Prepare yourself for the grandest Christmas collection of them all. The limited edition Dior Grand Bal Christmas Collection has launched at Escentual, a heady mix of molten golds, ruby red, shining pearls and carbon blacks for the face and nails. Inspired by the extravagant balls of old, this couture collection embraces the fantasy of transformation, and the decadence of the masquerade.
Dior Grand Bal Carnet de Bal Palette
The star product of the Dior Grand Bal Christmas collection is the Dior Carnet de Bal Palette, a palette inspired the shape of an 18th century dance card and held shut with a miniature eyeliner.
Slide the eyeliner out of its holder and inside the golden compact you’ll find two powder eyeshadows, two applicators, and underneath the golden trapdoor, two lipglosses.
The two glosses, one pale gold with golden shimmer and the other a true strawberry pink with subtle shimmer, dress the lips with a glamorous sheen.
Packed full of iridescent shimmer, the pale gold gloss can be layered on top of your lipstick, or worn alone for a touch of sophisticated sparkle.
The pink shade is more pigmented, and brightens lips beautifully with its warm mid pink hue. The ultra fine shimmer promotes a 3d effect.
Sculpted and embossed with a geometric print, this duo of metallic eyeshadows steals the show. One in molten gold, the other in beautiful silver, they brighten the eyes with a smattering of finely milled shimmer and shine. They’re ultra pigmented to produce a true metallic finish.
The result is a collection of hues that perfectly brighten the eyes and lips for the Christmas season – just look at the pigmentation!
The miniature eyeliner is just the thing for creating instant drama. Use to create precise lines both around the eye and on the water line.
Finished in matte, carbon black, the eyes are lined and coloured to perfection. It lasts for hours around the eye, and can be smudged and blended to create smokiness, or drawn in clean lines for instant definition.
For the first time ever, Dior has created a collection of false eyelashes – and they’re something truly special. Each set comes with glue, and a set of instructions. The first pair, Pearl Drops, are a subtle shape that focus upon volume. The fringe of lashes are thick, ultra dark and very wearable.
The thicker band at the top of the lashes creates an instant eyeliner effect when the lashes are worn, and at the corner of the lashes there are three subtle silver drops, which lend a touch of glamour each time the eyes are closed.
The second pair, Golden Crystals, are the showstoppers. The ultra long, graphic span of the eyelashes results in an utterly couture shape.
Trimmed with golden Swarovski crystals, the lashes draw all attention to the eyes when the lid is closed. The crosshatch design of the lashes is all about high drama.
Dior 5 Couleurs Eyeshadow Palette
The Dior 5 Couleurs collection for Christmas is a symphony in golds. For the evening there is #524 Night Golds, a decadent molten collection of metal-look satin shadows for mesmerising looks. A medley of shifting textures and shimmers makes this palette very exciting indeed.
From the left, there is the white gold highlighting shade, a beautiful pearlescent shadow that glows effortlessly. Next is the showstopping molten gold shadow that produces an effect so vivid and glowing that it is almost wet-look. Looser than the other shadows, this makes a perfect laying shade. Next is the deep chocolate liner shade with golden sparkle, which adds intensity without being overpowering. The final two shades are variations on gold satins shadows, one more yellow gold, the other a darker, more platinum-gold shade.
For the day there is #764 Fairy Golds, a collection of lighter, molten shades. More of a variation of colours than the Night Golds palette, Fairy Golds marries shades of silver, gold and platinum.
Like Night Golds, there are a range of different textures in the Fairy Golds palette. The first shade is a pale white gold satin, a sweet highlighting hue. The second shade is a wet-look molten gold, while the third is a wet-look silver white. The fourth shade is a rosy platinum satin, while the final shade, a deep bronze brown satin, lines the eyes with its metallic glow. Shop the Dior 5 Couleurs Palettes.
Dior Diorshow Liner in #548 Gold
There’s also a brand new shade of the Dior Diorshow Liner Waterproof in 548 Gold, a molten hue that dresses the eyes with brightness.
Apply generously all over the eye for a long-lasting block of shimmering colour, or draw a thin line across the upper eyelid for a touch of brightness. For more subtlety, create a little highlight in the corner of the eye, or apply to the inner waterline of the eyelid.
A highlight of the collection is the new shades in the Dior Diorific Lipstick range. Encased in their familiar gold doubloon packaging embossed with the name Christian Dior, its a hark back to vintage Dior glamour.
My favourite of the couture collection is undoubtedly #040 Marilyn, a deep carmine red that instantly updates your look. The creamy shade doesn’t have a hint of shimmer, instead dressing the lips with full impact colour and shine.
The blue-toned colour looks beautiful when paired with the bright shadow and dark lashes of the Grand Bal range. Layer up for a power-packed red, or sheer out for a softer red-pink bitten hue.
Other shades in the range include #020 Victoire and #024 Liz, repromoted shades. The new colours in the collection provide a whole wardrobe of reds: #037 Diorling, #038 Diva and #039 Lady.
#020 Victoire is a delicious bronze shade with a multidimentional, metallic effect. #024 Liz is a bright copper shade shot through with golden and bronze shimmer. #037 Diorling is a true, classic blood red. #038 Diva is a brighter shade and leans more towards the yellow end of the spectrum. #039 Lady is a muted neutral red shade for everyday wear.
The new shades of the Dior Addict Ultra Gloss capture the spirit of Christmas perfectly. One ultra sparkly shade and one pigmented colour with subtle shimmer, they’re all the colours you need for this season.
#424 Gold Lame is the ultimate shade of the season, looking beautiful when worn alone or as a glimmering topcoat over the top of your favourite lipstick. #774 Ceremony Red is a beautiful deep pink-red with subtle iridescent shimmer. If you want to wear red but don’t want to commit to the boldness of the Diorific lipstick, then this is the lip colour for you.
Dior Vernis Diorific Nail Enamel
Especially for this Christmas, Dior re-launches the Dior Diorific Vernis, a glossy collectors’ item that marries couture style with luxurious texture. The range includes #011 Lady, #207 Diorling, #751 Marilyn and #901 Diva to match the glamour of the Diorific lipsticks.
The colour doesn’t appear too stark when worn, it looks fresh, frosty and clean. I love to wear this with a bright red Marilyn lip – it looks incredibly chic.
Like a star atop a Christmas tree, #207 Diorling is the colour that lends a touch of sparkle to the Dior Diorific Vernis collection. The sheer gold base is infused with golden micro sparkle, and then sprinkled with larger flecks of bronze-gold for a breathtaking effect.
#751 Marilyn is a true carmine red that leans a little pink with one coat, and become deeper red with two. A great festive colour that’s always in style.
Like the night sky,#901 Diva dresses your nails with inky black and a smattering of multicoloured shimmer. The colour is bold enough to make a statement, and the glimmer is subtle enough to be absolutely chic. A stand-out shade.
Shop the entire Dior Grand Bal Christmas Collection at Escentual.com
CoolMom
DIOR Golden Winter Vernis Diorific - Nail Enamel 12ml
Bought this as part of my daughter's 18th birthday gift. I have always rated Dior nail polish for it's durability and, though this is quite pricey, as a gift it was a good buy... daughter is thrilled with the colour which has a very subtle fine glitter through it. I might just have to borrow some!
