Dior Rose Bikini Ultra Gloss 664 Swatch & Review (Summer Mix Collection)

So Dior have released another collection for the summer called "Summer Mix". This time it is 4 bright jelly nail polishes and 4 candy coloured lip glosses. The first of my purchases is the bright pink gloss called Rose Bikini 664 which is a pretty watermelon shade with a creme finish and no shimmer. I would say it was semi opaque- you get a good dose of colour but is definitely not full coverage. This is a lovely summer shade which is nice and low maintenance.

 I don't find Dior glosses particularly sticky or tacky, this shade held up for a good 3 hours before fading away- although the glossiness had worn down by about 2 hours. These glosses are non drying so my lips were still pretty hydrated after wearing them. I also couldn't detect any particular scent or taste. Overall a thumbs up for this one, great for summer (if not that unique) so if you're in the market for a new pink gloss it might be worth checking out.

Swatches...

Dior Rose Bikini (daylight)

Dior Rose Bikini (flash)

Dior Beautifying Protective Suncare (Face) SPF15 Review

Not long after I reviewed the body version of this, I took the plunge and invested in the facial SPF 15. It has the same gorgeous tiare/gardenia scent and has a slight illuminating effect. I use this as both a moisturiser and sun protection (unless you have very dry skin this will do for both), it does leave a slight white tint to the face so it's probably wise not to use this one if you think you might be photographed but in real life it's unnoticeable.

I have sensitive skin and so far I haven't experienced any redness or break outs with this product, it doesn't feel greasy as some can but it is also not a matte finish- so you may need to powder if you have oily skin. It comes in a 50ml squeezy tube which is great for traveling, I think for when I'm on the beach I'll be purchasing the SPF 30 as well. Overall I'm really happy with both my purchases from the Dior Sun Range.

Clarins Crystal Coral Instant Smooth Crystal Lip Balm Swatch & Review

Clarins Crystal Coral (03) Instant Smooth Lip Balm is a duo style lip product with a clear balm wrapped around a bright reddish orange core. Once mixed together you get a pretty pigmented orange shade and a slight sheen. I find with these type of lipsticks it's essential to use with a mirror- this is by no means an easy lip balm you can just throw on. Because the centre is virtually opaque in coverage you really have to work to get it all the way to the edges otherwise you end up with no color on the outside of the lips. I got about 2-3 hours wear from this before the balm had faded away but it did leave a pretty stain behind.

 As far as I remember Clarins released these a few years ago but they were clear all the way through and were incredibly popular- I loved them for one! I'm not sure where the new ones fit in- I don't find them hugely hydrating (but they are not drying) and they can be a pain to apply. It's also a bit of a shame that they don't have more of a glossy finish, I would classify them as semi matte which is fine in itself but the name "crystal" makes me think of a shiny product if that makes sense.

Swatches...

Clarins Crystal Coral (daylight)

Clarins Crystal Coral (flash)

Bobbi Brown Miami Shimmer Cheek Glow Swatch & Review

Bobbi Brown Shimmer Cheek Glow in 2 Miami is a pale, warm, pink with silvery shimmer and lilac sparkles. It's part of the Miami Collection and is a gel-powder hybrid, although I find this much wetter to the touch than say the Estee Lauder Powder Gelee or Mac Extra Dimension versions. It is also not hugely pigmented so you really have to build to get some color or shine- you definitely get nothing like what the pan suggests. The major problem I have with this one is that it does have glitter particles - which are by no means huge but you can see them on the skin so this isn't a classic illuminator.

I think wear time will vary quite a lot with this one depending on your skin type- I got about 7 hours before it faded at the edges. I just applied on the very top of the cheek bones to avoid drawing attention to any blemishes or enlarged pores which is a possibility with this one. I think this can be a fun or novelty product, say for a party or so on, but if you're after a natural highlighter this might not be for you.

I've tried this with both finger application or with brushes, personally I prefer a synthetic brush as it is more hygienic and also the product clings to the fingers so to get it to transfer onto the face is a bit of a pain. Packaging is in a (slightly slimmer) Shimmer Brick style black plastic compact with a mirror under the lid.

Swatches...

Bobbi Brown Miami Heavily Swatched (daylight)

Bobbi Brown Miami Heavily Swatched (flash)

Chanel Distraction (549) Le Vernis Nail Polish Swatch & Review (Roses Ultimes)

This was my last purchase from the Roses Ultimes from Chanel. 549 Distraction is a creamy pinky-coral with fuchsia shimmer. It has pretty good coverage, I used 2 coats here for a totally opaque finish. In the bottle you can see a very pretty but subtle pink shimmer, although sadly this does not translate on to the nails (or at least I couldn't see it unless it was in full sun and I was squinting to see it). It has a glossy sheen so you can skip top coat if you really needed to. I typically get about 3-4 days out of Chanel nail polishes before I start to see any tip wear.

Overall this is a pretty shade and would make a lovely spring manicure, but it isn't my favorite by a long way. Both Miami Peach and Orange Fizz are similar enough not to warrant owning all three (unless you really want to!) and there seem to be a lot of these sort of shades on the market right now.

Chanel Distraction (flash)

Close up!

Sisley Express Flower Gel Mask Review

Possibly one of the most raved about products from Sisley is the Express Flower Gel Mask, it has won many awards over the years and you will generally find it lurking in many Make Up Artists kit bags to use on jet-lagged models in between shows. It suits all skin types and the texture is light and gel like- it comes out off white but dries clear. It sinks into the skin very quickly but doesn't feel heavy or as if it is going to clog pores but at the same time it's lovely and hydrating.

According to the instructions, you should apply on to perfectly cleansed skin and after 3 minutes wipe any excess off with a tissue (i.e don't rinse). I personally like to use this after my Dermalogica Gentle Cream Exfoliant so it penetrates into the skin better, or if my skin is feeling particularly dehydrated then I would leave it on overnight. By the time I take it off (even if it is just 3 minutes) my skin feels soft and toned- I can't comment on its firming or anti aging abilities as those aren't my problem areas yet but a lot of people swear by it.

There's no getting away from the fact that it is Sisley and so it is expensive, I think it is currently £72.50 in the UK or about 100 euros in Spain. Also, you do get quite a small amount of product- just 60ml so just over half what most brands would give you. Having said all that, is it worth it? Well, in my personal opinion, I love it! It is very hard to find a hydrating mask for oily/combination skins that isn't greasy or one that doesn't cause the redness in sensitive skin to flare up and this one fits the bill perfectly. I would however always advise that you go along to a counter and pick up a sample before investing in any sort of skincare product.

Chanel Holiday Le Vernis Nail Polish Swatch & Review (Summertime De Chanel)

Part of Chanel's Summer Collection is this beautiful bright redish-tangerine nail polish called 617 Holiday. It's very saturated in color so you only need 1 or 2 coats ( I used two here) and it has a glossy finish so you don't need top coat. It goes on smooth and opaque, not too thin or thick and lasts on me about 3-4 days before I get any tip wear. This makes a lovely change from a standard red or orange nail polish and no doubt will inspire many copies, I can see myself getting a lot of use from this one over the summer (it looks great on toes paired with Mac's Sail La Vie Lipstick and Chanel Delight on hands). Overall I highly recommend this one!