Dior Vernis #403 Palais Royal, #803 Metal Montaigne, #494 Junon Couture Colour Gel Shine and Long Wear Nail Polish, Swatch & Comparison Part 2

Today I would like to share Part 2 of my review and comparisons of Dior's new gel shine formula with you. After this post, i was considering to compare nail polish brushes of different brands, please leave a comment if you think that would be helpful. As I stated in my previous post (Part 1), the new brush is very close to Gel Effect Top Coat brush. 

At Part 1, I presented you some cheerful colors, here comes taupe & grey: #403 Palais Royal, #803 Metal Montaigne and #494 Junon. 

Dior Vernis #403 Palais Royal, #803 Metal Montaigne, #494 Junon Gel Effect Nail Polish

EDIT: Before I even released this post, there were questions regarding the brush of the new Dior nail polishes, so I managed to get a photo for you below. New Dior brush is close to YSL brush, thiner and a tad longer than old Dior brush but still it is wider than Chanel's. Hope that helps.

Comparison of brushes from Chanel, Dior (old), Dior (new), YSL and Guerlain nail polishes

#403 Palais Royal is a mid-toned taupe creme. It is not warm nor cool, which makes it more interesting  for me compared to the older taupe of Dior, Trench. Because of this slight coolness once compared to other taupes, I find Palais Royal more modern. The formula is great, it is opaque with two coats, below it is swatched without a top coat.

Swatch (shadow): Dior Vernis #403 Palais Royal

Swatch (sun): Dior Vernis #403 Palais Royal

I like taupes on my tips, so here is an extended comparison. Chanel #559 Frenzy is lighter, Armani #104 Greige is also lighter and cooler. Dior #306 Gris Trianon is lighter and slightly cooler. YSL #39 Gris Gallery is lighter and a tad warmer. Armani #105 Taupe Greige is the closest of the bunch but it is a tad more mauve. Chanel #505 Particuliere is warmer and slightly darker. Dior #223 Trench is warmer, therefore for me the new shade #403 Palais Royal is a modernized version of Trench.

Comparison of Dior Vernis #403 Palais Royal with similar shades

Talking about grey, #494 Junon is a mid-toned bluish grey creme. The formula of this one was also great, not too thin nor too thick, self-leveling and opaque with two coats. It appears very blue on the photos but I found it to be more grey in real life. I also swatched it against some blues later on and have seen that Junon was looking more grey. To me Junon is one of the modern and edgy shades of the new Dior nail polish line. 

Swatch (shadow): Dior Vernis #494 Junon

Swatch (sun): Dior Vernis #494 Junon

I was expecting #803 Metal Montaigne to be metallic, but it has more of a pearly finish. It is a deep anthracite with very fine silver shimmer, which gives that pearly effect. The formula was again perfect, below you see it with two coats and no top coat. Metal Montaigne is not really a very new shade but while testing Front Row, I found out that this type of pearly finish has more of a gel shine effect once worn together with Gel Effect Top Coat, so I can't wait to have Metal Montaigne on all my fingers. By the way check out how beautiful it shines with direct sun light <3

Swatch (shadow): Dior Vernis #803 Metal Montaigne

Swatch (sun): Dior Vernis #803 Metal Montaigne

Dior Metal Montaigne is close to Chanel Steel but definitely is a revamped version with a prettier shimmer. Chanel Black Pearl leans more blue, Dior #072 Metallic Silver is more metallic, less pearly.

Dior #497 Junon leans more blue than Dior #707 Gris Montaigne. YSL #38 Gris Underground has a similar blue tingle but is much lighter. Burberry #203 Storm Grey is also another blue leaning grey which is darker than Junon.

Comparison of Dior Vernis #803 Metal Montaigne and #494 Junon with similar shades

I am going to review three more shades soon, which are on their way to me at the moment. 

Intermediate thoughts: I am loving the shiny finish of these and how they look on the nails. I am still testing Front Row (reviewed here) and I don't have even minor tip wear after 3 days although I am constantly typing. I will let you know at Part 3 how the test ends ;-)

Dior Couture Colour Gel Shine and Long Wear Nail Polishes are already available internationally and  retail around 23€ for 10 ml.

Dior Vernis #758 Victoire, #769 Front Row, #661 Bonheur, #268 Ruban Couture Colour Gel Shine and Long Wear Nail Polish, Swatch & Comparison Part 1

Together with Addict Fluid Sticks (reviewed here, swatches of all shades are here), Dior also renewed their new nail polish formula and their permanent range of nail polishes. New formula offers a shiny finish similar to gel polish. The brush of Dior (mostly loved but also hated by some) went through a revision and became slimmer. It is still flat but less fluffy, almost the same brush as the one of Dior Gel Top Coat. Although I liked their old brush too, I found this one also easy to work with. I purchased some most of the new shades while skipping the repromotes. Not to end up with a monster post with 200 photos, I am going to divide the swatches and comparisons into several posts. Today I would like to share the first four shades, #758 Victoire, #769 Front Row, #661 Bonheur and #268 Ruban with you.

Dior Vernis #758 Victoire, #769 Front Row, #661 Bonheur, #268 Ruban Gel Effect Nail Polish

Today it was a very sunny and warm day in Stuttgart so I managed to take photos with direct sun light as well as in shadow to give you a better idea of the color.

#661 Bonheur is a cool mid-toned pink with creme finish. This one applied wonderfully, it becomes opaque with two layers. The consistency is not thick nor thin, the finish is very glossy. Below you can see the photos with two coats and without a top coat. Most of these shades become even more glossy in a gel like way if Dior's Gel Top Coat is applied on it.

Swatch (shadow): Dior Vernis #661 Bonheur Gel Effect Nail Polish

Swatch (sun): Dior Vernis #661 Bonheur Gel Effect Nail Polish

#268 Ruban is a pale pink with silver shimmer, which has a frosty finish on the nails, similar to Dior release from last Spring (Princess, Spring Ball etc.). The consistency was good but this nail polish was rather half transparent, so after three coats, I still had visible nail line. If you don't like this, you may not like Ruban. Other than that it is a lovely girly shade which is also office appropriate.

Swatch (shadow): Dior Vernis #268 Ruban Gel Effect Nail Polish

Swatch (sun): Dior Vernis #268 Ruban Gel Effect Nail Polish

I swatched similar shades to #661 Bonheur, I found no dupes but many shades in my stash were reasonably close, those were Chanel #519 Rose Exuberant ( a little cooler), Dior #678 Creoles (a little redder) and Dior #579 Plaza (the closest, which is a tad warmer than Bonheur).

I had no nail polishes which were close to #268 Ruban but this must be because I do avoid very pale pinks and peaches generally, lol. I wanted to check it with Princess because two have similar finish but Ruban is paler and cooler. Dior #357 Peony was warmer but close. Chanel #517 Mistral had also a similar sinieh but was warmer with more peach tones.

Comparisons of Dior Vernis #661 Bonheur and #268 Ruban with similar shades

#769 Front Row is a medium pink with metallic fuchsia shimmer. These type of metallic shades bring out the gel shine finish of Dior's new formula and end up looking stunning under different lights. I really liked this one and ended up wearing it after the swatches (and I am wearing it as I am typing these lines). I also added Dior Gel Top Coat which strengthens the gel shine effect. I am not a fan of strong reds and pinks but I really liked that one. 

Below you can see Front Row with two coats, without top coat. The consistency was lovely, no issues at all with the formula. 

Swatch (shadow): Dior Vernis #769 Front Row Gel Effect Nail Polish

Swatch (sun): Dior Vernis #769 Front Row Gel Effect Nail Polish

The last polish I would like to share with you in Part 1 of my review is a bright red with golden metallic shimmer called #758 Victoire. The golden shimmer is more apparent in the bottle. On the nails it transforms the red to an orange red. Again another shade to show off the new gel shine effect, therefore I couldn't help but took one more photo of this one. Lovely formula, opaque with two coats, perfect consistency.

Swatch (shadow): Dior Vernis #758 Victoire Gel Effect Nail Polish

Swatch (sun): Dior Vernis #758 Victoire Gel Effect Nail Polish

Swatch (sun): Dior Vernis #758 Victoire Gel Effect Nail Polish

I knew I had a dupe of #769 Front Row, it is #541 Tentation. They are really very very similar and if you own Chanel one already, you may want to skip Front Row. In case you are considering to buy one of these, I would go with Front Row because of the lovely shiny finish. Actually I was no fan of Tentation but I ended up loving Front Row because of this.

#758 Victoire is also very close to a previous Dior release, #651 Merveille. Victoire is slightly darker but the golden shimmer is the same. A recent Dior release #657 Trafalgar is close to Victoire without the golden shimmer and it is a tad lighter and more orange.

Comparisons of Dior Vernis #769 Front Row and #758 Victoire with similar shades

These do definitely perform better with Dior Gel Effect Top Coat. My favorite of the bunch if #769 Front Row. I am wearing it at the moment and will report on how long lasting they are as soon as I finish testing them. Tomorrow swatch and comparison madness continues, so stay tuned.

Any of these catching your eye?

Dior Addict Fluid Sticks, Swatches of all Shades

Today was the day I lost myself at the Dior Counter, yesterday I lost myself between boxes. when I arrived yesterday, all of the new Dior arrivals were in boxes and I insisted in getting a few of the nail polishes. In the end a very nice SA at the counter helped me and we were able to fish out some of the shades I wanted. Today I went there again to see how the setup looked and took a few photos. I already reviewed three shades of Dior Addict Fluidsticks and wore it on a few FOTDs past weeks. I usually don't like counter swatch type of posts but I have seen that you found it helpful, so here comes another one (and there will be another one shortly). I can understand that if you are far away from a counter, these may help. For me it also helps to see all shades together before I narrow my list to a few shades to try. 

Display for Dior Addict Fluid Sticks, Breuninger Stuttgart

If you want to know how these wear and feel, check my previous post but all in all I found them to be hydrating and applies beautifully on the lips. I didn't experience bleeding. Staying power was good too. What I like most about the line is that they have nudes as well as brights and the shades have a transparency to make them more wearable. Below they look like bullets aren't they?

Display for Dior Addict Fluid Sticks, Breuninger Stuttgart

Here are the first five shades:
#219 Whisper Beige
#239 Frisson
#338 Mirage
#373 Rieuse: One of my favorites, such a pretty coral!
#389 Kiss Me

Dior Addict Fluid Sticks, #389, #373, #338, #239, #219

Dior Addict Fluid Stick Swatches, #389, #373, #338, #239, #219

The second lot is as follow:
#479 Magique: Another lovely shade which tempts me
#551 Aventure
#575 Wonderland
#619 Beige Lie (seems like this one is not available in US). I love the shade!
#639 Artifice

Dior Addict Fluid Sticks, #639, #619, #575, #551, #479

Dior Addict Fluid Stick Swatches, #639, #619, #575, #551, #479

And the last lot:
#753 Open Me
#754 Pandore
#869 Vie d'enfer
#872 Mona Lisette, another one which is not available in US
#975 Minuit
#995 Intrigue

Dior Addict Fluid Sticks, #995, #975, #872, #869, #754, #753

Dior Addict Fluid Stick swatches, #995, #975, #872, #869, #754, #753

Together with Dior Fluid Sticks and Gel Effect Nail Polishes, also three new shades of Dior Addict and Dior Addict Extreme are released.

Dior Addict Fluid Sticks together with new shades for Dior Addict and Addict Extreme

Here are the swatches of new shades:
Dior Addict Extreme #338 Mirage
Dior Addict #338 Mirage
Dior Addict Extreme #551Aventure
Dior Addict #551 Aventure

Dior Addict and Addict Extreme swatches in #338 Mirage and #551 Aventure

Dior Addict Extreme #575 Wonderland
Dior Addict #575 Wonderland
Dior Addict Extreme #754 Pandore
Dior Addict #754 Pandore

Dior Addict and Addict Extreme swatches in #575 Wonderland and #754 Pandore

And here is the lipstick paradise, complete with their latest release of gloss stains.

Dior Addict Display, Lipstick Paradise

Have you already chose your shade?

Rouge Bunny Rouge Fire Drops Loose Glitter Pigments in Eaten all the Cherries, Wishing for Wings, Caress of Mink, Silk Aether Long Lasting Cream Eye Shadow in Chiffon Ringlet, Review, Swatches & FOTD

I have a few posts lined up for this week and firstly I would like to talk about a product I always wanted to try out but lost in the hectic of limited collections, somehow couldn't do it earlier. Rouge Bunny Rouge's Fire Drops.

Rouge Bunny Rouge Fire Drops Loose Glitter Pigments in Eaten all the Cherries, Wishing for Wings, Caress of Mink

There were times when Rouge Bunny Rouge Online Store was not available and we would order them from Zuneta (an online shop doesn't exist anymore) and those pretty tubes were always out of stock. I am so glad that those days are over.

Rouge Bunny Rouge Fire Drops Loose Glitter Pigments in Eaten all the Cherries, Wishing for Wings, Caress of Mink

Loose Pigment is stored in a chic transparent tube, very pretty packaging as we would expect from Rouge Bunny Rouge. Once the black cap is off, there is a stopper which can be pulled out of the tube.

Rouge Bunny Rouge Fire Drops Loose Glitter Pigments in Eaten all the Cherries, Wishing for Wings, Caress of Mink

At one end of the stopper there is a slim pointed sponge to pick up the product. Now I have read some mixed reviews about the usefulness of this since some people do like using brushes. I have to say, I prefer this packaging to some other open ones which makes loose glitter get all over the place once you want to get just a tiny bit of it out. I also prefer this design to the package of Guerlain's Fard Metal from last summer, which were really very hard to work with. With Fire Drops I take the sponge out, it doesn't kick any powder around. I gently tap it at the back of my hand and work with my brush from there. If I am late in the morning, I found myself padding them directly on my lids using the sponge and it worked well that way too.

Rouge Bunny Rouge Fire Drops Loose Glitter Pigments in Eaten all the Cherries, Wishing for Wings, Caress of Mink

Now getting over the fact that the packaging is so pretty and useful, let's talk about how these perform. Fire Drops are called "Loose Glitter Pigments" which I think might be a little confusing for some. They are certainly shimmery but the shimmer is finer than what I would call a glitter. They have a beautiful iridescent quality to them and some transparency which makes them qualify for an application on top of your eye shadow to give a little bit of something to an eye look. I opted for three shades, 

Eaten all the Cherries: Love the name! This is a light pink with golden shimmer. The shimmer can be seen easily, which makes the shade appear duo chrome. 

Wishing for Wings: A soft lavender which gives the subtle iridescent glow once padded on a natural base.

Caress of Mink: Mid-toned bronze brown. This one is the most opaque of Fire Drops range and therefore Can be used all over the lid for a natural eye look with a unique transparency and glow.

Swatch: Rouge Bunny Rouge Fire Drops in Eaten all the Cherries, Wishing for Wings, Caress of Mink

Below I applied the shades directly on my eye primer. I used Caress of Mink on the outer corner, Eaten all the Cherries on the inner corner and Wishing for Wings in the middle. You can see the soft iridescent look these give, which doesn't look like any of the products I have in my stash. Since the line of Rouge Bunny Rouge is about that understated beauty, I can understand that their way of defining a glitter is fine, iridescent  and transparent but in no ways over the top.

In-action: Rouge Bunny Rouge Fire Drops in Eaten all the Cherries, Wishing for Wings, Caress of Mink

Here is the whole look, coupled with a silk scarf since how these shadows play with light reminded me of silk fabric. On my lips I am wearing Rouge Bunny Rouge Sheer Lipstick in Fluttering Sighs.

FOTD: Rouge Bunny Rouge Fire Drops in Eaten all the Cherries, Wishing for Wings, Caress of Mink

Another way to use Fire Drops is to pad them over a darker matte base. To show you how they perform that way, I would like to first introduce Silk Aether Long Lasting Cream Eye Shadow in Chiffon Ringlet. Chiffon Ringlet is a medium to deep natural brown and has a cream to liquid consistency which can be sheered out or build up.

Silk Aether Long Lasting Cream Eye Shadow in Chiffon Ringlet

For the eye look below, I applied Chiffon Ringlet all over the lid and padded Fire Drops in Eaten all the Cherries on the inner corner and Caress of Mink on the outer corner. As you see the matte quality of Chiffon Ringlet takes down the iridescent shimmery quality of Fire Drops a little, which turns out to be a very wearable everyday natural look.

For eyes I also padded some Dramatic Lash Mascara Mega Plums in Oxblood Panache over my Chanel Le Volume Mascara in Noir to make the green of my eyes pop. I lined my upper lashline as well as my water line with Rouge Bunny Rouge Long Lasting Eye Pancil with Lola.

Silk Aether in Chiffon Ringlet as a base to Fire Drops Loose Glitter Pigments in Eaten all the Cherries and Caress of Mink

For my Rouge Bunny Rouge face below (can we call it like this? ;-) ) I am also wearing Colour Burst Lipstick in The Plot Thickens, Original Skin Blush in Orpheline. Oh and I am using their loose finishing powder for the last weeks which you had already seen in several FOTDs lately. I intend to review it soon.

Just a hint, I padded some Eaten all the Cherries on the top of my cheeks as highlighter, it worked really well.

FOTD: Silk Aether in Chiffon Ringlet, Fire Drops Loose Glitter Pigments in Eaten all the Cherries and Caress of Mink

For the swatches of all shades, check Karima's epic post and more beautiful swatches and ingredients list pay a visit to Dr. Ebru.

Visit their online boutique to check for Fire Drops and many other pretties: Germany or USA (not affiliated, link is provided just for your convenience)

Final thoughts: Fire Drops is a unique product for its fine shimmer, semi-transparent and seriously pretty iridescent quality. Rouge Bunny Rouge redefines glitter in a unique way, very much fitting to the idea of their make-up line; understated natural beauty. 

Have you tried Fire Drops? What is your favorite Rouge Bunny Rouge product?

This post contains PR-Samples sent for my consideration. I am not compensated for my review. My thoughts, eye balls and face are all mine and I prefer that it stays that way since my first priority are you, you and you (my lovely readers). Bisous.

Giorgio Armani Eyes To Kill Macro-Color Solo Eyeshadow #9 Tadzio, Swatch, Review, Comparison & FOTD

If you had seen my last post, you already know that I ran into Giorgio Armani's Macro-Color Solo Eyeshadows when i was least expecting them and swatched all the shades at the counter for my and your reference. I came back home with #9 Tadzio to play with and get to know the formula better. Today I would like to share my thoughts about Tadzio for you.

Giorgio Armani Eyes To Kill Macro-Color Solo Eyeshadow #9 Tadzio

From the new range, Tadzio particularly caught my attention since it looked like one of those natural shade which are universally flattering. Tadzio is not very shimmery nor it is flat. It is a brown but not very warm. 

Giorgio Armani Eyes To Kill Macro-Color Solo Eyeshadow #9 Tadzio

On the swatch you can see the fine silvery shimmer, which is not over the top but very pretty. Tadzio is also not very light, which makes it useable for deeper skin tones as well.

Close-up and swatch: Giorgio Armani Eyes To Kill Macro-Color Solo Eyeshadow #9 Tadzio

The compact of Macro-Color Eyeshadow range is similar to Eyes To Kill Palettes, but smaller. You can see how they compare at the photo below, Another difference is that Eyes To Kill Palette compacts have a magnetic closure but Macro-Eyeshadow compacts are mechanical. 

Size comparison between Eyes To Kill Eye Shadow Palette and Macro-Color Solo Eye Shadow Compacts

I pulled out some similar shades from my stash. I did this while room was a little dark so some of the shades turned out to be quiet different. Le Metier de Beaute's Corinthian has more red, Burberry Pale Barley is lighter and less shimmery, Rouge Bunny Rouge Delicate Hummingbird is more purple, Bohemian Waxwing is close but lighter and less shimmery. Urban Decay Sidecar is close but more frosty, Urban Decay Smog is warmer and more gold.

All in all no dupes for Tadzio in my collection that I could find. If you would like other comparisons, please leave a comment below and I will update this post.

Comparisons for Giorgio Armani Eyes To Kill Macro-Color Solo Eyeshadow #9 Tadzio

Tadzio applies like a dream, it blends easily and shows up nicely on my lids. It gives a natural look, yet not boring. Below I haven't even used a liner along upper lash line.

In-action: Giorgio Armani Eyes To Kill Macro-Color Solo Eyeshadow #9 Tadzio

Here is the products I used for this make-up:

Complexion: 

Guerlain Lingerie De Peau BB Creme in Light, Dior Hydra Eye Creme #1, Rouge Bunny Rouge Impalpable Finishing Powder #055 Diaphanous

Eyes: 

Giorgio Armani Eyes To Kill Macro-Color Solo Eyeshadow #9 Tadzio, Nars Pro-Prime, Urban Decay 24/7 Glide On Eyeliner in Twice Baked (under eyes and on the water line), Laura Mercier Rich Cocoa Eye Shadow (lightly padded on the crease), Laura Mercier Full Blown Lash Building Mascara

Cheeks:

Kevin Aucoin Sculpting Powder, Diorsnow Fresh Cheeks Glowing Color Powder Brush

Lips:

Tom Ford Lip Color Sheer in Sweet Spot

FOTD with Giorgio Armani Eyes To Kill Macro-Color Solo Eyeshadow #9 Tadzio

I would like to also include the ingredients list for your convenience.

Giorgio Armani Eyes To Kill Macro-Color Solo Eyeshadow #9 Tadzio, list of ingredients

Giorgio Armani Eyes To Kill Macro-Color Solo Eyeshadows are 1.75g (0.061OZ) and retail for 32 EUR in Germany (no US price information yet)

Final thoughts: I really like the formula. Tadzio can become one of those cult shades along with Burberry's Pale Barley and LMdB's Corinthian. Admitedly I like this one even more than other two...

Will you be checking Tadzio out?