Yesterday I finally managed to find the latest Dior holiday polishes, Czarina Gold and Timeless Gold, and even though I only picked up the former, I am going back to my Dior counter TODAY to pick up the Timeless Gold…..they are both that gorgeous!
Even after bringing Czarina Gold home, my first thought was that I would regret buying yet another gold-flecked dark polish, but I’m so happy to report how wrong I was. Czarina Gold is in a word, spectacular. Opulent, rich, deep, velvety and regal are just some of the adjectives that come to mind. This was my second attempt using Dior’s new wider brush and this time around I actually found it to be not only easier, but quite precise as well. I cannot say enough about the quality of Dior polishes; the flow is excellent, they dry fairly quickly and they are very chip-resistant. Czarina Gold differs from other blackened gold shades mainly because of the brown-plum tone in its base. The extra fine glimmer in it seems to be more like very small flat flakes rather than shimmer and when seen in direct sunlight or under flash, you can definitely see more than one shade of gold sparkling in its depths. The pictures are with one coat of Deborah Lippmann Rehydrating Base Coat, two coats of polish and Seche Vite top coat. The polish itself dries to an excellent high shine but I find that the Seche Vite I used dulled that somewhat. I will be trying other top coats to see if they have a similar effect….will keep you posted on my efforts!
Dior Czarina Gold (natural lighting)
Dior Czarina Gold (indoor lighting)
Dior Czarina Gold
While searching through my stash of similar colours, I could not find any exact matches, save for Chanel’s Haute Chocolat (not available anymore) which has a similar brownish base but without the plummy depths, but with similar gold shimmer. To my eye, the Chanel polish will most likely swatch more towards a lighter shade of brown rather than black but I will be better able to tell when I apply them to compare. From the other outwardly similar shades I own, MAC’s Seriously Hip has larger flakes which tends to make it look more oxidized and greenish, NARS’ Mash has a more pronounced olive-green cast to it and Rescue Beauty’s Anne flashes quite differently due to the pink shimmer in its base.
Chanel Haute Chocolat vs. Dior Czarina Gold
l to r: Seriously Hip,Haute Chocolat,Czarina Gold,Mash & Anne (natural lighting)
l to r: Seriously Hip,Haute Chocolat,Czarina Gold,Mash & Anne (indoor lighting)
Stay tuned for my review on Dior’s Timeless Gold…..another perfect hit for the holiday season! Dior polishes retail for US $21/CAD $24 for 0.33 fl.oz/10 ml which makes them rather on the pricier side of high end polishes considering they offer somewhat less product, but the formula, colours and application more than make up for that and make them a worthwhile investment in my opinion. Czarina Gold is sure to become a classic among my collection.
