Diorskin Nude ($45.00) is one of Dior’s newer foundations. It’s a liquid foundation that’s designed to be extremely lightweight–actually described as “weightless”–with a slightly dewy finish. According to Dior, it uses “[a] unique blend of 100% natural mineral pigments and Dior’s innovative Mineralized Water.” I don’t really know what that means, and I’m a skeptic and interpret most of that as marketing jargon.

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Cliff Notes: MAC Studio Fix Fluid has been my holy grail foundation since SFF launched, which must have been about four or so years ago, at least. So for any foundation to displace my SFF has to be just that good.

Diorskin Nude comes in shades that range from Ivory to Light Beige to Medium Beige to Honey Beige to Dark Beige to Dark Brown. For those unfamiliar with Dior’s colors/numbering system for the Nude foundation, I thought I’d give you a little summary since I didn’t know myself. For reference, I’m currently about NC25 or so in MAC foundations (I used to be NC30, and somehow I got lighter… whole ‘nother story!). I tried about six different shades in Nude before finally settling on one, which is Linen #021.

The system of numbers starts with #010 and goesup to #070. #010 is the lightest, and it is neutral (no yellow, pink, or peach undertones). All numbers ending in a zero reflect neutral undertones. All numbers ending with a one (like #021) reflect shades with yellow undertones (warm/olive toned). All numbers ending with a two (like #022) reflect shades with pink undertones (cool toned). All numbers ending with a three (like #023) reflect shades with peach undertones (warm/not olive). Diorskin Nude has a good shade range for light to medium toned skin, with several options for deeper skintones, but only if you don’t find your skin has pink or peach undertones.

I’ve been struggling to find a foundation that matches my neck for some time now. For whatever reason, my neck is lighter than my face, and the rule of thumb is you should match your face to your neck… whether it is lighter or darker. It’s always easier to go darker than lighter! Nude feels nearly weightless as marketed, and the coverage is still there. It feels surprisingly thin and watery (but not like, ew, separated watery) while still providing me with decent coverage. I’d say it’s light-to-medium coverage, and you can definitely build it up to medium coverage on areas you need to.

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At the counter, Dior artists always used sponges to apply the product, and I would agree it’s not a bad way to go. I do still like using brushes with it, however–especially for a heavier application. I’ve been using mostly Diorskin Nude for the past month or two, though in various shades as I’ve attempted to discover the just-right-for-me shade–so you’ve definitely see it in action. (And nobody’s gone, “OMG! Your face looks horrid, what foundation are you using? Toss it out!” — instead, I’ve had a few people comment on my skin looking better, more glowing!)

The price tag isn’t particularly high when it comes to high end foundations. Make Up For Ever’s HD Foundation is $40 for one fluid ounce, while DiorSkin Nude is $45 for one fluid ounce. I’d actually expect the Dior foundation to be priced more like $10-15 over MUFE, to be honest, so I’m pleasantly surprised. Of course, it does not compare with MAC prices (Studio Fix Fluid weighing in at $26 for one fluid ounce).

Regardless, I’m happy to pay $45 for this foundation, because I like it more than Studio Fix Fluid, which I’ve had some trouble matching to my skin lately (even NC25 seems too dark, but I swear, I am not that light-skinned!). I also think DiorSkin Nude is a fantastic choice for the warmer weather months, because it is lightweight and so thin. It’s also hydrating and doesn’t feel heavy. It gives you a glow, but it isn’t very dewy. It’s exactly what a natural glow looks like. Mind you, I dislike the majority of foundations with dewy finishes, because I just feel like my face looks an oily mess. Nude is definitely not that!

I would most heartily suggest popping by your local Dior counter for some shade samples if you’re in the market for a new foundation. Never buy a bottle of foundation without trying a sample first! I can’t tell you how many times I’ve done this only to return an entire bottle because the shade just wasn’t right. Samples allow you to try it and see it in different lighting, using your own techniques, and you can try it out for at least a week (one sample lasted me daily usage for 2 weeks!) to see how your skin reacts to it, too. No sense in wasting your money or the product itself by not taking advantage of samples, right?

You can purchase DiorSkin Nude at your local Dior counters, Nordstrom.com, and Sephora.