A couple of weeks ago, right before (Belgian) Mother's Day, my brother and I were browsing the beauty section in Galeria Inno...oh alright, I was browsing, he was being dragged along! :P And we saw an engraver sitting next to the Dior counter; discovering she was providing free engravings on any Dior purchases, I thought this was it! My chance to finally own my very own personal Dior lipstick!
I've always loved the look of the Dior Addict Lipstick range (yes totally judging a book by its cover) but the extreme sheerness factor of some of these lipsticks really put me off making the final splurge, can you tell I tend to prefer full coverage matte lipsticks? But the engraving option swayed me, now was the time to pick a colour!
As I know mauve-y plums suit my colouring the best and the lipsticks are mucho dinero, I went for my "everyday colour" (which I always highly recommend when first testing out a new range of lipsticks, because that trendy colour isn't going to be trendy forever, and you don't want to base your whole opinion on a range from a colour you won't like as much by the end of the season). If I'm honest, I was quite disappointed by the complete lack of mauve and cooler toned lipsticks in this range (even after looking on Dior's official site I can see that all the lipsticks are very warmed toned; but if corals and reds are your thing, you're covered!). The closest one I could find to my liking was the one I picked up in 680 After Party (similar here).
Dior Addict Lipstick - 680 After Party
This is a gorgeous berry coloured lipstick with a tiny hint of mauve, but overall rather more warm-toned. It also contains beautiful silver flecks of micro-shimmer which give the lipstick a lovely glistening look (not the dreaded frosted finish). The micro-shimmer does feel a bit gritty on the lips but only because the formula of the lipstick is so smooth and glide-y; barely noticeable unless you're looking for it!
Comparing it to my two favourite lipsticks in the swatches below, you can see why I picked After Party as my "everyday colour". Almost an exact dupe to Clinique's Plum Pop the different finishes give however a distinct look; Clinique's is much more of a opaque creamy finish whereas Dior's is more of a high shine glossy finish (without the awful stickiness of a lipgloss), which is the finish I tend to prefer in the spring/summer months anyway. Now although Rimmel's Vintage Pink is more of the mauve I would be looking for, Dior's After Party is pretty close to the mark, so I'm very happy with my final choice of colour!
P.S. On my nails is Rimmel's 60 Seconds nail polish in 630 Be A Star, which I don't think they make anymore (...weeps in corner), but which is a perfect match to the lipstick.
Left: Clinique Lip Colour Pop - 14 Plum Pop Right: Rimmel Moisture Renew - 180 Vintage Pink
Dior Addict Lipstick - 680 After Party
DESCRIPTION
It's just so pretty!!! The packaging is a real pleasure with its magnetic seal, the opening and closing of which is always extremely satisfying (much like the clicking of a pen). The silver lipstick tube is of course adorned with the CD monogram on its end. And the plastic (made to look like glass) lid casing has the Dior name indented on it; overall super sleek, chic and luxurious! Plus, mine has my name engraved on the lipstick tube, which makes it that much more special of course! :P
Side note; the ribboned box in the photos was the perfume we bought and had engraved for Mother's Day (best kids ever!!! Going to be hard to top it next year). Just in case you were wondering about the large amount of packaging for just one lipstick! :P
The formula is described as a "breakthrough creation" boasting "a hydra-gel core with a top coat effect for sensational mirror shine" composed of "three expert oils among the shiniest used in cosmetics. The Sensorial oil delivers unprecedented fluidity and glide for a new generation of voluptuousness. The Comfort oil improves moisturization of the lips, while the Shield oil ensures colour will adhere and last."
This all sounds rather fancy but the general idea is that they are mega shiny and hydrating, which I 100% agree with! Now, whether it's a "breakthrough creation" I would say the Revlon ColorBurst Lip Butters come pretty close and at the fraction of the price (unfortunately a discontinued range but some colours have moved to their Super Lustrous Lipstick line)! Admittedly, a tad more sticky (still not lipgloss sticky though) and pigmented, which makes it last a fraction longer than the Dior Addict Lipstick, the shine of the latter last way longer. So your preference really depends on what your looking for in a lipstick and how much money you have to spare, if I'm honest. :P
APPLICATION
Sadly the embossed CD all but disappears after a couple of applications (you can still see it in the lipstick as it's a lighter colour, it's just no longer 3D). Super easy and smooth application that really just glides on. Normally, I'm not a fan of the rounded and flat-topped lipstick (the classic pointed shape makes for far more precise application) but with this sheerer formula it works (much like the Revlon ColorBurst Lip Butters)! You can get away with a rough or even no mirror application due to the lipstick's sheer factor, which is very forgiving in nature. To get full opacity though, you do have to swipe a few times across the lips.
WEAR
After 1h30, I noticed fading in colour (not shine) the opacity is fairly low to begin with (as it's not a full coverage lipstick) plus, it also might have been affected by my tapping and rubbing it into my lips after application. But I did wait another hour before feeling the need to reapply, after which was another two hours before the next re-application. So lasting powers (again opacity wise, not shine wise; my lips still looked shiny and super moisturised) is estimated between 2h00 and 2h30 hours, which is pretty high maintenance if you're used to matte lipsticks like I am (which generally require zero re-application on my part) but when you're taking into account the pleasure of application (and opening and closing of packaging) all is forgiven! Plus, any glossy lipstick including my trusted Revlon ColorBurst Lip Butters give me around 3h00 of wear time before needing a top-up, so pretty standard performance really! :P
REMOVAL
Couldn't be easier! Quick removal with tissue if you're just swapping out your lipsticks from day to night. Otherwise, for complete removal of the leftover silver micro-shimmers, a babywipe or makeup wipe will do.
CONCLUSION
I wish they had more mauves in the Dior Addict Lipstick range (but this is more personal preference than anything). Other than that, I can't find any fault with this lipstick! Gorgeous colour, high shine, super hydrating and amazing packaging...all in all, sold!!!
Do you have any of the Dior Addict Lipsticks? What do you think of their colour range?
What was the first high end lipstick you were super excited to finally buy? Or if you generally buy high end, then has any drugstore lipstick ever caught your eye?
What is your "everyday" lipstick colour?
Do you tend to prefer very opaque matte lipsticks or sheerer high shine glossy ones? Or are you like me and it completely depends on the season?
xxxemma