Spring has sprung! Kind of, at least. I've officially packed away all my winter clothes, so of course snow popped up in next week's forecast. Oh well, I'll always have my nails to remind me what season it is. Today I have a swatch of Dior Bloom to show you.

I have so many Spring things to show you! I'm determined to get all my spring 2014 swatches up before May, so this should (hopefully) be a fun month!



Anyway, onto this pretty...

1 coat over Dior Porcelaine

Dior Perle is a cloudy base with purple iridescent shimmer. It's meant to be a topcoat, so I applied it over Porcelaine because Perle definitely looks best over lighter colors. The cloudy base makes darker shades look...just plain ugly. The matte finish makes the shimmer extra glowy; it's a nice touch.



The formula is nice enough to allow you to apply one coat without any streaks. Perfect for layering. My only gripe is that the base limits its combo possibilities.



Dior 187 Perle retails for $25 and is available at Nordstrom.

2 coats

Dior Bouquet is a salmon pink creme/borderline crelly. It's a bit brighter in person. Salmon pinks, lilac and lavenders are probably my favorite shades to wear because they're just so bright and cheery. I could probably find something very close to Bouquet in my stash, but I'm still happy to add it to my collection. If you do decide to pick this shade up, you can expect the same luscious, self-leveling formula of most other Dior polishes. Yay!



Dior 457 Bouquet retails for $24 and is available at Sephora.

Ah, spring. On one hand, having spring collections released in the dead of winter gives me something to look forward to. On the other hand, it sort of feels like a cruel joke, taunting me. Regardless, I will happily sport my Spring 2014 pastel nail polishes with my heavy down coat and scarf.

3 coats

Dior Porcelaine is a pale blue creme. It looks like a cloudless sky - so crisp and clean. I know I'm going to be wearing this one a ton. The formula was slightly streaky, but it self-leveled very well. I didn't have to apply very carefully to get a smooth finish.



There are a couple other pale blues in my stash that are similar: Zoya Blu and Essie Borrowed and Blue. Porcelaine has more pigment than Borrowed and Blue, but is pretty close to Blu. I would say it's okay to skip this if you already own Blu.



Dior 204 Porcelaine retails for $24 and is available at Sephora.

over 1 coat of Dior Incognito

OPI When Monkeys Flys is large gold hex and holo microhexes in a clear base. No longer a taco mess, it can finally be appreciated for what it is - a really awesome chunky glitter. Love it! Application was easy. I had no problem getting a nice dispersion of glitter onto my nails.



OPI When Monkeys Fly retails for $9 and is available at Ulta.

3 coats

Dior Abricot (sorry, the photo's mislabeled!) is a pale peach with gold pearl. Abricot! Why you so pretty?! It's such a delicate, elegant shade. It's also probably the most flattering polish in this color family that I've tried so far.



I know I rave about Dior's formula all the time, but I kid you not, Abricot applied flawlessly. The consistency is thin but not at all runny. No streaking or cuticle dragging. I'm going to go ahead and say this is a must-have if you like shades like this.



Dior Abricot retails for $24 and is available exclusively at Sephora.

2 coats

Dior Galaxie is a warm plum packed with fine, pink shimmer. This was my pick for my first mani of Autumn, and it's been on ever since. The wear is awesome! The formula is also worth mentioning. Galaxie applied effortlessly, and it could definitely be a one-coater if applied carefully.



Dior 992 Galaxie retails for $24 and is available at Sephora.

2 coats

This is the second half of the Birds of Paradise duo. Gorgeous, right? It's lighter, more vibrant, and smoother than China Glaze Deviantly Daring, in case you were wondering. This glowy teal totally makes up for its mint partner that I wasn't too pleased with.



If Dior released this shade individually, I'd be all over it for a backup.

The Dior Birds of Paradise nail lacquer duo in Samba is a super cute set of two minis - one mint green creme and a metallic teal.

2 coats

This is the half of Samba that made me a little reluctant to get the duo. Aside from the fact that the color's not very unique, it's the kind of green I find myself avoiding. I think it's the slight yellow lean that throws me off. The application was great, despite having to deal with a smaller brush.



Here's a bottle comp with some other greens in my collection

Nails Inc Royal Botanical Gardens, Illamasqua Nomad, Dior Samba, Essie First Timer, Barielle Sweet Addiction

No dupes here, but definitely some alternatives, if you're not up for handing over $29 for the duo. To be honest though, the duo is totally worth it for the metallic teal alone (swatch coming soon).

3 coats

Dior Incognito is a rosy nude creme. It's such a classy, sophisticated color.  Incognito is a bit more sheer than most of the other Dior cremes, so that signature secret shimmer comes through just slightly in the right lighting. The formula is luscious, per usual.



Dior Icognito retails for $24 and is available at Sephora.

Previously exclusive to Japan as Frou Frou, this gorgeous lilac has finally arrived in the US as Lilac Colorvision. I'm obsessed.

2 coats, with top coat

3 coats

2 coats

Dior 306 Gris Trianon is a putty grey creme. It has a touch of warmth that makes it more flattering on my skin tone than most straight greys. It doesn't scream Spring, which makes it a perfect addition to the light pinks in the collection. I like it!



The formula is pretty great. It was easy to apply, and I really liked the consistency of this one.



This immediately reminded me of OPI French Quarter For Your thoughts, so here's that comp

2 coats Gris Trianon, 2 coats French Quarter For Your Thoughts

Dior 306 Gris Trianon retails for $24 and is available at Dior counters and Sephora.

After an extremely disappointing Holiday 2012 polish offering, I was pretty much ready to buy anything remotely decent looking from Dior. The polishes in the Spring 2013 collection are by no means riveting, but after Lady...I'll take it.



I fully intended to swatch 355 Rosy Bow and 306 Gris Trianon and review them together, but I decided to wear Rosy Bow as a full mani first.

3 coats

Dior 355 Rosy Bow is a light/borderline mid-tone pink creme. Full disclosure: it looks a bit darker and cooler than what my picture is showing, at least on my monitor. 355 Rosy Bow is pretty much the epitome of a "girly" color, in my opinion. I don't wear or own a lot of pinks this shade, so it is a happy addition to my stash. Definitely not the most exciting, though.



The formula is manageable at best. The first two coats were quite streaky, but the third made it presentable. The consistency is also thicker than I'm used to from this brand. It's not the dream formula I've come to expect.





Also, did anyone notice the new bottle? Same shape and size, different label. It's no longer printed on the glass with "VERNIS" in a shade similar to the polish. Now, it's very...Chanel. Leave it to Dior to give us a cheap sticker label along with a $1 price increase. Oh well!

new vs. old

Dior 355 Rosy Bow retails for $24 and is available at Dior counters and Sephora.

This season, Dior has released a collection of nudes that will suit almost any skin tone. There are four colors total - 115 Charnelle, 223 Trench, 413 Grège, and 715 Dune.

2 coats

Dior 413 Grège is a warm tan creme. It makes me think of a classic trench coat. This is the first Dior I've tried that actually made me appreciate its signature secret shimmer (alliteration!). It's a nice touch. After naming Deborah Lippmann Naked my all-time favorite nude, I might be bumping it for 413 Grège.

2 coats

Dior 715 Dune is a deep, grey toned brown. I guess you could call it taupe, but it definitely leans brown. Dune is not too cool, so I could see this looking great on warm, cool, and neutral skin tones. Also, is this not a perfect Autumn/Winter shade? Makes me want to pull on a sweater and some boots.


I had no issues with the application of either shade. I'll spare you my usual long-winded rave about how much I love Dior's formula.


Dior 413 Grège and 715 Dune retail for $23 and are available at Sephora.

The polishes from Dior's Spring/Summer 2012 collection are easily two of my favorite Dior shades ever. They may be dethroned when I finally get around to swatching my Les Violets, though!

2 coats

Dior Saint Tropez is a turquoise creme with Dior's signature sparse shimmer. I think it looks slightly dusty in my picture, but in person, it is very clean and vibrant. I missed this the first time around, so I'm happy to finally have it.



I don't often get to comment on wear, but I wore Saint Tropez for a full week and had no chips at all. I snapped a picture on day 4, which explains the slight tipwear.

2 coats

Dior Bikini is a pink coral creme with the same sparse shimmer. I'm a sucker for any kind of coral, so it was instant love. I have a few polishes in mind that may be comparable, so I'll do a comp post soon.



The formula is typical Dior - an absolute dream. That's why I love Dior. The colors aren't always the most unique, but I've never met a Dior polish with a less than perfect formula.



Dior Bikini and Saint Tropez retail for $23 and are available for purchase at Dior.com

2 coats

Dior Lucky is a gorgeous pinky red creme. There's a bit of hidden shimmer in there, which I've noticed is in a lot of my Dior shades. Lucky is my kind of pink - rich and vibrant. This one is definitely a keeper.



The formula is lovely as usual. The pigmentation is top-notch - I could have stopped at one coat. I really love the brush as well. It's overall a really beautiful polish.



Dior Lucky (10ml/0.33 fl. oz.) retails for $23  and is available at Dior.com

2 coats

Dior Riviera is orange coral creme with super secret shimmer. They could have left the shimmer out, to be quite honest. I suppose it adds a slight sheen, but it's negligible. The color itself is gorgeous, though.



The formula is perfection! Riviera basically applied itself.



The secret shimmer in Riviera made me want some visible shimmer, so I layered Deborah Lippmann Diamonds and Pearls on top.

1 coats Diamonds and Pearls over 2 coats Riviera

Deborah Lippmann Diamonds and Pearls is a gorgeous peachy gold shimmer. One coat added just the right amount of shimmer I was craving without making it over the top.



I typically go for pink corals, so Riviera is a nice addition to my collection. I'm thinking Sally Hansen Caribbean Coral may be close in color to Riviera, so I can't say it is extremely unique or that Riviera is a must-have. However, the formula is wonderful, and I don't regret my purchase.



Dior Riviera (10ml/0.33 fl. oz.) retails for $23  and is available at Dior.com

Deborah Lippmann Diamonds and Pearls (15 ml/0.5 fl. oz)  retails for $16 and is available at Deborahlippmann.com

2 coats, Sinful Colors Pearl Harbor as an accent

Dior Tuxedo is a beautiful navy shimmer with a slight purple cast. The shade is classy and subtly vivid. The shimmer is not as obvious as pictured - I used flash to bring it out of hiding. In most lights, it has a subdued metallic sheen that catches the light beautifully.



Tuxedo, like most of the other Dior polishes I have encountered, applied beautifully. It is self-leveling and easy to control. I am not a fan of the brush, but the formula definitely makes up for it. The wear was also great - this picture was taken after 3 days of wear (with a topcoat refresher on day 2)



Dior Tuxedo was a limited edition release for the Fall 2011 collection.

From the Summer 2012 Croisette collection, Aurora is the warmer of the two quints offered. So naturally, I had to have it.





For this collection, the shadows feature a sunburst pleating pattern, which mimics the pleated design of some of the dresses from this season. Gold, orange, bronze...it just screams summer. Without a doubt, it is a stunning palette.



Unfortunately, that's where my happiness ends with this one.

Swatched from top left, middle shade on the bottom.

I love the shades, but the shadows are just not pigmented enough for my liking. The swatches above were heavily applied with my finger. Applied with a brush, these shadows are almost nonexistent.






It's definitely a subtle look, even though I was piling shadow onto my eyes, trying to build up the pigmentation. My lid is still visible through the color, which would not be a bad thing if that is what I had intended. Of course, with a base, the colors would really pop. However, I wish the palette were pigmented enough to stand on its own.



Pigmentation aside, I do really love the texture and finish of these shadows. They are shimmery without being garish and are very smooth and buttery.



Bottom line, I like the shades but don't think they are unique enough or have enough pigmentation to classify this as a must-have.



The Aurora quint retails for $60 and is available at Sephora.com.