Dior Exquis (611) Vernis Nail Lacquer ($22.00 for 0.33 oz.) is a murky brown–it’s not quite taupe; it seems too brown to be taupe–with muted golden shimmer threaded through the color. It was opaque in two coats. Dior’s formula lasts a week on me with minor tip wear (with a base/top coat–I use Zoya Anchor and Armor). For a brown, it’s not overly warm, so I think cooler skin tones may find it a workable brown. The lightness of it should also help with wearability. I think the addition of the golden shimmer keeps it on-trend without being overkill. Exquis applied easily without being too thick or thin, so it flowed evenly across the nail bed and didn’t bubble or streak.
Dior Or Divin (221) Nail Lacquer ($22.00 for 0.33 fl. oz.) is the brand’s take on your traditional holiday gold, which is part of its recently launched holiday collection. It’s new but limited edition. Or Divin is a pale yellow gold with a part metallic, part shimmer finish. It’s a bit warmer compared to NARS Versailles but much paler and less orange compared to Chanel Gold Lame.
You can see the threads of gold shimmer running through the color as well as visible brush strokes. I used two coats, and there was a fair amount of visible nail line; a third coat would have softened it still, but I don’t think it would have eliminated it. The color didn’t apply as evenly as I would have liked; it seemed to sheer out as it was pulled, even with waiting between coats.
Dior’s formula wears a week on me with minor tip wear but no chipping. The brush is larger than the average brush, and it’s tapered at the top, which works if you have larger nail beds, but if you have really petite ones, you may find it difficult. I like it, and it makes it easy to avoid too many brush strokes and do one or two pulls per nail.
I wasn't impressed by the color payoff or the general application for Or Divin. It's nice that it has a less metallic finish than many holiday golds, and it's not as orange-toned, so cooler complexions would be able to wear this one, too.
Dior Apparat (871) Nail Lacquer ($22.00 for 0.33 fl. oz.) is a new and limited edition shade in time for the holidays. The bottle of Apparat doesn’t look like it does in the promotional photos, but it doesn’t look like the bottle color on the nails either. The resulting color on the nails is actually comparable to what one would have expected, based on the promotional photos, so I guess it works out in the end.
In the bottle, it has a very coppery burgundy brown look. On nails, it’s a deep red with ruby and gold shimmer and a slightly metallic finish. The metallic finish enables some brush strokes to be seen, but it’s very subtle and barely noticeable in natural light. I wish the golden shimmer danced a little more in the light than it actually does; it reads less like something special as it does just a shimmery garnet hue. The color is reminiscent of Zoya Karina but with finer shimmer.
Dior’s formula wears a week on me with minor tip wear but no chipping. Apparat had a really nice, even flow and it was opaque in almost one coat, though I did two for good measure. The brush is larger than the average brush, and it’s tapered at the top, which works if you have larger nail beds, but if you have really petite ones, you may find it difficult. I like it, and it makes it easy to avoid too many brush strokes and do one or two pulls per nail.
Dior Holiday 2011: Nocturne (961) Rouge Dior Lip Color
Dior Nocturne (961) Rouge Dior Lip Color ($32.00 for 0.12 oz.) is a new and limited edition holiday shade that is “infused with a golden powder.” The Rouge Dior formula is designed to be moisturizing, long-wearing, and comfortable to wear. More to come, but Dior’s holiday collection is a lovely surprise; quality and glamour without being too much or over-the-top. You get your metallics and golds and sparkles but everything has a luxe edge to it. It’s somewhat expected but there is something about it that really appealed.
Nocturne seemed to turn a lot of heads, as I wore it in this review and several of you wanted to know the lip color I was wearing. It’s a vibrant raspberry red with golden shimmer–so it almost looks like its threaded with orange, even though the base color is blue-based and slightly pink. Chanel Byzantin is more vibrant, redder, while Dior Technicolor Red is similar in the pinky-red aspect but is lighter and brighter, plus it has fuchsia shimmer instead of gold.
When I wore this yesterday, it lasted a solid six hours and didn’t need a reapplication until the eighth hour (which is when I removed it). It holds on without being clingy, so it’s comfortable and easy to wear. I didn’t encounter any bleeding or feathering, though my lips are not prone to either. The color is mostly opaque when applied and doesn’t take much to get there (about one pass across the upper lip and another on the bottom, smoosh, and voila!). My lips felt hydrated while wearing the lip color, and by the time I removed it, my lips didn’t feel like I had to race to get lip balm, so I think it did a rather nice job of moisturizing my lips.
A lot of you enjoyed Dior’s previous “video game”, which focused on makeup, but I thought I’d share this one. It’s cute It would have been even cuter if it involved makeup. Apparently there are lipsticks in it, yay!
