Archived Post

Rant & Rave: Dior

Tell us what you love and hate about...

Dior

I’d love for them to stop scenting their products so heavily (some of their lip products have a slight taste as a result!). I’d also love to see them stop reformulating their ranges every other year, as it makes it confusing as to what is still good/bad/the same. I think their foundations tend to wear well and look great on the skin, and they have made some beautiful highlighters. Their eyeshadows have been weaker for the last several years, but they have been making some improvements.

— Christine

39 Comments

Comments that do not adhere to our comment policy may be removed. Discussion and debate are highly encouraged but we expect community members to participate respectfully. Please keep discussion on-topic, and if you have general feedback, a product review request, an off-topic question, or need technical support, please contact us!

Please help us streamline the comments' section and be more efficient: double-check the post above for more basic information like pricing, availability, and so on to make sure your question wasn't answered already. Comments alerting us to typos or small errors in the post are appreciated (!) but will typically be removed after errors are fixed (unless a response is needed).

We appreciate enthusiasm for new releases but ask readers to please hold questions regarding if/when a review will be posted as we can't commit to or guarantee product reviews. We don't want to set expectations and then disappoint readers as even products that are swatched don't always end up being reviewed due to time constraints and changes in priorities! Thank you for understanding!

Comments on this post are closed.
Deborah S. Avatar

I actually love most of Dior’s product line. I am lucky in that scent doesn’t bother me and actually tends to make me feel that it is more luxurious because of the smell. I love the packaging of the products that I have purchased and they are prominently displayed on my bureau. I have used two foundations which have worked well for me, although not my holy grail foundations. I like Dior eye shadow though again not my holy grail. I love the eye shadow palettes from the sense that they are well curated together most of the time and it isn’t a deal breaker for me to be less pigmented. I also like many of the Dior perfumes. I do see why many people are not wowed by the Dior product line and I probably work harder to make the products work but that is likely my own idiosyncrasies. Dior and Chanel are two product lines that I will try and make work because they make me feel so good. Crazy I know.

Kate Avatar

Pretty much exactly what you said. Every time I find a product I like, it seems to disappear, because it receives a push at first and then gets crushed by the avalanche of new launches, so it barely has any space on the displays. I *really* like the Rouge Dior Baume formula, but there are so many different options, I’m lucky if I can find a sales associate who knows what it is in order to find it for me in stores.

I have generally had good experiences with their foundations and concealers, although I certainly haven’t tried all of them.

Alicia Avatar

Thanks for sharing this, Christine. I opened my first tube of Diorshow mascara last week and the scent was just overwhelming. I thought that perhaps the product had gone bad since I had it in my stash for about a year (but it was unopened). The scent lingered even after I closed the tube. Didn’t know what was going on….

Anime Avatar

I really enjoy their complexion products. Every time I see the option for samples of any Dior serums/foundations (I have seen Sephora offer samples of Capture Totale on several occasions) I swipe them up. I really enjoy the packaging of their lip products and, moreover, I think the majority of the range looks very elegant and fits the brand well. The Diorshow Waterproof mascara is always a holy grail for me for sure! I’ve heard TERRIBLE things about their makeup brushes though! I wonder who the OEM is for them, because Dior brushes seem to live in INFAMY for poor performance. I think their large powder brush has like, 1 or 2 stars on Sephora, and the ratings seem to maintain between the various purveyors. I also am aware that their eyeshadows are just not that great recently (as further evidenced by your reviews) but I hear their tiny brow pencil is really awesome! My sister uses it religiously!

Stephanie Avatar

Rave: Their presentation is consistently beautiful, although I am more of Dior fragrance fan.
Rant: Their mascaras smell SO BAD. Like old markers bad. I was lucky enough to get a LE travel bag of new travel-sized mascara testers from my friend whom works at a Dior counter and the smell of each one was so intensely pen-like it made my eyes water and my nose drip. Eek!

Alicia Avatar

Yes!!! ok, so I didn’t have a bad tube…. thanks Stephanie. I think I am going to stick to my Lancome mascaras. Too bad because the packaging of the mascara is beautiful.

Anne Avatar

Love: Their silver quilted packing is gorgeous, my all-time favorite. I love their nail polishes; the formula works for well for me and Iasts days and days without chipping. Their highlighters are beyond beautiful. I have two of their blushes and both are very nice.

Dislike: Their liquid foundations and powders do not include my color as they all are too warm for me. The liquid foundation I do have is lovely, but I have to adjust it with a pink color corrector (both Sephora and UD — I like and use both) to make a better match. No biggie (I’m a born mixer at heart), but I really wish their shade range was better, because their formulas are nice.

I always have an eye on anything Dior brings to market. Their products are beautiful, even though many are not for me. Still, I love Dior. It is what it is: I Love Dior.

Mary Avatar

I agree with you about the scents in their products. I love the Diorskin Star foundation but the fragrance almost takes my breath away…in a bad way. Not sure I’ll purchase this again.

Ashleigh Avatar

I’m not familiar with any of their makeup other than their mascaras, but I can say that they are chugging along on the reformulation train with their fragrances as well. Maybe they’re related- there is some kind of internal obsession with turnover/reformulations?
Some of the fragrance reformulations were due to IRFA regulation changes, but poor Miss Dior/Miss Dior Cherie has gotten the axe and remodeling so many times now it’s dang confusing for anyone who loves that fragrance.

Ameerah Avatar

I don’t own much from Dior, other than an eyeshadow quad and a nail polish. The reason being that, after buying the eyeshadow quad, I felt it wasn’t pigmented enough for me, the colour payoff is not great for the price I paid. I would expect something better for that price. The packaging is very nice and quad looks very pretty. I rarely use it though or I have to layer it with another colour from a another brand, or use a good colour base.
The nail polish is very pretty and I wear it frequently. However, for the price it did not wow me, the colour is nice. I might buy again if I see a shade I really feel is unique.

KimMWC03 Avatar

I love their nail polishes. They have good products but the scent is too strong on most; especially the mascara. The packaging is gorgeous. I have a few favorites from the line but I have never tried the shadows.

MoMerrell Avatar

I use Dior Diorskin foundation in 070 and it wasn’t until a friend smelled it and noticed the scent because I didn’t which is weird because scented makeup drives me crazy. Now I can smell it only cause it was brought to my attention yet it doesn’t bother me.

I ONLY repurchase the foundation with a coupon or GC from holidays or my bday because the price is too high to justify on my budget so I haven’t tried any other products because the price is out of my willingness-range.

Tracy Avatar

Dior’s Instant Gentle Cleansing Oil is my HG makeup remover/evening cleanser. It has helped reduce the amount of breakouts I get, the overall oiliness of my skin, and every other cleansing oil I’ve tried just pales in comparison.

I also happen to be a big fan of their mascaras. They have helped regrow damaged lashes and stay put, even if it’s not a waterproof formula.

I was really upset when they reformulated the Lip Addict lipsticks last year as they did away with my favorite color, 714 New York, and I have yet to find an acceptable dupe. That was my HG MLBB shade and was incredibly comfortable to wear all day.

Alison Avatar

After getting some poor quality eyeshadow quads, I basically swore off their shadows. I’m now more into other brands. And next, after getting several lipsticks, I find I don’t wear them because of the overpowering perfume smell. I don’t wear foundations. Their concealers when I try in the store are pretty good but I already have my HG concealer (Clarins) so I’ve never actually purchased one. And with what I read here about the mascara, I won’t go to that as that sounds awful.

That leaves their nail products. I do like them. I have quite a few. And I check every season to see their new colors. They do novel colors really well. I find them more consistent than Chanel is nowadays. That being said, I have so much frigging nail product and since around October i decided to give my nails a break from polish. And they are so much healthier that I may very well wear polish less overall. So what would be the point of buying more? I do love their pale yellow and also their pale blue nail polish for Spring and there are certain other shades I wear on a yearly rotation. So thank you, Dior, for those.

Lulle Avatar

I’ve loved their lipsticks for 10+ years, although I agree that they should stop reformulating them every other year (I think there’s been at least 4 Rouge Dior reformulations since I discovered them). Their foundations are usually good as well – except for Star that really didn’t work for me. The liquid matte lipstick + cheek formula they launched for the Holidays was a winner, and I wish they would bring it back permanently!

As you said, Christine, their eyeshadows have been mediocre at best since the last reformulation of the permanent range, with a few exceptions (Cuir Cannage is still a very good palette). However seeing how their seasonal palettes have been much better for the past year, I think they’re making progress.
In general, I have the feeling that Dior stopped being a trendsetter and is now just one more French beauty brand at the department store. I used to be a huge fan, but now I’m rarely very excited about their new launches or seasonal collections…

Genevieve Avatar

Rant: Their eye shadow products have been woeful for a number of years and that needs to improve in order to restore their reputation and to justify the high prices the brand charges

Rave: Their lipsticks are pretty good. The recent highlighters they have released have been lovely.

Anne Avatar

Rant: I can’t use most of their products because of the scent, and their eyeshadows are so hit-and-miss they aren’t worth the price.

Rave: Their highlighters are amazing and if I ever have the budget I will do more than just swatch them at the counter. Now that the Nude Air ones are permanent maybe I’ll be able to do so!

Mariella Avatar

I do wish their highlighter compacts were refillable and perhaps that they would ditch the included brush…both of these would lower the price somewhat for those of us hooked on their face powders/highlighters. And, as someone lucky enough to get that Glowing Gardens Pink from LAST Spring, it would also be nice if they would make a sufficient amount of their LE releases (or make more when it becomes clear they’ve got a winner on their hands) so that at least the products would last until the arrival of the season they are intended for!!! I got that highlighter in JANUARY, months before Spring arrived. Ditto the Bonne Etoile eyeshadow 5 pan – managed to snag it in the heat of summer but it was supposed to be an autumn palette! Dior’s prices are pretty sky high and at that price point, there is no excuse for some of their really sub-par products (especially far too many of their 5-pan shadows) though when they get it right, they really get it right (and it’s usually LE!!!). I find it interesting reading about the bad smell of their mascaras because the only one I have – a sample size – smells beautifully of roses!

Tatiana Avatar

I love the round, silver, caned compacts that some of the Nude Skin highlighters come in. I wish they would create one that has no product but two mirrors, one with magnification, so that I could carry in my purse for touch ups. (Not a highlighter person, but I do love the compact.)
Hate that there is so much fragrance in their products now. Makes me wonder what they’re trying to hide. I can’t wear their lipsticks because of the perfume and taste. When they reformulated the Rouge Dior lipsticks I gave one a try. I thought I’d give it 30 minutes to see if the scent or taste would dissipate, but I only lasted 15 min before I had to remove it. Gross!

Bonnie Avatar

Dior is one of my favorite nail polish brands. Pretty colors, application is a breeze, and long-lasting. For my day-to day look in the office I love their Nail Glow.
Also like Dior Addict Lip Glow Lilac, & want Berry.
I get excited when they release a new eye shadow palette because the colors look gorgeous. Unfortunately that often doesn’t translate to great pigmentation and application.

Karen J. Avatar

I have six Dior makeup products and I love them all, from the Star foundation, Totale Capture, Overcurl mascara, the 3D eyelash primer, a lipstick and lip gloss. The scent doesn’t bother me, I am going to remind myself to take a whiff next time I apply makeup, because nothing comes to mind when I think of fragrance and these items. (So it must not be an issue ;))
On the con side, I have been wanting to try an eyeshadow quint but have been scared off by the inconsistent quality reports. It seems that when they have released a collection that gets good marks I have not been tempted by the shades available. If the shades of a palette appeal to me the quality is not there, at least not what I expect for the luxury price. That said, there is a single, Cosmopolite?, that has gotten my attention lately-It may be my first Dior eyeshadow and looks fabulous!

Karen J. Avatar

Oops, forgot about the nail polishes! I have only purchased three other high end nail polishes and have never been overly impressed by any of the formulas. Dior is a totally different story. Not only are the shades uniquely beautiful but the formula is fantastic. (Long lasting, one coat, self leveling, great brush…the best in my collection!)

lisebeth Avatar

I love a lot of stuff from Dior : the diorshow maximizer 3D lash primer really give some volume to my lashes and prevent my mascara from budging, their mascaras in general are great, I love the lip glow pomade under my lipstick, also love their lipsticks and lip glosses even if I am sad that they discontinue them after one minute, I love the shine that I find in the dior addict lip products, I love their eye palette quint : (blue garden, blazing gold and jardin), I wore them very often, the fusion mono eyeshadows, the diorskin nude powder give a very natural finish to the skin, I like their foundations but they clearly don’t have enough shades so I can’t wore these. They are of course some products from them that I don’t like as the liquid eyeshadows who were really a wast of money, I’m not a fan of their concealers… In Belgium we don’t always have all those amazing US brands but Dior is everywhere plus it also makes us think to our mothers who used that brand too in the past.

Karina Avatar

I agree with you about the scent of their products! Also, their foundations are very dark. I’m usually the second or third shade in other brands and in the Forever, Star, and Nude foundations the first shade is too orange or too pink to me to wear. The shades after the first are also too dark. Airflash is an exception, but come on, Dior, if I’m paying $50+ for a foundation, make more shades.

kjh Avatar

Noticed while stash shopping that e/s quints were decent until they reformulated and changed packaging…prob over 20 years ago, now. Have only one since the flat squarish packaging. And that’s old, too…but it was so abysmal that I never went back. I rule out Dior face products for scent as well, as I’m developing sensitivities to some scents…yet cannot smell them. Octinoxate, iirc, leaves me out for the foundations. But I do like the look, just not the reaction. Used to love the polishes, when I could do nails. As to their scent offerings, some are total modern classics, Dune and the Poison family. But they must be massively strong, as I ALWAYS smell them…and I’ve got a doctor for that! When the dept stores had fewer brands, and EL lines dominated, Dior was refreshing and more sophisticated, imaginative. Now, as Lulle says, they are just another French dept store brand. I don’t even feel much nostalgia for something I left behind.

Asche Avatar

Generally I have felt underwhelmed by Dior, but I do love the few products I own. My biggest rant is that their foundations oxidize horribly on me, which is a shame because I love the formula. Forever Flawless would be my HG if it didn’t turn me into an oompa loompa.

I also do not get the Diorshow Mascara hype. It isn’t the scent that bothers me, but I just find the formula so blah that I can’t understand why it has such a big following.

cherie Avatar

Rant: I think their skincare products are way way way overpriced. I’d rather spend $$ on skincare with ingredients that are scientifically proven to work. I hate this about luxury brands — especially Chanel. Luxury does not equate to good skincare!

Rave: I love most of their line. I absolute adore their blushes, cream eyeshadows, bronzer and I don’t know what I’d do without the foundation serum. I can mix the foundation serum with my moisturizer and make my own BB cream. Their lipsticks are a little scenty for me at first, but it dissipates and I don’t notice it as much. Last but not least, I love love love their Lip Glows. I keep one with me at all times – beautiful and my lips feel great!

Fran Avatar

I’ve tried very little Dior (just a couple of the mascaras, I think), but I do want the new highlighter in shade 04, to try as a blush. It takes a lot to get me to purchase a luxury/designer brand product — I have to really want it, see something unique or special about it, before blowing that much cash — and the fragrance in the products is a deal-breaker for me, since it irritates my skin.

Rave: the color of that highlighter — a cheek color that’s warm, but not orange in any way!

Rant: fragrance i makeup/skin care + high prices = they aren’t interested in having me as a customer.

Debbie Avatar

I stay away from any product that is heavily scented. I remember one of their lipsticks having such a heavy scent/taste that it made me nauseous. Their formulas to me have also not been consistent. Their packaging is very pretty and their shadows are nice in some cases.

Eileen Avatar

At this time, I like the Dior Addict lip glosses but that’s about it. There have been some other winners for me along the way (mostly mascara and eyeliners), but they’ve all been replaced by products that work better for me. Right now, I don’t have a single Dior product in my rotation. Dior has some nice foundations but doesn’t make a color that “perfects” my complexion and all of their powder products sit heavily on my skin. Fragrance doesn’t bother me in the least bit–unless, of course, it’s a scent I don’t like.

Katie Avatar

I wish they’d remove alcohol/fragrance from their foundation. I had to return Diorskin Forever Foundation because the third ingredient was alcohol and it caused redness/irritation after only 1 week of use. I don’t even have sensitive skin, so that foundation must be a disaster on someone who does!

raloves Avatar

I like the scent of the lipsticks but their foundations oxidise badly.
Lipglosses look like they have different colours but they all look similar once worn.

We try to approve comments within 24 hours (and reply to them within 72 hours) but can sometimes get behind and appreciate your patience! 🙂 If you have general feedback, product review requests, off-topic questions, or need technical support, please contact us directly. Thank you for your patience!