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Dior Riviera 537 and Plaza 579

March 10, 2012

Dior Riviera 537 and Plaza 579 Nail Lacquers ($23 each) are both vibrant highly saturated creams. Riviera is a hot orange coral, while Plaza is a hot pink. These have a similar vibe to last summer’s Aloha and Paradise, but without the neon quality. I found both to be slightly thicker in texture which requires a slow and steady application. The chiseled brush is something I’m still trying to get used to. I find it easier to use with their metallics/shimmers, although it does apply nicely for creams. It has a very slight jelly finish – not quite as jelly-like as Laura Mercier’s though. The Diors have a bit more coverage.

Riviera 537 is shown below. It’s very similar to other orange-corals. I wouldn’t call it a straight orange or coral, but it does lean more on the orangey side with a slight reddish undertone. Two coats and you get rich full coverage. Scroll down a little and you’ll see this isn’t all that unique in color. Still gorgeous and for those who don’t like Chanel’s formula, Dior’s is amazing.

Riviera Comparisons: Aloha, Psychedelic Orange(more pink, less orange), OPI Red Lights Ahead … Where? (a shade and a 1/2 darker), Laura Mercier Sizzle (closest match just the slightest bit deeper), Dior Trafalgar (more red and deeper), OPI I Mainely Eat Lobster

Plaza 579 is a hot pink. This color too is very similar to other releases from OPI and Chanel. The difference is in the undertone. Hard to detect on the color wheel or in the bottles. My recommendation would depend on what works best with your skintone. Some people want a warmer pink, others like a cooler pink.

Plaza comparisons: OPI Strawberry Margarita (slightly warmer than Plaza and 1/2 a shade lighter), OPI Kiss Me On the Tulips (significantly more blue), Chanel Rose Insolent (warmer in tone), Chanel May, Laura Mercier Flamingo (lighter in color), Dior Caberet Pink (slightly warmer)

Are either of these must-haves? I would say for me not really, but I really love these. If you’re new to nail polish and are looking for good brights, Dior’s are a good pick. The quality and finish of the polishes is amazing. It really is getting better and better by the season. If you’re on a budget looking for something less expensive, there are definitely many options from OPI. I really adore their brights, especially from their recent Holland collection.
Many of you have asked if I’ve tried the new Dior Addict Extremes yet. I purchased 2 but haven’t had a chance to wear or try them yet on the lips. After a few quick swipes at the counter, I think they look promising though! Another FAQ relates to the nail wheels used on the blog. The nail wheels were purchased from Sally’s Beauty Supply. I don’t know the name of the brand since I’ve thrown away the label/packaging. So far I’ve only seen 1 brand at the store. I think they also carry them online.

Have you seen the new Dior lip and nail items? Thoughts?

P.S. Dior Nail Polish fans who missed out on Saint Tropez Nail Polish last year will happy to know it’s out again!! Check your Nordstrom counters! I spotted it last week. No sign of the rest of the summer collection yet. (See Cafe Makeup’s and Steph’s Closet swatches from last year.)

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Dior Incognito 257 Nail Polish

March 6, 2012

Dior Incognito 257 nail polish is a demure nude pink cream with a hint of grey. It’s a fairly standard nude-colored polish but what I love about this one is that it doesn’t make you look corpse-like. Coverage is semi-sheer which helps it look more natural. It makes the hands look polished and clean but it’s easily dupeable. If you don’t have a good nude-pink this is a good one and the formula is long-lasting with a smooth shiny finish. If you have nudes in your collection or prefer something with more kick I think you can safely pass. Comparisons below.

Comparisons shown below:

  • D&G Petal
  • Dior Beige Lotus (shown here)
  • Dior Sienna (shown here and here)
  • Dior Incognito
  • Chanel Rose Cache (shown here)
  • Sephora by OPI Leotard Optional
  • Chanel Jade Rose

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Dior Incognito, Plaza, Riviera & Lucky

March 5, 2012

Dior has been releasing some killer knock-out shades for nails recently. The latest release includes four nail polishes to coincide with the release of their new Addict Extreme lipstick formula. So far it appears the four polishes were released first to Macy’s in Incognito, Plaza, Riviera and Lucky ($23 each). I ordered mine from Sephora.com and I believe the other shades are trickling in slowly to other locations. At first glance these appear to be your basic and standard shades that are easy to replicate with less expensive brands like OPI and Essie. While true, I find the Dior formula continues to impress me with the rich color and shine and long lasting formula. Here is a quick sneak peek. A more detailed review to follow for each shade. So far I am impressed. Compared to other recent releases, Dior packs in more punch while Laura Mercier’s recent release is softer and more subdued. OPI’s Holland release was more diverse in color selection with the brights being super sharp and bright.

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Dior 5-Colour Eyeshadow in Royal Kaki 454

January 29, 2012

Dior Royal Kaki 454 is another quint that has been released as part of Dior’s New Look Collection. I purchased this sight unseen hoping it wouldn’t be too cool-toned. Some websites show this labeled as “Royal Khaki” but I looked at the compact, and it’s named “Royal Kaki.” The colors in the quint on my skin:

  • Sharp shimmery cool white
  • Yellow-tinged gold shimmer with slight olive tones
  • Khaki green (army green) matte with small flecks of sparkle
  • Matte black (applies a bit satiny, but leans more matte)
  • Cool gunmetal silver shimmer

In the compact, the combination of colors is beautiful, but odd. The white and black and khaki green are a bit harsh in my opinion making this quint a bit tricky to pull off. So far I’ve tried this 2 ways:

  • Method 1: Use the left shades + middle, gold shimmer + khaki green + black, I found this to work ok, but the gold in this quint plus the khaki are a bit too green for my olive skin and make my eyes look a bit tired.
  • Method 2: Use the right shades + middle, the white is too sharp for my medium skin, even when the other colors are layered on top.
More close ups and swatches below:

Right now I’m undecided about this one. I prefer Dior’s Smoky Khaki trio (reviewed here) by far, even though it has a khaki/greenish tinge, I find the trio easier to pull off than the new Royal Kaki Quint. I am scheduled to attend a Dior event soon at my local Nordstrom. Perhaps I will ask for tips on how to apply this, although I’m not sure that this will be one that is workable for my medium olive skintone. Lesson learned to wait for Dior items to arrive in store to try before buying. With so many successes with Dior I thought I would be safe!

Have you purchased/tried Royal Kaki? Did it work for you? Whether it did or did not, please share your thoughts and skintone.

A special note: Many have brought to my attention that the Numbers/Names on Sephora.com do not match my reviews and asked that I double check my labeling. I’ve added photos of the backs of my quints to show the corresponding number and name and believe I have them correct in each post, at least based on the packaging labels. At this time I believe that Sephora.com has the incorrect labeling but if you plan on only ordering 1, I suggest you contact their Customer Service if you’re at all unsure. Since I ordered both I figured I’d find out which was which once I received my package. As labeled on my quints:

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Dior 5-Colour Eyeshadow in Grège 734

January 29, 2012

Dior Grège 734 is a stunning soft satiny neutral quint. I think this is a must-have for any neutral lover, especially if you’re a fan of Dior eyeshadows. I found mine online at Sephora.com ($59 for 6 g/ 0.21 oz, made in France). It has a soft earthy feel with a mixture of shimmer and satiny shades. I personally find the combination of the colors unique, descriptions of each shade:
  • Soft warm tan camel brown (slight shimmer, satiny finish)
  • Pale greyed white frost (higher shimmer)
  • Pale mauve grey cream shimmer (high shimmer, but not frost)
  • Muted brown grey with mauvey tones (more matte, slight satin finish)
  • Shimmery blue grey with mauve tinge (shimmery)

Update: someone requested I confirm that I have the numbers of the quints correct b/c there is an inconsistency online at Sephora.com, here is the back of Grège to show the number is in fact 734:

The texture is similar to that of the Mitzah quint: soft, blendable with a soft shimmer finish. There is apparent shimmer in the compact, on the eyes it translates into a softer satiny look. The shimmer gives a subtle glow. The colors are layerable and easy to blend.

Swatches applied with a brush (I find that these apply better with a brush versus the sponge applicators that come in the compact):

I often find it difficult to wear all 5 shades at once with Dior quints but I do not think they are designed to all be worn at once. If you read the little pamphlets that come with the boxes you will find that Dior has helpful diagrams and tips. Dior suggests several different methods. One is to use any 3 shades that are touching, whether it is diagonal, the top + middle, or sides + middle. Pardon the poor quality of the snapshot, but the paper is so thin, scanning shows both sides of the ink. Hopefully these diagrams will help you if you haven’t seen them before.

How does this compare to other palettes? I’m sure individually you could find similar shades, but palette-wise, I found Grège to be unique. I didn’t look for dupes this time but I did pull Chanel Stupendous and the classic Dior Incognito (older version) to compare. Grège is an amped-up version of Incognito. While Grège is soft, the contrast of the colors in this palette are sharper than Incognito making it easier to wear (in my opinion). I only swatched the diors side by side.

Grège 734 is a lovely wearable neutral. Today I managed to wear all 5 shades on the eyes by layering them, medium tan shade first, soft lighter colors on top to blend the edges, then darkest shades along lash line and outer corners blended. I can easily see myself wearing this on a regular basis for everyday. For a base I used a combination of Urban Decay’s Primer Potion and Laura Mercier’s Metallic Cream Shadow in Platinum. It lasted all afternoon. I give it a big thumbs up.
The Dior New Look Collection is already out online at Sephora and also should be in store at Nordstrom now.
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Dior New Look Collection 5-Colour Eyeshadows: Grège 734 and Royal Kaki 454

January 29, 2012

Dior’s latest release is a New Look Collection which includes a new formula of DiorShow Mascara and four new quints. If you don’t follow Rouge Deluxe already, I highly recommend you do. I found out about this upcoming release on her blog. My love for shimmery neutrals is still going strong and I ordered the neutral options in Grège 734 and Royal Kaki 454 from Sephora.com last week (gotta love their samples and super fast shipping). Here is a quick peek at both palettes side by side. A detailed post with better swatches on each quint to follow.

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Dior Garden Party Spring 2012: Waterlily and Forget-Me-Not

January 9, 2012

Dior’s Spring Garden Party Collection has a romantic and youthful palette of greens, purples and pinks. This season Dior has released two rose-scented nail polishes for spring in Waterlily 504, a soft iridescent pale green shimmer and Forget-Me-Not 694, a lilac purple cream ($23 each). Both are limited edition.

Dior Waterlily 504 is a soft pastel mint green with subtle shimmer that is fun and youthful. The texture is slightly thicker than other Dior nail polishes I own, but still applies with smooth full coverage. I find Waterlily very similar to Chanel’s epic Jade, but the Dior is slightly more leaf-green while Chanel has a bit more mint. There is something oddly irresistible about a soft minty-green shimmer even though it is anything but office-appropriate (in my mind). I agree with Café Makeup that the finish is more satiny with the Dior for this particular shade. If you want the classic high-shine finish you will need a top coat. Below I’ve swatched Waterlily with 2 coats and no top coat:

Dior Forget-Me-Not 694 is a lilac purple cream with a very slight hint of silver microsparkle. It applies more like a cream and the shimmer is only detectable if you look at the bottles closely. Forget-Me-Not applies smoothly with 2 coats. It’s a lighter version of Dior’s Purple Mix.

I pulled my greens and purples to swatch comparisons. I picked the closest shades to finger swatch here:

A more comprehensive comparison set:

When the promotional photos came out of Dior’s Spring Collection, my initial thoughts were “pass.” The collection has some of the most exquisite detailing with the design and gorgeous spring-like colors, but everything seemed a bit too pastel for my taste. However as photos of the nail polishes popped up on blogs I could not resist. I wore Forget-Me-Not all week and it lasted quite well without any chipping. While this is a brighter non-neutral purple, I still felt comfortable wearing this to the office on the fingers. The rose scent is very subtle and only noticeable when I hold my fingers close to my nose. Here are a few other resources I recommend (not comprehensive but just a few of my favorites):
If you’re considering these at all I suggest you act fast since they are limited edition. My local Nordstrom only had one of each shade left in the store by the time I called. Did you pick anything up from Dior Spring? What were your thoughts?
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