Dior Trianon Spring 2014

I'm going to try my best to remain articulate in this post, which is no easy feat considering almost everything in Dior's Trianon collection for spring 2014 makes me want to squeal with girlish joy. The inspiration behind this limited edition collection is a modern-day marquise, and indeed, the soft pastels, dessert-inspired shades, and sheer prettiness of it all call to mind Sofia Coppola's Marie Antoinette. The Trianon collection is available at Dior counters now, but if past precedent is anything to go by, not for very long. Here's a look at my favourites.

What could make Dior's luxe packaging and superior formulas better? Why, bows, of course.

The Diorblush Trianon edition ($44) is a coral shade that looks as though it'd suit cool- or warm-toned fair-skinned gals. Like the other Diorblush shades I've tried, the pigments go on micro-fine for a wash of natural-looking colour on the cheeks. And although I usually don't condone using the blush brushes that come with a compact, this wide angled brush lets you contour or apply wide swaths of colour without any streakiness.

I usually opt for a bold lip and minimal eye makeup, but Dior's 5-Couleurs eyeshadow palettes always want to make me step up my eyeshadow game. Case in point: the Dior 5-Couleurs Trianon Edition ($62). The pastel hues go on soft and pearly, but the dark grey colour can intensify things in a heartbeat.

Dior Backstage Eye Prime ($30) is pretty miraculous stuff. The weightless volatile oil formulation goes on smooth and corrects uneven tone. During testing, I found that Backstage Eye Prime did a pretty good job of keeping my eyeshadow in place and crease-free throughout the day, although the intensity of the shadow faded after 12+ hours of wear.

This was my first experience with the colour-adjusting cult fave Dior Lip Glow ($35), and I was very impressed. The balm goes on sheer, deepens to enhance my natural lip colour, and delivers hydration and shine.

The Dior Vernis Trianon nail polishes ($26 each) are so pretty. If I had to pick favourites though, they'd have to be pastel blue 'Porcelaine' and the 'Perlé' top coat, which creates a "sugared almond" effect on glossy, creamy nail polishes by mattifying the shine and imparting a lilac frost effect.

I raved about Rouge Dior's reformulation last fall and its creamy texture and lip-plumping hyaluronic acid. The Trianon collection introduces two new shades ($36 each): 'Rose Crinoline' (a warm coral pink) and 'Allégresse' (a striking but soft fuchsia that doesn't have the same intensity as winter's fuchsias).