Here in Vancouver the past couple days have felt downright summery, so what better time to take a deep dive into Dior's latest beauty collection? For the Dior Summer 2016 Milky Dots Collection (available in stores nationwide this month), Creative and Image Director Peter Philips looked to the enduring appeal of polka dots, which happens to have been one of Christian Dior's favourite motifs. (Dior once said of polka dots: "They offer charm, elegance, relaxation and are always fashionable, I never get tired of them.")
The result is a vibrant collection that mixes wearable sand, rose gold, and milky hues with splashes of bright colour. Whether you're looking to upgrade your summer beauty game or you adore polka dots as much as Dior did, there's definitely something for everyone. This is an epic post full of photos and in-depth details, so you might want to grab a snack and maybe stretch first. Okay, ready for a closer look?
Glowing skin
It's a truth universally acknowledged that a summer beauty collection must have at least a couple of products to enhance a sun-kissed complexion. Dior gives us three, the first of which is Diorskin Nude Air Summer Glow 001 Shimmering Loose Powder ($68). Check out that silver cannage-embossed screw-top jar and soft white puff—this is a luxe addition to any vanity or beauty kit.
The square holes that dispense product seem random, but they conspire to deliver just the right amount of powder on the white puff.
Pro tip: To keep from making a mess and to dispense just the right amount, place the puff over the holes and flip the jar upside-down each time. (If you forget, the diagram for this is printed on the inside of the box.)
The finish is the prettiest, subtlest rose gold shimmer. Apply anywhere you need a hit of light: forehead, cheekbones, décolleté, shoulders.
Diorskin Nude Air Glow Powder 001 'Fresh Tan' ($68) certainly lives up to its moniker. The superfine pigments in this build-able powder adjust to any skin tone and just freshen and deepen colour ever so slightly, but with a touch of luminosity. If you're into a no-makeup makeup look or you're experimenting with monochrome beauty looks (or even if you're just a low-maintenance Lazy Girl), I suggest swapping out your regular bronzer, blush, and highlighter for a Diorskin Nude Air Glow Powder. 'Fresh Tan' is more of a straightforward peachy, bronze-y hue with minimal shimmer.
Diorskin Nude Air Glow Powder 002 'Fresh Light' ($68) is similar, but with a pinker undertone that again reminds me of rose gold. Pretty!
Eyeshadow palettes
Dior's limited edition summer collections usually include a bolder eyeshadow palette and a more neutral one. The bolder option: Dior 5 Couleurs Polka Dots eyeshadow palette 366 'Bain de Mer' ($73), which includes a splash of bright Mediterranean blue and mint green with champagne, rose gold, and pink.
As you can see from the swatches, most of the colours are quite sheer and neutral aside from the bright blue accent. You can do an everyday eye with the neutrals or go all-out with blue. And if you're looking for other tips on how to use your 5 Couleurs palette, check out these ones from Diorshow national artist Pascal Grand'Maison.
For those who really love their neutral eyeshadow palettes though, Dior 5 Couleurs Polka Dots eyeshadow palette 536 'Escapade' ($73) features a more appealing mix of pink, taupe, brown, apricot, and white.
Finally, remember the Dior Eye Reviver eyeshadow palette I featured as a Lazy Girl Approved pick? I raved about it because the palette corrals together everything you could ever need to do a neutral eye that goes with any lip colour: primer, four complementary shades, and liner in a mirrored compact that includes all the tools you'll need.
Well, there's a new version with pinker, warmer shades. Meet the Dior Eye Reviver Backstage Pros Illuminating Neutrals Eye Palette 002 ($72).
The swatches speak for themselves. SO PRETTY.
Lip colours
For the Milky Dots collection, Peter Philips envisioned "milkshake-kissed lips": "shiny, full, pastel-coloured, and slightly wet." Dior Addict Milky Tint ($43), shown here in 286 'Milky Plum' and 356 'Milky Peach', go on with a jelly-like, wet, super-shiny, slightly sheer, creamy finish. To be honest, it's a little hard to describe these because as the press materials said, they're a "tinted lip milk" and therefore unlike anything Dior has formulated before.
When applied, 'Milky Peach' dried to a finish that looked like cherry popsicle-stained lips, while 'Milky Plum' became a cool pink. They provided a burst of moisture right upon application that felt like wetting your lips with water.
You know what doesn't sting, feels like a lip gloss, smells like vanilla mint, and plumps up lips wonderfully? Dior Addict Lip Maximizer 006 'Beige Sunrise' ($41), which can be worn alone or layered under or over other products.
Polka dot manicures
I warned you this was an epic post, didn't I? But I definitely saved the best for last. I've always been a fan of Dior's take on nail art kits. First of all, they're so user-friendly with instructions and all the tools you need to achieve the look. Then there's the expertly curated colours and nail effects—always sophisticiated and fun, never tacky. And then there's the quality of the nail polishes themselves—long-lasting and super-shiny, with a dense, flat paddle brush that has an oval-ish tip and makes the most amateurish DIY mani efforts look glossy and professional.
The limited edition Dior Polka Dots Colour & Dots Manicure Kit ($38) ticks all the boxes. Each kit comes with two mini bottles of complementary Dior nail lacquers and a dotting tool. Polish your nails with one shade, then put a drop of the other shade on a piece of paper and use the dotting tool to create a polka dot mani. Genius! If you only get one thing from the Milky Dots Collection, I highly recommend one of these kits.
Now the hard part is which kit to choose. Maybe 002 'Confettis', which features coral and canteloupe...
Or 001 'Pastilles', a combination of bright Mediterranean blue and ivory...
Or 003 'Plumetis', a demure combination of light pink and mauve.
Beyond Dior polka dot manicures, you can use the dotting tool to create nail art with your own polishes; wear the colours by themselves; or use them as one perfectly coordinated mani/pedi colour pair.
One of those manicure kits is calling my name. What are you loving most in the Dior Milky Dots Collection?
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