-Dior

(pictured: part of my collection)

Dior was completely out of my radar until four years ago when I saw the limited-edition ID tag lip palette (out in 2002, pictured middle left). It was all shiny and sparkly. I didn’t buy it then, thinking it was a bit too expensive. Then I regretted it but it was too late (and I didn’t like buying cosmetics products on eBay…I still don’t). When the 2003 Christmas ID tag palette came out, I just had to get it. It was my first Dior purchase. (I saw the 2002 Christmas one again a couple of years later at an airport duty-free shop. I bought it instantly.)

Since then, I have always been looking forward to their seasonal limited-edition items. Over the years, I have had a collection of them: the ring, the dice, the bracelet, the wallet, and the bag charm. I almost never use them. They sit on my dressing table like little charms.

Some people don’t like these limited editions, thinking they are too chunky and too tacky. (I like them chunky though.) They tend to think no one would actually wear the bracelet or the ring because they don’t really look like what people would normally put on themselves. They might have a point (for certain items). I have never seen any of these “cosmetics-accessories” on anyone. But I have worn the bracelet (limited-edition this spring) several times. It is quite wearable, and it is stylish but relatively understated.

I guess it is the idea that they can “work” as fashion accessories that is the appeal. Also, it is
the idea that people can buy Dior accessories sold at cosmetics counters as makeup products with makeup-product price tags.

I like the fact that Dior has been trying to bring together fashion and beauty products, and I think they are doing it very successfully. It is all part of the Dior experience, so it is great to see many aspects (especially visual ones) coming together to create a more unified and distinctive “Dior look”. (Their 2006 autumn Detective Chic does look like something accompanying their gorgeous Dior doctor’s bag.) It is also a good way to bring fans of Dior beauty product closer to the core of the Dior “culture”.

I’d like to see this trend in Chanel and YSL. (YSL has been doing a similar thing, but some of the products are actually a bit too tacky for my liking.) They should really play to their strengths as leading fashion brands, and it is something that even the top Japanese makeup brands won’t be able to emulate.

Makeup-wise, their eyeshadow palettes are both wearable and edgy. If you want a turquoise eyeshadow (it’s not for everyone, I know), theirs is one of the best. Soft, matte, and sheer (but buildable), not shiny or glittery. (It is already such a bold color as an eyeshadow that the finish doesn’t need to be glittery.) As for skincare, the moisturizers in the Hydraction range are good for my sensitive skin. (If my Lancome Hydra Zen (my ultimate moisturizer) discontinues, I will go straight to Dior Hydraction.)

Overall, I really like Dior. (My local Dior sales assistant is absolutely fantastic, which helps.) I will always (try to) have a budget to increase my collection bit by bit.

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