Dior has released two stunning quints for fall this year in Bonne Étoile 384 and Constellation 864 ($61 each, limited-edition). Both are listed as exclusive to Nordstrom (for now). You can purchase Bonne Étoile now in stores and online, however Constellation is listed as an Early Access item for Nordstrom cardholders only (available to everyone on July 19th). I picked up both of mine in store today so I haven’t had time to play with these extensively. I did have my Dior artist apply Bonne Étoile on me, and although greens usually aren’t my thing for eyes, I’m already in love with this one (it’s a bold pick for me). The teal and green layer beautifully with the khaki and bronze shades. Detailed swatches and photos to come very soon. For now, check out these awesome bloggers for swatches and details:
Dior Mystic Metallics brings us three new nail polishes, one in a magnetic-wave formula, two in the regular Dior formula. I purchased the two regular Dior Vernis shades in Destin 382 and Galaxie 992 ($24 each for 10 ml/0.33 fl oz, made in France). Both are stunning shades for fall. Destin 382 is a beautiful neutral mauve-grey shimmer with slight pinkish tones. Galaxie 992 is a beautiful plum metallic. Both are very smooth in finish with full coverage. Each shade has the perfect amount of shimmer – enough to be visible on the nail, but not too frosted or metallic. You may find similar colors in your collection however each shade is just so stunning – they are like updated classics, I think they are definitely must-haves for fall.
Swatches and comparisons for each shade, first up Destin 382. It’s a mauve but the complex shimmers make it look pinkish on the nails depending on the light. I love the color, it’s natural but not nude.
Galaxie 992 is a stunning berry vamp. I was hoping it would be a dupe for the limited-edition Love 928 shade from years past, but it’s not quite the same. Still, Galaxie is beautiful.
More comparisons on the full nail wheel in different light: Deborah Lippmann Good Girl Gone Bad, Dior Shadow, Dior Love, Dior Galaxie, Dior Icone, Chanel Gondola, Chanel Taboo, Chanel Vamp, Chanel Malice, Le Metier de Beaute Faraday, Deborah Lippmann Glamorous Life, Deborah Lippmann Modern Love, YSL Beige Leger, Dior Destin, Chanel Violette, Rescue Beauty Lounge Grunge, Guerlain Petite Robe Noire and Chanel Quartz.
I wore Destin over the weekend and I have Galaxie on my nails now. I can’t stop looking at my nails. Definitely must-haves. Demure enough for conservative offices, but enough oomph to not be completely boring. The formula is beautiful and the brush makes the shades extremely easy to apply. I didn’t test either for more than 5 days since I usually like to change nail colors frequently. I didn’t experience any tip-wear with Destin after 3 days of wear (using Deborah Lippmann’s Rehydrating Base Coat and Chanel’s Top Coat).
I found the colors in store at Nordstrom. They are both limited-edition.
We’ve seen a wave of new nail lacquers and top coats flood the market recently. Brands claim to have developed a formula that will replicate the lush cushy high-shine finish and lasting power that gel manicures provide. I decided to try one, Dior’s Gel Top Coat and put it to the test to see how it compared to one of my favorites, Chanel’s Laque Brilliance Extreme. Since reviews from others have been mixed, I did three sets of testing over nail polish brands I wear most frequently: Dior, Chanel and Rescue Beauty Lounge (see my standard nail basics here).
Packaging: Both Dior and Chanel come with pull off caps, the Dior Gel Top Coat comes in a clear bottle while the Chanel Extreme Shine Nail Lacquer comes encased in a black bottle. Both are very sturdy. Dior’s comes with a slightly wider flat brush while Chanel’s is skinnier (see below).
Price: Dior’s Gel Top Coat retails at $24 for 0.33 fl oz (previously featured here). Chanel’s Laque Brilliance Extreme retails at $26 for .4 fl oz.
Formula, application and dry time: Dior’s Gel Top Coat is thicker than most other top coat’s I’ve tried. It does dry to a nice hard finish and doesn’t shrink around the edges (like Seche Vite does for me). I do recommend you allowing your two coats of color to dry about 2-5 minutes before applying the Gel Coat. I usually let nails dry for 10-15 minutes after the top coat. Dior’s Gel dried perfectly fine within this time. Chanel’s Top Coat is thinner in texture making it easier to spread evenly over any other brand. Dry time is at least 15 minutes for me.
Finish: The finish of Dior’s Gel Top coat is the glossiest I’ve seen. It has a lush cushiony looking finish with a high shine. Chanel’s Top coat has a gorgeous glossy sheen but is not quite as shiny as Dior’s.
Lasting power and performance: Performance of each top coat depends on what nail lacquer you’re using for color. Unfortunately I can’t say one is the best all around. Scroll down for notes below based on each test set.
Test Set No. 1: Over Dior Spring Ball
I tested both top coats at the same time, Dior’s Gel Top Coat on the left hand and Chanel’s Top Coat on the right hand. The verdict:
Dior Gel over Dior Spring Ball lasted 6 full days without any chipping and very minimal tip wear. I’ve never had a manicure last this long without tip wear (same performance over Dior Diablotine). The way the nails looked on Day 4 with tip wear on only one finger lasted until Day 6. By Day 7 tips started to wear noticeably on most of the fingers.
Chanel Top Coat over Dior Spring Ball didn’t last quite as long. Tip wear started on Day 3 with noticeable on most fingers by Day 4. Click the photo below to enlarge.
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Test Set No. 2: Over Chanel Tentation
Same testing as set one, both top coats worn simultaneously, Dior’s Gel Top Coat on the left hand and Chanel’s Top Coat on the right hand. How each held up over Chanel (this was also tested over Chanel Taboo):
Dior Gel over Chanel Tentation applied smoothly and gave a high gloss finish. Shine and coverage lasted until Day 3 when the polish started to crack. On Day 4 the cracks showed up on all nails and started to chip. Tip wear also occured. Not sure the cracks are visible in the photo below, but it was more visible over darker colors like Chanel Taboo.
Chanel Top Coat overChanel Tentation is typical Chanel Top Coat perfection lasting well into Day 6 without any tip wear. Click below to enlarge.
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Test Set No. 3: Over Rescue Beauty Lounge Poppy
Same process, Dior’s Gel Top
Coat on the left hand and Chanel’s Top Coat on the right hand. How each
held up over Rescue Beauty Lounge:
Dior Gel over Rescue Beauty Lounge Poppy lasted quite well on most fingers. On Day 3, tip wear started to show only on the middle finger, although those nails were slightly longer than the others so it may have been in contact with surfaces more frequently than the others. Still, tip wear was minimal and didn’t increase other than what is shown below until Day 5. There was no cracking on the nail.
Chanel Top Coat overRescue Beauty Lounge Poppy lasted extremely well. There was minimal tip wear (very very slight) on the corner of the middle nail, but the manicure is still as fresh as it was on the first day as on Day 5.
Overall thoughts: I really like both, but my preference depends what nail polish I use underneath. I was particularly impressed at how long my Dior over Dior manicures lasted. However Chanel is more versatile and easier to apply over most other brands.
Dior’s Gel Top coat worked best over Dior nail polishes. I did find it cracked over Chanel and OPI (not featured, but tested and it cracked over OPI on Day 3). Available at Nordstrom, Sephora, Neiman Marcus.
Chanel’s Top Coat performs best over most brands for me. It didn’t work quite as well over Dior with just one application (however manicures can be extended if you re-apply the top coat on the second day). The benefit of this one is that a bottle lasts a long time and it’s not limited. Find it at all Chanel counters and beauty studios and online at Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, Saks, Chanel.com and other Chanel retailers.
Did you try Dior’s Gel Top Coat? Or any of the other gels from Deborah Lippmann, Guerlain etc? What were your thoughts? What’s your favorite top coat?
Teal, emerald, green and aqua seem to be the focus for nails in several collections this season. There are a number of gorgeous new green nail polishes – all of which I was unable to resist. Some are more subtle and subdued while others are bright and electric. The new shades this season inspired me to pull out my other greens for comparison. I’m currently running a top coat experiment so I won’t be able to swatch these on the nails just yet, hopefully these photos will help give you an idea in the meantime.
The inspiration: new shades for summer from Dior, Chanel, YSL, MAC and Deborah Lippmann (spotted near me in stores now at Macy’s, Neiman Marcus and Nordstrom):
Dior’s Samba Duo ($29, spotted instore at Macys, Nordstrom and Nordstrom.com)
YSL Vert D’Orient #36 ($25 instores and here at Nordstrom.com)
MAC Mineralize Lip Balm in Glacé ($20 here at Nordstrom.com)
Deborah Lippmann Rockin’ Robin ($19 at in store and online at Nordstrom.com)
All the nail colors in greens, teals, aquas: OPI Thanks a Windmillion, YSL Jade Imperial (limited from spring 2013), Dior Waterlily (limited from spring 2012), Dior Samba Duo (summer 2013), Chanel Azure (summer 2013), Deborah Lippmann Mermaid’s Dream, Rescue Beauty Lounge Jack (limited), JINsoon Charade (at Sephora), JINsoon Metaphor (at Sephora), Chanel Black Pearl, YSL Vert d’Orient, Deborah Lippmann Rockin’ Robin (spring 2013):
For quick reference here’s one more shot of the bottom wheel at a different angle so you can see the difference in undertone between Chanel Azure and Dior Samba:
I love how vibrant and bright the shades are this season although I do wonder if I will be brave enough to pull them off on the fingers for everyday wear at the office. I definitely wouldn’t hesitate to wear them on the toes. Teal/Emerald as a small accessory or accent piece? Even a blouse? Definitely yes, but on the fingers, I’ll have to experiment to see. More detailed swatches and reviews to come in the next few days as soon I possibly can.
What’s your favorite teal, green or emerald shade for nails? Are you picking up any of the new greens this spring/summer?
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Dior has released a Sephora-exclusive nail polish called Lilac Colorvision #398 ($24, limited on Sephora.comand in stores). It’s a new shade to the US, but actually a repromote of a Japan Exclusive Frou Frou #398 (see review on Ala Peach). It’s currently sold out online but the Find In Store feature shows that physical stores should still have it in stock. I found mine in-store several weeks ago.
Lilac Colorvision #398 is a lovely cream light lilac nail color. Many lilacs are either too pink or pale and end up clashing with my skintone but the Dior #398 has enough color to not look chalky. It has a very fresh youthful look that’s lovely for spring. The application was smooth and flawless with two coats – Dior keeps getting better and better.
Swatches below with two coats, no top coat, I was happy to find it dried to a glossy finish very quickly:
I don’t own many lilac shades to compare, but I pulled a few purples from Chanel, Dolce & Gabbana and OPI to compare (each photo has the same set, just different lighting):
Bottom line gorgeous. If you’re interested I suggest you try to track it down at your local Sephora store soon, I don’t know if it will be restocked at Sephora.com. Did you try Dior’s Lilac Colorvision? What’s your favorite lilac shade for nails?
After playing around on the Dior Addict Minisite, I went back to Nordstrom and picked up Dior Diablotine 643 in the Addict Lipstick ($31) and Lipgloss ($29.50) formula to match the Nail Lacquer ($24) (reviewed last month here). The looks from Dior showed that using both the lipstick and lipgloss created a lush lip look that is perfect for spring to summer. Being the coral fanatic that I am, I didn’t need to see them in person to know they were must-haves. (Click photo below to go to Dior’s Addict minisite.)
The Dior Diablotine 643 lip options are similar to that of Spring Ball 343 in the sense that both lip colors are more subtle and soft than the nail polish versions. Diablotine Addict Lipstick and Lipgloss do have more color than Spring Ball so they show up better on my lips, but are still natural enough for my neutral-loving self.
Diablotine 643 Addict Lipstick is a coral in the tube but goes on more pinkish on my lips. The texture is smooth, finish is semi-shiny, pigment is medium but slightly transparent. There is subtle shimmer in the tube but you don’t really see it on the lips. Diablotine 643 Addict Lipgloss is a true coral peach loaded with tons of gold shimmer. It’s a high-shine gloss. It’s gorgeous. The gloss is similar to Chanel Nakkar so you probably don’t need both. The Dior is more sparkly and more red/orange.
Lip comparisons:
Lips and nails side by side:
I love both the lipstick and gloss formulas of Dior Diablotine #643 (along with the nail polish). The formulas feel luxurious on the lips. They have a nice moisturizing feel. I purchased mine from Nordstrom in store. The entire Sparkling Shine is also online at Nordstrom.com and other Dior counters and boutiques.
Have you had a chance to play with the new items from Dior?
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Dior’s Sparkling Shine collection brings some beautiful shimmering colors for spring. I fell in love with each of the new nail colors released and loved that Dior also brought us matching lipstick and lipgloss shades.I spent quite a bit of time at Nordstrom swatching and testing. I was particularly smitten with Spring Ball 343 a gorgeous peachy pink shimmer which comes in multiple forms:
Nail Lacquer ($24) is the perfect shimmery coral with gold, peach and silver flecks of sparkle infused throughout. I love that this has a hint of pink in it and multi-colored shimmer. This prevents it from looking too orange. The color is highly pigmented but still slightly transparent with two coats. It applied smoothly and flawlessly.
Addict Lipstick ($31) is a very natural light sheer peach shimmer. The shimmer is very natural on the lips. The texture is smooth and moisturizing. I couldn’t detect any scent. It matches my natural lip color closely but still has enough pigment to cover the lips fully and smooths them out with a lovely natural sheen. If you’re looking for something with more pigment this one might not be your cup of tea. I think you can get a similar result with something like MAC’s Ramblin Rose. (Note there is an Addict Extreme version of Spring Ball as well, I swiped it briefly, it was brighter and more pigmented without shimmer.)
Addict Gloss ($29.50) is also very natural and sheer. Spring Ball 343 gloss gives a high shine with beautiful soft sparkle. Layering this gloss over the lipstick lightens the overall look. I didn’t have time to compare but the gloss reminds me of MAC’s lustreglass in Love Nectar.
Swatches below, the nail polish is more vibrant than the lipstick/gloss, although the gloss and lipstick are lovely I wish they matched the brightness and pigment of the nail polish:
Spring Ball 343 Nail Polish:
Spring Ball 343 Addict Lipstick and Lipgloss:
Overall I’m quite pleased with Dior’s Spring Ball lineup for the Nail Lacquer, Addict Lipgloss and Addict Lipstick. The nail polish is a definitely must-have for me. The lipstick and gloss are not quite as unique compared to other colors and they are borderline too natural. Still these are perfect for lazy makeup days. They make the perfect swipe-and-go duo and are easy to apply or touch up without a mirror. The lipstick feels extremely luxurious and smooth on the lips (very lightweight). I like that the gloss is shiny but not sticky. I purchased all my items at Nordstrom.
Did you pick up any of the nail polishes, new addict lipsticks or glosses? Which is your favorite shade?
