When I showed you the overview of the Dior Golden Jungle collection for Fall 2012 I told you that my favourite piece of the collection was the Golden Savannah (774) palette. I haven’t changed my mind. It has now slipped comfortably into my eyeshadow palette stash as a keeper. One of the palettes I won’t give up. Its a bit surprising considering that at a first glance, the Golden Savannah palette isn’t very golden nor is it terribly exciting.
Golden Savannah palette and Copper Brown Serum Serum de Rouge lipstick
I was in fact prepared to not fall in love with it, because its a palette of browns and bronze shades that really, if truth be told, looks warm and just like any other neutral palette out there. In fact, I will stick my neck out and say that if you already have a ton of neutral colours in your stash, then you don’t need Golden Savannah.
But face it, you want it don’t you? 😉
Here are the swatches of the palette as I showed you before this, all swatched just 1 time. Its very pigmented!
Swatches L-R: (middle) Sparkly pale gold, (top left) satin tan, (top right) shimmer golden brown, (bottom right) shimmer golden cool toned dark brown, (bottom left) shimmer golden khaki
Barring the sparkly gold colour in the middle of the palette, all colours are shot through with golden shimmer that somehow adds to the lustre of the already strong colours. There is a safe mixture of warm and cool shades which make this one quite friendly to most skin tones. You can easily mix and match the colours depending on your skin tone and that is something that I appreciate, as I can’t wear bronze shades very well.
Barring the middle colour also, all colours are soft to the touch and it is incredibly easy to pick up the colours, whether using fingers or using a brush. A brush will give you better control but if you are in a hurry, it is so easy to just swipe 1 shade all over your lid, draw in liner and call it a day. Each colour can stand alone thanks to the golden shimmer evenly spread throughout the pressed powder and the even colour which makes the colour lively and interesting.
I wore it in a sample eye using quite a few colours.
Uh.. I actually used all the 5 colours in the palette! Dark brown and khaki on the outer lid, bronze on the middle of the lid, tan on the inner part of the lid and the gold blended over to tie the colours together and add some shine.
I loved it! There are many ways to wear this palette and you can glitz it up or tone it down as you wish. I think its one of Dior’s best offerings to date. Quality wise, I found the colours very long lasting which reminded me of the Aurora palette. By the end of the day, the colours had barely faded and looked just as intense as before. Do note that I do not use a lid primer as I’m lucky to not have oily lids and few colours fade on me 🙂 If you use a lid primer I can imagine the colour may be even more intense!
Here’s how the overall look was.
I wore Golden Savannah on eyes with Copper Brown Serum Serum de Rouge lipstick from the same Golden Jungle collection, on lips. The colours go beautifully together, being at once sultry and warm yet mind bogglingly simple. Animal print scarf is optional 😉
In a nutshell
Golden Savannah is a limited edition eyeshadow palette from Dior from their Golden Jungle collection for Fall 2012. The colours are safe and neutral looking browns, khakis and bronzes but the texture is very impressive. Each colour is smooth and fine milled and evenly infused with golden shimmer. Each colour can be worn alone with a nice eyeliner or blended together for some serious smokey eye action. Staying power is very impressive for me, staying on from morning till night with hardly any wear or fading. From the Dior palettes I have, I can safely say that this is one of the best in terms of texture and overall quality.
Pros: Longwearing colours, Pigmented colours, Each colour can be worn alone or blended together, Can be dressed up or down, Can be worn by those with warm or cool tones
Cons: Limited Edition, Pricey
Who will like this: Anyone who wants or likes a neutral flexible eyeshadow palette
Before I do a quick eyeshadow palette comparison, here’s some close ups of the Copper Brown Serum (610) Serum de Rouge lipstick. Serum de Rouge is one of my favourite lipsticks from Dior. The lipsticks are highly moisturizing and come in lovely but safe colours. Whenever I have flaky or dry lips, I always reach for the SdR and after a little while, my lips feel moist and lovely and plump again. My mom has nicked 2 of mine so far! Yes she’s a huge huge fan too 😀
Copper Serum looks terribly brown in the tube. In fact I was worried stiff that it’d look weird on me. I don’t wear brown lipsticks well. However, I clearly needn’t have worried because it is a very lovely neutral-red coloured lipstick on my lips! The lipstick has a bit of golden shine but it isn’t chunky or glittery and just barely noticeable. The colour is a browned rose that worn on my pigmented lips, takes on a redder hue. I love this one simply because it was so unexpected 🙂
Golden Savannah dupes?
A reader LSY asked in the overview post if Golden Savannah was anything like the Couture Golds palette. So I rooted around and picked out 2 other Dior palettes that appeared similar but not quite.
Left-Right: Couture Golds, Golden Savannah, Royal Kaki
Like LSY I too thought off hand that they would be similar. However as you can see, the shades are all rather different. I too thought Royal Kaki might bear a little similarity but it wasn’t. Not quite anyway.
However, there are some shades in each palette that are very close to each other as seen below.
From left to right
- Middle shade in Couture Golds vs Middle shade in Golden Savannah – Couture Golds is a little more bling but otherwise the two shades are very close in colour and tone
- Top Right shade in Couture Golds vs Top Right shade in Golden Savannah – On sight, these 2 colours appear close in shade but when swatched you can see that the one from Couture Golds is a paler gold while te one from Golden Savannah is a slightly warmer bronze
- Bottom Left shade in Golden Savannah vs Top Left shade in Royal Kaki – The shade in Golden Savannah is a deep khaki while in Royal Kaki the shade is a lighter golden khaki
I reckon if you were to compare the colours to the infamous Urban Decay Naked or Naked 2 palettes you will also find possible dupes in the shades available. As with a host of other neutral palettes out there. This palette is a neutral palette, make no mistake and you probably don’t need it if you already have a host of other neutral palettes. The difference of course, will be they aren’t a Dior 😉
Does Golden Savannah catch your eye? Are these colours you will wear?
I just realised that all 3 palettes I showed you above are my favourite Dior 5 Couleur palettes that I use most often. I just realised also that as I get older, I gravitate more and more towards safe colours like these browns, golds and khakis and play less and less with my blues, greens and purples. Oh dear … 😉
Paris B
Golden Savannah (774) 5 Couleur Eyeshadow Palette Price: RM200 Copper Brown Serum (#610) Serum de Rouge Lipstick Price: RM113 Availability: Dior counters nationwide Limited Edition: Yes, Golden Jungle Fall 2012 collection
Hanny Daforcena says
August 15, 2012 at 8:36 amPretteh! ^.^
Somehow I discovered that I prefer mattes if I go neutral for the eyes. I have an Inglot 4 pan palette which has rather similar colors – highlight color, brown and gold (My other color is a true silver), so I don’t have to get this weeee~ ^.^
Note to PB: Why la you tempt me so with lippies… WHY?
Paris B says
August 20, 2012 at 4:18 pmHeh… if I can’t get you with the eyeshadow, the lipstick is the next best bet yes? 😉
cat says
August 15, 2012 at 8:46 amVery nice! I am not very adventurious with colors and i think this will work for me. But the lipstick is a bit pricy.
Paris B says
August 20, 2012 at 4:19 pmThanks Cat – the lipstick isn’t for everyone I will agree and those who break it down price/gram will tell you it isn’t worth it. But I do, because the quality is amazing (to me I mean 🙂 ) The eye palette is a good one to wear light or dark or simple or elaborate. Its a good one 😀
Catherine says
August 15, 2012 at 9:00 amIm hesitating between this or one of these with panther like pattern! I hope you will do review of these too! 🙂
Paris B says
August 20, 2012 at 4:28 pmI’ll bring it up as quickly as I can Catherine! (p/s If you ask me to choose, I’d say get Golden Savannah 😉 )
Sze Ling says
August 15, 2012 at 9:12 amI can’t get enough of neutral eyeshadows. 😛 Browns, gold, beige, grey and olives, I want them all! LOL.
Already have a slew of neutrals from MAC and the UD Naked, just can’t justify another palette. Just can’t get myself to plop another RM200 for a palette that I probably already have dupes for. But, like you say, they are not a Dior. 🙁
Paris B says
August 20, 2012 at 4:29 pmThat’s the conundrum isn’t it? On the flip side, if you do decide to get this one, you will know you will get tons of use out of it 😉
germs says
August 15, 2012 at 9:14 amohh you look so pretty with the scarf!! i thought the golden savannah palette would be too warm, but this looks just nice 🙂 and copper brown serum looks like a perfect work shade, heading out later to try this at the counters :p
Paris B says
August 20, 2012 at 4:30 pmThanks, Germs 🙂 I thought this palette wouldn’t work either until I actually applied it on my skin and suddenly, whoa it DOES work 😛
Lily says
August 15, 2012 at 9:16 amI already reserved mine. I’m so gonna get it… Just haven’t had the time to run to the store. These colors look amazing on you! I can’t wait to play with mine 🙂
Paris B says
August 20, 2012 at 4:30 pmLooking forward to your thoughts on this 🙂
LeGeeque says
August 15, 2012 at 9:27 amHey, am I cross-eyed to think the colours look a little warm? The darkest brown is lovely but the rest sort of make me back away cautiously. Love the lip colour on you though. I need to figure out which SDR to get next 😉 It is my favourite Dior lippie too – more so than the Addict range!
Paris B says
August 20, 2012 at 4:31 pmThe colours have a warm tone but work on cool/neutral toned skin without that dreaded “I look like I didn’t sleep a wink” effect 🙂
Issa says
August 15, 2012 at 9:46 amthis is a very pretty palette! i would definitely wear these shades! I also find myself going for neutrals lately … oh dear, are we really getting older? 🙂
Paris B says
August 20, 2012 at 4:34 pmNever older, Issa – just wiser to know what colours make us look better 😉 hehe I do still go for colours but not the brights that I would have worn a few years ago. On hindsight though, they never quite suited me either LOL!
mrsdjones says
August 15, 2012 at 10:06 amOh my! I love gold and I NEED this! :p
Paris B says
August 20, 2012 at 4:35 pmDid you manage to get your hands on this in the end? 😀
sharon says
August 15, 2012 at 10:15 amSounds like Miss PB is in one of her enabling modes 😉 BUT I am not enabled this time round lol. Actually the Aurora palette now seems so much pigmented as compared to GS but anyways Aurora is too orangey for my liking..Just wondering, do you have any issues with the serum rouge in terms of twisting the product back into the tube itself? Mine wont go back down once twisted up.. >_<
Paris B says
August 20, 2012 at 4:38 pmNot quite enabling, my dear – just gushing a lot LOL! 😀 I am personally not a fan of the Aurora palette because of the colours in there and I think the fact it was pigmented just made it less easy to wear, but staying power for GS is very good too 🙂 As for the Serum de Rouge, I have always been able to twist mine back down. I know its a common complaint that the lipstick can’t be twisted back, but I have always managed to. That said, I don’t twist it very far up – just far enough to apply.
Monstro says
August 15, 2012 at 10:38 amThis is SO nice! You look amazingly stylish in the whole ensemble! LOVEEEEE!
Paris B says
August 20, 2012 at 4:38 pmEeks! Thanks m’dear 😀
Applegal says
August 15, 2012 at 10:55 amVery very pretty. Really love the eye and the LIP! When I first saw the lipstick I went merrrhhh?? because I’m a red or pink fan, but this browned rose looks SO GORGEOUS on your lips!
Paris B says
August 20, 2012 at 4:38 pmI was surprised myself because I was prepared NOT to like it – teaches us we should never judge a lipstick by how it looks in the tube 😉
Jan S says
August 15, 2012 at 10:58 amLove the review and look 🙂 the animal print scarf is so cute! Those 3 palettes…gorgeous…
Paris B says
August 20, 2012 at 4:39 pmThank you Jan 😀
Nikki says
August 15, 2012 at 11:05 amPB! totally not related to the palette but boy do you look cute with a head band!!!!
Now back to the topic, these are the shades that I wear on a daily basis, boring to others but I don’t care! It fits my “age range” :))
Paris B says
August 20, 2012 at 4:39 pmThanks Nikki! Its great for taking care of hair that isn’t behaving itself 😉
Stacey says
August 15, 2012 at 11:17 amGorgeous palette and I have been surprised by a brown red lipstick from Elizabeth Arden lately as well! It looked so…brown and dark in the tube but it looks so pretty and turns into a beauty warm red that is so wearable.
Paris B says
August 20, 2012 at 4:40 pmThat sounds like a lovely colour! Its so surprising how a dull looking brown can look so lovely on lips 🙂
jk says
August 15, 2012 at 12:32 pmFor years I have religiously stuck to browns, neutrals and greys from Bobbi Brown and EL – having strayed only once or twice to blue – (also B/Brown) until recently a review by someone with the initials PB enticed me to stray further to try purple and Inglot’s olive-brown Green. *Did that in 1 Freedom Palatte :-)*
Dior’s GC is taking me back to my color basics. The colors/shades are really gorgeous. I want! I want! But @ RM200/- woah.. slow down.. think.. think.. Do I need it? No but I want. :-O Decisions decisions..
As at time of this post, still thinking..
Paris B says
August 20, 2012 at 4:42 pmEeps! PB? I wonder who that is… *twiddles thumbs* 😉 Inglot was a great place to start looking for colour – its not too pricey and the quality is pretty good! Gotta admit this palette is rather pricey so you must really know you will get a lot of wear out of it to justify it. To be honest, if you already have lots of similar colours then perhaps there’s no real need to pick it up. You may be able to find similar shades in Inglot too 😉 I haven’t gone to look myself, but one never knows…
beetrice says
August 15, 2012 at 1:41 pm*chants to self* I. don’t. need. the. palette. I. only. want. that. SdR… 😀 Got way too many browns and neutral shades in my stash as it is!
Paris B says
August 20, 2012 at 4:44 pmLOL the SdR is a nice one… maybe duty free? Ahem 😛
Makeup Morsels says
August 15, 2012 at 2:05 pmLOL yes of course I want it! What a ridiculous question 😛 The lipstick is really lovely as well (and I’ve heard such great things about that formula), but I have too many shades like it in my stash. And now I’m going to take a deep breath and say OHMYGODILOVEYOUREYEMAKEUP. It’s gorgeous. The blending is perfect.
Paris B says
August 20, 2012 at 4:43 pmThank you so much MM! 😀 Did you end up getting the Golden Savannah palette and will I be seeing it on your blog soon? 😀
Makeup Morsels says
August 21, 2012 at 1:11 pmI was so tempted to add this to my collection! But my Dior palette count is still at 2, and will probably stay that way for awhile. Trying to be good *shifty eyes*
Jyoan says
August 15, 2012 at 2:35 pmUnfortunately, while I think it is very nice on palette, I just can’t seem to work the browns right on my eyes. T_T Always looks like panda eyes when I use it.
Maybe I use a little too much.
Paris B says
August 20, 2012 at 4:45 pmBrowns are always very tricky for the eyes. I always (almost without fail) look like a panda too! So I’ve learnt that for me, I need a sheerer texture, with shimmer (shimmer makes it more forgiveable) and a pale gold helps to tone down the brown. Oh and I always stay away from red based browns which are more prevalent than we think 😉
Becca says
August 15, 2012 at 3:44 pmHeck yeah I have a lot of neutral shadows in my stash! And heck yeah I still want Golden Savannah…bad!!! 😀
Paris B says
August 20, 2012 at 4:46 pmLOL! I look forward to your swatches and review! 😉