With Bella Hadid and beauty gurus promoting this just about everywhere, there’s no doubt the Dior Backstage Collection is one of 2018’s hottest releases. But…is it any good?
Dreamers, I’m going to do my very BEST not to totally rant on forever in this post — but be aware, I have thoughts.
Dior Backstage Collection Availability
First off, before we can even get to the quality of the Dior Backstage Eyeshadow palette we have to talk about the availability of this product.
For whatever reason, Dior chose to make their much-hyped Dior Backstage collection a Sephora exclusive. *Excuse me while I “ughhhh” over that.*
Now, Sephora (while useful) has never been my favorite place to purchase makeup. That said, it IS pretty readily available. (I think anyway. I know there may not be freestanding Sephora stores everywhere, but they do seem to be routinely situated in department stores such as JCPenny, Macy’s, etc.. At least to my knowledge…beyond that, you can obviously shop online.)
Knowing that the Dior Backstage Collection launched on June 15th, I thought waiting a week before visiting my local Sephora would give them ample time to get it in stock. Historically speaking, my Sephora is AWFUL at getting new releases in on time so I thought, “Kelly, be a little patient. If you wait just a lil’ bit you’ll get to look at everything in person before ordering online.”
Well, long story short…they didn’t have it in stock. And, upon making a return of the broken highlighter (I’ll get to that), I learned that they indeed WILL NOT have it in stock…ever.
In fact, for whatever reason a good 90 percent of the physical Sephora stores across the US will not be stocking the Dior Backstage Collection either. Pretty strange for a ‘Sephora Exclusive’ right?
According to Sephora’s sales girl, this was a choice made by Dior. Given my dodgey history with Sephora’s sales reps I take this with a grain of salt – but I wanted to give you a heads up that there’s a strong chance the only way you’ll be able to receive this palette is by ordering online.
Being available mostly just online isn’t altogether awful – but I have to caution you that there’s a good chance the palette will arrive broken.
Personally, I ordered both the “Glow Face” and eyeshadow palette from the Dior Backstage Collection. The highlighter arrived broken, but given just how incredibly soft the eyeshadow are…I’m surprised they didn’t arrive broken as well. The Sephora packaging contained absolutely no insulating packing materials, meaning the products moved and bounced around a lot during transport…creating high risk for damage.
*Note* Catch the scoop (and drama, really) on my faulty experience trying to get the highlighter palette below.
Onto the Dior Backstage Eyeshadow Palette
Okay, now that I’ve sufficiently rambled about my shopping experience in getting this palette….I’m ready to talk about the eyeshadow palette itself. *phew*
A Little Background
If you’re not familiar, Dior’s Backstage Collection was developed by makeup artist and Dior Makeup creative director Peter Philip. It’s said to be a ‘pro’ line, that’s ulta long-lasting. In total, the collection includes a highlighter palette, contour palette, lip palette, the new Face & Body foundation and two Dior Backstage Eyeshadow palettes (both a cool and warm toned).
The collection was super hyped all over social media with super model Bella Hadid and every beauty guru you can think of raving about the products. You could fairly say that it’s been the most hyped Dior Makeup collection yet. Sure, they have beauty ads that run in the magazines and partner with influencers…but the Dior Backstage Collection was on another level of promotion.
Now are you ready to see some swatches??
Are you left feeling a bit underwhelmed?
Yea, I don’t blame you.
Formula and Consistency
I’m a devout Dior Makeup fan. Of all the luxury makeup brands, Dior Makeup is the one that has somehow never let me down. So, I was pretty shocked to see just how different the Dior Backstage Collection eyeshadow formula is to Dior’s traditional shadows. The pigmentation is significantly weaker than your average Dior shade. The shadows in the Backstage palette are incredibly soft, meaning they blend really nicely but also blend out to next to nothing. If you’re looking for some OOMPH, you’ll have to do A LOT of building. (And I mean a lot. So get comfortable because you’re not going anywhere anytime soon.)
If you’re on the hunt for eyeshadows that will WOW you, I’d stick to Dior’s standard shadows. The Backstage formula is much more subtle, pretty…but sort of meh.
How Long Do The Shadows Last?
For “Pro” shadows, I have to say these don’t last long…at all.
When I think about the Lorac Pro shadows, I think about how those last virtually ALL DAY LONG without having to worry about a touch up at all. Those are basically bullet-proof eyeshadows, where the Dior Backstage palette will get you about 5, maybe 6 hours, of wear time. And that’s WITH the eyeshadow primer included with the palette. (I also tried these with Lorac’ Pro Primer in hopes the wear time would be extended…but it wasn’t.)
While not great, I have to say the wear time wouldn’t be that altogether awful had the Dior Backstage collection not come with this whole theme of being “pro” makeup. Sure, it may get you through a runway show…but there’s no way it’s going to get you through a full day at the office.
My Overall Thoughts?
I think you’ve caught my drift already, but the Dior Backstage Eyeshadow palette was a pretty big let down. As someone who LOVES Dior Makeup and hypes it up to basically everyone I know, this eyeshadow palette feels like a complete joke.
Now, bear in mind I’m only talking about the eyeshadow here. But, for an eyeshadow palette that looked beautiful and came with so much hype, I have to give the Dior Backstage Eyeshadow palette a big thumbs down.
I love you guys so much and would absolutely never lie to you, so I have to urge you to just save your money on this one.
Pros of the Palette:
- Both the cool and warm toned palettes have beautiful colors
- Shadows blend very nicely
Cons:
- A pain to get your hands on
- Subpar quality to Dior’s classic shadows
- Lackluster pigmentation
- Short wear time
- Cheaply packaged (especially for a Dior product)
- Likely to break when being shipped
Onto the Dior Backstage Glow Palette
Well, I’m very sorry to say that the Dior Backstage Glow Face palette has arrived broken TWICE from Sephora.
Needless to say, I strongly caution you that when you order this product online from Sephora…it’s going to arrive broken. Below are the two broken palettes I received, just so you’re aware. I love you all way too much to have you feeling disappointed!
Poor Customer Service
Another thing for you to be aware of, is the disorganization of Sephora’s customer service. When I asked if they could tell me which store closest to me stocked the product…they were able to tell me anything. I find this pretty strange considering every large retailer from Nordstrom to Target is able to pinpoint exactly what store has an item in stock. But, apparently Sephora doesn’t have that capability and after a couple rude sales reps…I’m just giving up and not getting the highlighter.
Updated July 10:
Sorry for another update, but I wanted to share that when I made an honest review on Sephora.com to caution shoppers that the palette most likely will arrive broken…Sephora would not publish the review. Coupled with shady experiences with Sephora customer service reps, I’m left with the conclusion that they don’t want to guarantee their shoppers have a positive shopping experience. I recommend skipping this collection altogether unless it’s picked up by better retailers like Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, etc.
Bummer!
Shop the Post
Dior Backstage Cool-Toned Eyeshadow Palette (Sephora)
Dior Backstage Glow Face Palette (Sephora)
Dior’s Website Also Has the Full Collection
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XOXO
Kelly
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