Dior Smoking Blue (001) Blue Tie Palette Review, Photos, Swatches
Wednesday, July 20th, 2011
Dior Smoking Blue (001) Blue Tie Palette
Dior Smoking Blue (001) Blue Tie Palette
Dior Smoking Blue (001) Blue Tie Palette ($70.00 for 0.19 oz.) is new and limited for fall, and it contains a mix of silver and navy blue eyeshadows along with a pink lipgloss. The compact itself is metal and includes a full-size mirror when you open it. The gloss has a metal lid that you can open, which is nice, because it helps to minimize any cross-contamination of the eyeshadow powder into the gloss.
My first thought when I was photographing the palette was how lovely it looked. It’s heavy in a luxurious way (though not something I’d love to travel with!) with great detailing on the outside and inside. After swatching it, I was left disappointed. For all of Dior’s sleek packaging, this palette falls flat where it counts the most–quality.
The eyeshadows are dry in texture so they drag and pull when applied, and the lack of pigmentation makes it difficult to apply even layers of color or to really utilize this palette in a meaningful way. For such shimmery colors, these were surprisingly chalky overall. The upper left shade (1) is a semi-sheer gray-blue with a subtle sheen. The upper right shade (2) is a purpled, navy blue with a sheen. It didn’t look anything like the pan–it leaned purple and lacked the vibrancy of the blue in the pan. The bottom left shade (3) is a semi-sheer black with multi-colored shimmer. The bottom right shade (4) was a silvered-gray with a hint of brown, and it was the most pigmented shade of the bunch.
For better alternatives, consider: 1) MAC Prussian, 2) Inglot #332, theBalm Risque Renee, or Make Up For Ever #81, 3) theBalm Guilty Gwen, and 4) Inglot #444, theBalm Sexy Stacey. You can also peruse the Blue Eyeshadow Gallery or Gray Eyeshadow Gallery.
The lipgloss is a sheer peony pink with a subtly glossy finish; there isn’t much color to it, but it gives lips a brightened look. It didn’t quite feel like Dior’s Ultra Glosses, as this was thinner and a little tacky. Both the eyeshadows and gloss wear about average, but with the eyeshadows, it’s difficult to tell since everything looks faded as soon as it is applied.
Where to Buy: Nordstrom, $70
The Glossover
The exterior packaging is so lovely and well-thought out, but the actual product inside leaves a lot to be desired. The eyeshadows are chalky, dry, and have poor color payoff, and these characteristics make them difficult to apply to the lid.
See more photos & swatches!
Dior Smoking Blue (001) Blue Tie Palette
Dior Smoking Blue (001) Blue Tie Palette
Dior Smoking Blue (001) Blue Tie Palette
Dior Smoking Blue (001) Blue Tie Palette
Dior Smoking Blue (001) Blue Tie Palette
Dior Smoking Blue (001) Blue Tie Palette
Dior Smoking Blue (001) Blue Tie Palette
Dior Smoking Blue (001) Blue Tie Palette
Dior Smoking Blue (001) Blue Tie Palette
Dior Smoking Blue (001) Blue Tie Palette
Dior Smoking Blue (001) Blue Tie Palette
Dior Smoking Blue (001) Blue Tie Palette
Dior Smoking Blue (001) Blue Tie Palette
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Product & Review FAQ
Where can I purchase Smoking Blue? How much is it?
Nordstrom, $70.
Is it limited edition?
Yes.
Any dupes?
For better alternatives, consider: 1) MAC Prussian, 2) Inglot #332, theBalm Risque Renee, or Make Up For Ever #81, 3) theBalm Guilty Gwen, and 4) Inglot #444, theBalm Sexy Stacey. You can also peruse the Blue Eyeshadow Gallery or Gray Eyeshadow Gallery.
HEADSUP! these are ON SALE for $40 at select nordstroms counters. i just got mine tonight, i think for the discount price, it's a pretty good deal. this deal is not available online (i just checked), fyi i went to the galleria at south bay in redondo beach, saw 5 left. maybe call your local counter to find out if they have any left?
Got it. Love it.
All the shadows look pretty much the same in the swatches, I'll pass
It's more of a collector piece !
all of the colours look the same....
F? Wow!
Wow, the quality looks superbad. A shame!
that's so disappointing with the quality.. but i like how the gloss has it's own small pot with a lid in the palette
Goes to show even the pros at the major $ end goof up big time now and again. The colors look pretty on your swatches and not too screaming blue for me to wear. But since I won't pay the price for Dior anyway, I am not going to get stuck on this one. Agree the case is a beauty!
I suppose this is not the first time Dior has come up with an eyeshadow of such bad quality. I've got a 140 "twilight" palette, the colours are gorgeous, but the quality is awful, giving it an "F" would be like saying they are worth something whereas they are definitely beyond any classification.
Looks like a beautiful palette in the container, and it is a clever idea to cover the lip gloss with the little "trap door", but I laughed out loud at all the swatches on your hand, almost look the same. And crappy. Ha. Disappointing.
I also find Dior polishes so hard to work with (that brush kills me).
I have had this exact problem with other LE Dior palettes, too!
The shadows look all the same when swatched... Too bad because the case is really beautiful!
Gads! Such a shame! That packaging is so nice looking - The shadows all look very similar to each other in those swatches too... Unless they are kick-butt colors, I can't stand that in a palette!
Honestly, i am not a fan of Dior Makeup..I love their skin shimmers but apart from that i am usually dissapointed with their lipsticks, given the price they retail at
Disappointing fall! After such a lovely summer collection I expected more from Dior. I don't like the blue theme this year. It's so cliche'. Last fall collection was already not very gorgeous. Hopefully the 5-color quint in the holiday collection will be better.
too bad to see such a terrible review, not that i was going to buy it anyways. will definitely do the eye/lip combo on a night out with other products though.
This review reminded me my very first Dior "mix" palette (the ones with eyeshadows, blush, lipgloss, etc). I hated it because the shadows are gritty and have very very little color payoff...ever since then I stay away from this kind of palettes from Dior...however, I do love their eyeshadows palettes (not mix ones like the travel kinds)....
What! All of the swatches look the same! It's a shame, because it all looked so pretty in the palette.
oh my! the packaging is super cute!
Good gracious!!! I'm so glad I waited for your review. I was about to purchase this today.
I find Dior's palettes always disappointing.
Oooooooooh!!! F!!!! SOMEONE'S GOING HOME WITH A NOTE!!!!
As I was reading I knew the rating would be bad but BAM! There it was - the F, lol! You're right about the packaging, that compact is GORGEOUS, but that's about it. I appreciate so much that you are willing to be so honest about products sent to you and products from high-end brands. So many bloggers let the brand name influence their review. Thank you.
I seriously can't believe how products priced like this can be so crappy. Seriously Dior, what are you aiming at? Well atleast they can be sure a lot of women will be disappointed with this palette...
Yikes. I had immediately scrolled to the skin swatches without looking at your rating and as soon as I saw them I scrolled quickly back up to see what you rated them- hoping you gave it a D or F. ha ha. They need to reformulate because the colors (in pan) are beautiful. What a waste.
All the shadows almost look the same! Waste.
Wow, I LOVE the packaging, especially the covered lip product. If only the products in it were better...
The four shades all look the same!
All the colors swatched so similarly. :( Such a disappointment.
they looked so much more different in the pan then when they were swatched... seems kinda pointless to have 4 colours that look so similarly in a palette
Wow - an F rating! I can't recall the last time I saw one of those! Not surprising since all the swatched colours look almost the exact same. For 70 dollars, consumers deserve better!
I LOVE that trapdoor... seriously, awesome idea. Palette makers, take notice!! Such a bummer that the product itself is Mayor of Flopsville, though.
Agreed! I tried it at Saks last week and basically between the unevenness of the application and the fallout I looked like I had 2 black and blue eyes, and not in a good way, lol.
Dior palettes are always so pretty, regardless of the quality of the product! x
Dior gets an F.... be still my heart! Not surprising though, most of their pretty little packages are hiding crap inside (hint- almost all Xmas palettes lol)
The eyeshadows all look exactly the same to me, plus blue is really not my thing. Pass. (Was amused by the reflection on the ingredient list photo :) )
I was also amused by the reflection.. nice to SEE Christine in action. Well, sorta. :D
haha I agree,that photo is cool:)
To me... all color of shadows (swatch) seem so similar.
I'm so glad that I read your review. I don't own any cosmetics from Dior and this palette LOOKS really pretty and I had read some positive reviews elsewhere so I was considering it. Thank you so much for saving my money! :)
What a shame. I just LOVE the packaging. I don't know why more companies don't put a trap door for the glosses or other cream products. It just makes sense! it's sooo pretty but I agree with others that the swatches leave a lot to be desired.
It looked so beautiful in the first photo, but the shadows look almost the same. For something so expensive I'm shocked at the quality.
In find Dior's LE items to be very disappointing each year. The payoff is nothing like the look in the pan. Sad. Thanks for the warning!
Dior is like a totally different company when it comes to their special/ LE palettes. I've had the same experience with all of them. The shadows are always chalky and poorly pigmented and gloss is like glue. I stopped buying them after Jazz Club. I don't understand this because their normal shadows are fantastic.
I remember a couple of eyeshadow palettes being less impressive, too from various holiday/exclusives.
The swatches don't look that bad to me, though when I stare at the picture of them in the pan, you can see how they aren't true to the color in the pan. Especially that deep blue color. Definitely not worth the price though.
Sad. It looks really nice. Blues aren't my thing, but I like the packaging with the covering for the gloss. Maybe they can refine this idea and make it worth the $70. Even companies that produce quality products sometimes make a mistake.
It looks like 4 of the same color... But the lip gloss looks pretty at least!
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