Hello everyone! Today I’m going to be reviewing my first ever Dior foundation. This is the lightest from the three in the ‘Diorskin’ range, suitably named the Diorskin Nude (£32.00). I picked this up on the whim actually when I saw a flash sale of 20% off, and I just couldn’t resist - darn you online shopping. It has SPF 15 and gives a light/medium coverage.
Packaging
If I had only one word? Luxurious. Glass bottle, silver detailing, the lid has a ‘CD’ on the top, and Diorskin engraved on the bottle too. It feels weighty and it feels worth the price you pay - me likes!
The formula and coverage
This foundation is called ‘Nude’ and from that name I kind of thought it would have a dewy look on the skin. However I would describe the overall finish as velvet/satin/slightly matte. Which actually is probably more natural looking that dewy skin now that I think about it! Although it says to shake the bottle on the back, this isn’t one of those runny types of liquids, it’s lighter than your average foundation but still, none the less a foundation texture. It gives a light/medium coverage. I tend to use 1 and a half pumps each time I wear this foundation - one for all over, and another half for areas I have more discolouration and uneven skintone. When I use two pumps I can can get almost full coverage but I feel like it starts to look a bit too much. What makes this foundation beautiful is it’s ability to even out the skintone whilst give a very natural finish to the skin and still not mask it.
Edit: I have started wearing this on top of the Soap and Glory SPF, I use two pumps and something about that spf makes the foundation apply better and look beautiful, as well as last for a long time! Skin prep is important for this one, it really does make all the difference :)
Application and longevity
I have tried this with the backstage blender sponge, with the RT buffing brush and with my fingers. My favourite method of applying it is with the sponge, which I will have reviewed here. With a brush I feel like its a little too streaky and I tend to need more product. With my fingers - I can’t fault this application as the overall finish looks amazing, the warmth of the fingers really help the NudeSkin foundation to melt into the skin, whilst still giving great medium coverage - the only problem? It just takes far too long for everyday!
The main fault of Diorskin nude is it’s lasting time on the skin. I have normal skin and don’t powder apart from under the eyes because I hate my face looking powdery and dull. With and without primer, this lasts flawlessly on my skin for about 7 hours. After 7 hours my forehead is normally fine and so is my nose, but bizarrely around my lips and my chin it seems to fade away slightly?? It doesn’t look too bad but it is noticeable and that’s not ideal. So although the finish is lovely for a daily foundation, I can’t wear it on my 9-6 days at uni because it won’t last as well as NARS sheer glow or my Bourjois healthy mix. I was quite disappointed that none of the primers I own made a difference, however if I do find something that helps it last longer I’ll add it here.
**Edit: I have started wearing this on top of the Soap and Glory SPF, I use two pumps and something about that spf makes the foundation apply better and look beautiful, as well as last for a long time! Skin prep is important for this one, it really does make all the difference :)**
Shade of 31..
When I first applied this I got quite a shock because I was expecting it to be a lot warmer, and on my skin upon application it does look a little light. The reason I expected it to be warmer was because I had been using the Diorskin star sample which you can see above in the middle and right hand side is a lot more orange and warm. So I’m not super impressed with the shade range here. Luckily for me I wear a hijab and don’t show my neck so the fact that my face doesn’t match it at first isn’t a big deal, but I nearly always bronze up when I wear this to avoid looking ghostly. I do find that around 3 hours later the colour oxidises a LITTLE and matches me better, but at first it can look too light without a bit of chanel tan de soleil! I think I’m very used to buying bases that are one shade darker than my skintone for that healthy radiant look and as a heads up, this certainly is not. I would say its a hair lighter than my skintone and ever so slightly on the neutral side rather and yellow.
Oh and for those wondering about the Dior colour system, as far as I know shades ending in 1 are yellow toned, 0 are neutral and 2 is pink toned. Regardless, DO be sure to pick up a sample before purchasing (they’re super generous with their samples, which is always a great thing).
Overall Rating
Rating: 8
Pros: It has a really natural velvet finish, blends beautifully into the skin, evens out skintone, gorgeous packaging, has buildable coverage, you don’t need a setting powder.
Cons: The shade range is limited, it can accentuate dry patches, lasting time on my skin isn’t great if you don't prep your skin well.
Repurchase? *update 12/6/15* Since using this with the due of SPF and Rimmel primer I am LOVING this for everyday, so I probably will repurchase at somepoint, just not right away. I was reading this back and realised how important prep is and how it can change your whole opinion on bases! It's not an immediate repurchase, but I most likely will one day ^_^
Have you tried any Dior foundations? Any favourites?
Thank-you for reading ♥
