Pixi H2O SkinTint Tinted Face Gel: Surprising Texture and Coverage

I quickly filed this foundation under "what took me so long...?"

Author:
Janine
Updated:
Mar 28, 2019
Original:
Aug 27, 2014

I'm filing the H2O SkinTint Tinted Face Gel under "what took me so long to try this??" Yep, two question marks. Actually, I know what took me so long. A couple of pretty good reasons, I thought.

pixi h2o skintint tinted face gel

Pixi H20 SkinTint is available in three shades, Cream (my shade), Nude and Warm.

I ignored Pixi H2O SkinTint Tinted Face Gel for months and months. Sure, it was nice enough when I tried it on the back of my hand at a Target Canada preview. The mousse-esque gel texture felt airy and cool on the back of my hand. But the finish was so sheer. And rats. Although water-based, the formula contains silicone. I don't like silicone-y makeup on my face.

Yet for no real reason except it was in my sightline when I wanted to test something new, I finally tried Pixi H2O SkinTint last week. And now I wish I'd put aside my misgivings earlier in favour of an immediate test run when it had first arrived in Canada. This stuff surprised me in terms of coverage, finish, and how it feels on my oily, dehydrated skin. I did have to get past the first couple of application moves, though.

Pixi H20 SkinTint: see those little beads of H20 right there on the surface?

As was mine, your first reaction when you start to apply Pixi H2O SkinTint might be alarm. The formula seems to separate as soon as you begin blending it with your fingertips. And look closely at the image above. See that beading on the surface? It's water escaping the formula as you spread it on the skin.

But keep going. As you massage it over your skin, the pigment, water and the rest of the formula all blend back together seamlessly.

One pump of Pixi H2O SkinTint is generally a little more than enough to do your whole face. You'll get a nice, sheer finish. But if you want a bit more opacity than you'd normally get from tinted moisturizer, add a bit more. Surprise! You can build up to medium coverage! I love that because the more dehydrated my skin gets, the more redness appears, and the more coverage I need to knock it back.

about the silicones in pixi h20 skintint

Here, have a look at the Pixi H2O SkinTint ingredients:

Water, Cyclopentasiloxane, Titanium Dioxide, Butylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Hexyl Laurate, Glycerin, PEG-10 Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Dimethicone, Cetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 Dimethicone, PEG-10 Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Sodium Chloride, Anthemis Nobilis Flower Extract, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Rosa Centifolia Flower Water, Pentylene Glycol, Caprylyl Glycol, Iron Oxides (CI 77492, CI 77491, CI 77499)

Cyclopentasiloxane is one of the slightly heavier silicones often used in anti-frizz serums to keep drier areas smooth (our Liza Herz loves it). Dimethicone is a silicone often used in skin creams and lotions to give them good slip and blendability. There are four versions in this, and along with the cycolopentasiloxane, they made me think twice and three times about wearing Pixi H2O SkinTint. I loathe the feel of silicone-y stuff on my skin, did I mention? Although H2O SkinTint felt fine on my hand, I worried about it feeling like a smothering mask on my face.

Pixi H20 SkinTint delivers a sheer to medium coverage -- it's buildable! And comfortable.

But hallelujah, Pixi H2O SkinTint does not feel like a mask. (Note to self: silicone-y on the ingredients list does not necessarily mean silicone-y on the skin. The formula includes deep sea water, rose water, glycerin, and soothing camellia and lavender extracts, too.) Refreshing during application, it feels like nothing when you're done.

In fact, H2O SkinTint gives my complexion a fresh, just-cleansed dewy glow that lasts all day. And the lightest shade, Cream, is perfect for me. Adore. (If you want to see how it looks on my skin, I'm wearing Pixi H2O SkinTint in No.1 Cream in this post.) So yes, it's right for oily, dehydrated skin (at least it is for mine). It should be really nice for dry skin, too.

Pixi H2O SkinTint Tinted Face Gel ($34 CAD at beautyboutique.ca*; $24 USD at pixibeauty.com) is available in three shades: Cream, Nude and Warm. As I happily discovered, they're sheer-to-medium coverage, so they'll work with a fairly large range of skintones – except, sadly dark. (Dear Pixi: please add more shades!) UPDATE: Pixi has added shades, three deeper sheer hues.

What do you look for in a tinted base or foundation? Silicones or no? Have you tried Pixi H2O SkinTint yet? How does/did it work for you?