Much Better than Before - Dior Blazing Gold*

*press sample

I like to think that as I age, I get better over time and I improve upon my mistakes. Sometimes you wish that of some other people too and sometimes you wish that of prodcuts. Though the Dior seasonal eyeshadow palettes haven't been a hit with me, this year's Holiday collection which includes the 5 Couleurs State of Gold Palette in Blazing Gold* ($70CDN), is much different from more recent releases.

Right away I was drawn to the red shade which Dior describes as "Claret Red". The red is the just the perfect shade of the moment and I'm really using more reds than I have been in the past. Along with the Frosted Chestnut, Charcoal and shimmery Nude center, the colors in the palette blend to make a great Holiday eye look.

Somehow the etched chevron pattern might be helping the shadows with their performance. Where previous palettes have been exceptionally sheer and hard to pick up, the edges on the shadows makes it easier to place on a brush. The downside is that a slight powder trail results on the palette when used.  On blendability and pigmentation, these colors are perform better than the 5 Couleur Designer palettes. The colors are visible and distinct on the lid and the smooth into each other well.

My favorite use has been to place the shimmery pink (top left) onto the lid and use either the claret (top right) or the charcoal shade (bottom right) on the outer corner.  The colors pack on well on the lid and I wish my camera could pick up the color difference on the eye (still working on that. sometimes I marvel at Chelle's ability to so perfectly capture her eye looks. Chelle please teach me your ways (and camera configurations)).

The other palette for the Holidays (Eternal Gold) was equally as well performing. If you're looking for a more cool toned Holiday palette, take a look for that review when it comes out.

You can find this palette at The Bay and at Dior counters.

Will you be picking up anything from Holiday collections?