The Dior Gold Shock Holiday 2014 Collection has some spectacular pieces in the lineup, but the item that seems to have generated the lion’s share of the buzz, has to be the limited edition Diorific 001 Gold Shock Illuminating Pressed Powder. This small gold round compact has a luxurious heavy feel to go with its glam retro appearance, along with a stunning stylized sunburst pattern embossed on its golden surface.
Let’s just take a moment to admire that pristine beauty, shall we?
001 Gold Shock Illuminating Pressed Powder (CAN $82.00) | A limited edition sparkling gold highlighting face powder, that can also be effectively used on other areas of the body (décolleté, brow bone, shins). The gold compact is relatively small and fits comfortably in the palm of one’s hand with a luxe-feeling solid weight, and also comes with a small but useable mirror on the inner lid. The accompanying brush is wide but on the small side, with bristles that feel too flimsy for my liking, but soft just the same (personally, I don’t really care for brushes that come with beauty products, preferring to use my own). The surface is a soft and highly reflective gold shimmer, although that’s just an overspray and is eliminated from the first swipe. The actual powder underneath is – surprisingly – more of a mustard yellow in colour and holds tons of shimmer/fine glitter. There’s a faint floral/rose scent I pick up if I bring my nose up close to the powder, but not discernible once applied.
As there has been considerable discussion generated throughout the blogosphere on the 001 Gold Shock Illuminating Pressed Powder, I figured I’d weigh in with my thoughts as well.
For starters, I believe that this product will best suit those with light/medium to darker skin tones, primarily because its gold hue makes it rather warm leaning and probably less compatible with anyone who has pink undertones in their complexion. That’s not to say fair skin types can’t use 001 Gold Shock, only that it may take a bit more effort to make it work.
Secondly, it’s quite heavy in the shimmer department and definitely not a subtle type of highlighter, and event if the particles themselves appear to be incredibly fine, they are rather visible just the same, and could be prone to some fall down.
That being said, I actually like this highlighter; on my light/medium skin (with yellow undertones), 001 Gold Shock not only looks good, but the yellow-based powder base adds a sunny warmth to my complexion. To make this work, I found it looks best when used sparingly on the face and definitely over something complimentary to anchor it, such as a peach-coloured blush. Staying power is about average on me – lasting about 5-6 hours before any noticeable fading, although random sparkles can still be found on my skin after that.
In the photos (below), please note that I swatched 001 Gold Shock rather heavily (left side) to try and show its intensity – not that anyone would ever wear it that way. The photo with flash was done to emphasize the sparkle of this powder. The swatch shown in sunlight, is the best representation of how 001 Gold Shock truly looks applied on my skin (but remember that this is on bare skin – the gold tone becomes much more toned down over foundation & blush).
Dior | Diorific 001 Gold Shock Illuminating Pressed Powder
Dior | Diorific 001 Gold Shock Illuminating Pressed Powder (with flash)
Dior | Diorific 001 Gold Shock Illuminating Pressed Powder (swatched)
Dior | Diorific 001 Gold Shock Illuminating Pressed Powder swatches (sunlight)
Dior | Diorific 001 Gold Shock Illuminating Pressed Powder swatches (shaded light)
Dior | Diorific 001 Gold Shock Illuminating Pressed Powder swatches (with flash)
As far as highlighters go, 001 Gold Shock is undeniably gorgeous – certainly so before the overspray is removed. For those who look for a mere whisper of glow, then this is definitely not the highlighter for you. If you’re heading into a major round of parties and merry-making for the holidays, then I say go for gold: 001 Gold Shock, to be more precise. Still, at CAN $82.00 this little beauty qualifies as quite the splurge and might be more appealing for those who collect these limited edition highlighters.
Diorific 001 Gold Shock is available now for a limited time – find more information by visiting Dior.com
Press sample provided for my unbiased consideration
