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Dior Backstage Contour Palette Review

BY SOPHIE CHUNG & REBECCA DIEUDONNE

Making a foray into designer makeup? With its minimal packaging and signature Diorissimo print, Everything about Dior Beauty is designed to be fawned over.

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7 AUG - 2018

Reading through mixed reviews online, we’ve put together a panel review to decipher what skin tone this palette will best work with.

Reading through mixed reviews online, we’ve put together a panel review to decipher what skin tone this palette will best work with.
Block 1:
This palette has taken a bit of work for me. While pigmented, I didn’t love the formula initially. I first tried applying the bottom left shade (Light Contour) with the Dior contouring brush, under my cheekbone and blending down towards my mouth and I felt I looked muddy and patchy. Not ideal!

I then tried to swirl all four shades together and apply with a tulip shaped fluffy brush. No luck here either as the shades were individually too warm for my fair skin and didn’t easily blend well into my base.

I finally settled with using the Light Contour shade on a square edged brush, just in the hollows of my cheeks (upper one third only), and softly blending with a bit of loose powder. I finished with a light dusting of blush and swirled a pearl-toned highlighter in a ‘C’ shape across the top of my cheekbones.

6/10. While the shades didn’t work for me, I think olive tones would love this palette. The packaging is beautiful and the staying power is impressive.

I then tried to swirl all four shades together and apply with a tulip shaped fluffy brush. No luck here either as the shades were individually too warm for my fair skin and didn’t easily blend well into my base.

I finally settled with using the Light Contour shade on a square edged brush, just in the hollows of my cheeks (upper one third only), and softly blending with a bit of loose powder. I finished with a light dusting of blush and swirled a pearl-toned highlighter in a ‘C’ shape across the top of my cheekbones.

6/10. While the shades didn’t work for me, I think olive tones would love this palette. The packaging is beautiful and the staying power is impressive.

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Dior Backstage Contour Palette, NZD$94

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Before and After the Dior Contour Palette

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Sophie’s Take

Being Korean, I've naturally got that warm yellow tinge to my skin (thankfully, not as yellow as a jaundice-sufferer) and the new Dior Backstage Contour Palette is so flippin' great for it. As it's winter and my skin is giving off those porcelain-vibes that I have been gunning for, the light contour and white highlighter is working a treat for me! The light contour is grey-based and slightly ashy so I presumed it would suit all skin tones - until Becky said it didn't work with her cool toned skin.

I first tried the contour palette with the Dior Backstage Contour Brush, it wasn't very successful. However, when I used it with my By Terry Glow Expert Duo Stick in Copper Coffee, $89, and the now discontinued (sorry) Diorblush Light & Contour Sculpting Duo Stick (on separate occasions), the brush blended the formulas out super well. The brush is super firm and the synthetic bristles are quite fine so I found it super dope for cream formulas. Its tear-drop shaped brush (from bird's eye view) makes for a very precise and symmetrical contour on either side of your cheeks.

Cream formulas take longer and are a bit deterring during my morning rush so I tend to veer away from them but this brush has really opened my eyes to the glowy finish and potential of cream formulas! It's a very instinctive brush and should only take a couple of goes before you get the hang of it.

Back to the powder - when I used it with my fluffy, flat and angled contour brush from the Revlon x Chloe Morello Sculpt + Highlight collection (not available anymore, sorry), the result was magical.

The matte contour and iridescent highlighting powders are fine-milled so it blends out really well with no chance of patchiness. I mean, exhibit A, Bella Hadid's before and after. I also tried blending the light contour and deep highlight together for a darker contour - it was warmer, more bronzey and added that glow factor but thank goodness, it didn't give off a brick red hue that a lot of bronzers show. I definitely prefer an ashy base like the OG Benefit Hoola bronzer.

The deep contour is a bit too dark for me right now but come summer time, I think it will work a treat. With a quad, there's a lot of options to pick and choose what you want to blend together or layer for your desired finish and impact. I own two of these already and am convinced I'll keep using this as my go-to contour palette for the next year or so... or until the next evolution of cosmetics occurs. 9/10.

I first tried the contour palette with the Dior Backstage Contour Brush, it wasn't very successful. However, when I used it with my By Terry Glow Expert Duo Stick in Copper Coffee, $89, and the now discontinued (sorry) Diorblush Light & Contour Sculpting Duo Stick (on separate occasions), the brush blended the formulas out super well. The brush is super firm and the synthetic bristles are quite fine so I found it super dope for cream formulas. Its tear-drop shaped brush (from bird's eye view) makes for a very precise and symmetrical contour on either side of your cheeks.

Cream formulas take longer and are a bit deterring during my morning rush so I tend to veer away from them but this brush has really opened my eyes to the glowy finish and potential of cream formulas! It's a very instinctive brush and should only take a couple of goes before you get the hang of it.

Back to the powder - when I used it with my fluffy, flat and angled contour brush from the Revlon x Chloe Morello Sculpt + Highlight collection (not available anymore sorry), the result was magical.

The matte contour and iridescent highlighting powders are fine-milled so it blends out really well with no chance of patchiness. I mean, exhibit A Bella Hadid's before and after. I also tried blending the light contour and deep highlight together for a darker contour - it was warmer, more bronzey and added that glow factor but thank goodness, it didn't give off a brick red hue that a lot of bronzers show. I definitely prefer an ashy base like the OG Benefit Hoola bronzer.

The deep contour is a bit too dark for me right now but come summer time, I think it will work a treat. With a quad, there's a lot of options to pick and choose what you want to blend together or layer for your desired finish and impact. I own two of these already and am convinced I'll keep using this as my go-to contour palette for the next year or so... or until the next evolution of cosmetics occurs. 9/10.

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