Drama Eyes Review: Dior Blue Tie Palette

Dior's Blue Tie palette has had me more excited than any other collection with any other line (with the possible exception of the Chanel Byzance Collection with it's amazing Rouge Allure Lipstick in Rouge Byzantin) in a long time. Housed in a stunning silver palette, the collection consists of four blue and grey-toned shadows that work in perfect harmony and create a gorgeous, dramatic, smokey eye. Being a lover of all things smokey, I couldn't resist!

When I first opened the Blue Tie palette, I literally gasped in wonder. Housed in a silver metal casing, the compact opens to reveal four stunning blue and grey-themed shadows and a lovely warm pink sheer lipstick. The lipstick even has its own little door to protect it from getting eyeshadow dust in it! Brilliant. 

The case, closed, is elegant and sophisticated:

Embossed with the signature Dior quilted pattern, it's heavy in the hand and very sturdy. The compact opens easily and snaps shut. I don't fear that it will pop open in my makeup drawer. 

The colors are amazing:

The above shot was taken in bright sunlight. It shows the four colors and their corresponding levels of shimmer. Clockwise from top left, you have a deep, blue-based charcoal matte, a sparkling navy, a brilliant, shimmery silver, and finally a glittery blackened navy blue. There is no highlighter in this collection, and according to Vincent Lee, Diorshow's National Makeup Artist, this was totally intentional. The look is about drama and depth, and the color is meant to be carried up above the crease, almost to the brow. 

Here's a shot of the shadows in indirect light: 

In this lighting, the shimmer is less apparent but the colors are more vivid and take on a bluer tone. 

The compact also houses a lovely pink lipstick in a "hidden compartment" with a door. 

Open the door and you will find the lipstick, which is a warm, sheer pink. There's not a ton of color payoff with this lipstick...it's meant to be muted and subtle in contrast with the eyes. 

Now for the swatches!

Taken in indirect light, colors top to bottom correspond to the palette clockwise from top left. Swatched with a brush. 

Taken in direct sunlight, the shimmer becomes more apparent. Again, swatched with a brush. 

Swatched with fingertips in direct sunlight. 

Swatched with fingertips in indoor lighting with ambient light from a window. 

You may notice that in the brush-swatched shots, the charcoal at the top is less pigmented than the other colors. This is, indeed, the case. I really had to work with it some to get a decent color payoff. I believe this is more because the idea is to use this muted, matte color in a more subdued manner than its more vibrant, shimmery counterparts. While I personally would have liked a little more pigmentation in that one, I understand the concept behind it. 

Here are a couple of shots of Vincent's finished product on my eyes: 

And from a slightly different angle: 

I will say that in order to achieve this much blue in the look, Vincent applied a deep blue liner all across my lids and up into the crease as a base for the shadows. I don't believe my eyes would be as blue without that...I think it would be a more subdued color and a smokier look. But I'm loving it!

Bottom Line: This is a beautiful palette in which all of the colors work in perfect harmony with one another. The charcoal is a bit less pigmented than I'd like, but I believe that's by design rather than a quality issue. For a truly deep blue effect, you will definitely need to use some sort of blue base (I've found Bobbi Brown's Denim Ink gel liner to be very effective at this), but if you're looking for a lovely, dramatic, blue-based smokey look, this is the palette for you. The packaging is brilliant and ingenious and protects the lipstick from being dusted with stray powder from the shadows. The lipstick is very sheer, offering just a hint of color, so if you like more dramatic lips, plan ahead. But overall, I couldn't be happier with this purchase!