Disappointed in...

We're coming up to the end of the month, and at this point I usually do a post about the products I have loved and used the most - the monthly favorites, and I will do a favorites post this month too, but first I thought I would do something I have never done before, a post about products that have been a disappointment to me. If I were to put together all the new products that I've bought and tested over a year, I know that there would be a small mountain of them; some are fantastic, others are good, others are bland and forgettable, and I probably wouldn't buy them again simply because I can't remember them and then we have the last group of products - that ones I would downright avoid. The products today are examples from this last group but but before we start I want to emphasize that this is based on my personal experience of these specific products and although they may have been a disappointment to me for reasons that I'll explain, they might work very well for others. I also want to say that I have tried several other products from all of these brands which I have truly loved, so this is not a critique against the brands mentioned, only of these specific items.

At the beginning of the year I decided that it was time that I swap my trusted eye brow pencil for something else since there are so many other interesting eye brow products on the high street, and so I've started to experiment with a few other types - unfortunately with very little success so far. That's why I've got two eye brow products in this line up starting with a product that I got very recently - the Avon Anew Transforming Brow Filler (£6). For some reason this product isn't listed on line which is why I haven't got a link to it, although you can find it in the latest Avon Book. It's a twist up eye brow filler pen with a comb tip, which is intended to help define and set the shape of the brows, as well as add a hint of color and I tried it in Light Brown. Maybe there was something wrong with the product I got, but it took A LOT of twisting to get any product to come out of the tip, and when it finally did it had a gloopy gel like consistency and the little color it had was very blotchy and unevenly distributed throughout the formula - frankly it looks awful when you test it on your hand, you can photos here on my Instagram. If you're brave enough to apply the gooey looking gel, it feels quite wet on the brows and although the comb tip does do a little shaping, I didn't get any color from it at all. Perhaps the color was too light for me, but this brow filler did absolutely nothing except make my eye brows wet and that together with the strange, unappealing consistency makes it a product that I won't buy Anew.

The second brow product is Maybelline's Brow Drama Sculpting Brow Mascara (£4.99), which I have done a separate review of previously which you can find here. It comes in a mascara format, so you apply it to your brows using a wand which has a ball shaped brush with long stiff combs at the tip of it, see photo here on my Instagram. My biggest challenge with this product is the dry formula, which makes it difficult to get an even amount of product on the brush, which then of course means that you also get an uneven application with the color clumping in some places. I've found that I always need to use either an additional brow brush or q-tip to even out the color, which is tricky without messing up the brows, and I usually end up with a very bushy and exaggerated brow look - not at all something I'm going for. Since the formula is already dry but it also sets very quickly on the brows, you need to work fast when you even out the color because once it's set, it's there for the duration of the day, which I guess is a plus when it comes to long wear. The fact that I need to use additional tools to get this brow mascara to work at all, but still without achieving the look I actually want, means that it's too much effort especially when I can get a nice arched brow using a pencil in a fragment of the time it takes me to fiddle with Brow Drama - Sorry Maybelline, but for me this product is too much drama and not enough brow sculpting!

I'm a bit sad to have to include a MUA Lipstick (£1) in this gang of disappointing five partly because MUA is one of my favorite basic budget brands and they have a lot of great products, but also because this particular shade - 16 Nectar is absolutely gorgeous, just the perfect peachy summery shade, which you can see here on my Instagram. So why have I included it then you ask?, well it's because it's one of these formulas that has a split personality. When you apply it from the bullet the lipstick shows its positive side; it's very soft and creamy and the pigmentation seems good, although the formula is a bit "thin", so you have to apply the lippy fairly thickly for an even coverage on your lips. After that it starts to set really quickly, and that's when the Mr Hyde side of this lipstick shows its face by drying along the lip contours and where your lips meet. That horrible dried contour then stays put even after eating and drinking, while the rest of the lip color disappears - it's not a good look and one of my pet peeves when it comes to makeup. So despite being a stunning golden peach color, for this particular lipstick MUA stands for Must Unfortunately be Avoided. 

One of the most hyped products to reach the UK last year was Maybelline's Baby Lips Balm (£2.99) a must try product for any lip balm addict, and I since I'm a fan of everything cherry I was very excited to get my paws on a Cherry Me. The claim was that this cute and colorful lip balm would give 8 hrs of hydration and nourishment, quite something for a lip balm priced lower than most drinks in Starbucks. The lip balm does give a faint cherry red color with a little bit of shine which isn't long lasting but nice enough, although at the time I was distinctly underwhelmed by the lacking sense of hydration (you can see my original review here), and didn't feel like it did anything at all to nourish my lips. Since then I did continue to use it for a while over winter to finish it up more than anything, but as the weather got colder not only did the lip balm not add any hydration or nourishment - it was as if it actually dried out my lips even more and made them hyper sensitive, so eventually I had to stop using it and instead move on to old Burt's Bees to restore my lips. I've never reacted like that with any other type of lip product, but it's safe to say that I definitely don't cherish Cherry Me, and next time I'll opt for a Starbucks instead. 

To balance things out and to show that it's not just a selection of budget friendly products that have proven to be a let down I'll finish with a premium brand product, Dior's Blush Trianon Edition (£30.50 reviewed here) in the color 916 Pink Réverie. It all started so well with its gorgeous packaging and cute embossed bow pattern, and even though the muted pink shade with strong blue undertones was definitely outside my comfort zone, and not at all the kind of color I would normally go for it did look promising in the pan. The texture of the blush is lovely and light, but it's let down by the complete lack of pigmentation and it doesn't matter how much I apply of it, on me the color simply will simply not build up at all. At first I gave it the benefit of the doubt and thought that perhaps it was simply that the color wasn't suitable for my skin tone, but after having gone from office pale to a slightly more healthy looking golden color, there should at least in theory be a bigger and more noticeable contrast, so the blush should appear more but unfortunately Pink Réverie still doesn't show up my skin, as you can see here on my Instagram. Out of all the products today, this was probably the biggest disappointment for several reasons - first of all it's not exactly a budget product and secondly it's Dior, an iconic brand which I don't think it's unreasonable that you have high expectations from. I guess it just goes to show that quality has nothing to do with hype, clever marketing, glossy packaging and you can get great products as well as duds in any price range. With this little collection of unfavorites out of the way, don't forget to check in tomorrow to see the actual monthly favorites for May. 

The latest release from Dior - Dior Addict Fluid Stick

In a very short amount of time I've gone from having almost a dislike towards lip glosses and owning only one or two, to become a complete afficionado with a decent little collection. A new addition to this growing collection is the latest product launch from Dior - the Dior Addict Fluid Stick (£26). This is another one of these "difficult to define" lip products; is it a lipstick, is it a lipgloss, is it a stain? that have become so popular and we've seen L'Oréal, Sleek, Hourglass and lots of other brands do versions of these. For me the original really is the YSL Glossy Stain, which is a product I absolutely love, so the Fluid Stick certainly had a lot to live up to. The packaging is just what you would expect from Dior - it's shiny, sleek and modern and really shows off each of the beautiful 16 colors in the range. I was immediately drawn to shade 551 Aventure which is a lovely bright and zesty coral, that looks almost orange in the tube, but it's a very wearable and summery color. that I think would work really well with many skin tones. 

Unlike a lot of lip products the Fluid Stick doesn't contain any wax, and instead the formula uses water, making the texture very smooth, slick, completely non sticky and it's so light and pleasant that it feels as if you're not wearing anything at all on your lips - it's quite a strange and refreshing sensation. The Fluid Stick comes with a doe foot applicator which is nice and firm for defining the lip contours but it's also flexible and bendy for a soft and easy one sweep application.

Dior Addict Fluid Stick - 551 Aventure

When you first apply the product it's a very high shine glossy look, and I would actually almost call it a wet look, but that sets after just a few minutes and turns into a much more sophisticated and muted highly pigmented look with a stylish glossy finish. After another few mins the color has set fully and developed into a stain and the formula then starts to feel a little bit thicker on the lips, but still with a nice and hydrating feeling which should be very soothing if you've got dry lips. The Fluid Stick turns into a stain very quickly but it also loses the glossiness, and personally I would have preferred it if the gloss lasted longer. It also transfers quite a lot as soon as you have a drink, which also chips away at the pigmentation so I wouldn't call this a long lasting formula. On me this only lasts with intense pigmentation for about an hr or so, and you can see pictures here on my Instagram of how it wears (photos from straight after application, after 1 hr and after 2 hrs).

I really like the smoothness and of the formula and how lovely and lightweight it feels on the lips - so from a consistency point of view it's even lovelier than the YSL Glossy Stain and I also like the initial strong pigmentation, however for me the wear unfortunately let's it down and the Fluid Stick comes nowhere close to the long wear I get from the YSL Glossy Stain. Maybe I have unrealistic expectations, but from a wear point of view it doesn't quite do it for me, especially not considering the price. I really love the shade 551 Aventure but that's as far as the adventure with Fluid Stick goes for me and I don't think I'll pick up any of the other shades. If you've tried this, please let me know what you think - perhaps it's just this shade that's not working out...?

March favorites

What's the definition of a favorite product? An item that you love more than others, or an item that you've used more often than others? This month all my favorites are a little bit of both actually, although who knows what it'll be next month since my little club of favorites tend to change quite frequently... Let's start with something easy on the locks - hair oils are so versatile and easy to use, and one of the best ones I've tried lately is the lovely Easilocks Rose Gold Oil Heat Protector Pro* (£24.99) that I reviewed earlier this month (see article here). I had never tried this brand before but I was so impressed by how soft, shiny and protected it made my hair look and feel that I've used it a couple of times a week both before styling and as an intense treatment. The texture is light, silky and indulgent with a delightful floral and slightly spicy scent that I just can't get enough of.

My current eye shadow primer, the MUA Pro-Base Prime & Conceal (£1.50) was a bit of an impulse buy and I didn't have very high expectations of it, however this plain looking product turned out to be anything but plain (reviewed here). It's a multi purpose product which can be used both as a primer and a color correcting concealer. The consistency is velvety smooth and light weight and it's great at reducing redness and dark circles under the eyes, and also helps to make your makeup last longer. I've also used it on its own instead of eyeshadow to even out the skintone on my eyelids for a more bright eyed and rested appearance and have found that it's a great dupe for Benefit's Lemon Aid (£16.50). 

We've had some amazingly warm and sunny days in the UK with temperatures close to 20 degrees Celsius, so I've temporarily swapped my leather leggings for summery skirts but to avoid blinding the rest of the world with my whiter than white legs I've accepted some help from the fantastic Caudalie Divine Perfect Legs (£13), which is self-tanning product so easy to use that even I can get an even golden color. The consistency is ever so slightly thicker than most self tanning lotions and since it's colored you can see exactly where you've applied which makes is so much easier to get an even, non zebra like color. It also has a lovely fresh scent, unlike a lot of other self tanning products. If I can't manage to go on a divine holiday, at least I can have divine looking legs with a little help from this heaven sent goodie!

An oldie that I've rediscovered this month, which is almost as fun as trying something completely new, is Avon's Ultra Color Rich Lipstick in Instant Mocha. It's a lovely soft, creamy and moisturising formula with great pigmentation that delivers a beautiful opaque and slightly shiny finish, and since it's opaque you'll get hours of flawless wear without any drying sensation on the lips. The color is a delicious pink with a plum undertone and a lovely shine, and it's such a versatile glamorous shade. I feel a little bit bad for including it in this month's favorites since it's no longer in stock with Avon (why, why, WHY do you keep doing this to me Avon?!) and the few products I've found on eBay and Amazon are relatively expensive compared to the original price point. The closest I've come to finding a twin lipstick is MAC's Craving, which is equally rich, creamy and opaque - simply stunning...

When chubby sticks for eyes were first released I was a bit skeptical to the format, but many months and makeup looks down the line, I am a complete convert and can't praise the format enough. An excellent budget version is MUA's Colour Blast Eyeshadow Tint (£3) in the shade Bring it Back, a brilliant neutral bronzed and slightly shimmery brown. It has a lovely and creamy texture and it's so easy to apply without any tugging on the eyelid for a clean and understated sheer coverage, great for a quick and easy groomed every day look with a simple eyeliner and mascara. It wears really well throughout the day without creasing and at that price, you can't really go wrong.

A palette I have truly loved this month is the beautifully delicate and pretty Dior 5 Couleurs Trianon Edition Eyeshadow Palette (£41) in Pastel Fontanges 234 (you can read a full review here). The colors are all lovely shimmery pastels with great pigmentation and wear, perfect for fresh faced, minimal and romantic looks for spring and summer. My favorite combination so far is to use the ballerina pink with the gunmetal grey, which really brings out blue eyes. I can say hand on my heart that j'Adore Dior!

Swatches from top to bottom:

Avon Ultra Color Rich Lipstick - Instant Mocha

MUA Colour Blast Eyeshadow Tint - Bring It Back

Tanya Burr Lipgloss - Picnic in the Park

I've never really been a big wearer of lipgloss, mostly because I haven't found any with great pigmentation and wear - at least that is, until this year when there have been some real crackers on the high street. The latest one to impress me is the Tanya Burr Lipgloss in Picnic in the Park (£6.99) and its's nothing like the lipglosses I've tried before. The texture is light and very importantly non sticky with wonderful pigmentation, and when you first apply it has a gorgeous glossy look that after a few hrs wear looks like a stain. Out of the 12 colors in the range, Picnic in the park is my absolute favorite - it's a stunning brink pink shade with a slight blue undertone that is simply adorable on the lips, no wonder it's sold out in so many places!

Let me know in the comment section what it takes for a product to make your list of favorites, and what's new for March?

Dior's Trianon Makeup Look with Pastel Fontanges

As you may remember I've had a love affair with the Dior Trianon Spring Collection ever since I first saw the promo pictures at the end of last yea, and at the launch event at Debenhams I treated myself to some of the products in this stunning collection. I've done a separate review of the beautiful Trianon Eyeshadow Palette in Pastel Fontanges (you can read it here) which is pastel heaven in a lovely little Dior box with its sheer, soft shades and today I thought I would try to recreate the look from the promo photos.

Let's start with the complexion - usually I apply concealer over a foundation, but in order to make it look as light and even as possible I actually applied my Rimmel Wake Me Up Concealer (£5.49) under the foundation rather than on top. It's a great light and smooth concealer and I have somehow mysteriously managed to match it perfectly with my foundation. The delicate, petal look and feel of the Pastel Fontanges range of colors is matched with a flawless, youthful and dewy looking skin so to achieve something that's at least similar, I brought out my preferred heavy hitter when it comes to preparing your skin, the YSL Forever Youth Liberator Foundation (£37). This foundation gives excellent medium to full coverage for an even and flawless tone without feeling heavy on the skin and it also adds nourishment throughout the day to keep the skin supple and plump. The shade I'm wearing is not as pale and porcelaine as they've used in the promo photos, but it does have that subtle glow which I've then enhanced even further using the amazing budget beauty MUA Undress Your Skin Highlighting Powder (£3). I've completely fallen in love with this highlighter and wearing it on the top of your cheek bones, and maybe even a little above your cupid's bow gives a wonderful light and subtle smoothing shimmer effect. 

For my brows I used the Rimmel Professional Eyebrow Pencil (£2.99) in Hazel 2, which works perfectly for this look since it's not too dark, but it still gives enough definition of the brow arch. For the eyelids I used all of the shades in the Dior 5 Couleurs Trianon Edition Eyeshadow Palette (£41) in Pastel Fontanges 234, starting with a wash of the shimmery ballerina pink all over the lid as a base. It's a gorgeous shade and for me this is the shade that's easiest to wear out of the five since it works so well in combination with both neutrals and purples too. Having done the pink base, we move on to the slightly more intimidating light periwinkle blue - which in itself is beautiful, but in the promo photo there's a lot of it, applied all over the brow bone and under the eye. As you blend it in with the light pink, it creates a lovely contrast although I must admit that wearing a blue shade this shade, definitely pushes me out of my comfort zone. After that I mixed the light silver grey with the lemon chiffon color and added to the inner corner of my eye and slightly below to brighten that area, and to reflect the other shades. Finally I lined the lash line with the darker soft gunmetal grey to add depth and the combination with the ballerina pink is so lovely and I might even try a smokey eye look at some point using these two shades.

Since this is a very bare faced look I didn't want to volumise my lashes, and instead I went for length with the Maybelline Illegal Length Fibre Extensions Mascara (£8.99) which is great for a natural, combed through lash look and I've got a more detailed review of this mascara coming up on Tuesday, so keep an eye out for that. I very lightly blotted the odd area with the Soap & Glory One Heck of a Blot (£12) and applied the finishing touch using the Tanya Burr Lipgloss (£6.99) in Afternoon Tea. Like so many others I've been completely bowled over by this gorgeous range of lip glosses. The formula is light, creamy, non sticky and moisturising with excellent pigmentation that seems to set on your lips almost like a glossy stain. You get hours of wear out these and re-applying it is a joy since it has a delicious candy like smell. This shade Afternoon Tea, is a subtle slightly muted rhubarb and cream pink, which is perfect for a "your lip color, but better" look.

 

I really enjoy wearing and experimenting with the gorgeous Pastel Fontanges palette and I had so much fun recreating the Trianon look. Despite being such a soft and delicate colors the look works surprisingly well for evening wear too, since the shimmering colors look gorgeous when the light catches them. It is a complete and probably slightly over the top indulgence in pastel colors and using lots of light blue on your eyelid might seem a bit scary - at least it did to me, but if you keep it well blended you won't be getting flashbacks to something out of the Rocky Horror Picture Show. If you're interested in seeing more Trianon looks, have a look at Dior backstage (the link takes a while to load to be patient with it), where you'll find tutorials for another two lovely looks and you can read more about the whole collection. 

Dior's Trianon eyeshadow palette in Pastel Fontanges

A few weeks ago I shared with you my first impressions of the Diorblush Trianon Edition that I got after a great event at Debenhams to look at the beautiful new Spring collection. You may remember that I was a bit disappointed in the lack of pigmentation and really struggled to get any color payoff at all. With this fresh in my mind I have to say that I was a bit worried to try 5 Couleurs Trianon Eyeshadow Palette (£41) since the colors in 234 Pastel Fontanges are very sheer pastel shades, and I was prepared for the worst. The packaging is as usual glossy and sleek with a great mirror, two double-ended foam applicators and a handy velvet pouch to store the palette in when you're on the go. The applicators are fairly flexible to work with, and although I prefer to use brushes when I apply makeup at home they're definitely useful when you're out and about and you need to check your makeup. The eyeshadows are beautifully decorated with the embossed pearled ribbon and the cute little bow, and if like me you're drawn in by beautiful packaging - this will undoubtedly seduce you.

The colors in the Pastel Fontanges palette are pale and delicate with a luminous beautiful shimmer to them for a very fresh faced look:

Top left - a subtle light silver grey, which I've mostly used as a highlighter mixed with the lemon, or on its own in the evening.

Top right - a lovely soft periwinkle blue, that I've mostly used as a crease shadow in combination with the pink. 

Middle - a pale lemon chiffon color, perfect to use as a highlighter or as a base shadow in combination with the gunmetal gray, or another neutral shade. 

Bottom left - a creamy, soft gunmetal grey with a faint blue undertone, great for evening wear or as a contrast to the pink, blue or lemon. I have used this mostly as an eyeliner.

Bottom right - a gorgeous light ballerina pink which works really well as a base shadow in combination with any of the other colors of the palette or a glorious purple.

The texture of the eyeshadows on your skin is very creamy and blendable, and despite the sheerness of the colors the pigmentation is very impressive and I was surprised at how easy it is to build up color. Not only is the pigmentation great, but the eye shadows are also very long lasting without any creasing. I was absolutely amazed to see that the colors that I had applied in the morning were still in place, looking lovely and lustrous in the evening -  and I had only used my Urban Decay Eyeshadow primer and Soap & Glory One Heck of a Blot powder to set them. 

The only thing I noticed was that the eyeshadows break up fairly easily, so you need to try and not be too heavy handed when you swirl your brushes, or you'll quickly see flakes of product falling out. Because of this I suspect that the beautiful pattern won't stay intact for long, and I've already noticed that the pink shade looks considerably less lovely than the other colors in a very short time. Since the eyeshadows are so shimmery I would also recommend that you try to be fairly precise in placing the product on the eyelid or under the eye, since it can be quite difficult removing excess shimmer without ruining the application or foundation.

234 Pastel Fontanges (in natural light)

234 Pastel Fontanges (in artificial light)

With this little box of beauties you can create some very pretty, subtle and fresh faced looks. Since it is a very pale and minimal look, it's essential that you've got a flawless foundation that has been properly set. Personally I think a matte look is the right way to go since the shimmery eye shadows in combination with a shimmery foundation is all too much and it would distract from the finesse of the eyeshadows. I'm thrilled about this palette, and so happy to find that there were no issues with pigmentation or wear at all, and I think that it'll be the perfect makeup to accompany a soft and romantic pastel colored summer outfit

Diorblush Trianon Edition

At the end of January I went to a Dior event at Debenhams for the launch of Dior's Trianon Spring 2014 Collection. It was a great opportunity to have a good close look at all of the gorgeous little pieces of art that Dior is tempting us with this Spring and to also try the products on properly by creating a look there and then with expert advise. The collection mixes pastels of different colors and intensity for a very pale, delicate and tender look. Since I've really embraced the pastel makeup look this Spring and plan to use light crisp blue, powder pink and subtle silver grey, I left the event with quite a few of the new releases, and I'll review them all in more detail starting with the Diorblush Trianon Edition (£30.50) today.

Let's start with the packaging which we all know isn't everything, but I for one must admit that using a product that is both pretty to look at and to use, adds extra enjoyment and every time I take out a beautiful little compact, it's an added every day second of glamor that really cheers me up. The blush comes in quite a large compact, although half that space is taken up by a good quality angled blusher brush and there's a great big mirror in the lid as well. Every new product released by Dior has a specific design element to it, and the bow and pearled ribbon embossing used throughout the Trianon collection refers to a type of headdress which was very popular in the 17th century. It's such a beautiful pattern and you do almost feel guilty for ruining it by using the product. As with all Dior palettes you also get a cute little velvet pouch that you can keep the blusher in to protect the classic and stylish blue Dior packaging.

Since I've decided to go for some very delicate pastel shades in my eye makeup I wanted to contrast that with a blusher with more vibrancy to avoid looking completely washed out, and I chose the shade 946 Pink Réverie. In the pan this is a fairly strong but muted rose pink with definite blue undertones that almost makes it look very faintly lilac and when I tried the blusher at the event I was a bit apprehensive about how the color would turn out since the pigmentation seemed very intense, and I was convinced that this shade wouldn't work for me. Having tried it at home now for a few weeks I am very surprised to find that it's actually quite difficult for me to get a decent rosy cheek from it. The blusher is very finely milled so it's very sheer and light on the skin, both which are great qualities in terms of sitting nicely on the skin and it doesn't cause any creasing, however it also has an impact on how easy or as in this case - difficult the color is to build up. As you can see below in the photo, the color payoff is barely noticeable and I applied the blusher three very generous times - so it's not just a bad photo.

I don't mind splurging on a product if it's going to deliver and make me look and feel fabulous every day, however there are some very good blushers on the high street at very reasonable prices and in comparison with those and considering that this is a very expensive Dior product I definitely had expected more. I can't ignore the issue with pigmentation and as much as I really REALLY want to love this blusher, unfortunately it's a disappointment, it's just not working for me and I say that without blushing in the least. I honestly don't know if the issue is that the pigmentation isn't strong enough, or that the shade simply doesn't come into its own on my skintone - perhaps I should have trusted my instinct and gone for 763 Coraile Bagatelle instead, but I certainly hope that pigmentation concerns don't rear their annoying heads with the Trianon eyeshadow palette as well... you'll find out in a few weeks time in my second review of the Trianon collection. 

A date with Dior

One the things I was looking forward to the most in January was the release of Dior's Trianon Spring 2014 Collection. As soon as I saw the first promo pics go out I started saving up for all the beautiful products that were tempting me and finally the day came when I had a date with Dior at Debenhams to talk about and to try the new releases, one more beautiful than the other. The Trianon Spring 2014 collection is a very youthful and playful take on the era of Louis XIV and the opulence of the Trianon palace, and it mixes pastels that are sheer and delicate like rose petals with more intense pinks and lilacs.

Even though I easily could have got every single piece of this collection, I thought I would get colors that I don't currently have and that would channel that fragile and exquisite floral look from the promo pictures so for my eye shadows I eventually settled on the 5 Couleurs Trianon Eyeshadow Palette (£41) in 234 Pastel Fontanges. It's a very sheer palette with shimmery sherbet colors in a pale light blue, pale ballerina pink, ash grey, a muted vanilla yellow and a cadet grey with a blue undertone. When I had my makeup done we used the pink, blue and darker grey as a highlight and it worked really well with my pale complexion and it also kept it from looking too colorful or baby dollish.

Since the eye make up is quite mild and subtle I wanted a blush shade with a little more punch, and that again was different from all other shades in my collection, and although I absolutely love the shade 763 Coraile Bagatelle I decided on the Diorblush Trianon Edition (£30.50) in 946 Pink Réverie. It's a gorgeous intense rose pink with a fuchsia undertone and since it's so intensely pigmented so I was a bit worried on how it would look on the cheek, but as long as you build it up slowly it creates the illusion of the perfect rosy cheek.

When it comes to lipstick it was a bit more difficult for me to decide - all the shades are gorgeous and could easily see myself wearing any of them, but instead of keeping with the blue undertone that I get from the blusher, I actually decided on Rouge Dior (£26) in 757 Souveraine, which is a creamy shimmery coral that looks surprisingly subtle on, and it looses some of the intense redness that you see in the bullet, but for me that's what makes it a great combination with the pale eye look - since they balance each other very well and the lipstick doesn't dominate. To make the shade even more opalescent and fair, I got the Dior Addict Gloss (£22) in 442 Pétillante to use on top. Not something I would usually do, but it has such a gorgeous shimmer and I thought I could use it to pair down some of the other very intense lip shades.

I have only tried these products during my make over session, so I will do separate and more detailed reviews with swatches very shortly of each of the products, but I was very happy with the graceful look we created and I can't wait to try the products a bit more. There's nothing that will cheer me up like a pampering session and this one definitely ticked all the boxes. Not only was I treated to some bubbly and chocolate with the make over, I also had a mini treatment to try out several products from the Dior skincare range, which I had never done before and I also got a goodie bag with a mix of skincare (Dream Skin, Capture Totale and One Essential), a full size nail polish (Nuit 1947) and a sample of Hypnotic Poison to take with me home, to make the Date with Dior last as long as possible.

Starstudded - Constellation eyeshadow palette by Dior

I recently went a little shopping crazy at the duty free, and came home with some wonderful things that I've been trying out since then. One of the items that I was most excited about wearing was the Dior 5 Couleurs Mystic Metallics Palette. When Dior launched the metallic collection I wasn't quite sure which of the two palettes to go for to be honest - but since I'm really trying this year to wear more seasonal shades e.g. plums, berries and richer colors, I decided on the Constellation palette which contains five gorgeous eyeshadows in charming, delicate purple and silver shades with a metallic finish that are embossed with a pretty star pattern.

As with all Dior products they are such a treat to get and everything about them says: style. The packaging is glossy, shiny and sleek, and of course also has a small mirror - essential for on the go touch ups. What I didn't realise was that this also comes with a pretty velvet pouch with the CD initials to keep the palette in, protecting it from scratches - what a great little surprise!

As you can see in the photos, the shades are all very subtle with varying amount of shimmer to them and you could create quite a few different looks depending on how you mix them:

Top left - a lovely soft ecru with a subtle wearable shimmer to it which creates a nice satin finish. I've used this almost every day as a base shadow combining it with one or two of the other shades.

Top right - a pale straw gold shade with a with faint green undertone and a fairly heavy shimmer to it. For me personally it's a bit too shimmery for day wear, but I've used it a lot as a base in the evening. 

Middle - a very pale blush color with a slight pink or even purple sheen to it. I've used this both as a highlighter or as a base shadow, but out of the five shades this is probably the one I've used the least. 

Bottom left - a vibrant plum purple with gorgeous luster, and out of all the shades it's definitely the one with most shimmer. I would even say that it's more sparkly than metallic. Perfect for evening wear.

Bottom right - a faded purple with brown undertones that makes me think of a paler version of redwood. Works great both for day and evening wear.

The texture of the eye shadows is very fine and light and they give a nice velvety, smooth finish. I haven't had any fall outs from even the really glimmery ones and they settle well on the eyelid. The pigmentation is OK, not exceptional but not rubbish either but then again the metallic shades could impact the pay off. On the other hand, since the texture is so smooth and easy to work with, you can easily keep building until you get the intensity you're looking for.

From left to right:

Top left

Top right

Middle

Bottom left

Bottom right

For me the biggest let down is that it's these are not very long lasting. Fair enough, I have oily eye lids and use both a primer, powder and setting spray to get my make up to last longer, but on me I start noticing that the color has faded, and even creased a little already after a few hrs. This could of course again be since these are metallic and fairly sheer and as such fade quicker. I don't really mind too much about having to touch up my make up throughout the day because at least that way I might actually hit the pan for once with a palette, but you can't be blamed for expecting a bit more from a Dior product.

To sum it up - it's a gorgeous palette with colors that are versatile and lovely to apply. I have been wearing this almost every day since I got it, and my favourite combination is using the ecru as a base, and then either the vibrant plum or the redwood for definition. I just wish that the shades stayed looking as lovely as when you've just applied them a little bit longer.