Natural Minerals by Pixi

I could begin by telling you some interesting - or maybe a little dull, depending on your perspective - facts about Pixi Beauty, like who started it, and when and where, but I'm not writing about Pixi Beauty. I'm writing about the Pixi item I don't want to live without: the Natural Minerals set by Pixi, in my favorite shade, No. 2 Stockholm (for pale Scandinavian skin like mine).

Many Pixi products can be found at Target, but I bought this on-line for half price - and where I bought it is my little secret. Do your own search! This little "box," for lack of a better word, is 2 ½ by 2 ½ inches square and 1 ½ inches high. This is my perfect looks (plural on purpose) in one. It has three layers: the top one is an eye shadow quad, the second contains two creamy cheek stains, and the bottom layer is two lip colors, one wine-dark, the other light pink. Of course they all work together, but they can create a number of different looks, from daytime office or lunch to a glamorous evening look.

Start with the eye palette and put the pale brown in the lower right corner over the lid to above the crease. You can use the pink color, above it, on the brow bone, or you can choose to cover your lid with that instead. Use the medium brown in the crease of your eyelid, starting with a narrower line just inside of the center of your eye to a wider amount at the outside corner. Use a liner brush to pick up the dark brown in the upper right corner and make a tight line along your upper lid. For a softer look, pick up the medium brown (lower right) on a smudge brush and smudge it gently under your eyes. That's for daytime. For evening, use a little water on your brushes to make the minerals shine, and use the dark color as a liner for both top and bottom lid.

Moving to the second layer, the cheeks, choose one blush color for daytime. Be careful: these are stains, and a little bit goes a long way. Blend it quickly or you could have to wash it off and start over. For a more dramatic evening look, suck in your cheeks ("fish-face!") and swipe a little of the dark color in the sucked-in area. Then smile big and put the lighter shade on the apple of your cheeks. Then blend, blend, blend!

Finally, the lips. My choice is to cover my lips (using a lip brush, NOT my fingers!) with the darker color, then dab the lighter color on the center of my lower lip, to give it a better pout. You can use them like I do, or use the darker color with a clear gloss over the top, or use the lighter color for a more natural look. A lot of your entire look depends on how much of any of these products you apply, and how you choose to blend them - or not.

Oh, and those facts? Pixi beauty was started by three Swedish sisters, Petra, Sara, and Sofia Strand, ten years ago, in their boutique in Stockholm. Now you can find them all over Europe and in North America. Even at Target stores. Their motto: "I just want to look as if I've had a good night's sleep!" Me too.

(Sources: http://www.sephora.com/browse/brand_hierarchy.jhtml?brandId=5722 , http://stylebinge.ocregister.com/2010/02/04/pixi-makeup-high-end-meets-affordable-at-target/18171/ , http://www.facebook.com/PixiBeauty#!/PixiBeauty?v=info )