Dior 'Diorblush' in Corail Bagatelle (Spring 2014 Trianon Collection)

Dior's Spring 2014 collection calls out hardcore to my girly, ribbon-loving fancy self.  I have to admit that I have a weakness for bows, pinky corals, and blush - all of which the Diorblush in Corail Bagatelle fulfills.  Quick note about this collection - it seems like it's very limited in quantities!  The lady at my Dior counter said she only received 6 of these blushes and that the first 5 went like hotcakes.

Back to the blush - the packaging on the outside is standard Dior, but the pan on the inside has a darling embossed bow/pearl border detail.  I tried my best to resist its temptations (at least, that's what I tell myself), but I already knew on first sight that I really wanted this blush.  I adore the French Rococo feel of this collection.  A little part of me will shed a tear when the design eventually fades away with use.

I'm quite happy with the texture, blendability, and lasting power of this blush.  All are superb.  I do have oily skin and need to blot throughout the day, and sometimes my blush cannot endure multiple blotting sessions.  This, however, looked lovely at the end of a long (12 hr+) day.  The finish is slightly shimmery for my tastes and does emphasize my pores slightly.  Then again, I have quite large pores around my cheek/nose area and most things that aren't matte will do so anyway.

Corail Bagatelle is a lovely peachy pink.  In the pan. I thought it looked like it would veer more towards coral/orange, but it pulls more pink on my complexion.  Other reviewers online called it "Chanel Jous Contraste in Rose Initiale, but less pigmented."  A normal person would see that and say, "Oh, I already have that, so I don't need this."  But alas, that is not how my brain works.  My reaction was, "Oh god, Rose Initiale is my FAVORITE color, so I definitely need this one too...possible new favorite?  AND it's limited edition, so you better get it before you regret it."

• I will say that to my (very discerning) eyes, these shades are different.  I don't find Corail Bagatelle to be particularly unpigmented, but it does require a little more build-up than Rose Initaile.  You can definitely overdo it though, so don't go too crazy!  The textures are very similar, but the finishes are not.  Corail Bagatelle is definitely a bit more glittery, while Rose Initiale provides more of an all around sheen to the cheeks.  Again, not too different, but not exactly the same either.
• The colors are also slightly different.  I've included swatches below.  Corail Bagatelle is (of course) more coral, making Rose Initiale seem almost mauve-y in comparison.  On the skin, Rose Initale is pinker and darker, while Corail Bagatelle is peachier and brighter.  Corail Bagatelle is quite similar to NARS Day Dream (reviewed here), but obviously not matte and more pink on the cheeks.

Overall, my favorite is still the Chanel JC in Rose Initiale, but I still enjoy Corail Bagatelle.  It's quite nice for everyday use.  The color can be applied lightly for a very natural flush to the cheeks, or it can be built up for a more "BAM!  I'm wearing blush here" effect.  I suspect I'll get a lot of use out of it and that the pretty embossed design's days are numbered.

Swatches:

Price: $43

Rating: 9/10

Dior Crème de Rose Smoothing Plumping Lip Balm

First off, happy new year to everyone!  I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season and have an even better year to come.  I spent my Christmas with my family (gingerbread houses, tree decorating, the works) and NYE in Las Vegas.  I got back to LA a few hours ago and I'm now all settled back at home.  

On to the review!  I purchased this Dior Crème de Rose lip balm right before my trip to Vegas as a little splurgey Christmas treat.  I've always just used Chapstick and the like from drugstores, so I was curious if this pricey little lip balm would be as good as I expected it to be.  

The lip balm itself is a lovely baby pink in the pot, but is clear on application.

I'll start with what I like about it:

• The container aesthetics.  I'm a sucker for girly pink/white things, and this little pot of lip balm is stupidly cute.  It gives me a little nudge of happiness whenever I pull it out.
• This may not be everyone's cup of tea, but I really like the rose scent.  It's not too crazy, but definitely still noticeable.  It reminds me of a toned down version of the scent of Chanel JC blushes.
• I also really enjoyed the texture of this product.  Not too slick, fast-absorbing, and made my lips feel quite nice and smooth.  I hate feeling like there's a lot of product just sitting on top of my lips.

And now for what I didn't care for:

• I was expecting to be blown away by the moisturizing aspect of this lip balm.  My reaction was something more like, "Eh, it's not perfect, but it'll do."  Now for a little disclaimer - I tested this in the dry desert air in Vegas on my very dry lips.  I did notice that my lips started to feel significantly dry after ~5 hours (no eating/wiping).  But I suspect that for most people (including myself), it would be adequate for everyday use.  
• I'm a bit of a germaphobe when it comes to cosmetics (having had acne in the past will do that to you) and I find myself worrying about how sanitary this packaging is.  Maybe I'm just paranoid, but I don't like using anything other than freshly washed fingers to apply this lip balm.  I mainly used it in the morning, night, and midday in my hotel room.  While I was out, I tended to just go for convenience and reapplied my YSL Rouge Volupte Shines or Chanel Rouge Coco Shines, which are fairly hydrating on their own.
• I don't really mind this last point, but there was no plumping effect at all from this lip balm.  I dislike those tingly lip plumpers, so I'm glad there wasn't any of that action in this product.  On the other hand, it is advertised as a lip plumper and it failed to come through on that promise.

Overall, it's a fairly good product.  It won't do you a solid in terribly dry conditions, but it's not a like it's a dud either.  It's texture is excellent, which is why I will continue to use it -  but it's not the super lush, life-changing moisturizing product I wanted for its price tag.  I have chronically dry lips, however, so if you have more normal lips, you may find that the Dior Crème de Rose lip balm better suits your needs.

Price: $27

Rating: 6.5/10

My Easy Everyday Neutral Face - Mini Reviews on Some of My Favorite Products

Being a commuter in LA means that I have to wake up early if I want to escape the morning traffic jams.  I don't know about you, but I am definitely not a morning person.  I'm impressed that my half-asleep, zombie-like self can even apply makeup properly.  On these sort of days, I like to just stick with what is easy to apply, requires minimal blending/careful application, and is quick.

Here are the products I reach for most on a daily basis, arranged in no particular order:

1.  Lancome Teint Idole Ultra in 140 Ivoire (N), $45.  This is my favorite foundation at the moment.  

• The good:  It has awesome coverage (medium to full) so I don't need to use concealer with it, but it still manages to feel surprisingly lightweight on the skin.  This shade is a pretty much perfect match for me (I found it after an arduous search through lots of foundation samples).  It also gives the most lovely finish on my mostly-oily skin.  It's definitely mattifying, but allows a bit of my natural oils to come through.  The end result is that I look really healthy and glowy without going into greaseball territory.  I get a lot of compliments on my "dewy" (more like controlled oily!) skin when I use this foundation.  Also, it does not clog my pores.
• The bad:  It tends to cling to any dry patches I may have in the most unattractive way.  If my skin is not properly exfoliated and my moisturizer/sunscreen/primer has not absorbed completely, it balls up and looks horrible.  Luckily, I let my moisturizer dry while I brush my teeth/fix my hair, and I let my sunscreen and primer set while I do my eye makeup, so this isn't an issue 99% of the time.  If your skin is more on the dry side or if you have issues with peeling skin/dry acne spots, I do not recommend this foundation.

2.  NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer in Light 3 Honey, $28.  Used as my undereye concealer.

• The good:  My undereyes are the driest part of my face and are pretty dark (noticeably so from the rest of my complexion).  This concealer is my HG because it has the perfect consistency - not too dry, but not too slick.  I have no problems with creasing, it feels lightweight, the coverage is really good, and it lasts all day.  This particular shade is actually very orange on me, but it works wonderfully to correct my purpley-brown undereye circles.  I use it as a corrector and a concealer in one.  I used to love my Bobbi Brown Corrector in Peach for this, but the NARS concealer has way better lasting power.
• The bad:  This isn't really a true negative because I use this shade for correcting/concealing, but this concealer does not brighten the undereye area.  But that's okay because of the next product...

3.  YSL Touche Eclat Pen in 2.5 Luminous Vanilla, $40.  Used as my undereye brightener (and sometimes a cheekbone highlighter).

• The good:  It has a lovely, light consistency that lends itself to layering.  It noticeably brightens my undereyes, giving me a bright-eyed, awake look.  It doesn't crease and lasts all day on me.  Don't get this if you want to use it as an actual concealer AND brightener.  The actual coverage is minimal.  It also looks lovely as a highlighter on the tops of the cheeks and anywhere else you want to emphasize.
• The bad: Nothing really comes to mind, except the price.  I only need a very small amount though, since most of the heavy-duty lifting is done by my NARS concealer.

4.  Chanel Joues Contraste Blush in Rose Initiale, $43.  My all-time favorite blush.

• The good:  The prettiest rosey pink ever.  I'm kind of obsessed with rose-colored hues, and this is my favorite by far.  It's very flattering and natural on my skin, like a MLBB shade for my cheeks.  The pigmentation is great, it's very easy to blend, and it's long-lasting.  It has a very slight sheen to it - just enough to give a little bit of a flattering glow to the cheeks.  No visible sparkles or anything to worry about.
• The bad:  None, except again perhaps the price.  Blush, however, lasts a really long time and I have even less of a problem paying this much for my Rose Initiale than for my Touche Eclat.