Spring makeup collections usually bore me. So do Summer, come to think of it. I usually fall asleep till the Fall-Winter makeup pop up because colours start looking more saturated and bolder, and pastels take a back seat. This time around however, the Dior Colour Gradation Spring 2017 collection gave me a jolt of surprise.
Hello? This doesn’t look like a Spring collection does it?
Often, for Spring makeup, Dior is the quintessential embodiment of pastel colours. Just take a look at some of their previous offerings in Spring 2016, Spring 2013 and Spring 2012. Usually, we can expect something airy, pastel and girly from Dior. Not this time. The Colour Gradation collection brings to my mind the warmth and colours of Summer (don’t believe me? Tell me that Coral Gradation palette doesn’t remind you of Aurora! Or maybe you don’t remember it HAHA! 😀 )
I received some select pieces from the Dior Colour Gradation Spring 2017 collection, and incidentally, they’ve conveniently fallen into 3 distinct categories – the good, the mediocre and the downright ugly. So, here’s what I think 🙂
Dior Colour Gradation Spring 2017 – The Good
The hits in the collection are easy to spot. They are the 2 items displayed at front and centre of the collection – the Dior Colour Gradation Eyeshadow Palette and the Diorblush Colour Gradation. Both these items feature 2 shades a piece.
Dior Colour Gradation Eyeshadow Palette – 02 Coral Gradation RM260 | US$63
The reason I picked the Colour Gradation Eyeshadow Palette as a hit, is because it is. There are 2 shades – 01 Blue Gradation (a palette of 4 shades of blues) and 02 Coral Gradation (pictured here). Blue Gradation is very pretty and brings to mind the blues of the ocean, graduating from light to deep. Blue is however, a colour that can be challenging, especially on warm skintones. In that sense therefore, Coral Gradation is a little more versatile…. but only just.
Dior Colour Gradation Eyeshadow Palette – 02 Coral Gradation
Personally, this isn’t a shade I’d pick for myself. But neither would I pick the blue. In all honesty while I’d pick the QUALITY of the eyeshadow palette as a hit, the colour choice is a personal miss. Still, I know colours like these sit well with many people and if you have a warmer or medium skintone, you will LOVE this one. The texture is smooth and the pigment is strong. For anyone who’s ever complained about Dior eyeshadows, this one will change your mind because one swipe is all you need to impart colour to your lids. The swatches are below.
I also found it interesting that Dior went with 4 colours instead of their usual 5 colour palettes. The graduated shades blend seamlessly into each other without fall out, and last on my lids (non oily). If you can still find them, I’d say it’s worth taking a look simply because the quality is quite outstanding (for Dior, that is).
Diorblush Colour Gradation – 001 Pink Shift – RM189 | US$45.50
Like the eyeshadow palette, the Diorblush Colour Gradation blush comes in 2 shades – 001 Pink Shift and 002 Coral Shift (Lily of ChloeAsh has the Coral version if you want to see what it looks like). I was very pleased with the pink one, because that’s the type of colour I’d wear! 😀
If I’m to be honest, this isn’t unique. What is basically is, is an ombre blush, which we have seen offered in numerous brands before this. What makes it stand out however, is the quality and the design. I am a huge fan of Dior blushes (which seem to have maintained their quality over the years, thankfully) and this one lives up to its predecessors.
The blush has 2 distinct shades – a light cool-toned pink and a medium cool-toned pink. The difference is minimal, as you’ll see below. It is very easy to pick up colour and it’s quite pigmented, so use a light hand. I picked this one as something to save for, or a personal treat, because I think it’s worth the price.
However, I have a sneaky feeling both the eyeshadow palettes and blush are out of stock and as they’re both limited edition items, I’m not sure if they’ll get more stock. Sorry ’bout that – got these late so you get the news late but try calling around the stores if you’re interested. I’m sure there’s still some floating about out there 🙂
Dior Colour Gradation Spring 2017 – The Mediocre
Well, ‘mediocre’ is a pretty strong word, because these aren’t bad. Just not very exciting and in the case of one of the products, not a personal favourite. Incidentally, they’re both lip products and I love … well, used to love Dior lip products.
Dior Addict Lipstick Gradient – 850 Pink Twist
This is the new Dior Addict which I’d already bashed to bits a while ago, so you can read my thoughts there. My view remains the same, except I didn’t deem this one ‘ugly’, because it had no sparkles and it felt a smidge more moisturising on my lips.
While 850 Pink Twist looks in tube to be a bright red, it actually swatches and applies a sheer red, so that’s how it falls into ‘mediocre’ territory. There is no pink in there so I’m not sure how they derived the name LOL! It’s not bad. But it isn’t exciting and I’d have preferred for it to swatch the same colour as you see in the tube.
Rouge Dior Brilliant Lipshine & Care Couture Colour – 878 Impulsive
These are lip glosses and I must say, they are pretty amazing. Mediocre, because again, the colour isn’t exciting nor is it revolutionary. It’s a very good lip gloss, as it’s not sticky, and it applies more like an opaque liquid lipstick. If you hate lip glosses, you might still like this one, because it feels nice and cushiony, while giving lovely intense colour.
Dior Colour Gradation Spring 2017 – The Ugly
Dior Rouge Gradient Lip Shadow Duo – RM125 | US$35
This one I wasn’t sure what to think about, when I first saw it. It’s actually a dual-ended lip product, with sponges at each end. It reminds me of these dual-ended eyeshadow pens Dior made a while back. The twist-on caps hold a wet-powder-shadow thing that is supposed to be the Lip Shadow. It comes in 2 shades on each end, because you are supposed to be able to create an ombre lip with it
But you know what? This is the dumbest product ever. Seriously. Imagine if you will, trying to dab eyeshadow on your lips. It is patchy, it is drying and it is unflattering. If one side had been a lip pencil, I believe it would be a more forgiving product, as the powder would have something to grab onto, and you can create a more defined lip line. As it is, I hated it. I hated dabbing the colour on my lips (you can’t swipe it on) and I hated how my lips felt after that (parched!). I’ll stick to regular lipstick, thank you very much, Dior! 😛
If I were you, I’d skip this one and save your money. Seriously, there’s absolutely no redeeming feature about it at all! It is bloody AWFUL!
And on that note, here are the swatches for the products I’ve featured here.
And, because I know arm swatches alone aren’t very helpful, I put the colours on, to give you an idea of how I’d wear the products featured 🙂 I’m no makeup artist, nor am I even very good at wearing makeup so don’t expect anything spectacular, just your everyday woman 🙂
I found that the Coral Gradation palette applies a little more red than I like and I’m not very comfortable wearing red tones around my eyes. I wore them in a gradation method which I picked up from Japanese style eyeshadow application, where you graduate the colours from dark to light, upwards from your lash line. Because I have hooded lids, I don’t attempt any crease colours. With warm shadows, I’ve found that wearing a strong black liner helps the look, because it gives definition.
I like how the Pink Shift blush looks, with its cooler tones being a better fit for my skintone, and lifting the complexion. On my lips is the Rouge Gradient Lip Shadow Duo applied in a pseudo-ombre lip. I think you can see what I mean by patchy colour and it being drying. It isn’t flattering, and this is the first and last time I’ll wear it LOL 😛
Did you pick up anything from the Dior Spring 2017 collection?
Did anything catch your eye? I’m most curious to know what you think about that Rouge Gradient Lip Shadow Duo – revolutionary, but I think it fails in execution 😛
Paris B
Eyeshadow for the lips definitely doesn’t conjure up a winning image in my mind, perhaps too gimmicky for Dior!? I haven’t bought from the brand in quite some time but I will definitely pass on this particular collection. Lovely swatches though, very helpful!
Thanks Emma, glad you found them useful 🙂 And I think if you’ve been around long enough as we both have, there isn’t anything terribly exciting about this collection is there? Well, except for the fact that they have come out with summery looking colours for Spring haha! 😀 That lip shadow thing I didn’t like at all. I feel it to be too gimmicky, as you said, for a brand like Dior. But then Dior has been into gimmicks in recent times, so that might explain it 😛
Thanks for the link love. I actually really like the lip duo! lol! I apply a lip balm first then dab this on. I have the one in purple and it’s beautiful. Now that I think about it, Looks like they are going with the K wave because this lip ombre duo is more Korean than Dior 🙂
I can imagine the lip duo will work better over a lip balm but I do felt it would have been much better had one end been a crayon/pencil. It would make better sense. As it is, I think it’ll appeal best to those who like wearing very matte lips and since I’m not in that category, it might explain my intense dislike LOL! I actually noticed that the Western world is into ombre lips too but with a highlight in the centre vs the just-bitten look the Koreans prefer. Either way, neither appeals to me, so I’m sticking with just 1 colour LOL!
The lip colour actually look amazing! Never been a fan of pastels colour.. but this round the palette looks good enough on its own.
Yep! The palette is actually quite good quality as well, and absolutely worth checking out especially for warmer skin tones!
I actually like the lip color on you and I saw an interesting blue mono e/s from this collection ( but not swatches). I would love to see a tutorial about the Japanese style eyeshadow application from you.
Thank you Amalia 🙂 The colour is quite nice, but the product is awful LOL! I had the impression that I had blogged about how I apply my eyeshadow before this, and it turns out I did, but in a different manner. I’ll try to show what I mean by the Japanese style (although I’m no expert) but it basically calls for the eyeshadow being applied from dark-light in an upwards gradient from lashline, as opposed to having that obvious crease in the outer corner, preferred by Western makeup artists. The former method suits smaller, narrower lids better 🙂
Oh the lip shadow is a copy from L’Oreal Tint Caresse and I love that thing. First you must like matte lips though. This product is more of a powder lipstick that gives a matte finishing. It feels nothing on the lips. Not sure about this Dior one but the L’Oreal was pretty good for me as it’s not drying 🙂 . I find it weird that even L’Oreal created that as ombre lips and I HATE OMBRE LIPS lol.
Ooh now that you mention it, I remember seeing that L’Oreal one in Guardian the other day. But you’re right. You must absolutely LOVE matte lips to appreciate a product like this. I felt that it sinks into lines and accentuates lines that makes it unappealing. Personally, I prefer the look of plumped glossy lips, but then maybe that makes me old school haha! 😀
I looked at these yesterday but didn’t buy because I hadn’t read your post 🙂 I honestly thought the dual lip ended things were eyeshadow! Still really underwhelmed by the lipstick, I miss my Addict Extremes!
The dual-ended lip things are the weirdest! Dior has a new range of lipsticks coming out soon – Dior Addict Lacquer. I spoke to the SA and asked directly if they were like Extreme. He said they were better. But they’d say so won’t they? 😛 Let’s see!