Dior Bird of Paradise Collection for Summer 2013 Review

Hi everyone. If you could see me right now, you will probably think that a zombie has taken over my blog to write you this post. Reason being, I have been sick for over a week and the haze is NOT helping. Although I might not be able to breathe through my nose, take a deep breath or stop coughing (plus I sound like a man), I cannot neglect the blog any longer. 

Now, to help you get the zombie image out of your head, let's talk about something a lot more delightful: Dior Bird of Paradise Collection for Summer 2013. 

image source

To be honest, I haven't been overly excited about the Summer 2013 releases and the Dior Bird of Paradise Collection for Summer 2013 was the first one that caught my attention since I love peacocky colours (my hair is in fact ombre in a peacock inspired color at the moment!). 

I will be reviewing the Diorskin Nude Tan Paradise Duo Blush & Bronzing Powder in 001 Pink Glow, the 5 Couleurs Eyeshadow Palette in 374 Blue Lagoon, Dior Addict lipsticks in 431 On the Beach & 751 Exotique, the Dior Jelly Lip Pen in 636 Carioca & 656 Gaia as well as the Bird of Paradise Summer Nail Lacquer Duo in 001 Samba & 002 Bahia.

Other products in the collection includes (international release source):

• 2 shades of Diorskin Nude Tan BB Cream
• Diorskin Nude Tan Paradise Duo Blush & Bronzing Powder in 002 Coral Glow
• Paradise Summer Blush Brush
• 5 Couleurs Eyeshadow Palette in 434 Peacock
• Dior Jelly Lip Pen in 516 Copacabana
• Dior Addict Lip Maximiser in 002 Apricot
• Diorshow Waterproof Eyeliner in 348 Aqua Green
• Dior Addict Lipstick in 771 Passionnee (431 On The Beach is Asia Exclusive)

For those in Asia, there are 4 total shades of the Jelly Lip Pen & Dior Addict Lipsticks as well as 2 Mono Eyeshadow and 2 Eye Gloss shades. Note that the Diorskin Nude Tan BB Cream and Coral Glow Blush and Bronzing Powder Duo are not available in Asia (source).

DIORSKIN NUDE TAN PARADISE DUO IRIDESCENT BLUSH & BRONZING POWDER IN 001 PINK GLOW

This photo is so yellow!! My camera always does this when the subject and background are very contrasting. I think it's asking to be retired >-<" 

I am normally not too fond of brushes and applicators that come with products because they are seriously not that good most of the time. BUT, this little kabuki that comes with the Diorskin Nude Tan Duo is quite decent.

The bristles are densely packed so it holds its shape well against the skin and it buffs on the powder well. Although it's not super soft, the bristles are not scratchy either. 

One thing though, the felt cylindrical pouch thing that it comes in is not functional at all. You will splay the bristles when you take it out and put it in.

First row from left: top left & bottom left of bronzer portion, top right and bottom right of blush portion.

Second row from left: bronzer blended- semi matte medium tan color with a bit of orange lean & blush blended- bright medium pink with a subtle sheen.

I think that the packaging of this duo is gorgeous. I adore the embossed mirrored packaging even though it is pretty much a fingerprint magnet. The compact has quite a bit of heft to it which makes it feel very sturdy and luxurious. The magnetic closure is very secure and make the compact look very sleek.

The quality of the product itself is amazing! The powder is fine, smooth, blends well and has good colour payoff. The lasting power of both the bronzer and blush is really good too. It stayed on my skin for 7-8 hours before I noticed fading. 

One thing to note, although there seem to be a lighter and darker portion in both the bronzer and blush section, the colours pretty much look identical once you apply it on the skin. 

5 COULEURS COUTURE COLOUR EYESHADOW PALETTE IN 374 BLUE LAGOON

This palette comes with 2 dual ended sponge tip applicators.

From left: top left- sky blue with a satin finish, top right- sheer pastel blueish mint color, bottom left- turquoise that leans more green with a golden sheen, bottom right- pale frosty green tone light gold & center- darkened teal with a satin sheen.

The quality of the eyeshadows in this palette varies. I really like the texture and pigmentation of the center, bottom left & bottom right shades, which applies well and were silky smooth and pigmented. The top left shade is slightly problematic since it looked a little chalky when applied but it's not too big of a deal for me since the chalkiness disappear once it's blended in. The top left shade is very sheer so it doesn't show up that well on the skin. These eyeshadows lasted up to 8 hours before fading around the edges, without a primer.

In terms of colour, although all the shades in the palette has either shimmer/sheen, it's still quite wearable since the colours are on the muted side. Most of the colours can be easily incorporated into a natural everyday makeup look but they can also be paired together to create a more full on smoky look. 

DIOR ADDICT LIPSTICKS IN 431 ON THE BEACH (ASIA EXCLUSIVE) & 751 EXOTIQUE

Left: 431 On the Beach. Right: 751 Exotique.

Left is a single pass and on the right is a built up swatch. From left: 431 On the Beach is a peachy coral and 751 Exotique is a fuchsia pink.

Dior Addict lipsticks have a glossy high shine finish.

Both of these lipsticks have a smooth and hydrating balmy texture so they glide onto the lips very smoothly and evenly. With a thin layer, the colour still shows up on the lips with a very glossy and translucent look. However, you can build up the colour and it will yield a more intense colour payoff while maintaining the gorgeous shine on the lips. 

The Dior Addict lipsticks can stay on for around 3 hours if I don't drink or eat but if I do, they will disappear completely. I don't think I have mentioned it before but the Dior Addict lipsticks have no detectable scent.

DIOR JELLY LIP PEN IN 636 CARIOCA & 656 GAIA

The packaging is made of a very light plastic and feels pretty much the same as the Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stains.

Left, 636 Carioca. Right, 656 Gaia

Left is a single pass and on the right is a built up swatch. From left: 636 Carioca (orangey coral with subtle shimmers) & 656 Gaia (mauve tone rose with barely there shimmers). 

Chubby crayon type lip products seem to be in trend these days because every brand seem to be releasing them. I didn't plan to pick these up but when I swatched them on my hand at the Dior counter, the buttery texture and sheer tint of color yet super glossy look totally roped me in. 

I didn't expect too much from the Jelly Lip Pens, as I have tried so many sheer/translucent hint of colour type lip product that I have a pretty high expectation for these sort of products but OH MY GOODNESS, these Dior Jelly Lip Pens are worth every cent of their exorbitant price tag.

The texture of the Dior Jelly Lip Pens are one of the best that I have tried. It is SUPER buttery and it feels super emollient of the lips. It is very forgiving even on very dry chapped lips and it doesn't emphasize lip lines at all. In fact, it made my lips look very plump and healthy. The colour payoff is sheer and super glossy, which is one of my favourite type of formula/textures to wear. It isn't marketed as one but it works like a tinted lip balm, a very good tinted lip balm that moisturizes your lips and impart a hint of colour to the lips while giving it a healthy glossy look. These sort of products are not meant to be long lasting on the lips and I typically reapply these every 2 hours or so. 

The packaging is ok, pretty standard for chubby lip crayons. The black and silver colour scheme is nice, but the plastic is definitely on the light side so it doesn't "feel expensive" if you know what I mean. 

People who like a more opaque or intense lip product will not like the Dior Jelly Lip Pens but if you like a subtle, sheer glossy tinted lip look, then I highly recommend that you try the Dior Jelly Lip Pens out. Some might deem this too expensive for what it does but the out-of-this-world texture is what makes it worthy of its price tag. 

p/s. From my extra long review on the Jelly Lip Pens, I guess you can tell how in love I am with them. 

BIRD OF PARADISE SUMMER NAIL LACQUER DUO FOR TIPS & TOES IN 001 SAMBA AND 002 BAHIA

The nail polish duos contains 7ml/0.23 fl. oz of product while a full size Dior nail polish contains 10ml/0.33 fl. oz of product.

The brush is also shaped different to a full size Dior nail polish.

The top brush is the brush shape of a full size Dior nail polish and it has a flat wide brush that is tapered at the tips. The brush shape of the nail polish duos are rounded and flat at the tip.

001 SAMBA

402 on the left and 794 on the right.

402 (cream turquoise green colour) on my index and middle finger.

794 (frosty and shimmery teal) on my ring finger and pinkie.

Out of the 2 nail polish duos that were released in the Bird of Paradise Collection, I prefer 001 Samba over 001 Bahia.

Both of the polishes have a nice consistency that is not too thin and not too thick. 402 is almost opaque in one coat and it was very easy to apply since it levels out very well (no brush strokes). 794 needs two coats to be fully opaque and it doesn't level out quite as well as 402 so some brush strokes were visible. However, since it has a frosty metallic finish, you won't really be able to detect the brush strokes unless you look very closely. These stayed on well on my nails, showing tip wear only on the 5th day.

002 BAHIA

667 on the left 792 on the right.

667 (bright purple tone pink) on my index and middle finger.

792 (deep aqua) on my ring finger and pinkie.

These nail polishes have a nice consistency so they applied fairly easily and are opaque in 2 coats. I have no complaints about the texture and finish of the Bahia duo as they are both good but I am just not too fond of the colour against my skin tone. For some reason, 792 makes my skin look dull and yellower. Both of these shades showed tip wear around the 3rd day but it remained chip-free for a few more days. 

Eyes: 374 Blue Lagoon Palette- Bottom left shade all over the lids, top left shade as a blending colour on the edge of the lid color, bottom right shade patted onto the middle of the lids, top right shade on the inner corners and center colour on the outer corners.

Cheeks: 001 Pink Glow- bronzer shade to contour the outer perimeter of my face and the blush shade on the apples of my cheeks.

Lips: If you seen my Shu Uemura OB Collection Review post (LINK), you will know that I am loving the two-colour lip look.

I wore the Dior Addict Lipstick in 431 On the Beach on my top lip and 751 Exotique on my bottom lip.

Eyes: 374 Blue Lagoon Palette- Top right shade all over the lids, bottom right shade on the lower lashline to brighten the eyes and centre colour to line my eyes (I then used a liquid liner to define my upper lash line).

Cheeks: 001 Pink Glow- bronzer to contour and blush colour on the apples of my cheeks.

Lips: Another two-colour lip look~ 656 Gaia on my top lip and 636 Carioca on my bottom lip.

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