Sneak Peek: Dior Spring 2016 Glowing Gardens Collection

I know it's only January, but the Dior Spring 2016 Glowing Gardens Collection already has me dreaming of balmier days when the whole world is abloom. The collection emphasizes colour, softness, and luminousness, drawing inspiration from Christian Dior's garden and deep love of flowers. "After women, flowers are the most divine creations," the designer once said. Ready to take a closer look?

The prettiest embossed florals decorate the limited edition Dior 5 Couleurs Glowing Gardens Eyeshadow Palettes ($70 each). File these palettes under "Almost too pretty to use": if you're a serious collector you might even want to get one to archive and one to play with. The one below is Blue Garden, a mix of "peach, sky blue, blue iris, and subtle Dior grey" according to the press materials. It also happens to be the eyeshadow palette used on Jennifer Lawrence at the Golden Globes.

I seriously cringed at the prospect of dipping the eyeshadow swabs into those embossed petals for swatching, but it's one thing to stare at a palette and quite another to see how the shadows look when applied. These shades complement each other beautifully and are neutral enough to suit the tastes of the most ardent nude eyeshadow enthusiast, with just enough colour in the coral and the light blue for visual interest. The finish is pearlescent or metallic with a very light sparkle if you look closely. The powder eyeshadows go on subtle and blendable dry and intensify in colour when wet.

I usually play it pretty safe with eyeshadow colours, but if you're the adventurous type look no further than the Rose Garden palette, a blend of "lilac, soft pink, vibrant yellow, and crisp green." Stumped about how to wear such bold shades? I love the way the Dior model in the ads looks with a streak of bold yellow on her browbone, just under the arch, and artfully blended lilac and pink on the lids. For further inspo, check out these eyeshadow tips from Diorshow National Artist Pascal Grand'Maison.

And here are the colours all swatched out.

Diorskin Nude Air Glowing Gardens Illuminating Powder ($64) boasts sweet orange extract, vitamins, and minerals that supposedly improve your complexion's tone with use. Obviously I haven't tested this one thoroughly enough to attest to those claims, but look! The pretty floral embossing! The super-soft, super-luxe white kabuki brush! The silver cannage-embossed compact!

The shade shown here—Glowing Nude—is beige with a tinge of rose gold gilt and goes on superfine. Other than the nail polish (which I'll get to below), I think this might be my favourite product in the Glowing Gardens collection because it's so marvelously versatile. Sweep it on skin for an all-over glow; along cheekbones and the bridge of the nose as a highlighter; under the browbone to bring light to the eyes. You can also dip a fluffy eyeshadow brush in it—to really concentrate the colour—and apply it all over lids as a subtly sparkly, rose-gold eyeshadow, or use it to add lightness and dimension to matte shades.

The last time I had a Dior Addict Lip Glow ($40) in my possession, I used the entire thing up. Once applied, it morphed into the perfect "like your lips but better" pink to brighten up a wan complexion. The effect was polished but never overdone and the formula was hydrating, and even though I can be skeptical of pricy lip balms this one made a fan out of me. I suspect 'Lilac'—a slightly cooler pink—will become a staple just like its predecessor.

The Dior Addict Lip Glow Liner in 'Universal Pink' ($36) can be used to contour lips or fill them in for a natural rosy effect similar the Lip Glow lip balms, and it has a subtle plumping effect. Use alone or layer under other products.

My other favourite in the Glowing Gardens collection: Dior Vernis Gel Shine in 'Lilac' ($31) a creamy, pretty, vibrant pink-purple. Some will say it reminds them of Pantone's colour of the year Rose Quartz, especially when they see it with the other Glowing Gardens limited edition nail shade, the pastel blue 'Bleuette'. Personally, I think it's a lot closer to one of Pantone's other colours, Radiant Orchid. And that's a wonderful thing: Orchid is one of my favourite colours because it pops and plays so nicely with navy, camel, grey. It's the sort of hue that nets a ton of compliments. Plus, it's a sentimental favourite because it reminds me of a J. Crew pencil skirt that I owned and loved, but sadly had to give away because it became too tight. No chance of that happening with nail polish. (P.S. If you're curious about what it looks like on, check out my Instagram.)

There's a lot more Dior spring 2016 Glowing Gardens goodness to check out at Dior counters nationwide, including a floral-embossed blush not shown here, another Diorskin Nude Air palette, and eyeshadow/eyeliner duos. But in the meantime, this should help ward off the January blues, don't you think? Does anything from the Glowing Gardens collection catch your fancy?

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