Spotlight: Dior

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It’s that time again! Meaning, of course, that time where I dig out everything I own of one brand and then tell you about it. Up today: I. Honestly it’s not a brand I go out and buy every single thing of, but I’ve accumulated quite a few pieces to talk about here.

Mascara

Left to right: Lash Maximizer, Diorshow, Addict It-Lash, Iconic Overcurl

I’ve probably tried more mascaras from Dior than any other brand, just because they give the miniature samples out like they’re restaurant fliers. I fully expect to walk out of the mall one day and find one stuck under my windshield wiper. Their devious scheme apparently paid off though, because I did fork over the cash for some full size ones (but during a sale – take that, marketing department!). Not pictured is Diorshow Extase, but you can see a review of it here.

Diorshow Maximizer – I was skeptical about this at first, just the way I was skeptical of face primers when I first started using for-real makeup. It’s true to its word though – it makes a nice base for any mascara and amps up the volume.

Diorshow – This is my current everyday mascara. I already did a full review of it, but to sum it up – the wand is huge and application is a little fussy, but I love how my lashes look when I get done with it.

Addict It-Lash – I haven’t broken into this tube yet (just opened it for the photo) but I absolutely loved the sample I had of it. It’s just about a perfect balance between separation and volume.

Diorshow Iconic Overcurl – Appropriately named. It adds quite a bit of curl, and the volume is awesome while somehow still separating well. The consistency is on the drier side, which I love, but if you’re a fan of wet mascaras it might fell a little bit meh for you.

Fusion Mono Eyeshadows

Left: Mirage Right: Nocturne

Again, I’ve done a full review of the Dior Fusion Monos, but it’s worth a little update. For one, I found a new use for Mirage – contouring! It’s actually a really great subtle shade for it. One bit of sad news, though. After a little over a year they don’t feel dried out, but they’re a lot less easy to apply and blend. I may have to take the top layer off and start storing them upside down. I still like them, but I’m not sure I’d recommend these (or cream shadows in general, really) unless you’re a ‘wear-my-favorites-every-day’ kind of makeup addict.

Addict Lipstick

#643 Diablotine

Dior’s Addict Lipstick in Diablotine (review) is one of my summer staples. The peach shade works with a lot of other colors, and the sheer formula is very low-maintenance and moisturizing. In other words, a lazy girl’s dream.

Lash Curler

I’m not sure I have much to say about the Dior lash curler that hasn’t already been said, except that it’s holding up well. The hinge hasn’t gotten loose and the pad has lasted. The only bummer is the Dior logo rubbed off of the front pretty quickly when I used an oil-based makeup remover to clean it. Whoops. But we’re still good.

Nude Air Serum Foundation

020 Light Beige

Yeah, I can’t quite decide how I feel about this Dior Nude Air Serum. At first I was absolutely in love – it felt light, the finish was incredibly natural and it got through the work day with no problems. My skin took a turn for the worse though, which led to me using a bunch of moisture-sucking medications. After that, my poor skin started sucking all the water out of this foundation and I get left with a patchy mess that emphasizes every flake there is. Needless to say, I haven’t been wearing it much lately. It’s completely a “it’s not you, it’s me” situation, but I do think this will work best on normal-to-oily skin.

5 Couleurs Eyeshadow Palette

Left to right: Golden Snow, Golden Flower, Constellation

Left: Constellation; Top Right: Golden Snow; Bottom Right: Golden Flower

So far I don’t have many eyeshadow palettes from Dior; I’ve only ended up with some of the holiday releases. Why is that? – you might ask. Well, it’s because I’m very conflicted on these. The colors are lovely, but formula-wise it’s committing the worst sin that a high-end brand can: it’s inconsistent. I think the swatches kind of tell it all here. The texture runs everywhere from smooth, creamy goodness to glitterbomb to chalky mess. The good colors are amazing – pigmented, smooth, no fallout. Basically everything I want in an eyeshadow. Constellation (the purple one) hits this status with most of the shades. But the others are truly a mixed bag. The dark brown color in Golden Flower and the blue in Golden Snow are both very dry and difficult to blend. The pinks (top left in both of those) are dry and don’t want to stick to my lid at all, so it’s hard to build them up anywhere near the color in the pan. The glitter shades actually behave themselves pretty well, for glitter. They don’t have a ton of fallout, but you very much need to pat instead of swipe to get the color on evenly. All in all I do use these because I like the colors, but I’m a little hesitant to buy more.

Overall I have to say – Dior is not my all-time favorite brand. I really love most of the mascaras I’ve tried from them, and the one lipstick I have is a staple in my summer makeup routine, but the other products haven’t been dependably fantastic the way I think luxury brands should be. I think that’s the main reason I haven’t purchased much from the range. The products have been a little hit-or-miss for me, and I’m much more likely to buy something if I’m reasonably sure I’ll end up loving it.

What are your favorites (and not-so-favorites) from Dior?

Dior is available at sephora.com and nordstrom.com