For Fall 2011, Dior is leading us into a deeper mode, but as only this venerable house can do it: with a kick.  Part of their Fall lineup, ‘Tuxedo’ is a rich blue with an almost iridescent shimmer to it, or as Dior describes it “bleu smoking”.  Rich, mysterious and intense, this is deep blue done at its most sensual best.  All swatches are with Sèche Clear base coat, two coats of lacquer and Dior’s glossy top coat from the Electric Tropics Catwalk Duo (reviewed here).

Sunlight is the perfect medium with which to fully appreciate the beauty of this shade; a cross between royal and navy blue, I love how the shimmer seems to almost jump out at you in the middle, drawing your eye inwards to fully appreciate all the nuances of this hue.

In this closeup photo, it’s even more apparent how the shimmer adds a beautiful depth to the shade, without taking away any of its tonal richness.

Seen in shaded light, ‘Tuxedo’ takes on a new maturity and sophistication, becoming more of an inky blue yet still showing some of its inner fire.

Final thoughts: Something tells me that we are headed towards a deep blue phase and to that end, Dior is definitely leading the pack with ‘Tuxedo’. It has a modern edge to it, but done with an elegant vibe. I found the formula to be slightly on the thick side which made it more challenging to apply, but it still levelled out beautifully on its own.  I also noticed that unlike Dior’s crème lacquers, ‘Tuxedo’ seemed to dry to a more satin finish, most probably due to the shimmer, and so it definitely needs a top coat to show its true awesomeness. No matter which way you view this shade, it most definitely is….smoking!