating my skin as I wear it. For dry skin sufferers like myself, it can be hard to find products that give good coverage without clinging to imperfections and feeling cakey, but this Pixi balm ticks all the boxes.
It’s impressive ingredients list definitely makes it feel more like skincare, with hybrid properties from evening skin tone to a flawless base. The only thing the milti-tasking product lacks is an SPF, but I have a Superdrug booster that I add to it, which provides protection from the sun.
Overall, the Pixi Beauty Balm is a great lightweight but buildable medium coverage foundation that offers skincare benefits and healthy looking skin. It works well with cream and powder products for a full-face look, but is equally effective for those lower maintainence days, too. It’s a little on the expensive side, however does seem to be on offer quite frequently at Boots, and for around £15, I think it’s a great everyday product for evening skintone and providing a glowing base for your makeup.
