I hope you have a great start in the week. Today I am working at home and have lots of stuff to do but I thought since so many of you asked about Dior products I have picked up from Spring 2016 Collection, I start the day by my type of meditation, make-up, to get the missing FOTDs for this post. It was meant to be a good start in the week but now I am sitting here with my irritated eyes and wondering if I should set my priorities right. I hope my eyes stop itching and I can get back to work. I wanted to post as soon as possible to avoid any of you having the same problem.
As I have previously mentioned, I skipped both of the quints from Dior Spring without any trace of remorse since I don't do 5 shades of white. The shadow sticks on the other hand looked like something for the busy mornings. The swipe and go potential of these made me curious. After all I love my Laura Mercier Caviar Sticks and I am open for trying new formulas. In the past these curiosity didn't end up well as I tried Nars and Bobbi Brown sticks. I ended up hating Nars ones and I was indifferent to Bobbi's. I love Stylo Eyeshadows Chanel brought out but these also have something in them which from time to time irritate my eyes, especially if applied on the lower lash line. I picked up both of the highlighters after ordering one, ordered the other one too. Here are some thoughts and comparison swatches of Diorskin Nude Air Glowing Gardens Illuminating Powder #001 Glowing Pink, #002 Glowing Nude as well as Diorshow Colour & Contour Eyeshadow & Liner Duo #157 Iris, #557 Twig.
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| Dior #001 Glowing Pink #002 Glowing Nude Highlighters, Colour & Contour Eyeshadow Liner #157 Iris, #557 Twig |
I can't stay away from Dior's limited edition compacts, they are so pretty and the quality never disappointed until now. This year there are two highlighters called Diorskin Nude Air Glowing Gardens Illuminating Powder with the prettiest flower embossment on them. One of them is a cool pink highlighter with number #001 Glowing Pink. It was the first one I picked up since usually it is very hard to find a very light cool highlighter. Going through my stash, I didn't find anything close to this. The pink highlighters look like blush on me because the shades are usually not light enough and many highlighters turn out to be only shimmer as the base color is matchy matchy and doesn't show up. Some highlighters are light but very warm which appears unnaturally yellowish so picking up Glowing Pink was a no brainer. I recommend this shade especially for fair ladies. You can see it on Melanie here, it look beautiful.
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| Diorskin Nude Air #001 Glowing Pink #002 Glowing Nude Highlighters |
Here is the thing, my face eats up highlighter. The reason might be my dry skin or undertones or something, I still couldn't figure out how but even the disco ball highlighters barely show up on me. This is why I have to use double effect, the base shade should be light to start with to bring this area forward and there should be enough shimmer to illuminate the area further. My go-to highlighter at the moment is Chanel's Poudre Signée which was a limited edition like 4 years ago. The base color of this one is more opaque than some of the other highlighters so even without too much shimmer, it manages to highlight the top of my cheek bones nicely.
Mind you I am trying not to collect highlighters. Those are being applied to such a small part of the face. I rarely use them for overall glow. Most of the highlighters I purchased for the pretty design is either too dark or too subtle for me. This is why I tried to resist #002 Glowing Nude but after trying out the first one, I knew I needed them both.
The formula of these feel like gelée of Estée Lauder. They go so smoothly, they are very nicely pigmented but not slightest powdery. The embossment doesn't go away even after a finger swatch so loving that too. These have rather a transparent base shade so even lot of these don't look too much once applied. I can't comment on the fact that if they emphasize pores because with my dry complexion, I don't have many of those but they are so finely milled, I doubt if they would. The formula of these also feel like Tom Ford Moodlight (reviewed here). I think both of these are winners and must haves.
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| Close-up: Diorskin Nude Air #001 Glowing Pink #002 Glowing Nude Highlighters |
Here are some comparisons for the record. Becca Opal and Tom Ford Moodlight are deeper than 002 Glowing Nude. Becca Champagne Pop is the closest to #002 Glowing Nude from my stash. Armani Belladonna and Chanel Poudre Signée are both warmer than #001 Glowing Pink and lighter than #002 Glowing Nude. Tom Ford Moodlight lighter shade is less metallic and warmer than #001 Glowing Pink.
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| Comparison swatches: Diorskin Nude Air #001 Glowing Pink #002 Glowing Nude Highlighters |
Now the hard part, to write a review to these sticks while my eyes are watery and itching. The first thing to write down, they might irritate your eyes! Be careful if you have sensitive eyes. Mine are not all that sensitive but it seems they didn't like something in these. In case they don't irritate yours, here are further thoughts:
Diorshow Colour & Contour are very glittery and produce fall out during and after the application. I liked #157 Iris more than #557 Twig during application because it blended better. On the first thought, I liked the idea of liner and stick in one product but thinking afterwards about it, it is very restrictive. I wouldn't like that blue liner which brings out the yellow of my eyes but I would prefer something with more red in there to bring out the green. The liner of Twig is hardly showing up on my eyes and the shade is too warm for my liking. So the risk of a product not working on you is higher once you buy them in combination.
The application is easy, the sticks are smooth and they are nicely pigmented. These have to be blended very fast though because once they set, they flake. The flakes might be the reason why my eyes got irritated. The shimmer is very complex and beautiful, especially the one of Iris. Here are some swatches.
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| Swatch: Dior Colour & Contour Eyeshadow Liner Duo #157 Iris, #557 Twig |
I pulled out some similar stick products from my stash for a comparison. Diorshow Colour & Contour #557 Twig is a very dupable shade. If you have Laura Mercier Sugar Frost or Chanel Stylo #07 Moonriver, you really don't need this. Twig is also the one I am not loving all that much because this one produced flakes more than Iris did. Given the fact that how itchy my eyes are and how generic this shade is, I will try to take it back to the shop. wish me luck that they get it back because I don't see this being close to my eyes in the future.
Diorshow Colour & Contour Iris is more unique in terms of shade and how multi dimensional the shimmer is. I tried to find something close to that but Chanel Stylo Campanule (reviewed here, please excuse the typo in the photo below) was way too purple. Laura Mercier Twilight is the closest I have but it lacks the dimension. In case the formula doesn't irritate you, I would recommend you check out this shade. You can also see Linda wearing it in this post and it looks beautiful on her too. In that post she also has all the shades swatched.
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| Comparison swatches: Dior Colour & Contour Eyeshadow Liner Duo #157 Iris, #557 Twig |
Here is me wearing Diorshow Colour & Contour Eyeshadow Liner Duo #557 Twig before I had to run to the bathroom to take it off. You can see that the liner is too subtle for my dark lashes and I need some more definition around the eyes. You can also see how it didn't blend at the corner and became muddy looking, not a fan.
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| In-action: Diorshow Colour & Contour Eyeshadow Liner Duo #557 Twig |
Here is Diorshow Colour & Contour Eyeshadow Liner Duo #157 Iris. It is really beautiful color wise, I wished the liner would be a tad less blue. Anyway this blended better than the other so no flakes in the eyes, yay. I think I will keep it because the shade is more unique too.
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| In-action: Diorshow Colour & Contour Eyeshadow Liner Duo #157 Iris |
... and the look in context which signals a very FOTD heavy post with lots of lippies from Urban Decay. I am loving their Gwen Collection to bits. I tried to order a few more stuff today but they were sold out in minutes. I am hoping to get things done today and drop by a shop tomorrow to check them out in person. On the lips I am wearing Urban Decay Ex-Grilfriend and Gwen Blush Palette on the cheeks which knocked me off my socks.
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| FOTD: Diorshow Colour & Contour Eyeshadow Liner Duo #157 Iris |
Final thoughts: I am loving both of the Diorskin Nude Air Glowing Gardens Illuminating Powders. The formula, shades, design, packaging, embossment, presentation, I think they can't get better. That said I am a little disappointed with Diorshow Colour & Contour Eyeshadow & Liner Duos. These irritated my eyes, they produce fall out and they set too quick to be able to blend nicely. If you really want to try a shade, from both I tried I found Twig to be better. These are not love for me and I don't feel comfortable recommending them.
What are your picks from Dior Spring 2016? Does cream sticks irritate your eyes too?
Disclaimer: The products in this post were purchased by me.
I am not paid for this review. All opinions are honest and my own.
Oh no! I'm so sorry to hear Twig irritated your eyes! I personally have not found it irritating and found the lasting power to be quite good. However, I have oily lids and I sometimes think this works to my advantage, like maybe some products mix with my natural oils and that helps them adhere better (because science, obviously :-P). I had a similar experience with the liquid eyeshadows Dior released last fall: a lot of people complained about flaking, but I experienced no flaking and amazing wear time with them.
ReplyDeleteI loved the colour of the Iris shadow but that blue liner is what stopped me from buying it. I wish the liner was more purple and more in the same colour family as the cream shadow. I already own a couple of blue liners and I almost never wear them, so I knew I didn't need another one.
omg, that's such a shame about the irritation from the sticks! Iris is a stunning shade and looks so beautiful on you, too.
ReplyDeleteAlso two highlighters. I can only use Dior highlighters as they are mostly silicon-free. If I don't use them on my face, I think they will make beautiful (huge) eyeshadows :) I also purchased green and red polish, blush and taupe pro-eyeliner. I was interested in Orchid (orange-plum) stick, but did not like its texture on my skin, felt dry and crumbly. Cream taupe eyeshadow was mostly a glitter, beautiful but too much alike Mac She Sparkles which I have.
ReplyDeleteMaybe it is the glitter in their texture that irritated your eyes, not the formula/ingredients? I sometimes get itchy eyelids from wearing some glittery eyeshadow sticks, those glitter particles probably scratch the skin. I don't have a problem with glitter in pressed eyeshadows, probably because I don't rub them on skin as I do it with eyeshadow sticks.
Ah, too bad the shadows were irritating- I really like that blue shade combo! The highlighting powders really are gorgeous- can't wait to check them out in-person :)
ReplyDeletewww.vibrantbeautyblog.com
Iris was definitely the one I was interested in. It sounds like I should wait to try them at a counter when I next get to one because they are irritating. So sorry about your eyes. I know what you mean about the menthol or whatever it was in the Chanel summer shadow liners-- no good for the lower lash line. I got both Campanule and the green one, which I love. The new Yeux Stylo in green would probably match the latter for use on the lower lash line. But it seems odd to get two products like that because one has an irritating ingredient.
ReplyDeleteAppreciated your little joke about the Quints.
ReplyDeleteGreat post--thanks for taking a bullet for the rest of us!
ReplyDeleteThe highlighters look beautiful, but I agree on not wanting to become a highlighter corrector; I barely use the ones I own!
I've actually never tried LM's Caviar Sticks because I have so many cream eyeshadows (Chanel Illusion D'Ombres and Maybelline Color Tattoos.) However, it occurs to me that a stick might not dry out like a pot, so perhaps I'll give the Diors a look. Blurple shades are beautiful but give me dinosaur eyes, so maybe I'll try the more neutral shade that you find so boring. At any rate, I don't tend to be bothered by fallout, and if I get these at Nordstrom or Sephora I'll be able to return them no problem. So thanks for the swatches and the heads up ... but I might end up buying the product you didn't like at all, LOL!
BTW, do I see Dior's LE spring nail polishes? They are impossible to find in the States.
The Gwen Stefani lipstick and blush look gorgeous on you!
Hi Poppy,
ReplyDeleteI try not to write a very definite no for the products because I know that what I don't like, some other might love. If I were in the states, I would also order more knowing I can always return them if they don't work. Here though, unless the products are defect, it is very hard to return. I will still try to return Twig, let's see how it goes.
I already posted swatches and comparisons of all the Dior Vernis from Spring 2016. You can find the post here.
http://www.colormeloud.com/2016/01/302-garden-491-lilac-650-pivoine-for.html
I didn't know they are so hard to find there. Here the shops, including online ones are stocked up well.
Hi Alison, you should definitely try it out before ordering, or you can order and send back if it irritates your eyes. Here return policies are so restrictive, *sigh*. I really like the formula of Chanel Stylo ES, too bad that it burns my eyes so bad :-(
ReplyDeleteLOL I am glad you caught my little complain about the quints.
The highlighters are the highlighters of this collection, if that makes sense lol.
ReplyDeleteThanks Belly. I like Iris, it is also unique to my stick collection (that sounded so wrong). I think I will give it another go tomorrow. I also found out that right before my days *cough cough* things irritate me more. I might try these in a week and see how it goes lol (sorry too much information)
ReplyDeleteI think you can't go wrong with these highlighters. LOL about using them as eye shadows. I think it would totally work. It might really be the glitter which somehow went into my eyes because I was trying hard to blend but at some point it dried and started to crumble and flake. I also don't have a problem with powder glitter but sometimes with liquid or cream glitter.
ReplyDeleteHi Jess,
ReplyDeleteit is great to hear that those worked on you. Fall out has definitely to do with how dry your skin is. It might be those dry the area even more and cause irritation or that the glitter falls out and irritate the eyes. Either way I am not seeing these in my future lol.
I know what you mean about the blue liner, that liner should have had a tad more red in there. I also never wear blue liner, because I find it a little out of fashion somehow. Maybe it is just you and me though lol.
Thank you for your very helpful review. Everything looks stunning on you. I'm sorry Twig irritated your eyes. As I have Chanel New Moon I can safely skip it, thanks for the advice.
ReplyDeleteSo far I have ordered the pink highlighter which will hopefully arrive soon. I'm still going to get Bluette and I'm considering the nude highlighter. Do you think it would work on someone with pink undertones (I wear Chanel foundations in B20)?
Heyyyy, I think we can do with a new post of your "stick collection." *wink wink*
ReplyDeleteand that's not so tmi! It's not like you were taking photos of and discussing eye boogies or something. :D
I actually really like the blush in this collection. I find Iris to be a little too frosty for my liking, even though the sticks don't irritate my eyes. I swatched the rest, and was interested in Orchid but again, the strong shimmers are like you said, flaky. I actually think the yellow in your eyes is VERY unique. This highlighter is actually very strong on my skin! I have to be very light handed with it, and use the lightest fan brush to apply. LOL!
ReplyDeletethere are eyeliners that irritate my eyes! I don't know what ingredient causes it though :/
ReplyDeleteLike you I'll try not to collect highlighter ( and it's quite difficult in front of this two !!!) - but I'm going to buy Chanel Ribbons today !!!
ReplyDeleteIris look stunning on you ! Ce bleu violacé fait ressortir la pointe de jaune dans tes iris et le résultat est spectaculaire et ravissant !
Have a good day and take care of you, and your eyes !
Paddychat
wow - the Iris is super flattering on you!!
ReplyDeleteI'm tempted by the highlighters. So sad to hear that the duos didn't work for you. I thought they would be similar to Chanel's sticks and their waterproof liners. I love them, but I have to say that once I put Moonriver on my waterline and it was a very, very painful and tearful experience. And my eyes aren't particularly sensitive. Sorry for being MIA but I' ve had some really unpleasant 'stuff' going on but I still read everything:-)
ReplyDeleteThe highlighters sold out so fast here that I didn't even have time to go to a counter and see them! I really regret it because Nude looks absolutely stunning.
ReplyDeleteIt's concerning that the Colour & Contour caused you so much irritation if you don't even have sensitive eyes to start with! I wear contacts and my eyes water easily, so I'll stay away...
Sara, hope your eyes feel better soon. The Nude powder sold out so crazy fast, some stores hadn't even set up their Dior Spring displays yet, and it was already gone. There was nothing available online, so I trekked to 5 different stores, and found only 2 left, so I grabbed mine. It's really gorgeous, loving it. Dior really needs to make it permanent, as so many people want to buy but can't because it's out of stock
ReplyDeleteThank you for your review! they are always so helpful!
ReplyDeletei am "glad" in a weird way that the quads are rubbish, I have very close dupes to the nail polishes, more than enough eyeshadow sticks and I'm not too much into highlighting lately.
I am in a no buy ban, and also in a challenge to use up the makeup I already own, before they actually need to hit the bin. Yes I know, it is sad, but my beauty budget got tiny this year and I must keep my money to buy essentials (concealer, foundation, skincare). That being said I am very motivated for this new challenge that I called "the season's makeup challange"! Each season I pick a handful of makeup pieces from my stash and try to stick to them for the whole season, of course combining with other stuff and trying to be creative ! And who knows by the end of the season I might have hit the pan or even used them up completely!!
I really want to focus on lip products, I think I have never ever used up a lipstick in my life!! I really would love to know what it feels like, could you imagine? LOL!!
Wow, that's terrible that your eyelids were so irritated by the eyeshadow duos. I am really getting how different skin reacts with products because I even get very minimal fall-out with these and I've worn my two a lot already. But I have oily lids. My only 'quibble' is that the liner is extremely hard to remove - it really likes to stay put on my lids when scrubbed with water proof remover! Susan, London
ReplyDeleteThank you thank you for your honest reviews Sara!
ReplyDeleteNow i'm really torn whether i should get the eyeshadow and contour duos! I have akready Sugar Frost from Laura Mercier so Twig goes out and then i liked Orchid a lot but i hesitate! Iris reminds me of Shadow
Would you say that Diorshow Colour & Contour Eyeshadow Liner Duo #157 Iris is quite similar to Diorshow Mono #045 Fairy Grey for Kingdom of Colors Spring 2015 Collection?
ReplyDelete