Dior Nude Tan Tie Dye Edition Blush Harmony

Dior's gorgeous Summer 2015 makeup collection is themed around beautiful tie-dye patterns and sunset/sunrise colors.

I'll talk about the other products in the line soon, but today I'm showcasing the two must-tries; the Nude Tan Tie Dye Edition Blush Harmony compacts.

Each comes with a white-haired kabuki brush and a velvet pouch, same as the other Nude Tan products.

The 2 shades available are:

• 001 Pink Sunrise
• 002 Coral Sunset

Both shades are quite soft, and probably better for those with light to medium skins. If you have dark skin, these might not show up that well, although the color can be built up a little.

I usually prefer pink blushes but I have to say I like 002 Coral Sunset more. It's just so pretty and tropical.

And both these blushes go perfectly with the eye palettes and cream shadows coming out in Summer. 

Dior Summer 2015 5 Couleurs palettes in 346 Pastel Breeze (left), and 556 Contraste Horizon

 There are 2 more colorful palettes; 346 Pastel Breeze and 556 Constraste Horizon. 346 Pastel Breeze is released in Singapore as a special edition ION Backdstage Boutique exclusive along with the 2 2015 My Lady blushes, and not "officially" part of the rest of the collection here.

556 Contraste Horizon however, is part of the Tie Dye collection, and one of the few color palettes that I really like.

There are also 2 neutral palettes. 

The 5 Couleurs palette 539 Variation Nude is gorgeous. If you have seen or own Cuir Cannage palette, this is a softer, less smoky version of that. It's also like an all-neutral version of the discontinued 754 Rosy Tan palette, with beiges in the place of pinks.

Eye Reviver 001 Illuminating Neutrals Eye Palette was just released as well, although it's not officially part of the Summer collection either. This 6-shade silver palette is contains 2 matte shades, 3 shimmer shades, and a liner for maximum convenience on the go. The colors are similar to 539 Variation Nude, so you probably don't need both. If you want a mix of mattes and shimmers go for the Eye Reviver palette. If you prefer Dior's ultra-silky shimmers, then pick up 539.

I'll feature all these separately, but if you're curious to see swatches I did in-store of the full range, including the very cute Tie Dye Lipsticks and Fluidsticks, hop on over to dayre here!

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.

"The Softie": Soft Neutral Eye with a Gold Accent, and Blooming Pink Cheeks and Lips!

The picture tutorial all laid-out with minimal text!

Pop Rose: Pink Makeup with Metallic Stacked Liner

We don't often wear pinks on the eyes, lips, nails AND cheeks all at the same time, but I thought the Summer Season might be a good time to give it a go.

The trick is NOT to try and match all the pinks. I used a mauve (pink-purple) shadow, with a magenta toned liner, and a bright pink lipstick. For the nails, I used a hot Barbie pink.

On the lids, I also reined it in and used warm/neutral shades for highlights and contour, instead of more gradations of pink.

Step 1: Apply a soft mauve shadow on the lids. This can be matte or slightly satin-y, but should not be full-on metallic if you can help it. I used a limited edition shade from Urban Decay, but if you don't own the 15 Anniversary palette, you can use one of the lighter shades from the Wet n Wild Petal Pusher palette.

Step 2: Use a pale gold on the inner corners of the eyes (I also used Urban Decay's limited edition color but it's an exact dupe of MAC Vanilla pigment and Coastal Scent's Elven Gold Hot Pot which is super-cheap.)

Step 3: I don't own any metallic pink liners, so I used a pigment mixed with a drop or two of liner sealant. You can use eye drops with MAC Fuchsia Pigment or any electric pink pencil to get a similar effect.

Make sure the flick is parallel to the outer corners of your lower lash line (see dotted line).

Step 4: Probably the most tricky part. Trace over your lash line with a black liquid liner. This is what will pull the whole look together without letting the pink overpower everything. If you don't have a steady hand, use a felt tip liner for more control.

Step 5: Finish off with black mascara.

Step 6: For the cheeks, I just used a very matte pink blush, and then applied Pink Nouveau (my absolute favorite summer pink) lipstick from MAC. Barry M and Wet n Wild have some really good bright pinks as well if you're on a budget.