Tag Archives: cheek stain

Review: Pixi by Petra Sheer Cheek Gel & Gel Tint & Silk Gloss

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It’s the middle of Summer and blazing hot so I was happily surprised when Pixi by Petra sent me three of their Sheer Cheek Gels along with three of their GelTint & SilkGlosses.

Typically, I’m not a minimalist when it comes to makeup but on hot summer days, I ocassionally tone down my makeup application.

Left to right: Natural, Flushed, and Rosy
Left to right: Natural, Flushed, and Rosy

Upon opening up the Sheer Cheek Gels, I found that they are thin in consistency but not runny.  They have no detectable scent, which is good for those of you that are sensitive to smells.  The instructions on the back of the box read: “Sheer, long lasting, moisturizing cheek gel for a healthy natural look.  Apply to cheeks with fingertips or a sponge and blend well.”

The three shades I received include, “Natural”, “Flushed”, and “Rosy”.  My favorite of the three is Rosy because it seems to have the most color payoff.  The cheek gels are buildable which is nice.  That prevents you from going overboard upon first application of the product.  The least pigmented of the three is “Natural”, naturally lol.  They perform well on bare skin and I didn’t have any issues with them being patchy.  I used the duo-fiber Small Stipple Brush by e.l.f.

As you can see below, the shades are all very similar and are quite sheer as the name describes.  I feel that they are geared more toward, light to medium skin tones.

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Pros of Sheer Cheek Gel:

  • Long-wearing
  • Buildable
  • Oil-free
  • Fragrance free
  • Hypoallergenic
  • Paraben free
  • Not tested on animals

Cons of Sheer Cheek Gel:

  • Very sheer
  • Shades look very similar when applied to the skin
  • Mainly for light-medium skin tones
Left to right: BerryTint & SweetGloss, BeachTint & FreshGloss, and PinkTint & PrettyGloss
Left to right: Berry  Tint & Sweet Gloss, Beach Tint & Fresh Gloss, and PinkTint & Pretty Gloss

Next up were the Gel Tint & Silk Gloss combos.  Honestly, I was more excited about these lip products just because I’m an absolute lip product junkie.  The back of the box stated, “Long-lasting lip tint gives a stained effect, while the jojoba infused lip gloss keeps lips hydrated & nourished.”

The shades included were Berry Tint & Sweet Gloss, Beach Tint & Fresh Gloss, and Pink Tint & Pretty Gloss.  Upon opening each tint and gloss, I noticed a light scent that was hard to place.  It smelled somewhat minty almost.  However, the scent is very mild and shouldn’t upset most people.

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As you can see in the pictures above, the tube is double-ended and each side contains a short wand and long flat doe-foot applicator.  The applicator is rather stiff, which can make it difficult to apply the product.  Each tint was very long lasting and even left a stain after I removed them with a waterproof makeup remover (Bi-Facil Makeup Remover by Lancome).  Each gloss was very thin and liquid-y, which is not a consistency that I normally gravitate toward.  I prefer a thicker gloss because they tend to last longer and lips and don’t feather or fade as quickly.

Each lip tint shade does pair well with the accompanying gloss shade.  My favorite duo is Beach Tint & Fresh Gloss, which is a unique orange shade.

Pretty Gloss
Pretty Gloss
Pink Tint
Pink Tint
Fresh Gloss
Fresh Gloss
Beach Tint
Beach Tint
Sweet Gloss
Sweet Gloss
Berry Tint
Berry Tint
Left to right: Pink Tint, Berry Tint, and Beach Tint
Left to right (Without flash): Pink Tint, Berry Tint, and Beach Tint — The photos don’t really do the shades justice…
Left to right (With flash): Pink Tint, Berry Tint, and Beach Tint
Left to right (With flash): Pink Tint, Berry Tint, and Beach Tint
Top left to right (without flash): Pink Tint & Pretty Gloss layered, Berry Tint & Sweet Gloss layered, Beach Tint & Fresh Gloss layered Bottom: Pretty Gloss, Sweet Gloss, and Fresh Gloss
Top left to right (without flash): Pink Tint & Pretty Gloss layered, Berry Tint & Sweet Gloss layered, Beach Tint & Fresh Gloss layered
Bottom: Pretty Gloss, Sweet Gloss, and Fresh Gloss alone
Top left to right (with flash): Pink Tint & Pretty Gloss layered, Berry Tint & Sweet Gloss layered, Beach Tint & Fresh Gloss layered Bottom: Pretty Gloss, Sweet Gloss, and Fresh Gloss
Top left to right (with flash): Pink Tint & Pretty Gloss layered, Berry Tint & Sweet Gloss layered, Beach Tint & Fresh Gloss layered
Bottom: Pretty Gloss, Sweet Gloss, and Fresh Gloss alone

Pros of Gel Tint & Silk Gloss:

  • Tint is very long lasting and has great staining power
  • Each tint shade and gloss shade go well together
  • Very quick and easy to apply
  • Paraben free
  • Not tested on animals
  • The wand is short, which can give you more control when applying

Cons of Gel Tint & Silk Gloss:

  • The gloss is rather liquid-y and thin, which can lead to feathering and fading quickly
  • Pretty Gloss is super sheer and there is hardly any color payoff’
  • The wand is stiff, which can make it difficult to apply the product

Overall, the Pixi by Petra Sheer Cheek Gel and Gel Tint and Silk Gloss are perfect Summer products.  They’re easy to apply and have nice lasting power.

Review of Tarte Spring 2014 Cheek Stains

All of the 8 cheek stains for Spring 2014
All of the 8 cheek stains for Spring 2014

Here are the new Spring 2014 cheek stains by Tarte.  I’m really loving the cute new packaging! These cheek stains are nicely pigmented and can be built up to achieve more intense stain if desired.  The eight shades include True Love, Natural Beauty, Exposed, Blissful, Tipsy, Blushing Bride, Flush, and Fearless.  The rounded top cheek stains are gel based, while the flat top stains are a cream based formula.  All of the cheek stains are easy to blend and can be applied with your finger tips or a brush.  I prefer using a small stipple brush to apply them.

Besides wearing the cheek stains alone, I like to layer a similar powder blush shade on top for even extra lasting power.  This technique is especially great for hot, humid Summer days.

Tarte cheek stains retail for $30.00 USD each and contain 0.5 ounces of product.  Even though 0.5 ounces sounds like a small amount, the stains are very well pigmented therefore they should last a long time.

Each of the eight cheek stains have a coordinating Tarte Power Pigment shade.  I will be posting pictures and swatches of the power pigments in a separate post.

*Click images to enlarge.

  • The first cheek stain is True Love.  It’s a beautiful sheer watermelon shade.
True Love
True Love
  • The next shade is Natural Beauty.  This is a sheer warm rosy red color.
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Natural Beauty
  • Then, there’s Exposed, which is a nude pink.  It’s formerly known as “Awakening”.
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Exposed
  • The next cheek stain is Blissful.  This is a warm peach shade.
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Blissful
  • After that, there’s Tipsy, which is a sheer coral color.
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Tipsy
  • Next up is Blushing Bride, a rosy pink shade.
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Blushing Bride
  • The next stain is Flush.  It’s a sheer berry color.
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Flush
  • Lastly, we have Fearless, a pink coral color.
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Fearless