Dior Precious Rocks Holiday 2017

Each year, the house of Dior releases a limited edition Holiday Collection that you can't help but fall in love with. This year, Dior took inspiration from precious gems and teamed it with the rock attitude of the modern Dior woman. The result? Precious Rocks Holiday 2017

The Precious Rocks Collection features two 5 Couleurs Eyeshadow Palettes, one Nude Air Luminizer, 4 Diorific Matte Fluid Lip & Cheek Tints, 5 Diorific Rouge Khôl, a Dior Vernis Liner and 4 Dior Vernis. Today I'm sharing my thoughts on the Diorific Matte Fluids, Diorific Khôl and Dior Vernis.

"The sparkling, vibrant tones of Diorific Vernis nail polishes reflect the brilliance of precious rocks." /source/ 

Dior Vernis 745 Grenat

I've never used Dior Vernis (nail polish), so I immediately dove right in! The bottles are incredibly gorgeous and have a vintage flare that I seriously love. I do find the wand a bit awkward to hold, which in turn makes me slow down and focus more while I'm painting my nails. That's not necessarily a bad thing - I end up with a super clean mani because of it! The brush on the other hand, is fabulous! It's wide and rounded which is perfect for my naturally long nail beds. One coat is enough for opaque coverage and I get a solid 3 to 4 days before it starts to show signs of wear. What's more impressive is that I applied it completely solo; no base and no top coat!

"A Dior essential, Diorific Matte Fluid tints lips and cheeks with a matte texture in four exclusive shades." /source/ 

Diorific Matte Fluid Lip & Cheek Tints ($47) is, as the name suggests, a lip and cheek tint. It's available in 4 shades and today I'm talking about Charm #005 and Intensity #008. The bottles are so elegant and add a touch of class to my vanity. They're not ideal to travel with, but thankfully they wear long enough that that's not necessary!

Charm #005

This is a neutral shade that looks great on my lips, but even better on my cheeks! It has a typical doe foot applicator that makes lining and filling my lips an easy task. The finish is matte and it feels like a liquid lipstick opposed to a tint. It does cling to dry patches a bit, but a scrub and some lip balm will stop it from being obvious. Wear time is decent; a good 4-5 hours including eating and drinking.

I love to use it as a blush. I put a dab on my finger and blend it in gently. It dries quickly and leaves an incredibly natural looking flush. The amount of time it wears depends on what base makeup I'm using. To prolong its longevity, I reach for full coverage foundation as my base and set it with powder.

Intensity #008

This shade is a deep purple that reminds me of rich velvet. I found it took a few swipes to get even coverage on my lips. The finish is matte and it feels much like a stain - slightly drying, but nothing prepping with lip balm can't fix. It wears for quite a few hours before fading and it does transfer slightly. I didn't try this shade on my cheeks because it's a bit too avant garde for my liking, but that's just my personal taste.

Top-Bottom
Diorific Khol #991, Diorific Matte Fluid #008, Diorific Matte Fluid #005

"For the first time ever, Diorific is now available as a kohl for lips. Delivers intense color with a powdery, matte finish. 

Simply irresistible. Pure glamour. The faceted bullet makes applying lipstick almost magical." /source/ 

Diorific Rouge Khôl ($46) is available in 5 shades and I'm sharing my thoughts on Bold Amethyst #991 This shade is way prettier on than it is in the tube. It's a vampy, dark purple that looks almost blackened in certain lighting. I love the unique shape of the lipstick; it reminds me of a pencil and it applies so precisely. It feels creamy on my lips and not at all drying. I need more of these lipsticks. Seriously!

You can find these and other Dior products nationwide at Sephora, Hudson's Bay and Nordstrom.

Press samples were generously provided for editorial consideration. As always, all opinions are my own.

Sothys Paris Fall-Winter Makeup Collection ~ Review + Swatches

Sothys Paris is a new-to-me Parisian brand that is exclusively available in spas. I've been testing out their fall makeup collection, and I have to admit, I'm quite impressed! This collection features the essentials (eyeshadow, blush, lipstick and nail polish) and there were a few stand out items for me.

The Smoky Eye Duo ($48.50) is a contour eye pencil set available in two shades - Zinc Grey and Plum. The pencils are pigmented, creamy, blendable and effortless to apply. I applied them without primer and they stayed put the whole day without any creasing. Amazing!

The Velvet Effect Lipstick ($35.95) is a beautiful classic red. The packaging is understated, however, the lipstick is embossed with Sothys which makes it look very chic. It also comes in a cute velvet pouch which adds a nice touch. The lipstick applies smoothly and has opaque coverage with two swipes. It has a velvet feel and a matte finish that stays put on my lips for around 3-4 hours before I need to touch it up (sooner if I eat) and it's non-drying.

The Nail Lacquer ($18.50) is a show-stopping red that matches the Velvet Effect Lipstick perfectly. It's easy to apply and opaque - one coat is doable, but two coats looks best. I found it to dry rather quickly and it has a beautiful high-shine finish. What impressed me most about this nail polish is how durable it is and how long it lasts.

I typically don't get much more than a day out of polish before it starts to chip - my hands go through a lot in a day (kids, dishes, cleaning, etc). With Sothys Nail Lacquer, I was able to go 2 (almost 3) days before it started to wear off. That might not sound like a long time, but for me it is. I highly recommend this nail polish!

Sothys Paris is available in Institute and Spas throughout Canada. To find a location closest to you, call this toll-free number 1-800-361-3004

*Press samples were kindly provided for editorial consideration. All opinions are my own.