Comparatively Speaking

Comparatively Speaking.....

Hallo Everyone!

Just for the fun of it and

because we are often asked

the question; "What is the

difference between 

Brusho, PaperArtsy Infusions

and Cosmic Shimmer Pixie Powders?"

I asked Claire Jackson to put

them to the test.  She did and here

is what she found...........

Having seen the fabulous samples Chris Dark

 made for her June class I was tempted into

 buying a few of the new Cosmic Shimmer 

Pixie Powders. 

When I get a new product I always like to 

have a bit of a play to see how it’s

 going to react. This time I thought it would 

be a good idea to compare the Pixie Powders

 with Brusho and PaperArtsy Infusions.

 So here goes...

First of all there are differences in the packaging. 

Brusho comes in a pot with a wide opening 

which for most purposes doesn’t give the

 control you need to sprinkle the powder,

 hence most people tend to pierce the top with 

holes like a pepper pot. It is handy though

 if you want to use larger amounts to make

 your own sprays. The pots don’t have any

 colour on so it’s also much harder to see 

which is which. 

Infusions come in a smaller bottle but 

it’s still useful to pierce holes in the top 

for sprinkling. They do have coloured labels 

so it’s much easier to see which is which.

 Pixie Powders also have coloured labels 

and a top with a (removable) fine nozzle 

but I did find the top clogged a couple

 of times and I had to use a pin.

Brusho is made of ink crystals. 

Some of the colours are one pure hue, 

while others are made of different coloured 

crystals combined. 

The colours can be very intense and bright.

 Infusions are made from a combination 

of dye crystals with added walnut crystals. 

The walnut crystals dissolve slower and can 

give a more mottled effect. 

The amount of water used and whether it is

 blotted controls how much the walnut 

dissolves into the main hue. 

The overall effect gives a softer vintage look. 

The Pixie Powders, like Brusho, have some 

pure hues and some with a combination of colours. 

In addition to the dye crystals they have mica

 added to give a gorgeous pearly sheen 

when they dry.

For each comparison I tried to pick the 

most similar colours that I have (as unbelievably 

I don’t have the full range of each...yet). 

I also tried to use similar amounts of 

powder and medium. 

They have all been tested on fairly cheap 

watercolour paper.

Technique 1

Sprinkle the powder on the paper, 

spritz with water and leave to dry naturally. 

The Brusho seemed to spread the quickest

 and the Infusions kept most of the granular appearance.

 The mica in the Pixie Powder didn’t spread

 as much as the dye crystals, leaving pearly dots.

Technique 2

Thoroughly wet the paper then sprinkle

 on the powder. 

Fairly similar results.

Technique 3

Mix the powder thoroughly with water to create a wash.

 The Infusions have a much more muted grungy look. 

The Pixie Powder didn’t dissolve as thoroughly 

leaving a few flecks and the shimmer is more subtle.

 You have to wait for it to dry for the mica to appear 

on the surface.

Technique 4

Sprinkled on wet gesso then given a light spritz with water.

 Interesting effects as the Pixie Powder dye

 has nearly disappeared making the mica really stand out.

 The walnut crystals in the Infusions seem to

 dominate while the Brusho colours have separated out.

Technique 5

Added to a spray bottle and dissolved in water

 to make a spray.

Technique 6

Sprinkled onto wet matte glaze. 

All three didn’t spread as much and remained quite granular.

Technique 7

Thoroughly mixed with matte glaze.

Technique 8

Darker wash with a lighter colour sprinkled on top. 

The walnut crystals and the mica stand out 

better in the Infusions and the Pixie Powder, 

where the Brusho blends together more.

Technique 9

Bleaching. 

All very similar, the Pixie Powder kept its sheen even 

where it was bleached.

I could have gone on to try stamping and testing 

different surfaces such as glossy card and fabrics, 

but that’s for another day! They all have their place. 

For vibrant I would pick Brusho, 

for vintage Infusions and

 for shimmer the Pixie Powders. 

Looks like I’ll be doing some shopping!"






Cosmic Shimmer Pixie Powders
Brusho
PaperArtsy Infusions

Super article Claire, thank you - I'm

surprised you haven't yet got ALL

the colours ...............!! Hehe

By the way, the card you have shown

at the end is really nice - I love how 

you have used all the products there.

'Till tomorrow

Mickie xx