Dior's new 5-Colour Eyeshadows for the Spring 2012 New Look Collection ($59) finally arrived this week at Neiman Marcus. I had seen photos of many of the new palettes, but I hadn't seen a photo of Grège. Nevertheless, I was sure it would be filled with my colors with a name like Grège. I envisioned Armani greige - a hybrid of grey and beige, perfect colors. That's the way the name had been pronounced to me. I was so wrong. It turns out the word grège means the color of oatmeal. That's a perfect image for the colors in the palette.I was able to snap some swatch photos when the sun was flirting with clouds. They aren't the best swatch photos I've ever taken, but they will have to do. I have no motivation to try for better ones because this palette isn't me. I don't look good in muddy colors, and three of the five shades in the palette are muddy on me. I recommend that you try this one before you buy. The colors might look great on you if your skin is warmer and darker than mine. On me? Too much mud!
I swatched in a clockwise order, starting at the top left in the palette and ending with the center beige shade. I applied each shade heavily with a sponge-tipped applicator. The muddy brown at the top left is wearable, but why bother? The white is an OK white, but I wouldn't reach for this palette to single out one shade. The silver grey is pretty - not distinctive, but pretty. The red-toned brown is a shade I will never ever wear. Red-toned shadows bring out the red in my eyes. The beige in the center is boring. It's the color of oatmeal - maybe putty. I can't imagine using it to accent anything on my face.
Most of the finishes are satin or softly shimmering. The two lightest shades (white and beige) are also the brightest.I don't usually feature makeup I don't like. I decided to show you the Grège 5-Colour Eyeshadow Palette only because it's new. If your tastes are similar to mine, make sure you see it before you purchase. I'm sure someone out there will find the shades attractive. If you like these shades, I hope I was able to help you find your next makeup buy. I'm not sure what else I can say.
There are two palettes in the collection that are predominantly pink and blue. Neither attracted me. There's also one called Royal Kaki that I had ruled out. Now, I wish I had selected that one. An evening gown from the New Look Collection in 1947 sported the colors that were used in the Royal Kaki Palette.
I don't return makeup I've swatched/used, so I'll have to decide if I'm going to spend another $59. You'll know if and when I feature Royal Kaki here. What do you think of the shades in Grège? Do they excite you? Am I standing alone on my personal island of discontent?
Photos by Best Things in Beauty
These shades do not excite me nor do the other palettes for spring. Elegence #553 from a couple of yrs ago had a nice mix of browns. I love Dior eyeshadows palettes. The consistency is very nice
ReplyDeleteToo bad, it looked really pretty in the pan. You just samed me $59.
ReplyDeleteI love beautiful beige and other neutrals as much as the next person, but if you say they are bad then that's good enough for me. Thanks for saving me $59.
ReplyDeleteCharlestongirl, thank you for being so honest. The colors are sooo boring that I cannot believe that Dior came out with them. I'm still looking for the perfect palette for my hazel green eyes. I might have to swatch the other one they are offering if I get the chance.
ReplyDeleteHi Mary Ann,
ReplyDeleteI also love Dior eye shadows, as a rule, but hese latest colors don't sing to me at all.
Yea, Liz! Now, wait a few days, and we'll spend that $59. :)
ReplyDeleteHi Anonymous,
ReplyDeleteMe too - I'm a neutral lover. That's one reason I was so disappointed in these muddy browns.
Glad to help you save money. You're in the Liz corner, except I'm sure I'll spend your $59 for you soon. :)
Hi grlnxdor!
ReplyDeleteI'm going to make you a project. Actually, reader Eileen (hopefully she'll play too) and I can both make you a project.
Have you tried the new Tom Ford quads? I think there are a few you'd like. Did you see the new Armani #2 palette? It would be "the bomb" on you.
Thanks for the honest review. I have to agree with you. I don't think those colors would flatter me either. Sorry you are disappointed. I think on the bright side, it is rare that you end up with something you don't like. I really think in this rare case you should return/exchange it. You never do it and it is allowed. Don't waste your money!
ReplyDeleteAll except the darkest brown would be ok to work with, but only if I was given it somehow. I don't think I would buy it. I thought it was going to be greige, too, if that's any consolation!
ReplyDeleteNikki,
ReplyDeleteI know I "can," but I feel so badly about doing that. If I exchange it, they have to damage this one out of stock. No one forced me to buy it. When I used it, I found the colors to be VERY boring. I don't think it looks all that bad in the pan.
Still pondering...
Hi Odyssey!
ReplyDeleteGlad I wasn't alone in the word misunderstanding. I have to get better with French. It's been a long time since I studied it in high school and college.
What a difference a skin tone makes! The colors look warm and glowing on Sabrina's skin, but look muddy and lifeless on you :-( That's one of the reasons why I think it is so important to actually swatch colors in person if it's possible to do so. Our skin's color and texture can make all the difference.
ReplyDeleteHi Grlnxdor,
Sabrina of the Beauty Look Book has swatches and reviews of both palettes. In case you aren't familiar with her blog, she is a brunette with a warm, medium skin tone.
Having seen the Royal Khaki palette, I don't think you'll find it particularly flattering on hazel eyes. It will compete with your eye color rather than make it pop. For that, you need to visit the other side of the color wheel after first deciding whether you want to bring out the green or brown tones in your eyes. There will always be those times when you want to break the rules, but in general, using the color wheel theory really works. Sorry if you already know all this.
Thank you so much for your honest opinion, and the swatches. Sometimes skintone can make all the difference! I am very fond of Dior shadows generally, so I'll be giving these a try in the store - with my darker coloring, they just might work. =)
ReplyDeleteI agree with you completely about this palette. I have learned the hard way to stick with Chanel and LMDB. And another thing, too many colors in one palette are overwhelming for my pea brain. I like it simple. But the colors are all wrong and downright--dare I say it?--ugly.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure what it is, but these colors look really flat. I would expect a much more flattering finish from Dior!
ReplyDeleteHowever, I thought it looked pretty nice from Sabrina's swatches on her blog yesterday; so Eileen must be right, it's a skintone thing.
Still, overall it's not as impressive as I'd like for that price.
Isla, it's definitely a skin tone thing. That's why I suggested that those with darker skin tones might like it. Trust me, it looks as bad on my eyes as it does on my arm. BORING!
ReplyDeleteSabrina's skin is very different from mine - and beautiful. I'll have to go look at her photos. Today has been crazy so far. Need more time!
Hi Nemo,
ReplyDeleteThey are ugly on me. Imagine, though, a woman with darker, warm-toned skin. I'll bet they are totally different.
I do appreciate some shimmer, and the browns in this palette are lifeless, in my humble opinion. Not at all what I am used to with Dior.
Thanks, Maggie. Please let us know how it looks on you. I'd love to hear an opinion from someone with darker skin.
ReplyDeleteI am ready to take it back. My SA has told me to exchange it, and with her blessing, I think I'll try Royal Kaki.
Hi CharlestonGirl, I never purchase Dior palettes without seeing and swatching them first. The shadows rarely have enough pigmentation for my my NC45 skin color. Most of the time the shadows look silver with little hint of color. Very disappointing at this price point.
ReplyDeleteHi Eileen,
ReplyDeleteAll of you are faster than I am. I just popped over to see Sabrina's swatches a second ago. I think it's pretty on her arm. Skin tone! Makes all the difference.
I'm not sure how she got the shine from the browns, though. I swatched them again after I looked at my photos and found them to be just as boring on the second go-round. When I examine the palette under a strong light, I see a little shine in the pan for the upper left shade (which is prettier than the other brown), but none in the muddy bottom brown. All in all, a fail on my skin.
Don't you think Grlnxdor would look lovely in peach shades?
Hi Ava!
ReplyDeleteActually, I worked pretty hard to get the white and beige to show even swatches on my arm. They are just as you describe.
I have found that Dior often offers more sparkle than pigment. I've got to become more discriminating when I select Dior eye palettes going forward.
Still, it'd be nicer if it could be flattering for BOTH you and Sabrina, you know? (And there are lots of items that do!)
ReplyDeleteGlad to hear you get to exchange it! Why not, since it doesn't work for you? I'm sure you give them enough of your money anyway, so no need to feel bad for an occasional return. :)
I don't really like those shades
ReplyDeleteand this is rare to me for a Dior product, thank you for swatchinf it
Hi Tytynette!
ReplyDeleteMake sure to look at the swatches at The Beauty Look Book. It's a different animal on Sabrina.
I do, though, Isla. No reason Dior should pay for my poor decision making.
ReplyDeleteEven tho you don't care for this palette and it seems to go flat on your skin, I could see the grey and the brown being workable for you. Boy, this is definitely a palette that needs to be seen in person. I don't want to like it, (save a little dough), but in person playing with it, I may find it works for me. Maybe I'd better stay home for awhile. Lol. Love your pictures and honest review.
ReplyDeleteHi Charlestongirl,
ReplyDeleteI feel the same as you when it comes to returning products. Perhaps it is because we came of makeup wearing age at a time when there were no returns under any circumstances. Even now, with today's very generous return policies, I'll only return something if I have a bad reaction to it and then only if it is something I can't give to one of my gal pals or my niece. In this case, though, I think we all agree you should return the Dior. After all, it's not like you're some flake who makes a habit of buying and returning. The SA's know who those women are and you're definitely not one of them.
Apropos Grinxdor and hazel eyes:
You're right, Charlestongirl, about peaches for hazel eyes. Anything with a bit of a red undertone to it would make the green standout: peach, copper, terracotta, plum, burgundy, merlot, orchid, pink, etc. And, although it's not an opposite, teal usually works well because of it's subdued warmth. If green is what is wanted, though, a really good palette that does not overwhelm the eye color is Guerlain's Les Verts. As you know, my eyes are a dark mossy green and Les Verts gives my irises a bit of a glow. I think what makes it so wearable for green and hazel eyed ladies is the liner color which is a reddened brown. There you go! Red and green--opposites on the color wheel :-)
Polarbelle, your skin is warmer than mine, right? You might be able to wear this palette. I think the warm shades clash on my cool skin. I can usually wear warm shades, but the red-brown is horrible on me.
ReplyDeletePlease blog it if you like it!
Well said, Eileen! I almost never return things. There is a local blogger who "buys, swatches, raves about it, and then returns it." Then on boards she claims to be aghast that anyone would do that. It's a hoot. Everyone at NM has her number.
ReplyDeleteLove your suggestions for hazel eyes. I haven't had time to do much in the way of customized responses today. Had to make an unplanned trip to Apple's Genius Bar. I stumped the genius. It was the high point of my day. :)
Thank you Charlestongirl for the suggestions. Tom Ford's makeup always interests me. He is so innovative!
ReplyDeleteEileen, you are so right about having to decide what color in your eye you want to bring out. SA's always suggest purple(actually my favorite color) but I find that only brings out the blueness under my eyes! I'm much better off with warm soft browns and taupes.
Boring, very boring. I could think of so many other products I'd prefer to spend$59 on than this one. It's more of the same. I would return it.
ReplyDeleteDlori
kleimanlaw at aol dot com
There is a local blogger who "buys, swatches, raves about it, and then returns it."
ReplyDeleteBack when I worked at Sephora, we had a chronic returner who did the same thing. She would return something at least 3 or 4 times a week, and I had her pegged as a blogger. It made me nuts to think of the sheer waste, since the policy was (and I assume still is) to destroy any returned product.