Let's start with the nail polishes!
In April, I received Pandore, which is part of Dior's new Couture Colour Gel Shine and Long Wear Nail Lacquer collection. These polishes are supposed to give you the long wearing quality and shine of a gel manicure but I found that the polish did not last any longer than a regular nail polish. Pandore is a beautiful red with just a tiny hint of an orange undertone - the orange lean is barely noticeable so I think this polish would suit a lot of skin tones. This is a cream polish with no shimmer. For a drug store dupe, try OPI Big Apple Red or Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure in Red My Lips (these are a teensy tiny bit darker and more blue based).
May brought me this beautiful purple polish - it's reminiscent of Pantone's colour of the year - Radiant Orchid. I love this polish. Again, it doesn't last any longer than my regular polishes but the colour is stunning. This is also a cream polish with no shimmer. For a less expensive alternative, try OPI Pamplona Purple (the OPI is a little darker though).
I was surprised in June because the box containing the nail polish was much larger than normal. This was because the nail polish came in a little manicure set, with a tiny nail file and some nail stickers. To be honest, I wasn't crazy about the little extras - the nail file was a cheap throwaway mini file and the nail stickers aren't really my style. The blue nail polish in Sailor was lovely though. At first I thought this was a cream polish but upon closer inspection, there is a barely there hint of shimmer. Essie Butler Please or Julep Monaco are pretty close dupes; however, both of these are a bit lighter and have a little more of a cornflower blue lean than Dior Sailor.
Overall, while I loved all three polishes, I didn't feel any of them were unique in terms of the colours. I think you could easily find drug store dupes for these polishes so I don't think they are worth the hefty price tag. For more information about the Polished Diva subscription, please click here!
Next up, here is my video on the Secret Diva boxes... also known as watch me poke myself in my ear.
In April, I received a 100mL bottle of the Miss Dior Blooming Bouquet. This is a very feminine fragrance that is perfect for the spring. It's primarily a floral scent but it's got a hint of fruitiness to it that makes it a light fragrance. I've read reviews that it doesn't last very long but I found it did last on my clothing even though it was very faint by the end of the day. It definitely doesn't last as long as my Jo Malone Nectarine & Honey Blossom fragrance but I like Blooming Bouquet for work because it's not overpowering for the office.
I was super happy in May because I finally got a colour cosmetic... I think I may have whooped for joy. This month, I received the new Diorskin Nude Shimmer Instant Illuminating Powder in Amber. I will be posting a full review of this soon but suffice it to say that I love this product as a bronzer. It give my skin a beautiful glow from within look and I've been reaching for it a lot this summer. This product comes with a mini kabuki brush (which I don't like to use with this product because it's a little too small) and a velvety protective case. I don't have a lot of photos for the blog post but I show this product in a lot more detail in the video.
June wasn't too exciting of a month - I received the new Dior Addict It-Lash Mascara in black. It's a very thin and natural looking mascara - it does a little bit in lengthening and volumizing but doesn't add much drama at all. I've been using this as a base and applying another mascara on top. One thing I do like about this mascara is the brush - it works great to separate my lashes and prevent clumps.
Overall, I was really pleased with Q2 of the Secret Diva boxes. I've been getting a lot of use out of all three products. For more information about the Secret Diva subscription, please click here!
