Dior’s Spring 2012 Collection has 2 smoky eyes palettes, one Smoky Garden 461 (teal/green), the other Smoky Violet 961 (purple). The palette slides open, revealing 3 different shades of one colour – you get a base (the lightest shade in the palette), soft smoky (darker matte), and a couture smoky (high shimmers, borderline metallic).

3 Couleurs Smoky Eyes Palette

At first glance, Smoky Violet sang to me. This purple has a tinge of plum so those with naturally puffy eyes have to be careful because this colour can make eyes look puffier. However, I can imagine the shimmery violet as the star of a smoky eye look for the evening. Gorgeous!

Smoky Violet (961)

Smoky Garden looked a little ‘meh’ in the pan. The matte soft smoky shade looked like muted teal and the shimmers do not look like much. Furthermore, I thought it would be difficult to find an outfit to match this colour. However, I was up for a little surprise when I swatched these babies.

Smoky Garden (461)

My perception of Smoky Garden changed immediately after I swatched it. Just look at how brilliant the colours are! Smoky Violet became a little boring – I can easily find a few dupes for it. However, look at the metallic teal in Smoky Garden. It stands out so much more than the rest.

flash

Here, I took another shot using natural light just to prove my point. Which one stands out most? Quite obvious, ain’t it? These swatches are done with fingers, with no primer on my arm. These 2 palettes have the same weakness – the darker matte shade, Soft Smoky. It is the hardest to work with in both the palettes. It is the least pigmented of the 3 shades in the palette, and it is dry. When I used my fingers to apply, this shade pulls and the colour just wouldn’t transfer properly. With some effort, patience and with a brush, application was bearable.

natural light

The highlight shade of the palette is the easiest to work with. I have no problem with pigmentation and the colours are buttery and soft. The Couture Smoky is the metallic shimmery shade, which is also easy to work with. The glitters are not too chunky but you can still feel it when rubbed between your fingers. The best way to apply this is to use a finger and pat it onto the lid. This is to prevent the glitters falling all over your face.

So here you go. I hope you enjoyed this post, and that you have found it useful. Which one do you like better out of the 2? I think I’m gonna forsake my first impression and go with Smoky Garden!

xoxo
Lily

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