Beauty Lab: Dior

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I'm not ashamed to admit it: I'm a beauty junkie. Ever since I could walk I've been stealing my mom's pots and tubes. I've had all the appropriate (and less appropriate) obsessions during my teens: nail polish, eye shadow, tinted moisturiser... My collection of samples and empty packages was growing steadily, and my short stint as a model when I was about 16 didn't really improve things. Several make-up artists have heavily influenced me and made me into the beauty addict that I am today. I can't open a women's magazine without first turning to the beauty pages, and I still am happy like a child when I discover a free sample somewhere. Now, since I became The Word Magazine's unofficial beauty editor I've decided to take my career as a beauty pro seriously, and of course, share the knowledge with you!

The new Beauty Lab column will give you a look into my (many, many, many!) cosmetics bags, as I will show you my favorite products. In true Antwerpisthenewparis style, I won't bore you with press releases and commercial blah. I'll tell you exactly what to expect of the product and what I think of it. You want the truth? You got it.

The first beauty goodies I want to introduce you to is the spring make-up collection of Dior. The Flower Blossom face powder is so pretty and delicate you almost don't want to ruin it by using it. But that would be a shame, because the fresh, pale pink shade will brighten your complexion and give you that girly semi-shy flush. It's best for cool wintertypes though, since warmer complexions are better of with a peachy shade of powder. Added bonus: it's a limited edition that was inspired by Victoire de Castellane's Dior jewelry collection.

As for the lipgloss, I haven't been able to stop using it ever since I got it. It's a gorgeous pink that will blend with your natural lip color, so that's it's anything but clownesk, the effect some other glosses can have on me. it's a little sticky, of course, but die hard lipgloss fans won't have a problem with that. The color actually lasts quite long, which is something else that can't be said of every gloss. The beautiful packaging is a plus.

Lastly, the nail polish. I'm an incredibly difficult person when it comes to nail polish. I am forever searching for the perfect shade of pink that will give my nails that healthy glow and feminine look. The Dior color has a little too much coral in it to my taste. But if you only apply one layer, it will give a great sheen. When you apply several layers, the color will obviously grow more intense. The polish lasted a full three days, which is a great score for me. I also didn't have to wait long until it dried, another great plus for ladies on the move.

Overall score: I really like the product line for its pretty and girly look, and I love the luxurious packaging. The powder would be perfect for light-skinned blondes, while the gloss and polish will fit everyone. I give them a 7.

Details: The Dior Flower Blossom line is available in perfumeries such as Ici Paris XL and Parfuma.

xx Steph

PS. The make-up bag in the background is Paul&Joe and was bought at Urban Outfitters.