Dior Couture Golds Eye Shadow Palette is gorgeous and my best purchase of 2011!

I’m feeling a wee bit jaded with all the cosmetics releases popping up almost daily and earlier and earlier. Don’t you feel that way sometimes? Everything just blurs into one another and by the time the collection/product is launched, I’d have forgotten about it.

When I saw pictures of the Dior 5 Couleurs Eye Shadow palette in Couture Golds (554) popping up sometimes in October, I just glanced at it and didn’t think too much about it. However, I recently decided I need (yes need!) a gold shadow that isn’t brassy or orange and all of a sudden, my mind strayed to Couture Golds.

I went to the counter, swatched it, decided that although it was a bit shimmery, I could handle it and wanted it. Then, much to my chagrin, I was told it was out of stock. I started at Isetan The Gardens. Nevermind, I thought, there’s Robinsons. Out of stock too! 5 minutes later at Metrojaya I was told the same thing. Dammit! Was Couture Golds never to be mine?

Fortunately, the final department store in MidValley had it! There were a few palettes as I recall (I peeped into the drawer as the SA was extracting mine :) ) and even when I bought it, I still felt a little ambivalent about it.

But this is one of those special palettes that just creep up on you, grab a hold of your heart and won’t let go. I absolutely love this palette from the day I started using it! I can quite easily use this one every single day and never ever get bored because I think its a gorgeous palette that can be blinged up for night, neutralized for the day and isn’t over the top at all. I can, in fact, see myself hitting pan on this (tragic if I do because its limited edition but there you go!) Ahh… this must truly be love!Couture Golds (554) palette is a limited edition release for Christmas 2011. I was a little afraid initially that the golds may be over the top. Golds tend to be that way, but they aren’t.

The colours I have shown here are the best I can reproduce. They look a little washed out but I can very safely say that they are not overly warm. I do not hold well with warm tones on the eyes and this one is quite perfect. Yes, even that warmish looking gold shade in the top right corner.

What you get in a typical Dior quint is 5 powder eyeshadows of 3 different textures – matte, shimmer and glitter. The testament to the quality of the Dior quint is that there is absolutely no fall out. Yes, even that glittery gold bit doesn’t go from eye lid to cheek in 2 seconds. I hate it when I place shimmer on my lid and by mid day, find its migrated elsewhere on my face. This doesn’t happen with Couture Golds and I do not use lid primers.

You can see from the swatches that the colour tends to be a wee bit sheer. If you don’t like textures like this, you will easily pass this over. However, I will ask that you reconsider because it applies very prettily on the skin. The white shade has the least shimmer and the dark brown shade, swatches matte with bits of gold glitter and takes at least 2 layers to get it looking as it does in the photo. That brown shade is the one that has a lot of people moaning about how awful it is and how awful the palette is so I do think it comes down to expectations. I had none LOL!

I find that these shadows, like many Dior eyeshadows, apply better with a brush than they do with fingers. That was my mistake when I first started playing around with Dior quints. I was always too lazy to use an eyeshadow brush. With this one, I use an eyeshadow brush with dabbing (not swiping) motions, and you’d be able to easily pack on color on your lid.

I get a look that’s something like this with just a quick sort of application. Nothing fancy. Just the dark brown in the outer corners and outer part of lower lid, and the gold in the top right corner from inside and over whole lid, blended with brown. Touch of the white to tie it in together (ignore brows, boo!) and this is what made me fall in love with it.

Its just too easy to get a pretty looking eye! If you want something more dramatic for the night (which I executed but did not take pictures of) deepen the dark brown, apply a layer of sparkly gold (middle shade) over the eye and its very pretty! Nothing over the top at all despite how blingy it sounds.

And because I can, here is the same eye from a slightly different angle. I read reviews saying it was muddy but I didn’t experience that muddiness. The gold shows up prettily, just not in a super blingy way which I guess again, depends on your expectations. I love the subtlety and the colour and how it blends together to give a glow to the eye area.

In a nutshell

A limited edition gold toned eyeshadow palette I love and have and will use often for a long time. It is very easy to wear this palette in the day, as the shimmer colours are not over the top and aren’t chunky glitter, but are in fact more glowy on the skin than you expect. It is very easy to use this palette for a day to night look, and if you don’t use the glitter in the middle shade, is workable as a work eye too. Save the glitter for night use. The texture of all shadows are smooth barring the middle shade which feels chunkier, but there is no fall out at all. Colours last all day on me without a primer, without creasing or fading. It can be rather sheer and responds very well when applied with an eyeshadow brush in a dabbing motion. The colours are quite neutral toned, not too cool or warm either way. A palette I can see myself hitting pan on *gasp!*

Pros: Lovely texture and colours with no fall out experienced, Rather sheer if swatched with fingers but applies well with an eyeshadow brush, Colours blend well together and give a glowy look to the eye area, Useful palette that can double up for day or night wear

Cons: Limited Edition, Pricey for some

Here’s how I would wear this palette in the day. Same set of pictures from the above close ups.

Also featuring: Dior Forever liquid foundation 010, Dior Addict Icone lipstick (681), Diorblush Vintage Pink (839) Dentelle blush

I hate to say this, but I think this one a must have. It has most certainly been my best makeup purchase of 2011. Yes, it even trumps things like the Guerlain peacock powder or red lipstick. This is the one I can see myself using for months and years to come. Love! :D  /end gush mode

Have you checked out the Dior Couture Golds (554) palette? I will concede not many people will love it as much as I do because it looks very shimmery. But I will ask that you give it a go on your eyes. Its super pretty and very wearable and you may surprise yourself yet :) I was told its been sold out but they are expecting more stock to come in. I hope so! I’d be crazy to get a back up but the thought did cross my mind :P

Paris B

Price: RM195, US$59 Availability: Dior counters nationwide Limited Edition: Yes