‘Merveille’, French for “marvel” so perfectly embodies what this exuberant shade from Dior’s Holiday 2011 Collection is! Just in time to ring in the new year, this absolutely stunning shade of vivid cherry red, filled with ultra-fine ribbons of antique gold shimmer, not only caught my eye at the counter, but held it captive! Even though I initially picked up only ‘Exquis’ (previously reviewed here), ‘Merveille’ still called to me, along with the ‘Couture Golds’ eyeshadow palette (reviewed here), and so, back to the counter I went! All swatches are with Deborah Lippmann’s 2-Second Nail Primer, Essie’s All In One Base Coat, two coats of lacquer, and Dior’s Glossy Top Coat (previously reviewed here).
This über-bright maraschino red shade, positively vibrates with an electric energy! Starting with an absolutely STELLAR formula, it bears a medium viscosity, helping it to not only apply ridiculously easy, but also making it completely self-levelling, leaving absolutely no brush strokes behind. While definitely not as glossy as the brand’s crème lacquers, this shade still had some shine at the finish , although I recommend a top coat to really bring out its beautiful inner shimmer. Extra points scored for its easy removal and the fact that for a red, it left absolutely NO staining behind.
Sunlight seems to bring out its more pinkish side, along with emphasizing the delicate sparkle added by the fine glitter.
This closeup angle displays how truly subtle the glitter particles are, and the lovely depth that it adds.
Indirect light appears to take ‘Merveille’ towards a more coral-leaning direction, while keeping the shimmer tightly under wraps.
I love how this shaded/backlit view highlights the brilliantly vivid look of this lacquer.
A final view taken with flash, is THE best indicator of how beautifully the golden shimmer compliments the bright candy-apple red of the base colour.
Final thoughts: While this limited edition collection of varying red and gold shades was simply perfect for the holidays, in my opinion, a shade such as ‘Merveille’ transcends the seasons, easily transitioning from fall all the way through to summer; I can just see this as the most amazing pedicure colour, with its inner golden ribbons reflecting the light and showing off your tanned toesies! The formula far exceeded my expectations, and even for a Dior lacquer (which I have always found to be incredible), it applied like a silken dream. Still available at most counters (but not for long as the Spring collections are about to descend on us!), this is one “marvel” I’m so glad I didn’t skip out on!
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