Sunday 13 August 2017

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




9 comments:

  1. Really useful post, Claire, thanks a lot. I use Infusions and I have to say I really love the package, beside the unusual vintage effect. The Pixie looks lovely, too!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thank you so much! This is such a useful post and you have shown me new ways to use the powders that I didn't know of! Thank you! xxx

    ReplyDelete
  3. Really helpful and I enjoyed reading the post. Thank you for doing this and love the card at the end x

    ReplyDelete
  4. Great set of comparisons Claire. I don't own any Pixie Powders as yet but I'm pretty sure I'll be investing in some fairly shortly X

    ReplyDelete
  5. Great post...I also have some bister which is quite like infusions. The effects using all the different powders are so unique every time aren't they! x

    ReplyDelete
  6. A really interesting post Claire, the comparisons are great. I have some brushos and some infusions, I've not tried pixie powders. At the moment I am in an infusions mood, in fact, I was playing with them today. I just love those little bottles. Thank you for the post, very useful. x

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I was dubious about getting more powders until I tried the Pixies! There's always space for just one more in the craft stash!!!!

      Delete
  7. Great in depth review! I love all powders and I'd never tried Cosmic Pixies, so now I know!

    ReplyDelete

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