beauty in the big city

While I am on a bit of a Dior theme, I though I would write a quick review on my favorite eyeshadow palette by the illustrious French fashion house: Lifting Ivory 532. I actually only own two Dior palettes, so maybe favorite is a bit of a stretch, but I reach for this palette almost every day, and really love the colors, quality and pigmentation.

The “Lifting” series has an added benefit of anti-aging serums in each of the eye shadows. Essentially, the makeup is supposed to prevent wrinkles. I know – genius. The whole anti-aging business wouldn’t be much of a selling point on its own if the colors were awful, but in the “Lifting Ivory” palette that I have each of the colors is fantastic. Like with all palettes, there are colors I use more than others (as evidenced by the photos below) but they are each beautiful. The staying power is also great, and the sparkle is subtle enough to not scream “GLITTER!!”, but shimmery enough to still very much show up and catch the light in places you want to highlight.

The “Lifting” series is also different from the other 5 color palettes Dior makes by having a little pot of eye primer in the middle instead of a typical shadow. I love this. If I could buy a tub of just the primer, I would buy it by the dozens, this stuff is so good. It is not only a superior primer to my Urban Decay Primer Potion, but also a stand alone gorgeous product. I loved wearing it alone for a little shimmer and to even out the skin tone on my eyelid. As you can see, I have almost run out of this precious little product, and am now wearing it sparingly on special occasions.

The lightest shade is my next favorite, and I tend to just swipe it on all over my lid and in the inner corner of my eye for day to day wear. When I am feeling fancy, I use the darkest shadow shade (bottom left hand corner) in the outer corner of my eyelid and crease for a little added depth. The only product I don’t use much of is the brown liner (bottom right hand corner). I actually really like how it looks right after I put it on – it is very subtle and sophisticated, and brings out the eye perfectly. However, I found the staying power isn’t great, and within a few hours it pretty much fades away. I am going to try a few different methods to see if I can get it to last longer, and will write an update if I am successful.

I should say these Dior palettes are quite expensive at $61, but they last ages and work really well. The packaging is luxurious and easy to clean, which is nice for carrying in a makeup bag. The only downside is that it comes with little sponge applicators, which I am sure some people love, but I just end up throwing them away. If Dior would eliminate the little applicators, then the palette would significantly smaller and more convenient to carry. The empty side slots are where the applicators go. Overall, not too much of a complaint.

If you are in the market for a splurge and love the idea of preventing wrinkles while looking a little glam, I really recommend this gorgeous palette. Just be sure you savor the tiny pot of primer in the middle!