Diorsnow "Bloom Perfect" Perfect Moist Cushion - A First Look!

Dior brings out new Diorsnow products around Spring of each year, and for 2016 it's their own interpretation of the eponymous Cushion Foundation which has started invading all the Western brand line-ups after several years in Asia.

Like Chanel's Le Blanc, Diorsnow is a "whitening"/brightening line created originally just for the East Asian market, where there is an eternal obsession with luminous, unblemished skin with no trace of sun damage. Many people around the world are only just learning about how bad sun exposure and photo-damage actually is on the skin, but it's always been a big deal in East Asia, and good formulas are expected to do double-duty - treat existing damage and prevent future damage.

I will go out on a limb and say that good whitening skincare IS often great skincare for treating first signs of aging. I feel the separation of the two lines is more about marketing and selling more products to consumers. Most of the soothing, repairing, and protecting extracts and ingredients in whitening skincare - like stabilized Vitamin C, Licorice extract, or Edelweiss extract which is used in the Diorsnow range - also can protect against collagen and DNA damage.

Dior's put their skincare ingredients into their latest foundation - the Bloom Perfect Perfect-Moist Cushion - which is an ultra-hydrating, protecting, and brightening foundation which promises to both treat as well as protect. If you've used and gotten good results with other skincare products in the Diorsnow range, you will be happy to know they also have two new skin priming products -  the Bloom Perfect Brightening Effect Skin Creator, and the Brightening Makeup Base, which I'll review separately.

I was sent shade 020 in the cushion foundation for review, and it is available in Singapore in only 3 shades with neutral undertones (005, 010, 020,m). It costs SGD$105, comes in a box with two cushions (one in the case, one in a sealed pouch), and the standard issue application puff. I usually dislike all puffs aside from the new Shu Uemura flocked one which is ultra soft and doesn't soak up a ton of product. The Dior is slightly softer and more plush than the average Korean-style puffs, but it's still mostly the same and I still don't love it.

On application, you get a light coverage, but as with most cushion foundations you can pat a bit more on over the first layer to build up slightly. I did find that the Dior does not build up to the level of coverage you get with most classic Korean cushions. The most you will get is light-medium at 2-3 coats. If you need to apply more than 2-3 coats of a foundation to get the coverage you want, you are using the wrong product.

You can see in the before after below that it does even out my skin considerably. I am slightly paler on the brow bones and in the lower parts of my cheeks, and I have some uneven darkness around the mouth and chin, eyes, nostrils, etc which (aside from making it look like I permanently wear brown shadow) can make my face look slightly deeper than my neck. I usually use 021 (medium-light yellow) in Dior foundations and 020 is slightly more neutral/pink than my skin

It does give enough coverage to cover broken veins and old marks from spots, but I had to tap my finger in the product and pat it gently on specific areas where I want more coverage. Brushes, sponges, and puffs will always take some product off. For max coverage, fingers are the best.

(And before you cringe, remember it's a hundred times easier to ensure your finger is sanitized, than a used brush or sponge.)

PROS:

• A good strong dewy glow
• A light feel
• Very fine texture on the skin; doesn't look heavy or unnatural
• Good SPF
• Skincare ingredients
• Puff is a bit softer and easier to work with than many other puffs around

CONS:

• Too dewy for girls with bumpy, uneven skin or large open pores
• Only gives light-ish coverage
• Will not lock on and stay on in humidity or on oily skin - this will rub off and transfer quite easily
• Not enough PA (UVA) protection - I feel on principle every product that has SPF50 should have PA++++, because many people get a false sense of security from using a "50" and think they can skip sunblock, when in reality they are not getting maximum protection against aging UVA rays
• Not enough shades for deeper skin tones - 020 is around N2 for MAC. Diorsnow is a line created primarily for fair-skinned Asian consumers (Japan is a major market)
• Heavily fragranced

So - same story with pretty much every other cushion foundation I tried - they will not really set and lock on and stay intact the entire day if you are oily, or running about in humidity and sweating a lot. Don't even think of using this if you have oily, blemished skin because it makes my semi-dry/normal skin look a bit greasy after 30 mins even with setting powder. You can apply a ton of powder to try and make it last longer but I don't see why you would get a dewy foundation if you are just going to matte it down. Wear it if you have relatively smooth skin, small pores, and just want something to add a youthful glow, hydration, and to even out the skin for a couple of hours. 

My biggest beef with this product is the lack of lasting power. I let it sit for a couple of minutes and then pressed a sheet of tissue very, very gently onto my skin. It came off with a LOT of product.

That's not to say I hate this product. It's exactly what I expect of a cushion foundation, honestly. This is a very fine formula, smells lovely, feels luxurious going on, and has some sun protection and skincare. I just don't love cushions in tropical climates to begin with. If you need something that stays intact all day and can withstand heat and grease or hide large pores, you might want to try the regular Diorsnow foundation, which has amazing coverage, similar sun protection, and a semi-matte finish that will last a lot better.

The Bloom Perfect Brightening Effect Skin Creator on the other hand, is a silky pre-makeup salve which feels lovely and imparts a subtle smooth glow to the skin. I am very excited about, and will post more info after a bit more testing.

Dior 2015 Diorsnow Collection: A few picks!

Every year, Dior launches a special Asia-exclusive collection under their Diorsnow line.

Born of a skincare line targeted at skin-brightening for the paleness-obsessed Asian market, the line eventually expanded to include a foundation line, brightening powders, and then exclusive limited edition makeup collections.

Typically, these collections are not seen in the West, except occasionally in collaboration with malls like Nordstrom's as temporary exclusives. If you've never seen any of these items before and you're thinking of buying on eBay or through online sellers without being able to swatch and try them in person, then there are few things you might want to remember.

1. The Diorsnow collections are primarily targeted at East Asians who not only prize fair skin, but also tend to have pale to medium skin tones in general.
2. The makeup colors that are born out of the line cater to the Asian consumers who often steer away from strong, dramatic colors. Most of the eye palettes come in soft, pastel tones, and are short of strong definer shades for the lash line and socket. The blushes and powders can often leave a bit of a cast on darker skins.

If you want strong dramatic rich colors, or if you have darker skin, this might not be the collection for you. That said, the items are usually gorgeous and something Dior Addicts keep an eye out for each year, just for the collectible value.

The star product of the collection this year is the Les Neiges de Diorsnow Colour Correcting Radiance Powder in 001 Rainbow (or what everyone is simply calling "Diorsnow Rainbow"), which is designed to mimic the effect of light bouncing off fresh snow up onto the face.

Besides correcting unevenness and sallowness, I was actually quite surprised that it managed to really blur pores and fine lines exceedingly well.

In fact, the powder makes my skin surface look retouched. Besides looking more luminous and even (little veins and some redness is diminished), the most amazing thing is it mattifies and makes pores so much less visible, without looking flat or dull.

I had initially thought it would be like Guerlain Meteorites, but this is honestly a much better investment in my opinion, since Guerlain has the color corrective properties but not the texture/flaw-blurring effect.

Sadly though, if you have tan to dark skin, this WILL leave a bit of a cast on your skin especially if you take pictures in strong lights. That's simply caused by the reflective property of the pigments. Otherwise, it's fantastic and definitely the first item you should check out from the collection.

Les Neiges de Diorsnow embossing

Another item I'm really enjoying is Diorblush 966 Eternal Pink.

This looks super bright in the pan, but it's like a warmer version of Chanel's Joues Contraste in Ultra Rose. It goes on much softer and sheerer, and you can build it up.

Diorblush 966 Eternal Pink on the cheeks

This blush is actually very iridescent and quite a light bright pink. I would sweep it quite high along the cheeks so the product catches the light and does double-duty as a soft highlighter. Don't feel that it will be too strong and saturated if you are pale. This is after all a Diorsnow product. It actually works better on lighter skins in my opinion, because for darker skins, it can leave a cast.

The texture is gorgeous and more finely milled than many other Diorblushes I've tried.

Dior 5 Couleurs 836 Snow Petals

There are 2 eyeshadow palettes in the collection; one a petal pink grouping and the other a pale blue and charcoal set. My preference was for the softer, warmer palette simply because I'm really not into pale blue. If you need definition though, I would recommend the blue palette over the pink, because it at least has one darker shade.

836 Snow Petals has beautiful colors, but not a single one will work well as a definer shade in the socket line or along the lashes. This is a palette that needs complementary eyeliner, and lots of mascara. 

But it CAN work beautifully. The tones are soft but the textures and pigmentation are beautiful. Several of the shades are so creamy and soft they remind me of old palette favorites like Rosy Tan which are sadly discontinued. 

Here I paired the eyeshadows with a metallic grey liner (a discontinued Lancome Artliner 24Hr) and a silver glitter liner from Collection, which I also used to coat my lower lashes, so the sparkles peek out between the black mascara on the top lashes.

So as you can see, it CAN look quite dramatic depending whether you pair it with strong liner and big lashes. If you like strong eyeliner, a soft palette actually complements it. Strong shadow and strong liner can compete for attention and look quite over the top for daily life and quite "drag"-like even though it looks good on a blog, in videos, or on Instagram. If that's the effect you're going for, go for it. If not, stick with softer tones on the lids if you are going to be wearing thick, metallic or sparkly liner.

Lastly, the nail polishes. There are about 4-5 shades in the series, and all are cremes except for 045 Stardust, which looks like a molten metal shade in the bottle, but is actually a translucent sparkly fog-grey on the nails. Very ladylike and not too punk for more conservative environments.

Dior Vernis 045 Stardust

The Diorsnow collection is available at the ION Dior Backstage boutique, as well as Robinsons Raffles City at time of writing. ION seems to have run out of stock for the Diorsnow Rainbow powder compact, but the team has told me they are ordering more, so definitely check with the sales folk in stores and see if they can hold one for you when it comes in. 

Happy hunting!

Diorsnow Fresh Cheeks Glowing Colour Blush 001 and Dior 5 Couleur 874 Tenderness

Dior 5 Couleur 874 Tenderness and Diorsnow Fresh Cheeks Glowing Colour Blush 001

Gloriousness!

Like most premium houses, “blanc” or “whitening” ranges usually consist mainly of skincare and base products. This year however, Dior has departed from that norm by offering a small capsule collection of limited edition makeup including:

1 x 5 Couleur palette: 874 Tenderness

1 x Fresh Cheeks Glowing Colour Powder Blush: 001

2 x Nail Varnishes: a bright glittery pink, and a soft glittery peach

1 x Addict Pure Gloss: a very translucent nude pink

1 x Lip Maximizer shot through with peach and pink sparkles

My personal picks out of all these are the 5 Couleur Palette 874 Tenderness, as well as the Fresh Cheeks Glowing Colour Powder Blush, which I am completely in love with.

Diorsnow Fresh Cheeks Glowing Colour Blush 001

Diorsnow Fresh Cheeks Glowing Colour Blush 001 swatched

I’d say the real star is the blush. Check out the eye palette mainly if you really love this group of colors, and don’t have anything similar. The blush on the other hand, contains 12g of product (versus the typical 4-5.5g in most premium blush ranges), comes in a gorgeous pearlescent white compact, housed in a grey sleeve, with a separate compartment for a pink bristled brush.

The gloss and Lip Maximizer I decided to pass as the colors hardly show up at all, and I’ve already got regular Lip Maximizer. As for the nail polishes, I was tempted but then again, they weren’t extremely outstanding to me. 

5 Couleur palette 874 Tenderness

5 Couleur palette 874 Tenderness swatches

The cons?

·         Availability: Like many exclusive collections, I don’t know at this point if this will be available in most countries other than Asia and the US as a Nordstrom Anniversary release.

·         Price: Needless to say, Dior isn’t cheap.

·         Suitability for darker skins: As a spin-off collection based on the Diorsnow whitening range, it’s not surprising that the colors on offer are better suited to lighter skins, especially since Asia is the primary market. If you have medium to dark skin, you will probably find these colors not strong enough to stand out properly on you.

That said, these are REALLY really gorgeous, and I personally find the blush backup-worthy if you like illuminating blushes and soft sakura pinks in general.