Dior - Trafalgar 876 - 5 Couleurs Palette Swatches

The Dior 5 Couleurs Palette in Trafalgar. It's a special one.
I highly anticipated this one, and while it's not 100% what I thought it would be, there is a definite beauty to it.

(in direct sunlight)

The Pink Shade; 

Is a sheer light pink with some micro glitter particles, it comes off more of a shimmer except in direct sunlight, despite being sheer it is beautiful because of some subtle complexities of the color.

The White Shade;

Maybe my favorite? This is a white with gold AND pink micro shimmer particals, the end results when moving in the light is like an opal. Or a Goddess. It's stunning. It needs building to get an opaque coverage but it is more easily attainable than with the pink color.

The Gold Shade;

This was half of the reason I wanted this palette. I am deficient a good quality gold in my collection, and I'm not sure this fills that void. It's not as smooth and creamy as I had hoped, and it is most definitely not a straight up gold. It is very similar in color to the tarte smolderEyes pencil in Gold, which if you are familiar with is really an antiqued bronze type color. It seems to get lost blending in with my skintone a bit too easily for my taste, and the lack of creaminess(a bit dry) and smoothness makes this one I'm not sure I'll be wearing on it's own again. (there is a photo of this on my lid further down.) I do have big plans to layer this color dusted over top of some packed on red however and I think that will be a good look and combination. (as seen in the ad for this palette)

The Red Shade;

Surprised me. It is beautiful. It is pigmentated. It blends itself practically. The surprise was how much of a pink duochrome type effect this color has happening in it. The color does, in real life, look different in different lighting, it's not just the photos. I have yet to use this all over my lid but that is how I originally imagained this would look best. Can't wait to wear it around christmas! I do think the different tone to this red than other reds does make it more wearable.

The Brown Shade;

This is a nice versatile dark chocolate brown. it blends very easily, looks very polished, and I don't think I have anything bad to say about it. It is a true brown despite it looking plummy in some photos.

Overall;

When wearing the colors together it does have the potential to create a few different beautiful looks. Easy to blend, and some special colors that are hard to find copies of. The white, red, and brown are my personal favorites, in that order. They are not the creamiest or smoothest feeling eyeshadows I've ever used. I do wish they were s little less dry and more intense, however they know how to make them blend so smoothly so maybe that's the reason it needs to be that way. I think you will like this if you have the intention to create a look using the red. It may just be the most sophisticated, high end looking red palette out there. If you buy it for the other colors, you may be better off with a different palette. 

Now for a massive amount of photos!

Direct Sunlight

Indirect Sunlight (shade)

Indoor lighting

On My Face :

Gold on Lid

Brown in Crease

White on Browbone and in inner corner

Pink & Red Look:

Pink all over lid

Brown in Crease

Red overtop in crease and blended slightly onto lid

White on browbone and inner corner

My Skincare Routine

Over the past year I have been trying a lot of skincare products to help with my very dry, sensitive skin with acne. It can be difficult to figure out how to fight acne, cleanse skin, and not irritate and over dry in the process. Over the past few months I have been strictly sticking to this routine and my skin has had almost no breakouts, and the sesitivity has improved! Overall my skin is looking better than it has in a long time, and I am thankful to these products for it.

From left to right:

Buxom Lip Polish -
I included this in my skincare routine because my lips are not the same without it. They get dry and peel very easily. This lip gloss heals them and prevents dryness better than any lip balm. I love it so much I even sleep in it. It is a skin healing product for me, not just makeup. The color shown here is Katie, a good nighttime color because it is so light it is pretty much unpigmented so I feel like it's better in preventing pillow case stains.
(sephora, $19)

Equate Oil Free Eye Makeup Remover -
This is a cheap but effective eye makeup remover that doesn't irritate my skin. Nothing too special about it but I do use it so I thought I would include it.
(walmart, $4)

Mario Badescu Facial Spray with Aloe, Herbs, and Rosewater -
This is my second bottle of this. I started using this as it directs as a moisturizing facial spray, then as a toner of sorts to cleanse my face, but I have found my favorite way to use it is to remove my face makeup. Instead of makeup removing wipes, I will spray my face and a cotton round with it, and simply wipe the majority of my makeup away. I do feel like my skin is less irritated by doing this method than using makeup wipes that have a lot harsher ingredients. It is a great multifunctional product for dry skin however, in anyway that you wish to use it.
(nordstrom, $7)

Trader Joe's Spa Face Wash with Tea Tree Oil -
Now I will admit this may not be the best thing on the planet for dry skin. However I had wanted to explore Tea Tree oil for acne since so many people swear by it. I purchased this specific cleanser because I could not find any others with out parabens. I'm not sure just how much of a difference it has made with my acne, I have been using this cleanser for a long time now and have had acne while using it. I'm planning to continue to use it because it is currently the absolute only face wash I can find that doesn't make my sensitive skin burn. It has a very watery texture so it is best to lather in hands then apply to face. I try not to wash too long with it to prevent it from drying more than necessary.
(trader joe's, $6)

Trader Joe's Spa 100% Pure Jojoba Oil -
The product that has made the biggest improvement in my skin! I started using this because my skin was being so sensitive/temperamental/awful/dry that I was desperate and trying everything (with no success). I apply about 4 drops of this to my face immediately after washing. It will be oily to the touch at first but my skin sucks it all up in about 10 minutes. It keeps my skin from being tight and dry, but I feel like this product alone has really kept my acne away! Ever since I have started using it I have not had anywhere near my normal amount of acne. I have had maybe 2 in the past 3 plus months, and if I'm being completely honest they may have been around the time I was getting lazy with my skincare routine. Since getting stricter/back to normal again, no more acne! I also use it on my eyelids and in place of an eye cream now. I'm not sure how oily skin people will feel about using an oil, but it is important to remember it is not the type of oil that acne bacteria can eat, and therefor it can't survive in it like it can in our natural skin oils. It is also great for keeping nails from getting dry and brittle, I apply it every time I take my polish off. All in all this is the one product I do not ever want to do without!
(trader joe's, $7)

Burt's Bee's Citrus Facial Scrub -
This is maybe my 6th jar of this scrub, I've lost count, I've been buying it/trying other things then coming back to it, for so many years. It smells amazing! I know that doesn't make it a good skincare product but it is so good it is worth mentioning! This has rose petals and an oily-er base. So it's not too harsh but it does give you proper exfoliation when you need it. It is a concentrated formula so I take a small glob and mix a couple drops of water and it loosens up and turns into a more easily spreadable scrub. You can also personalize how thick you want it. I always have glowing skin after using it. I love it and plan to continue to use it as long as they keep making it.
(target, $8)

Too Faced Cocoa Powder Foundation : First Impression Application & Review

Did a video demo of the new Too Faced Cocoa Powder Foundation in the shade Golden Light. If you don't want to watch it in action, my final thoughts are that it is definitely not for dry skin. It did cling to dry patches, and felt like it was sucking moisture out of my face. Not good for the dry sensitive skin types! I had a suspicion that might happen based the amount of talc in the ingredients, but that cocoa powder goodness had my hopes up that it would be an exception to the rule. Sorry to say this one is being returned. It does smell great though! But in the future I'll be getting my sent fix from the chocolate soliel bronzer only!