Dior’s nail polishes seem to keep getting better and better with each release. For spring they have released some killer shades for lips and nails this spring with their Sparking Shine collection. There are new shades of lipstick, a new revamped version of their addict gloss and new items for nails. The new nail items include Princess, Délice, Diablotine and Spring Ball ($24 each). In addition, Dior has released a new Gel Top Coat ($24). I didn’t plan on purchasing the Gel Top Coat, but my Dior rep insisted that it was the most amazing thing ever, so it came home with me from Nordstrom. I decided to try Dior Diablotine 643 first along with the Gel Top Coat.
Dior Diablotine 643 is a bright coral pink loaded with highly-shine shimmer. I love that the shimmer is visible. The sparkling quality reminds me of those super shimmery Celestial Lights glossimers Chanel released years ago (some are still available I think, you can see them here, my first post ever!). The pigment of Diablotine is incredible with full coverage with two coats. I swatched all briefly before applying Diablotine on all nails and found the finish wasn’t quite as shiny as most Dior nail polishes. It’s still covers the nail fully with smooth finish, but dries down to a satin like sheen (not high gloss). You definitely need to add a top coat for a good shiny finish. In terms of dupes, I would say there’s no exact dupe, I’d say it’s a cross between Dior Riviera & Lucky, but loaded with bright shimmers.
Dior’s Gel Top Coat is really amazing. I’ve never had a gel manicure so I can’t compare this to the real thing. I tried the Dior top coats that came with the Catwalk summer trios from 2011 and wasn’t a huge fan. I thought they were just ok so I was skeptical of the Gel version. After putting it to the test, I can say hands down, the Gel version is a million times better. This applied effortlessly, smoothly and gave a ultra-high shine with that cushy glossy finish. I applied this on my latest manicure using Deborah Lippmann’s Hydrating Base Coat, two coats of Diablotine (let this dry for 3 minutes) and then one coat of the Gel Top Coat. Drying time seemed to be faster than most, but since I tend to be on the careful side, let the nails dry for 15 minutes before touching anything. On Day 1, the finish was ultra glossy. On Day 2, there was still a high shine but not quite as glossy as the first day. By the end of Day 5, my manicure is still as fresh-looking as the first day without any tip wear, chipping or peeling. When it comes to top coats, I’m super picky about any type of shrinkage, I’m pleased to report there was no shrinkage with the Gel Top Coat although I haven’t tested it with other brands or Dior cream shades. I don’t think I’ve ever had a top coat extend the life of a manicure this long.
Some more photos of Diablotine:
Dior Diablotine (2 coats) with Gel Top Coat (1 coat):
A few comparisons to: Tom Ford Ginger Fire, Chanel Holiday, Chanel Dragon, Dior Psychadelic Orange, Dior Plaza and Chanel Fracas. (Note, I didn’t include Lucky or Riviera, they wouldn’t photograph accurately this time for some reason, Diablotine is like Lucky+Riviera mixed, but frosted with multidimensional shimmer.)
Dior’s Sparkling Shine collection is available now at Dior counters and boutiques. I purchased my items from Nordstrom. If you have a wishlist developing you might want to take advantage of Nordstrom’s Triple Points next week – many counters will be having gifts with purchases in store (I’m not sure what it is this time). I recommend calling your local counter to find out. Another good place to order is the Dior Boutique at the Palazzo in Vegas they have Iridescent Leather quint (yes it’s back!) along with some other new exclusive nail shades in Nymphea/Cristal and eye singles.
Did you pick up Dior Diablotine? Or the new Gel Top Coat?
It’s only March yet some summer beauty collections have started to arrive in stores. Estée Lauder’s Bronze Goddess collection has a mix of beautiful bright and bronzey shades. Being a huge fan of the gelée powders, quickly picked up the new limited-edition Heat Wave Illuminating Powder Gelée ($40 for 0.21 oz/6 g, also online at Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus and Estee Lauder). Heat Wave has a beautiful embossed pattern like sun rays. It’s a luminous pale gold champagne in the compact. It swatches true to the color in the pan. I expected to fall in love with it completely, especially after swatching on my hand in store – it was like wearing sunshine on my hand. However, on the face I found it a bit too sharp and frosty (I tested with the sponge applicator, soft fluffy brushes and skunk brushes). It does layer beautifully over a cream bronzer, but I think I’m at the right amount of tan to be too dark for this to look natural. I’m all for visible shimmers, however this one emphasized my pores and looked slightly too metallic on my skin. I do think it will suit fairer skins better. Money wasn’t wasted though, this has just the right amount of glitz and sparkle to wear on the eyes. The frost factor is similar to that of the paler Armani Eyes to Kill Shadows (Heat Wave is just sheerer and not quite as frosty). Your mileage will vary with this one depending on your skintone.
Comparisons to some other gold/champagne gelee highlighters. All the ones shown below were limited-edition, I’m not sure that they will be easy to find these days, but if you already own some – you may want to shop your stash before caving on Heat Wave. MAC’s Whisper of Gilt is almost identical to Estee Lauder’s Heat Wave. I prefer the MAC even though it’s still quite frosty. The Estee Lauder Heat Wave has some tiny gold micro sparkles (these are really tiny) that emphasize my pores. The MAC is more metallic all the way through.
Here’s a simple look that I’ve did last week. It includes a few favorites:
I’m overall pleased with Estée Lauder’s Heat Wave. Even though it doesn’t work out for my face (for everyday at least), it’s a lovely eye highlighter/shadow with excellent lasting power.
Did you pick up anything from Estée Lauder’s Bronze Goddess collection? Did you like Heat Wave or did you find it too similar to what you already own? Note it is a limited-edition product. I recommend you try soon before it sells out. You can find it in store now at most Estee Lauder counters. Right now it’s online as well at Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus and Estee Lauder.
This post contains affiliate links, for more info see the About/FAQ section.
Guerlain has revamped their Terracotta 4 Seasons Bronzers ($75 each for 10 g/0.35 oz, made in France) this year and released some new shades for spring-summer. I have not had much experience with Guerlain’s terracotta bronzers (except for a few seasonal limited ones) even though I’m obsessed with bronzers in all shades, formulas and finishes. This is the first time I’ve looked into the Terracotta Bronzer line from Guerlain. For this new release, there are six shades available. Two of the older shades have been re-named (sorry I’m not sure which ones have been repromoted), and four new colors have been added. I picked up the two lightest shades from Neimans, Terracotta 4 Seasons in Nude 00 and Naturel-Blondes 02.
Nude 00 is light quad with three tan shades and one pink shimmer. It’s fairly light. I have olive medium skin and currently use Chanel B30, Dolce & Gabbana Warm 100 and NARS Tinted Moisturizer in Alaska. I found Nude 00 to be extremely natural on me applying more like a nude blush rather than a bronzer. The finish is satiny leaning more on the matte side but not flat. Those who detest shimmer in their blush/bronzer will love the finish of the 4 Seasons bronzers.
Naturel-Blondes 02 is the second lightest option. All shades are medium tans (very similar). The bottom right corner has slight shimmer. It’s a warm but natural bronzer. On me it’s still on the natural side but true to bronzer form. Swatches below will make it seem on the orangey side. On the face it warms up the skin but doesn’t look orange at all. On me it’s goof proof. The color is layerable but it seems to be one of those shades that is impossible to mess up or overdo.
Each shade in the quads were a bit too sheer to swatch individually on the arm. On the face it’s easier to swirl the brush in a circular motion to mix all shades within each palette and then apply to the face. I’ve found that I can wear these alone without any layering of other blushes or creams.
Here are a few swatches, these were applied with a soft fluffy brush:
The Terracotta 4 Seasons are more matte than the Terracotta Light shades (mosaic looking bronzers) but have a similar finish in terms of pigment/intensity. I have two of the Terracotta Light shades, Blondes and Sun Blondes to compare.
I had some challenges capturing the true effect of each. There is a softness to each shade that my camera cannot capture. The Blondes and Sun Blondes have a noticeable luminous glow on the face, it might not be apparent below.
I dug through some of my current favorites to compare. Colors will vary depending on your skintone and also undertones. I have a lot of olive/yellow. Note the Guerlain was swatched with a slightly heavier hand to show the undertone. On the face they do not apply quite as intense.
I am one who loves all kinds of bronzers, even ones that are more dramatic and stronger. The Guerlain 4 Seasons shades I chose looked darker in the store and in finger/arm swatches compared to what you see when you apply on the face. They are well pigmented but still extremely soft in color. I think they are among the softest bronzers I own (MAC Golden is one of the softest in color, but I think it is because it matches my skintone closely). Lasting power was quite good. These are heavily scented with a powdery scent. I have a super sensitive nose but I found the scent faded after 5-10 minutes.
I had expected Nude 00 and Naturel-Blondes 02 to look darker and more dramatic on the face. Instead I found them to be more on the natural side. I have to admit the other colors instore looked extremely dark, but I almost wish I had tried the darker ones first. At a high price of $75 I highly recommend that you try before buying. I know I will get a lot of use out of the two I purchased. The texture of the 4 Seasons Bronzers is very luxurious and soft. They apply flawlessly. I like that the compacts are sturdy enough that I feel comfortable carrying one in my purse. After testing for a week or so, I like them, but it’s not love … yet. I personally prefer the Blondes/Sun Blondes even though the effect/finish is completely different.
For quick reference, here is a photo of all the ones in store. Some with the same names might look different because of the reflection from my iPhone flash:
Guerlain 4 Seasons Bronzers are available at counters now. I saw the entire lineup at Nordstrom and Neimans. I’ve heard it has also arrived at the Guerlain Boutique in Las Vegas. Currently it’s only showing up at 2 locations online at Nordstrom.com and Saks.com. I suspect it will show up at more locations online soon.
Have you checked out Guerlain’s Summer Collection for the Terracotta
release? Have you been a long-time Terracotta Bronzer user? I’d love to
hear what your favorites are (or have been) and your skintone.
This post contains an affiliate link. For more information please see the About/FAQ section.
Le Métier de Beauté has released five new glosses (see line up with comparisons on The Ultimate Makeup and a snapshot of all shades on Twitter @BeautyGypsy). I purchased several from Neiman Marcus during their Beauty Event last month. My top two picks are Pink Berry Crème (a lip crème $36 for 0.22 fl oz/6.5 ml) and Coral Rose (sheer brilliance formula $32 for 0.22 fl oz/6.5 ml). Both are gorgeous spring colors.
Pink Berry Crème is a stunning rose gold in a pigmented creme formula. According to numerous sources, this is a re-launch of Cebu (formerly a Tyson’s Galleria exclusive) under a new name. I don’t have it to compare, but online reviews seem to show that these are indeed the same color. It has a gorgeous shimmery finish that isn’t frosty. Lasting power is average like most lipglosses. A few readers have e-mailed me about the scent of some newer glosses. Most I’ve tried have a lovely slightly burnt dusty vanilla smell. There are a few duo sets and also some exclusive releases that have a slightly different scent which is sweeter and a bit artificial smelling. However it’s not overpowering and fades within a few minutes. I’m not sure if it’s the same across all batches or just a few.
Coral Rose is a high gloss coral peach. On me it’s surprisingly pigmented even though it’s on the sheerer side. There’s not really a plumping aspect to the formula but for some reason this one makes my lips look full. This one has no scent that I can detect. The finish has a high shine. I love it.
More photos below:
Lip swatches:
A few comparisons below show that there are similar shades, but both Pink Berry Creme and Coral Rose have a pretty sophisticated shimmer that I couldn’t find in any other gloss. Below glosses are from Le Metier unless indicated.
I found both Pink Berry Crème and Coral Rose to be lovely additions for spring. The colors are naturally flattering without being too natural. The colors are perfect to wear alone or over lipsticks and are versatile enough to incorporate into any look. Both should be available at all Le Metier de Beaute counters by now. For online shoppers I’ll include a few links below. Note that Pink Berry Creme is a lip creme formula which is more pigmented and slightly more expensive. Coral Rose is the sheer brilliance gloss formula which is sheerer more glossy and a bit cheaper.
Pink Berry Creme can be found at Neimans (I would try calling your local counter to help you locate, it’s not showing up online right now at many locations)
Tom Ford Ginger Fire Nail Lacquer is my nail pick for the week. It’s a luscious vibrant tangerine with subtle shimmer. I feel like I have summer on my fingers with this shade. It’s the perfect amount of bright, orange and red mixed together. Ginger Fire retails at $30 for 0.41 fl oz/12 ml and is available online at Nordstroms, Neimans, Saks and select counters. I purchased mine from Neiman Marcus Fashion Island in store.
To date I’ve purchased several Tom Ford Nail Lacquers and my feelings are mixed. The regular line consists of sheers and creams, most of which are on the sheerer side, requiring three coats. I haven’t been a huge fan of the creams mainly because they require three coats for full coverage and also don’t last long on me (chips occur on day 3 with major tip-wear). I’ve found that the limited-edition releases (metallics) wear much better in terms of pigment, coverage and lasting power. Ginger Fire seems to last like the metallics from Tom Ford’s beauty line. I only started to see tip wear on day 4 and only one finger had chipping by the evening. With two coats there is still a slight transparent look. You can still see the whites of the nails underneath. I think a third coat would cover the nail fully. Still the color is gorgeous. I love that the shimmer shows up on the nail if you look closely. It’s not quite as invisible as Chanel’s can be.
Swatched with two coats, this was on day two of my manicure:
I love the color, the formula is almost as good as Chanel/Dior/OPI, but not quite (in my book). The price is quite steep and although it may be difficult to get to a Tom Ford counter, I think more stores carry the nail polish and lipsticks versus the full lineup. The nail polishes may be easier to find. Given the fact that this costs $30 and has a semi-sheer formula, I can’t say that I’m 100% in love. Perhaps I need to experiment with different base and top coats to make it last longer. (I’ve been using Deborah Lippmann’s base coat and Rescue Beauty Lounge’s top coat.)
This past weekend I wasn’t able to do comparisons. I would say this is most similar to Chanel Holiday, except the Chanel is more reddish, while the Tom Ford is clearly tangerine.
Have you tried Tom Ford’s nail lacquers? Thoughts?
My latest skin/foundation/primer discovery is Urban Decay’s Naked Skin Beauty Balm ($34 for 35 ml/1.18 fl oz). I had been saving my Sephora Beauty Insider Points for months but as soon as I saw the Naked Skin minis available in-store, I redeemed some points for two mini 3.7 ml samples to try. I liked it so much after using a few days that I immediately ordered a full size tube from Urbandecay.com when they had their Friends and Family Sale.
After reading numerous reviews on this product, I decided to try this as a primer, over moisturizer but under foundation. I found that the Urban Decay Naked Skin Beauty Balm has a peachy beige color but applies to an almost transparent finish. Since it comes in only one shade I was concerned about the way it would look on my skin. I have light-medium olive skin and right now use NARS Tinted Moisturizer in Alaska and Chanel’s Perfection Lumiere in B30 along with Dolce & Gabbana’s Warm 100 in the Powder and Cream. I think I’m at the right skintone where the Urban Decay Naked Balm is perfect for my skin. I’ve been using it two ways:
1) Apply moisturizer, then layer Urban Decay’s Naked Beauty Balm, then dust powder foundation on top (I like Dolce & Gabbana’s and Chanel’s): the beauty balm helps to even out and prime the skin to help the powder adhere better but apply evenly, sometimes layering powder foundation over foundation can be too heavy, but applying powder foundation over moisturizer only doesn’t give enough coverage, the UD beauty balm helps give a good in-between
2) Apply moisturizer, layer Urban Decay’s Naked Beauty Balm, then feather in liquid foundation on areas that need coverage: the beauty balm helped the overall application of foundation and also helped it last longer on my skin throughout the day
I have normal but sensitive skin, I don’t typically use primers or beauty balms. When it comes to foundation, I like to keep the layering as minimal as possible: moisturizer, foundation then powder. Adding anything else usually ends up feeling too heavy for me although I have used and loved Guerlain Meteorites Perles Light Diffusing Perfecting Primer, Chanel Le Blanc de Chanel and Chanel Base Lumiere. The results of the Urban Decay Beauty Balm surprised me. I haven’t used it a full eight weeks to test out everything such as improvement of lines, lift, smoothness. After using it for a little over two weeks now, I can say that the overall look of my skin with foundation added has improved tremendously. There is a soft slightly minty fresh scent to the balm, it seems odd, but it’s really subtle and rather refreshing. The scent disappears on me after a few minutes of wear.
Right now, NARS Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer in Alaska is a good match for me, you can see side-by-side the Urban Decay Naked Skin Beauty Balm is warmer/peachier, it does blend out to an almost transparent finish.
Here are the ingredients from the sample package:
For me, I was lucky to try a sample (thanks to Sephora VIB points) long enough to see how it worked. This allowed me to decide whether or not to buy. I give it a huge thumbs up. However, given the fact that it comes in only one shade, I don’t think it will work for everyone. Also note that I like it as a primer which I don’t think is the intended purpose of this, so your mileage may vary. Hundreds of people have written reviews on Sephora.com and Urbandecay.com – I found them helpful.
Did you try Urban Decay’s Naked Skin Beauty Balm? What did you think? Did it work for your skin tone or skin type? Do you have any favorite primers or beauty balms?
Bobbi Brown has released a gorgeous new limited-edition Shimmer Brick called Lilac Rose ($42 for .4 oz/ 10.3 g, made in Italy). I’ve been a long time fan of her shimmer bricks even though the frost/shimmer factor is on the higher side (for me). A light swipe across the cheeks can make any blush glow. Lilac Rose has five shimmering shades of pink, gold and lilac. Blended all together creates a light pale frosted cool-toned pink. On me it goes on paler than what you see in the compact. These are designed to be worn on both eyes and cheeks, but for this one I prefer on the cheeks only. I’ll show each shade swatched individually and blended down below.
Individual swatches (left side is from the top of the shimmer brick to the right for the bottom of the shimmer brick)
All shades blended together, light then heavy:
I found that Lilac Rose applied quite frosty on the arm but not so much on the face. I’m a Chanel B30 right now and am at the skin-tone shade where this color looks very natural. On me I can’t say that it works as a blush, it’s much too light for me. It does add a lovely glow when layered over any pink blush. I love it – but you may find it has a similar effect compared to other frosty pinks. I pulled a few to compare for you:
Swatches, same set twice (in different light):
If you have Wild Rose from Bobbi’s last collection or Dior’s Pop Diamond (I think it was also limited), then I don’t think you need Lilac Rose. However, if you’re anything like me then you know how hard it can be to resist a pretty feminine pink shimmery highlighter. I give Lilac Rose a huge thumbs up, but since it is on the lighter side, I do recommend you try in person before buying.
I purchased mine from Neiman Marcus to take advantage of the beauty week gift with purchase (classic cheek/eye palette with minis). Saks is also having a gift this week as well (lip palette with minis). For the moment both gifts are available online. I suggest you order soon or call your local counters to secure the a gift before they are gone. Also sometimes stores will have step up gifts that aren’t available online.
Did you check out the Lilac Rose collection and bring anything home with you?
