The latest from Dior will definitely make your heart skip a few beats — but in the best way possible. Inspired by the fabrics seen at the recent runway collection, Dior has reinvented their 5 Couleurs Eyeshadow Palettes in 12 new colour harmonies while the iconic Diorshow Mascara has gotten a reboot as well, improving upon the formula and adding some high-tech wizardry into the mix. But don’t take my word for it; let your own eyes be the judge.
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Housed in even slimmer-profile compacts than before, each 5 Couleurs Eyeshadow Palette offers several new finishes to choose from: matte, velvet, satin, lamé, iridescent, glitter, and shiny. The newly reformulated shades bear high-impact pigments that are compacted into powders using binders for a creamier feel and smoother application, while the colours have been enhanced to show a finish that is absolutely identical to the colour seen in the pan. Finally, the staying power has been tweaked to boast an even longer wear time with the colour fusing into an incredibly fine film once applied. As before, each new 5 Couleurs Eyeshadow Palette is arranged to help you easily create a daytime look (the top two + the middle shade), or an evening look (the bottom two + the middle shade), although you’re always free to mix and match as desired.
537 Touch Matte 5 Couleurs Eyeshadow Palette (CAN $72.00) | The most neutral-leaning matte palette I currently own, these shades are all a variation on the nude theme and have an excellent balance of both cool and warm tones to make them wearable by most complexions. That said, they are also quite lightweight colour-wise so if it’s intensity you’re after, this won’t cut it — but I have been absolutely LOVING this palette for for that perfect ‘no-makeup’ look. A lovely bonus is that each shade here can also serve double duty as a base or transition hue for other looks as well.
- peach nude (top left)
- bone (top right), also slightly chalky in feel but can be smoothed out by blending
- pink/mauve nude (centre)
- ecru (bottom left)
- soft brown (bottom right)
777 Exalt Matte 5 Couleurs Eyeshadow Palette (CAN $72.00) | I actually did a happy dance when I opened this up and in case you’re wondering, it’s because of that stunning red hue in the bottom corner. This matte grouping is another unique addition to my collection because with just this one little palette, you can go from an incredibly neutral look (the top two + the middle) to ‘hoochie mama’ by adding a pop of that red. By the way, if you’re thinking that wearing red might look like you’re sporting a nasty eye infection then all I can say is: give it a try; it truly makes eye colour pop (especially green eyes, like mine) — just make sure to balance it out with the brown.
- pale apricot (top left)
- off-white (top right), slightly chalky but can be smoothed over by blending out
- soft peach/pink (centre)
- burnt red (bottom left)
- chocolate brown (bottom right)
067 Provoke 5 Couleurs Eyeshadow Palette (CAN $72.00) | To be sure, that silver hue is incredibly dazzling and I was bracing for tons of glitter fallout, so imagine my surprise when it actually swatched like pure molten silver — and just like that, I now want to use it EVERYWHERE. Personally, this palette makes for a truly beautiful and unique smoky eye and while overall cool-leaning, these shades are pigmented enough to work on all skin tones. Speaking of pigment, I must confess to how true to pan each applies along with a buttery smooth texture — that also lasts beautifully (over primer) without showing any signs of stopping.
- mauve pink, iridescent (top left)
- ice white, shimmer (top right)
- dove grey, iridescent (centre)
- silver lamé (bottom left)
- charcoal, matte (bottom right)
Diorshow Pump‘N’Volume Mascara, Black (CAN $37.00) | So how do you improve upon an icon? If you’re Dior, then you take their best-selling Diorshow Mascara and tech it up. The formula has been reworked to now be a high-density fluid that’s still somehow creamy (as odd as that sounds) and remains intact down to the last drop. This has been achieved by adding a rubberized ‘pump’ at the base that you squeeze prior to application, which in turn mixes the formula internally so that it’s already in motion as it comes out and thereby eliminates any overly-thickening factor. The rigid wand now boasts a brush with flexible spikes (not really noticeable to the naked eye but which still serves to move with your lashes as opposed to simply coating them with product), creating a lush fringe with insane volume. A true black-black shade, application is effortless from the very first time I pulled the brush from the tube, providing relatively clump-free volume (although I personally don’t mind clumps), and it stays flake-free as well as smudge proof throughout the wearing, being easily removed at the end of the day using a dual-phase remover.
As a self-professed mascara fiend, I have several that I absolutely swear by, but I still like to ‘cocktail’ them in order to get that perfect long/full lash look; Diorshow Pump ‘N’ Volume has managed to achieve that all by itself (doesn’t mean I still won’t mix & match, however. I like doing that). As to the 5 Couleurs Eyeshadow Palettes, colour me impressed — both in terms of the shade selections AND their performance; if this is a sign of the direction Dior is heading, then I’ll say the brand has a bonafide winner (even with that steep price point) and are so well worth your time to check them out.
Preview available May at Sephora, June at The Bay and other Dior retailers
Media samples kindly provided, all opinions are my own
