Ooly’s Back From the Dior Vernis Frontier with Shiny Collection Swatches and A Review of #853 Massai!

Greetings from a long time no see, fellow rogues!

Today I have an extra special treat for you – Ooly’s back! 😀 For those of you not yet familar with the fast talking, faster (crossbow) shooting ranger, do go and check out her previous gems: a toxically adorable toadstool mani, and a review of Dior’s much-lauded lip glow! You won’t be disappointed.

Today, however, Ooly is keeping us both stylishly lacquered and in the loop with swatches of the Dior Fall 2014 and Rouge Baume polishes, and a review of the delightfully bloody  853 Massaï !

 

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What ho, fellow adventurers! Ooly returns from a long, long walk in the woods, lured back by the need to get out of the inclement weather and the enticing smell of fresh Dior Vernis.

 

Not one, but two sets of gleaming bottles awaited me: The Fall 2014 set (to accompany new 5 Couleurs eyeshadow palettes and some lip shades) and four polishes to go with the Rouge Baume release (lippy & blushes).

 

Now, this other stuff is all very well, and some of the 5 Couleurs palettes were highly tempting, but this ranger is all about the polish. Like a moth to a flame (or tasty game to one of my snares), I headed straight for the display and began swatching with abandon.

 

First up, the whole lot (because don’t we all like to be overwhelmed by The Pretty?). And opinions, because those are the fun part! I can’t comment specifically on wear-time, but these are all (by the look of it) in the “Effet Gel” formula, and from experience with another shade, they generally are as shiny and long-wearing as it says on the box. They go on very smoothly and stay put unless, you know, you go mountaineering in them. For most, you can get away with one coat only.

 

Sunlight swatches, complete with handy labels. Fall 2014 on the right of the line; Rouge Baume on the left.

 

Ninja mini-reviews (from left in the pic):

 

254 Rose tutu: Super pretty coral pink shade that has sunshine written all over it. On my to-buy list for summer.

 

206 Pied-de-poule: is French for “houndstooth”, and this muddy (beige? dark beige? dishwater?) colour definitely has that country, horsey, jodhpurs-and-driving-gloves feel about it. Personally not a fan of the corpse-nails greige trend, so this one was never going to be my favourite, but points to Dior for being right on the money with the name.

 

853 Massaï: Gorgeous, deep, bloody red that I could not resist (and, accordingly, bought –see more below). Looks fantastic on pasty skin tones (like mine); incredibly classy shade that’s just a weeee bit dangerous. Somewhere between feeling that badass that you could face down a whole battalion of Mindflayers with one perfectly arched eyebrow, and effortless ’40s style.

 

902 Bar: is a smoky black, like the bitten-off end of a piece of licorice. There’s a barely noticeable shine in there, but I found this one a little dull. I’m picky with my black polishes – they’d better be darker than the inside of a piece of charcoal at midnight, or I ain’t interested.

 

796 Carré bleu: A very interesting dark denim blue. Looks terrible on me (most blues that aren’t dark navy do) but for those who can carry it off, it has a nice depth.

 

121 Lili: This one was a surprise. I don’t generally bother with “nude” nails (if I’m going to paint ’em, I’d better be able to see it). However, I was amazed at how close this one was to my actual skin! Not to mention being warm in tone, where so many nude polishes are very cold and death-y. If I wanted the nude look, I’d totally buy one. But I don’t. LOL

 

775 Star: Oh, mon Dieu, this pink!!!! I really would have run off with this one, too, but I mostly buy polishes according to what I don’t have, and as gorgeous as it is, it’s similar to Chanel’s Tentation. For those who can never buy enough pinks, however…

 

798 Spring: Another greyish-brown, darker this time. Again, not a massive fan. Not necessarily what jumps to mind when I think of spring, and I definitely couldn’t wear it, but for those who like browns, it has a certain warmth and depth.

 

988 Diorette: Very pretty red wine colour; more mature than Massaï but with the same class and impact. Where Rose tutu (above) was perfect for summer, this would be perfect for winter.

 

For comparison, the same swatches in shade:

 

 

Indoor/shade swatches: the colours definitely change!

 

 

Back to Massaï for a minute: just have to show this one off with some gratuitous pics.

 

 

Delightfully bloody, isn’t it?

 

 

Well, fellow adventurers, I hope you enjoyed that whirlwind tour and are now trying to rationalize the use of gold on at least one of these. ^_^

 

I’ll be off back to the cave, now, where Baz has promised me something tasty for dinner. As I always say, until I learn to spit gold, no one’s gonna pay me for my opinions! Sad but true. And so, until next time… good hunting. And always look up.

 

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Thanks Ooly for the fabulous swatches and review! 🙂 It’s always lovely to have a ranger’s perspective here on the blog. I think I speak for everyone when I say MOAR OOLY PLZ.! 😀

I rather like the look of Rose Tutu, because, well. Tutu, people. Obviously, after my little flail over the Sweetheart Rouge Baume, Star is right up there too. I also feel like there’s potential for an interesting mani with Carre Bleu and Lili, although Lili isn’t a shade I’d pick usually…

Anyway… 😉

Until next time, fellow adventurers, don’t forget to polish your daggers (and nails!)…and also check for traps…

Syl

I am an adventuring rogue, not a mercenary for hire, and as such, all opinions expressed here are my own, based on a genuine fondness for/interest in this product. If you have any queries or suggestions, please do not hesitate to pin your parchment to the board (contact me) at thepaintedrogue [at] gmail [dot] com, or use the contact form provided! All text and images on this blog are the property of Sylirael the (Painted) Rogue (unless otherwise stated – in this post they’re Ooly’s, for example!) and may not be reproduced without permission. If you do, I’ll send toxic beetle swarms after you. They’ll be in your sock drawer, in your shoes and under your pillow…and there’ll even be some hiding under the toilet seat. You know, the ones with big, sharp mandibles…