Holidays are over? Of course, they aren’t. Not with this collection by Dior. And even when they are actually over, we’ll still have these pretty things left. This collection looks very traditional and holiday like. It has all the gold in it and all the red and glitter. All the things we’re used to have for holidays. Is that a good thing? Depends on how you look at it. On one hand, it’s always nice to have a collection you’re comfortable with. To see the things you presume you’ll see. To wear the colours you’ve worn more than once on holidays. On the other hand, if you’ve done all those colours and textures a bunch of times, you might get bored with them, sort of. I mean, it’s only natural, right? So, this traditional approach to holiday makeup in general and holiday makeup collections in particular has both pros and cons wrapped in it and tied pretty closely. It’s up to you only whether you go for it or do something new this New Year. Before you decide though, here’s what Dior has in stock for you.

 

First things first. Face products. What we have here is Diorific powder that we’ve come to expect on holidays. Usually it comes in two shades. This year it comes in one shade only. And it’s… you wanna take a guess? A hint – very traditional. Uh-huh, golden 🙂 It’s not as simple as it sounds though, so hold your judgement till you see it.

 

The collection is called Splendor. This shade is called… Splendor. Don’t forget that it’s not just powder. It’s Iluminating powder, which means it’s shiny, you know 🙂 Also, it’s pressed, that is, it’s an illuminating compact.

 

Now, whether compact is better than loose powder depends on what you are and how and when you use it. There’s probably more sparkle in loose textures, but in compacts there’s more shine and pearl usually. And you can actually carry them around and re-apply as opposed to loose textures that tend to have bigger packages and require brushes.

 

The packaging is Dior holiday packaging. And if those boxes are darker vintage gold, then the compact case itself is super shiny gold and heavy in my hand. I enjoy the latter very much, but it might be just too heavy to drag around. On the other hand, it’s really small, even though a little bit on the thicker side, so it will fit into most purses and even clutches, which, to me, is almost a must.

 

The number of Splendor shade is 001. Makes sense. Face makeup comes first in makeup. And this is the first item in the collection. See how there’s French on all the packaging along with English? Poudre Compacte Lumiere d’Or. Sounds good 🙂

 

And here it is. Very nice. Laconic. Elegant. Chic. And gold at the same time. Very Dior. See how there are all the sequins printed on it? I like this pattern very much. It’s celebratory and understated, and it’s not easy to combine the two. If you like these sequins, you’re lucky, because this pattern will be a theme in the collection 🙂

 

The brush is a blush like brush brush, if you know what I mean. Only it’s not angled. Short and wide stemmed. You could fix your makeup on the fly with it, if you have to, but you need a full size brush to apply it, really, to make it good.

 

The best news about this powder, to me, is that it’s not a crazy light and shiny gold. Instead, it’s a lush and languid and sophisticated gold and then some. It’s vintage gold f like. Darker in a way. Not too dark though. And it has a very thin and tiny golden sparkle in it that’s lighter than the rest of the powder. Very nice. It’s just such a good blend. Not too shiny. Truly splendid.

 

All in all, this powder proved to be better than expected. Great pattern, awesome texture, nice colour. Here’s a little bit of a cloud in all the silver lining though 🙂 Who can actually wear gold colour face products? Only few, really. Any kind of sallow in your skin tone doesn’t go that well with gold. Nobly pale skin doesn’t really appreciate gold. Can those of us who have any sallow in our skin tone and whose skin is princess like light wear this illuminator? I’d say, yes, if you wear it as a highlighter/illuminator, not all over, and if you wear it with care. And even if your honey skin tone perfectly cooperates with gold, still it’s probably more of an accent thing for you than base & tone thing.

 

Moving on and about to see the blush. Which is called Diorblush Splendor this year. The formula is a vibrant colour powder blush. To put it simply, it’s this very basic blush texture, so the chances are you’ve seen it, felt it and worn it before, which is a good thing, because you don’t want anything to go wrong in any makeup, holiday makeup especially. Better safe than sorry.

 

The shade is called simply Diorblush Splendor 671. Ok, so far everything is called Splendor, which might make it hard to differentiate between the items, actually. We’ll see how many more things will prove to be splendor in this collection 🙂

 

The simple trick that always works with blush for special occasions is applying it under the powder or illuminator or highlighter, you know. So, I’m really hoping this shade will be the kind of shade that can be worn underneath all this gold.

 

When the blush is underneath, it doesn’t stand out, instead it glows and shines from within almost, lighting up your complexion and providing the healthy and happy look we’re all seeking in tone & base. At least, that’s what I’m looking for there 🙂

 

The brush is angled in this case, which it should be, because blush is meant for contouring. The brush itself is good quality. But once again, it’s short stemmed and more of a fix-it thing than actual apply makeup thing.

 

Ok, so the shade looks pink coralish, and it has all the sequins printed on it. And it seems, it will go well with that daker golden shade of highlighting powder. We’ll see if it proves true or not. Oh, and did you see all the sequins on? Beautiful, aren’t they? Confetti like.

 

The shade has pink and coral mixed in it in almost even proportion. To my eye coral prevails, although only slightly. The result is warm and nice and flattering for the most part and in most cases. And it’s a fabulous match for the powder. It will shine right through the golden texture and make you glow even more. Very nice. If warm blush shades are up your alley, do check it out.

 

This blush is nice and kind of a classic, as most things in this collection. On top of that warm and light coral pink or pink coral colour, there’s tiny golden sparkle in it, not too much, just a handful. I’ve seen not too positive reviews online, as far as the quality of this blush is concerned. Personally, I didn’t find it that bad at all. It’s a great natural rosy (Ok, Ok, corally 🙂 ) cheeks kind of thing that doesn’t give off a lot of colour, but, honestly, I think it’s for the better in case of blush. Less is chic and less is better in general, unless you’re doing accent on the cheeks makeup. It’s a good blush, really, it seems to me, it’s more suited for warmer skin tones, although it’s definitely more universal than that golden powder, and even fair skinned blondes can try it, just be sure not to overdo it.

 

That’s all there is for face. Now we’re going to talk about eye colour. In eye colour department we have two eyeshadow palettes and one cream eyeshadow colour. Before we get to the palettes, let me show the cream eyeshadow, because it fits in perfectly with the two face shades we’ve just discussed.

 

Diorshow Fusion Mono promises us professional result and mirror shine. I don’t know, whether I’d put it that way exactly, but the texture of this eyeshadow is definitely nice and soft and can be layered – or not layered – easily. When it comes to mirror shine, mirror or no mirror, but there is shine there, a lot of shine. I love cream eyeshadow, and I do like this cream eyeshadow formula in particular.

 

The shade we have this season is called 751 Infinity. When I saw it, I was like – oh no, not gold again 🙂 Well, it’s not. Or not quite that. You’ll see. First, let’s see the brush though.

 

It’s a two part brush to make it smaller and easier to carry around, when you aren’t using it. Which is a good thing, when you need to drag it around and fit it into that clutch – in my case – or purse/handbag, maybe, in yours.

 

And then you can quickly put it together to get this. See how the stem is so much longer this way, which means, this brush will be so much more efficient, when you use it, because you do need something to get a good grip on, especially if you’re about to use some precision makeup techniques.

 

The brush is a sponge, but to help you with precision application, it’s pointed, so that its tip is very small and narrow, and you’ll even be able to do some eyeliner work on your lids there. To me, this eyeshadow is more of a wash over thing with soft shine to it, but, maybe, you see it differently.

 

The jar is more or less what cream eyeshadow jars are like. The only way they are different, really, is what they are made of – glass or plastic. In case of Dior it’s glass, which makes it heavy in your hand. It’s a matter of taste, whether you like it that heavy or not. I do 🙂

 

When I look at the back of the jar for a colour preview, I exalt, because even if it’s gold, it’s a vintage kind of gold, a darker mysterious gold and the kind of gold that’s much more chic than the shiny gold, in my opinion. Also, this kind of gold is not as overdone and overused. The preview indicates there’s sparkle in there too.

 

Oh, Ok, pretty. This looks more like a golden beige with golden sparkle than gold proper. It’s so warm, just like the face shades. Warm and flattering and elegant. Looks great, I only hope it will swatch as nicely as it looks.

 

Or even better 🙂 It’s an awesome warm golden beige with a bunch of golden pearl in it as opposed to golden sparkle. It’s understatement and sophistication enclosed in a jar. That you can easily open and get some of it to add to your look. This shade is amazing, and it’s definitely one of those rare almost universally flattering shades. Also, it’s one of those shades that can bring special occasion into any kind of casual look of yours. Talk about having a ball every day of your life. You might as well with Infinity. What can I say? It’s infinitely beautiful, that’s for sure.

 

I was totally prepared to be bored to tears by yet another golden holiday eyeshadow reincarnation. Instead this shade is pleasing, languid and hot the real way. Not the fake posy way, but the deep down way. There’s something about it that makes me wanna dress up and attend something very high end. That’s how this shade is 🙂 To tell you the truth, I’ve always liked golden beige. Just like pink beige, it’s almost always flattering, nice and pretty in its core and essence, although golden beige is by all means special occasion like, while pink beige is more casual most of the time. Both are great eyeshadow colours though. Infinity is darker than golden beige usually is, but it only makes it better 🙂

 

That’s cream eyeshadow. Now we’re getting to the two eyeshadow palettes. In their layout they are classically Dior 5 couleurs. There’s something limited edition and holiday like about them though. Wanna see it? Ok 🙂

 

Here’s the first one. The only way the packaging is different from permanent range 5 couleurs palettes is that it’s called Dior 5 couleurs Splendor. Ok, there’s another one that’s Splendor 🙂

 

To be more precise, it’s 5 couleurs Splendor 066 Smoky Sequins. Smoky? Smoky eyes for holiday season? Not an obvious choice. A little puzzling. Well, maybe, it will be a very special take on smoky eye makeup? I’m curious to see it.

 

Before I do though, I can’t help thinking about the whole smoky eye thing. Smoky eye? Really? Really? For holidays? Feels to me like more of a clubby makeup choice. Friday night going out kind of makeup choice. Party makeup choice. But not holiday season makeup choice.

 

Maybe, Dior can surprise me and dissuade me and show me a version of smoky eyes that I’ll love and wear on any given day, holidays included? I’m eager to try, if that’s so. Still, I have my doubts 🙂

 

In terms of brushes we have the usual here. If you use these palettes by Dior, you know the routine here. Two dual ended brushes.

 

One is a good old eyeshadow brush and a good old eyeshadow sponge.

 

The other one is a sponge, only it’s pointed to allow more precise application, and then there’s a very narrow and pointy sponge that can be even used for more of an eyeliner look.

 

These brushes are like almost all palette brushes out there. They are fine to fix your makeup, as for applying your makeup – I’m not so sure.

 

Here’s our palette. I look at it, and I can’t believe my eyes. What do you know, it does look smoky eye like. Very much so. And the look it seems to indicate is a very classic smoky eye look without any holiday trimmings, basically. Wow. The sequins printed all over it look gorgeous though, they definitely do. I’m impressed by this design.

 

The first shade we have here is a very traditional lighter grey with some satiny shine to it and nothing more really. If there’s any shade that’s less holiday like to me I can’t tell you what it is off the top of my head. This shade is a solid every day shade, if you like greys in eyeshadow. I do like that it’s lighter, because it makes it more wearable and flattering for most people and… That’s all there is to it, really. I can’t believe it’s appearing in a holiday edition palette.

 

Moving on. The second shade is the kind of shade that Dior often includes in their eyeshadow palettes, and that got me all disappointed over and over again. Here’s why. I love pale yellow eyeshadow so much, when it’s done right, which it almost never is. This shade though always looks yellow in the palette, pale yellow, yes, but markedly yellow. And then it always proves to be an off white base shade without colour or kick to it, and leaves me devastated. It’s a matter of personal preference, of course, my preference, still, you need to know that it’s a whitish base shade and nothing more.

 

And in the diamond in middle there’s, surprisingly, a very ‘vintage’ gold. A darker gold, deeper than the powder shade but not quite as deep as cream eyeshadow shade. It’s somewhere in the middle. And it’s not a golden beige. If it started sliding into the beige territory, it stopped right there. Some people will see beige in it, but this beige is generously diluted with gold. This shade is nice, but we’ve seen versions of it here already, and I’m not so sure it goes well with the rest of the shades. I have to see the other two first though.

 

A satiny darker grey with a distant silvery glow to it. Just like that lighter beige, it’s a very good grey shade, in case you’re a fan, or, maybe, your eyes are grey, but… Holiday makeup with this grey shade here? I don’t know. I’m not sure. I highly doubt it. I don’t think so. Not for me. This shade doesn’t excite me and doesn’t feel like party, holiday or special occasion.

 

The final shade in the palette is easy to guess. It’s a deep, smoky and matt black. Once again, it’s a great and solid smoky eye black, and Dior quality is quite nice, but what is it doing in this palette? In this collection, on a bigger scale? I wish I could tell you. Obviously, it’s rounding up the smoky eye look. Where is the holiday though? I want some, as it’s a holiday collection 🙂

 

That’s the palette, and I’ve got to tell you, I don’t feel celebratory looking at it. The darker golden shade in the middle doesn’t save the day. I just don’t think it will look stunning enough, even if you mix it into your smoky eye makeup, so that it shines from within. Or top your smoky eye makeup with it. Or layer it with this gold. Whatever you do, it can give the smoky eye look a little decadent twist, that’s all. And that’s just not enough for me in a holiday collection. I want more. So much more. And I can still get it. In the second palette 🙂

 

So, the first round of Dior 5 couleurs Splendor wasn’t that great, but I’m hoping, the second one will be better. The quality of these palettes is fine. Not my favourite, but it’s good and up to the luxury market level. Solid. The application is quite smooth and easy.

 

This palette is called 5 couleurs Splendor 776 Precious Embroidery. Precious Embroidery sounds very special occasion like. This name is very holiday like. Good 🙂

 

The rest of the packaging looks just like it usually looks in these palettes.

 

No limited edition design here.

 

The brushes are the same as in Smoky Sequins. There are two. They are dual ended.

 

One is a sponge and a brush.

 

The other one is a pointed sponge and a super pointed sponge 🙂

 

Even if I generally use other brushes, it’s nice to have a full set of brushes in a palette, even if these brushes are minis.

 

Here’s our palette. And it looks more interesting. Not too exciting though. Kind of a chocolate version of smoky eyes, which is a little off the beaten track, but not off the beaten track enough for me. Maybe, there’s something about it I can’t immediately see though, but will feel once I swatch it. So, I keep my fingers crossed here.

 

The first shade is a rosy cooler beige with a distant mauve undertone to it. And with a bunch of tiny golden sparkle, surprisingly. Such rosy mauvish beige shades usually come with silver sparkle in them, if any. I have to say, this shade is not super celebratory, maybe, but it’s very chic. Beautiful. And it would look good on a lot of people. If the rest of the shades in this palette are as nice, it might turn out to be full of that understated chic that I’m looking for in holiday makeup.

 

Here we go again. Pale yellow which is pale, yes, there’s no question about it, but not yellow by a long shot. And it’s a pity, if you ask me. Other than me just liking pale yellow eyeshadow, I just don’t appreciate, when shades in makeup look one thing and then prove to be a different thing and colour. I feel kind of cheated, when it happens 🙂 This shade is an off white base shade, that’s all there is to it.

 

In the middle we have gold here – again 🙂 This gold is darker, vintage like, but in a different way than that in Smoky Sequins palette. This golden shade is kind of lighter and more orangey, or else, copperish. Although it remains gold having copper as a background to it, mostly, bringing out all the golden glory there is there. This shade is warm and designed to support and match the rest of the shades in the palette.

 

A lighter warmer chocolate brown. This brown is not hot chocolate like. It’s milk chocolate like, I’d say. I like this brown a lot. Few people like brown eyeshadow. This shade can get you to like lush browns. It’s very flattering for most of us. Not too dark. That’s probably the biggest fear of most of us, when it comes to browns – that they are too dark. This brown is warm and lush and luring and womanly and very special. Can it be a special occasion shade? I think it can. It has a good special occasion potential 🙂

 

The last shade is a deep deep and dark dark brown. That’s hot chocolate, by all means 🙂 It’s like the opposite of the brown we’ve just talked about. This brown is a version of matt black in that smoky eye palette. It has the same function. Can be an eyeliner, if you think it’s too dark for you. Or it can be a smoky eye brown, which is a little bit of an update on black smoky eye look that we’ve all done and worn so many times already.

 

That’s the palette. And even though it’s a little bit more exciting than Smoky Sequins palette to me, thanks to that pinkish mauvish beige and lighter brown infused with light – those two shades are fabulous, I love them – two out of three shades aren’t enough though for me to feel that the palette is holiday like and can easily put me in a holiday mood. I’d say, if this palette weren’t part of holiday collection, I’d like it more. It’s a pretty palette that those of us who like browns in makeup might want to have in their stash. Would I wear it during the holiday season though? Probably, not.

 

The two 5 couleurs palettes are my first disappointment of the collection. They are Ok, and I the sequin design is fun, but I so want to see different shades here. If these were released in fall, they’d be perfectly fine, but when I’m looking at them in the middle of holiday season, I can’t help wondering, why they are here in this collection. As much as I find the sequin design nice and clever, it’s not enough, the shades should click too for me to love the product, and they don’t.

 

Face. Eyes. What’s next? Lips? Yes, lip colours. At the same time, we aren’t quite done with face makeup here. I’ll explain. This holiday season Dior released a new product called Diorific Matte Fluid Lip & Cheek Velvet Colour. There are four shades of this new thing, and that’s a lot 🙂

 

Lip & Cheek Velvet Colour is limited edition, so if you like it, hurry up and grab it, while it lasts. The first shade we’re going to see is called 001 Pleasure. Yes, I want some pleasure for holidays, please. And after the holidays too 🙂

 

Here’s what Lip & Cheek Velvet Colour looks like. It’s beautiful. And very much in tune with the rest of the collection design. I love the way this small thing looks and feels in my hand. It’s really small, smaller than your average lipstick, so you’ll be able to have it with you whenever you want. I’m a little bit apprehensive though. My experience with multi purpose products isn’t that great or positive. You know that I think it’s hard enough to do one great product, so doing two great products in one is a very steep ladder to climb, to my mind. Is it possible? Yes, it is. Does it happen often? No, it doesn’t 🙂 We’ll see if Dior pulled it here.

 

The brush is short stemmed – very short stemmed – spongy and pinched on the sides. Also, it’s fluffy and soft. I’d say it’s efficient enough for the purposes of applying this product. Although you might need to get used to the stem of the brush being so short.

 

The shade is a warm pink with some mauve or lilac lingering somewhere on the bottom of it. Once I applied it, I was wondering when it would turn matt. Because it looked just like your regular liquid lip colour with a distinct satiny shine to it. Several minutes later though, like five minutes, it dried, kind of, and settled on the lips and turned matt with just a touch of satin gleam, but not too much in any way. The shade is a step up from natural into pretty pink. Very nice. A lot of people could wear it and enjoy it.

 

I’ve already told you how, to me, the biggest catch of matt lip colour is that it almost inevitably dries your lips. When I applied Dior Lip & Cheek Velvet Colour there was almost no dryness. In fact, it felt pretty comfortable on the lips, and only deep deep down I could feel the dryness starting to emerge. The more time passed, the more dryness there was. So, I’d say you could only wear this thing on your lips for a couple of hours, before that carriage will turn into a pumpkin. Oh, and Lip & Cheek Velvet Colour has a powdery makeupey scent to it, pretty strong, but it didn’t bother me, although I fully expected it to do so.

 

When it comes to wearing it on your cheeks, first and foremost, you have to keep in mind that this dryness is not going to disappear just because you decided to apply it on your cheeks, and not on your lips. And you don’t want any dryness, either on your lips or cheeks, for that matter. Further on, although I’ve tried different liquid blushing products, they just never can beat cream or powder blushes for me. Because they don’t go on your cheeks as evenly, can’t be smoothed out as easily and for a bunch of other reasons related to application/longevity. Lip & Cheek Velvet Colour by Dior is no exclusion to the rule. I can see wearing it on my lips, when I absolutely need matt texture, not on my cheeks though. To round it up, unfortunately, it’s just as expected. Two in one almost never works well enough for me. And even Dior couldn’t avoid the dryness of matt colour formula. Pity. The design is superb though. No kidding.

 

You know what, I’m almost not disappointed. I mean, seriously, those multi purpose makeup products and matt makeup products never work for me, so if that’s my starting point in principle, then Dior Lip & Cheek Velvet Colour is fine, and I can wear it on my lips occasionally. Still, in the back of my mind I wish it were even better. Anyway, I brace myself, and now I’m ready to see more shades 🙂

 

Diorific Matte Fluid Lip & Cheek Velvet Colour 002 Marvel. I sure hope I’m going to marvel at this one. If I can wear it, even if for very short periods of time, I want the shade to be awesome.

 

And I still love this tube. It’s an iconic design that will last and be remembered, and it deserves both. This shade is pink too, but it’s a different kind of pink indicating that this colour can be ever so versatile. And ever so rich when it comes to shades and combinations.

 

This pink is cooler and brighter. Fuchsia? No, I wouldn’t say so. There is some purple there, but only a little, this shade is proudly and predominantly pink. A bold pink. A daring pink. An energetic and energizing pink. If you like brighter pinks and fuchsia and don’t mind the matt texture, take a closer look. What I love about this shade is that it’s so well balanced, it’s bright without being too bright, cool without being too cool, pink without being too pink. Everything about it is just so well rounded. I wish I could have this shade in all textures. It’s a keeper. But then again the dryness is still here, and I still don’t like wearing it on my cheeks.

 

Next shade of Diorific Matte Fluid. I so wish the formula could somehow avoid all the dryness in it. Then I could enjoy the tube and the shades so much more. But what are you gonna do? Lip care is the only way to make it through matt lip colour unperturbed and unaffected. I’ve already told you about it here  Matt lip colour: the catches

 

This shade is called 003 Treasure. Yes, Dior, this packaging, this tubing, to be more precise, does look like a treasure. Almost like a pendant, like a piece of jewel of some sort. Good job 🙂

 

Here’s our beauty of a tube. The darker the shade is the better the tube seems to frame it. This plum looks gorgeous in this design with all the golden stuff around it. I love holding it in my hand.

 

The shade looks like a darker plum shade in the tube. But when swatched, it reveals all its true milder purple essence with a moody twist to it. I can’t say I love purples. Shy and cool little lilacs – yes. Purples in general – no. This here is a very good purple though. For starters, it doesn’t look like all the other purples that are out there on the market already and keep coming in. It’s cooler without sliding all the way into purple that’s so cool it’s dusky and almost ashy. Instead this one is vibrant without being intrusive and will become most of us. That’s great, isn’t it? 🙂

 

And the last shade of Diorific Matte Fluid Lip & Cheek Velvet Colour is this beauty here. 004 Luxury. We’re getting to the very point here. Luxury, yes. It’s luxurious. Almost too posh, if that’s possible. An exquisite toy to play with.

 

If I had to guess, I’d say it would be some version of red. If you look at this collection closely, it’s so traditionally holiday like. And red lip colour is the most traditional holiday lip and nail colour of all. We’ll see if Dior is consistent to the point of giving us some red lip and cheek colour here 🙂

 

Yep. Here it is. All red. Looking good with all the golden framing it has in this tube. What is it about holidays and red lip colour? I don’t know, maybe, it’s just that red is bright and full of light and festive. In a lot of cultures red is the colour of beauty and celebration. There’s definitely something special occasion like about red lip colour. It can elevate almost any look to a whole new level and turn your little black dress into a cocktail one instantaneously.

 

The red we have here is a beginner red. That is, it’s not crazy bright or crazy dark and sultry. It’s on the lighter side and has a glimpse of pink in it. I agree with Dior here, holidays are about being merry and festive and joyous and happy. Not about being vampy as much. Although, naturally, it depends on the circumstances. What I’m saying here is just that, when red is light, it’s more of a glorious and celebratory colour, and that’s the way I, personally, want it for holidays. I have to say though, the dryness didn’t go anywhere, unfortunately.

 

And that’s Diorific Matte Fluid Lip & Cheek Velvet Colour. I’d say it’s better than most, still not good enough for me. I don’t feel like using it on my cheeks as a blush at all. As for my lips, they are sensitive to begin with, and I just don’t appreciate the dryness. I so wish it weren’t there. I wonder, isn’t there a way to do this formula without the dryness? Dior had to have found a way, if it did exist, right? I do understand why they released it though. The design idea is marvelous, and matt textures are trending so wildly now, there’s no escape from matt lip colour, matt nail colour, matt eyeshadow even. And one has to keep up with the trend somehow. I get that, and it’s all good, I just want more, especially from Dior 🙂

 

And here’s our lip colour proper. Diorific Long-Wearing True Colour Lipstick. True colour? Every holiday season I wonder what that means. Maybe, it means, that there’s no shine to it, no pearl altering the shade proper? I don’t know. What I know though is that this formula has never been my favourite. It’s a rather puzzling combination of a cream lipstick and matt lipstick formula that’s always felt so harsh on the lips, just hard, you know, so I had to press on it extra hard, when applying it, and I can’t say my lips enjoyed immensely me doing that 🙂

 

I’ve always wondered, can it be that everyone loves it being so much harder on the lips than your average cream lipstick formula? Well, the first time I touched my lips with Diorific this season I could feel it got softer. Finally 🙂 I’ve been waiting for it to happen for several seasons now. That’s not all there is to this formula though. When I say it’s halfway matt, sort of, what I mean other than the obvious finish related stuff, is that I can’t help feeling the dryness. Ugh. I’m so tired of this dryness in matt lip texture. And even cream texture sometimes. Well, even if the texture got softer to the touch, the dryness didn’t disappear, unfortunately. And the strong makeupey powdery scent is still put. And I wish it changed. It bothers me more in this texture than it does in Diorific Matte Fluid, I don’t even know why. So, to me, half of my issues with Diorific are resolved now, but not all of them.

 

The tube is still fabulous though. Heavy but fabulous. Posh. Fetish like tube. I enjoy seeing it every year. Very couture and very Dior and very holiday like. All are good things, if you ask me. And it being heavy doesn’t bother me that much, honestly. It’s a fashion item, not just a makeup item, and I love that.

 

The first shade is called 065 Golden. Of course 🙂 Dior always releases a version of golden shade in their holiday limited edition Diorific ranges. It fits in nicely. It suits the tube and can be worn as a top coat golden glow and shine kind of thing on the rest of the shades. Makes total sense in this concept and within this collection. This year the golden shade is on the vintage slope, the way all the gold is in this collection. That is, it’s not golden gold and then some. It’s golden beige almost or beige golden with brighter and lighter golden sparkle, a handful of it. Once again, it seems to me, it’s for the better 🙂

 

I have to admit that golden lipstick shade is so out there I like it. But… there are only few people who can pull it off and wear it so that it’s actually becoming. Remember what I told you about that powder? If there’s any sallow in your skin tone, if your skin is nobly pale, the chances are this lip shade is not the best shade for you. I’d say you’re better off then using it on top of other shades to give them the lush golden shine. If your skin tone is honey like though, then this shade might just be the winner for you. Do try it out. I just really have a soft spot for this shade somehow. I remember trying to wear golden and bronze shades on my lips back when I was in college 🙂 It’s artsy in the best possible way, you know. Especially when it’s done like this, kind of shiny, not too shiny, not dead on gold. Very nice.

 

Next shade of Diorific this year is 440 Charm. I wanna have charm for holidays. And a holiday charm, for that matter 🙂 I just wish this formula didn’t have the sneaky dryness at the bottom of it. I can’t change it though, and there are some nice shades to see and to try on, so I’m just going to keep pushing here 🙂

 

At least, this lipstick feels soft on the lips up front. Also, notice how Golden is just Diorific, while Charm is Diorific Mat Velvet Colour Lipstick Weightless, Long-Wearing. That explains it, that’s why it feels even softer than Diorific. And, sadly, there’s even more dryness to it than there is to Diorific proper. I think after this collection I established that mat to me equals dryness 🙂 As for weightless and long wearing I think it holds true. And the way it’s ever so soft up front, when you first touch your lips with it, is amazing.

 

Here’s our tube which is no different than Diorific tube. Still gold, still splendid, still Dior like. Heavy and wonderful and posh. Almost decadent in its splendor 🙂 And the powdery makeupey scent is just like the scent in Diorific. Only the texture is different. Matt, as you might have guessed already 🙂

 

And the shade is pink. We had a pink shade in Diorific Matte Fluid texture. So, I wonder how this pink is going to be different. And how many pinks we get in Diorific Mat finish this holiday season. Something tells me they are going to correspond with Dior Matte Fluid shades. There we had two pinks: a warm one and a cool bright one.

 

Turns out, the shade is a warm pink, the kind we’ve seen in Diorific Matte Fluid Lip & Cheek Velvet Colour. So, it’s a pink charm 🙂 There’s something really nice and interesting about pink shades when they come in matt texture. Probably, because when we say matt, we picture all the reds and plums. While pink is on the other end of spectre. It’s fresh, upbeat and modern chic and not turned into kind of a cliché like all the wet shine pinks. Of late I’ve come to really like matt pinks in the rare moments, when I feel like doing matt lip at all. This pink is natural looking and feeling with a womanly matt element in it.

 

Moving on here. Another shade of Diorific Mat. Told you, matt texture is everywhere 🙂 So, we might as well make friends with it. This shade is pink. Something’s telling me this pink is going to be bright and cooler. I mean, we already have a natural warm pink, right? So, why have another one? 🙂

 

The shade is called 560 Ravissement. And, yes, it is bright. So bright. Hot and upbeat. And cooler than Charm. This vibrant pink is probably one of the most loved lipstick shades in the world. Well, good news is it’s not like all those other bright pinks, because it’s matt. It makes it stand out and makes it special. I mean, how many bright matt pinks have you seen of late? Uh-huh, that’s what I’m saying.

 

Here’s the tube. O-oh. It’s so worth it. It’s one of those things I admire every year, and when it comes back, it feels familiar and warm and just right for the holiday season. It also proves that design matters, in luxury makeup it does. I want more than just lipstick. I want to smile before I get to lipstick, you know 🙂

 

In terms of texture, it’s matt and still dry and it gets even more dry the longer you wear it. Don’t forget about all your lip care and use the best and the most reliable products before and after. Just be sure to give it some time in between the lip care and lip colour. If you apply Diorific Mat right away, it will mix on the lips with lip care and turn into cream colour feeling and looking lipstick.

 

I don’t mind this shade at all. As everyone, I sometimes find myself craving it. And wear it. You know when bright pinks are at their best? When you need to quickly get a major boost of energy. Then a shade like that can come in handy. And matt texture in this case proves that bright pink can be languid and hot deep down and not in a surfacey way. If you like energized cooler pinks and tried just everything pink – glossy, creamy, liquid colour – all the things, this lipstick here might be new and exciting one and still have your favourite bright pink in it. Don’t miss out.

 

More of Diorific Mat. Given how this collection’s going I can already tell what shades we’re going to see here in this velvet colour limited edition range. Still trying and am going to keep trying to get my hands – or should I say lips? – around this texture. Not sure it will work, but you can always try, right?

 

This time around the shade is called 880 Fascination. A fascinating shade? Ok. Fascinating is a very holiday like way. A special occasion like way. So, why not? Let’s be fascinated by this shade by Dior.

 

The tube. Look at it. What is it about it? It’s fascinating, that’s what it is J I don’t even mind it being golden and shiny. It’s curvy too. Curvy in a good way. It being curvy also helps it stay put in my hand as opposed to sliding out of it 🙂

 

The shade looks very… purple. Purple and dark and cool. Uncompromisingly purple, I’d say. Which might be a problem. Because dark purples aren’t always universally becoming. Let’s see it first though. Maybe, it will be an exclusion to the rule.

 

Ok, great, it swatches better than I expected. Vampy and easier to pull, even though it’s so dark and so cool without the plumish warmth that we oftentimes find so appealing. Maybe, it being velvety helps too. This is a very rare dark purple that will look good on a lot of people. You know that vampy purple look with dark lip being the highlight of your makeup? Well, if you’ve always wanted to try that and never dared because thought it’s not your style and not your shade, this might be the shade to go with. Just remember, vampy makeup of the kind has to be part of the look, not just a separate standing statement. Then it works 🙂

 

And the last shade of Diorific Mat. You can guess it. C’mon. What’s the most holiday lip shade of all, huh? We’ve talked about it already. Not working? Well, what colour does Santa Clause wear? You’ve got it. Red.

 

And the shade shares the name with the collection. It’s yet another Splendor. 950 Splendor, to be specific. I’m telling you, it’s not going to be easy to pull the right shade out of the box with this collection. I mean, everything is Splendor, just everything around here.

 

Ok, here’s your last chance to look at the beautiful tube in this post. It’s one of the best, really. I wish I had a perfume bottle like that. And if you like lip colour – and who doesn’t – this tube is like the ultimate lip colour tube to have and to hold, right? Awesome.

 

Here it is. And it looks darker, deeper and redder, so to say. Cherry like. Although as we already know from our encounter with purple, matt texture seems to make the shade look darker. And then once I swatch it, it always seems to give off more light, or else, all the light and satiny velvety gleam there is in its core, and then some brightness gets revealed and unraveled.

 

And that’s exactly the case here. This red is deep, sexy and, well, red, but it’s not overly dark. It’s a little darker than the kind of red I, personally, like for holidays, but that’s me, maybe, you like sultry reds and wear them all the time, and this shade here is light enough for you 🙂 This red feels like a good modern take on classic. Red lip has been done so many times and in so many ways, this matt holiday statement of a shade is a worthy addition to all the reds out there. If you can push through the dryness in this formula, you’ll enjoy it not only on holidays but on any special occasions to come, once the holiday season is over. Parties happen all the time and in all seasons. So, you can put this red to good use.

 

That’s our Splendor lipstick. Diorific and Diorific Mat. Both formulae got better, I think. I would love them to get even better though 🙂 Makeup perfectionism in me can’t be beaten down no matter what. I’m still hoping somewhere in the very back of my mind that someone will come up with a way to get rid of the dryness. Dior cushioned it real nice here by the softness that comes first, but the longer I wear it, the more I feel the dryness. The shades are traditionally holiday and traditionally Dior. Although they did little twists on them that I like here. Also, remember that you can use Golden to top any of the other four shades and add a touch of gold – and shine, for that matter – to any of the other four shades. The secret here is not to overdo it. It has to be just a touch of gold as opposed to the gold overpowering the shade proper.

 

The last thing there is in the collection that we need to talk about is nail colour. Five shades. That’s a lot. I hope they’ll be great and wrap up the whole collection, makeup and look nicely. We’ll see what Dior has in store for us here.

 

It’s all packed in gold, it’s a signature holiday collection boxing by Dior. You know what their concept is, right? All these items design is vintage in a lot of ways. Dior goes back to their history here, and I love that. It’s always nice when brands turn to their DNA.

 

This shade is called 001 Nova. Is it a shade though? We’ll find out a little later. There can be several answers here, and all of them will be the right ones. So far I’ll tell you that the quality of this nail colour, this limited holiday edition, is always solid and good, and this season is no exclusion to the rule. That’s good news. I like good nail colour 🙂

 

And here’s the gorgeous, special occasion, holiday, limited edition, vintage, beautiful, all those things bottle that looks like a holiday decoration. All trimmed in gold and framing the shade in it and sometimes infused with light. Oh, look at this beauty. It’s just like a snowy ball with all the white glittery snowflaky business going on inside. What can be more holiday like than this kind of white glitter? More wintery like? I love that. I so hope it will be a good one.

 

Once this glitter lands on my nails, I realize it’s not just white, it’s kind of sheer and holographic. Which makes it even better, because it means it has all kind of shades and colours encased in it.

 

And the holographic bits and pieces in it are not too small and not too big. And they glow with all possible colours depending on how you turn your hand.

 

This glitter can be so different, depending on what your taste is like and what kind of manicure you enjoy.

 

It can be a sheer nail shade with glitter in it, should you only use one coat. Then it’s tender and romantic and special occasion like at the same time. Sophisticated.

 

If you apply two coats, it will be a full on whitish nail colour packed with glitter. Very celebratory. Nude like with a fun holiday twist on it. Elegant.

 

And then it can be just top coat. And that opens up endless possibilities. Depending on the colour you top with it, you’ll get a totally different manicure every time. Tender, sultry, artsy. You pick 🙂

 

Off we go to our next shade. And this shade is an obvious one in the context of this collection. It comes in this nobly golden box, bigger and more square than Dior permanent range nail colour boxing. More solid, so to say.

 

The shade is called 328 Golden. Gold is everywhere. Every holiday season it just showers on us and comes from all directions and in all shapes and forms. There’s a reason it does. It’s an old and good tradition, gold is associated with wealth and well-being and happiness, simply. So, here it is, this year’s take on gold by Dior  🙂

 

And this is the bottle that’s no less pretty than Diorific tube and Diorific Matte Fluid tube. It’s posh, it’s old fashioned a little bit. It indicates we’re celebrating a holiday here that’s all about thinking back to the past and then looking into the future. Very nice.

 

The shade makes me, for one, happy 🙂 It’s golden, yes, but it’s darker, there’s a hint of bronze about it, a touch of sophistication. Don’t be afraid of this gold. It’s classy.

 

Honestly, given how many golden hues and golden shades we have around us at this time of year, this shade can almost feel nude like on your nails.

 

I have to admit that gold is a great accent shade that’s not as intense as, say, red or neon or something. When gold is an accent it’s more about understatement, believe it or not 🙂

 

The key to golden manicure is structuring your look around it correctly. The key to making it work is not overdoing it. When you’re using gold in makeup, it’s better to pull back in clothes, basically.

 

This gold is deep and nice. Once the holiday season wears off, consider pairing it up with something casual, something beige. That’s when it looks very chic.

 

You know what, if you have to wear gold this holiday season or at any other time, if you like it, this here is a good way to do it.

 

Next shade of Diorific Vernis is less obvious and, hence, more interesting. Also, it’s very wearable and very much about real life.

 

It’s called 779 Precious. I’ll tell you what, with this bottle any shade will look precious. Also, I’m so happy the formula is consistently good. It would be such a pity, if it weren’t.

 

And here it is in the bottle. For once on holidays it’s not red and gold. It’s pink and gold. And I kind of like it 🙂

 

Ready? It’s purple pink. Medium. Bright enough without being too bright. So many people will like it. So many people can wear it.

 

It’s a rare occasion, when a shade shows up in holiday collection that will come in handy again and again after the holiday season is over.

 

Precious looks modern and very much in the day. At the same time, it’s womanly reaching surprising depths in our subconsciousness and bringing us back to what nail colour is about.

 

I mean, why we started painting our nails in the first place? What we wanted to achieve? And we achieved in the long run?

 

Every one of us will have an answer that will be specific to us, but… We can all agree, I think, that we paint our nails to feel good and look good.

 

Pink and purple are probably the two most wearable and, maybe, even two most worn shades in manicure world. Guess what, here they are mixed in a perfect proportion, so that whatever you like best – pink or purple – this shade can make you happy.

 

One but last. It seems, we’re getting into the darker and hotter nail colour territory here. Ok, I’m ready, Dior, bring it on. Going sultry for holiday is a valid option.

 

The shade is called 850 Splendor. Another splendor. Given it’s nail colour, it’s probably the last one in this collection. And it’s…red.

 

Ok, Ok, I admit that red and gold do look good together. I mean, this shade looks spectacular in this bottle.

 

Remember Diorific Splendor? This nail shade is a perfect match for it. It’s a deep red, darker without being dark, cherry like, but not quite cherry.

 

I like this red, even though generally I like merrier and brighter reds. The fact that I like it tells you a lot and indicates how good it is.

 

It’s not in vain that red keeps emerging and re-emerging in holiday makeup collections. So many people like it and wear it during this time of year.

 

Also, red is nail colour classic. And manicure classic. So, it’s only natural that we wear it a lot, and holidays are no exclusion to the rule.

 

On the other hand, if you prefer nudes and well groomed nail look, holiday season or any celebration, for that matter, might just be your chance to test drive red manicure.

 

There’s something nice about this red. It’s not as on the nose sexy as most reds. It’s more elegant and womanly and sophisticated. Well rounded and pleasant.

 

And the last shade of Diorific Vernis. 899 Cosmic. If you’ve seen enough Dior collections, you should be able to tell what their ‘cosmics’ are in terms of shade.

 

I can tell 🙂 When Dior says ‘cosmic’, they usually mean purple. Now, what kind of purple specifically it is, that I don’t know 🙂 Can be anything – from lighter to sultry plum.

 

If I had to guess, I’d say, given it’s a holiday collection, it’s probably on the darker side of things. Yep. Dark and mysterious.

 

Well now! It’s not lighter. And not plum. In fact, it’s dark, very dark, a dark cool purple. No red or pink in it almost.

 

It looks off black almost. Like night sky. Cosmic? Maybe. Yeah. There is something cosmic about it. Endless like space.

 

It’s hard to do this shade in a way where I like it, but I appreciate this one. It’s cool dark purple done right. Stops just short of being black. Good job, Dior.

 

You could also call this shade ink purple. If you’re a fan of dark manicure, you know all about ink purples and probably wear them.

 

If you are not a fan of dark manicures, and you’re looking at this shade wondering why you could possibly want it, hold your judgement. I have a pitch for you 🙂

 

This super dark shade can be a perfect background for glitters. Remember the white glitter? Nova? Yeah. Any other glitter would work here too, probably.

 

Now we’re going to top our four nail shades with Nova and see what it’s going to do to them. Hopefully, something nice 🙂

 

Golden comes first.

 

To tell you the truth, the combination of gold and white is not something I can immediately get my mind around. I just don’t see how they go together.

 

Once I top Golden with Nova though, I see that it pretty much stops being white 🙂 And mostly blends in with all the gold.

 

All I can see now is holographic glow on the golden nail colour under certain angles here and there.

 

And I don’t see enough of this holographic glow for me to be happy with it. It’s just a random glimpse, more or less.

 

So, as far as I’m concerned, the glittery top coat is lost on this golden nail colour. It almost disappears and blends in with the gold.

 

On the other hand, if you want a little bit of an artsy twist on your golden manicure without it being too artsy, this might be just right for you.

 

Next. Precious and our snowy top coat.

 

Now we’re talking 🙂 This purple pink is a brighter cream, so the holographic glitter works so much better on it than on gold.

 

The purple pink provides all the right contrast for it bringing out the best of the icicle like particles and their gleam.

 

On the other hand, the purple pink is not too dark and not too classic, so it looks fresh and modern topped with Nova.

 

I love it. It’s such a great manicure option holidays or no holidays. It’s a keeper. I’ll do this again and again 🙂

 

There’s something really really nice about this. It’s a great clubby/party manicure. In party lights the glitter will shine and glow like you can’t believe.

 

If you consider this manicure for holiday season, here’s something to support your choice, by the way. See how the glitter mostly looks golden on this shade? 🙂

 

Let’s see Splendor and Nova now.

 

Pretty. It’s in the area of Precious and Nova, only it’s more special occasion like, because red is darker, and darker backgrounds always make glitters look more stark and striking.

 

This red and holographic glitter mix is a stunner of a holiday manicure. Or a party manicure. And once again, a lot of gold shows up in the glitter here.

 

This red is a step short of being dark enough to provide a classical dark background for glitter, which makes the whole thing interesting.

 

Also, this glitter is a great way to shake up your red manicure routine. Easy too. One layer of this top coat – or two, if you’re feeling adventurous – will do the job.

 

Red nail shades have been paired up with glitters more than once. There’s something about this red though, where it looks special both on its own and with the glitter.

 

This red with pieces of broken glass or ice over it can make for a splendid manicure that you can enjoy more than once and long after the holidays.

 

And the last one. Cosmic and Nova.

 

Oh, this is great. And totally different. And it shows you why darker nail shades are most commonly used under glitters and glittery top coats.

 

The contrast here is most stark and gorgeous. And this contrast emphasizes the best qualities of both nail colour and glitter.

 

Notice how glitter is not as golden on this shade as on the purple pink and red. It’s more subdued and lighter and understated.

 

It’s more like it glows from the depth of the ink purple shade lighting it up from within, exploding with shine and making it festive.

 

This kind of manicure can help you make friends with darker manicures in general. The glitter will help you big time to get in the groove.

 

This option is the most artsy one of the four because of the whole dark clashes against light and shiny thing. Still, it’s exquisite in a lot of ways. Awesome.

That’s Diorific Vernis. I can’t say that the shades are super exciting. They are nice, very nice, but almost too obvious for a holiday makeup collection. Also, they are common Dior holiday shades. Been there, seen that, done that, if you know what I mean. On one hand, it’s a very comfortable feeling, and the wonderful bottles make it worthwhile, on the other hand, I can’t help wishing there was something more here. The glittery top coat is a little more, it makes me feel better about nail colour in this collection. Also, this kind of glitter, that is, whiter, sheer almost and holographic, is the trend, the hottest glitter of the season. And it does make those shades – or some of them – special or more special, let’s say. I don’t know if it’s enough though.

   

   

   

   

   

 

That’s Splendor by Dior. So, getting back to the beginning here, are holidays over? Nope. They aren’t. Not with all Splendor Dior prepared for us. The design here is fabulous. A great combination of traditionally posh golden Dior casing and tubing and that new chic sequin pattern printed on some of the products. Just looking at those tubes and patterns gets me in a festive mood. I love that 🙂 In terms of shades, what we see here is mostly the good old. Personally, I would love love love and then love some more to see something new. At least, something, thrown in there and mixed with all the old. Diorific Matte Fluid doesn’t do it for me, because I’m no fan of matt textures on the lips. The thing I have to say here though is that quality is pretty consistent. There are some rare glitches, but all in all, it’s good. And a lot of the shades are a classic, so you can easily wear them once all the holiday hustle and bustle is over. As for whether you want to wear these shades or not, I guess, it depends on how much of a traditionalist you are and just how many of those reds and golds you already have stashed.