The Dior Backstage Glow palette and Custom Eyeshadow palettes are new additions to the popular collection. Are they worth a try?
Since its release last year, the Dior Backstage Collection has garnered A LOT of attention! And in honor of the fall season, creative director Phillip Plein added the new Dior Backstage Glow and Custom Eyeshadow palettes to the much-buzzed-about line.
With high performance claims, I naturally had to put these two new beauties to the test. Are they worth buying? Let’s find out.
Dior Backstage Glow and Custom Eyeshadow Palettes
At first glance, there’s no denying just how gorgeous these two palettes are. From the Dior embossing to the sleek packaging and autumnal tones, they’re quite nice to look at and make a decorative addition to your vanity. Looks aside, though, we all know it’s how a product performs that actually counts and so I’ve been using these two palettes virtually nonstop over the last month to be able to weigh in on if they’re actually worth adding to your collection.
Backstage Glitz Glow Palette (Shop )
- Pearly White Highlight
- Gold Highlight
- Shimmering Peach Highlight
- Bronze Highlight with Holographic Accent
- Priced at $45
Backstage Custom Eyeshadow Palette (Shop)
- 7 Eyeshadows
- Eyeshadow Primer
- *New* Shadow-to-Liner Gel
- Priced at $49
For my full review on how well these new additions to the Dior Backstage collection perform, keep reading below!
Shop the Post
Dior Backstage “Glitz” Highlight Palette ($45)
Dior Backstage Custom Eyeshadow Palette ($49)
Dior Backstage Glow Palette in “Glitz” (Shop Now)
First off, I wanted to discuss the highlighter palette because I just LOVE a good glow. Don’t you? The new Dior Backstage glow palette includes four versatile shades that can be used on their own or in coordination with one another.
The Pros:
- Gorgeous shade selection
- Strong pigment
- Long wear-time
- Smooth and blendable application
- Great packaging, especially for travel
- Gives a nice shine to the skin that’s natural and not at all tacky
The Cons:
- Inconsistent formula. As you can likely see from the swatches, the gold and white shades are much more dusty than the bronze and peach shades. All of the colors apply nicely on the skin, but it’s a strange inconsistency.
- Not a “blinding” highlight, if that’s what you’re looking for
- Pricy for the amount of product
- Limited availability at only Dior.com and Sephora
Overall Grade? A-
I do really like the Dior Backstage Glow palette!
At $45, some might say it’s overpriced but for Dior I think it’s actually quite reasonably priced. The downside is you do not get as much product as comparable highlighter palettes that have hit the market from lines like Hourglass, Laura Mercier, etc.
In practice, the glow palette does perform beautifully on the skin. Each of the shades applies smoothly and they blend together perfectly. They also stay all day on the skin, with zero touchups. If you’re lazy like me – that’s a big plus!!
Dior Backstage Custom Eyeshadow Palette (Shop Now)
Next, we HAVE to discuss the Dior Backstage Custom palette’s new shadow-to-liner gel.
If you’re familiar with the previous Dior Backstage eyeshadow palettes, you’re probably familiar with the fact that the palettes include an eyeshadow primer. While this isn’t necessary in my book (I’m happy to use an outside primer), it does have a very tacky consistency and helps the shadow last much longer than when worn without a primer.
This time around though? Philipp Plein introduced a new shadow-to-liner gel that can be used with any of the shades included in the palette.
How does the gel work? You dip your brush into the gel and then into whatever eyeshadow you choose. When applying, you’ll notice that it applies smoothly like a gel liner and it’s actually quite cool! Sometimes I think things like that are a bit gimmicky, but not in this case. I found myself loving the gel SO MUCH that I even used it with outside palettes. Dior Makeup should really sell it individually because it’s that genius.
The Pros:
- The *new* gel is fantastic
- Rich pigmentation
- Layer and Blend beautifully
- Nice variety of textures and finishes across shades
- Phenomenal matte black!!!
The Cons?
- Lacking shade selection. Two shadows are near identical. I wish one was replaced with a matte brown or other color.
- No mirror! I know it’s a design choice, but I always use the mirror in the eyeshadow palette I’m using when applying makeup so this annoys me.
- Medium wear time, even with primer. Definitely not bullet-proof as I hoped!
- Limited availability at just Dior.com and Sephora
Overall Grade? B
Look, the gel is great. It’s such a unique and quality addition that I think it’s worth looking at the Dior Backstage Custom eyeshadow palette for that alone. Beyond that? I was disappointed to see that the shadows don’t last all day compared to other palettes by Dior.
Over several weeks of testing, what I found was to get the BEST wear time? Use the primer and apply the shadows with a damp brush. The shimmer shades in particular work much better when applied wet than dry. Yes it’s an extra step to dampen your brush, but it’s the best way to extend the performance of the shadows.
As I mentioned above, I do also wish there was a matte brown or some other color included in the palette. The bronze and platinum shadows apply virtually identical on the eyes and it would’ve been nice to see one replaced with a different color. Similarly, I wish there was a shimmery white OR a shimmery silver, not both. It just seems like the color selection could’ve been improved so the user has some more options. With the eyeshadow primer and gel taking up two slots already, it seems strange to include a couple sets of relatively similar shades. More versatility would have been appreciated!
Dior Backstage Foundation
Dior Backstage Custom Eyeshadow Palette
Dior Backstage “Glitz” Glow Palette
Dior Pump N’ Brow
Dior Ultra Care Lipstick in 999
Shop the Post
Dior Backstage “Glitz” Highlight Palette ($45)
Dior Backstage Custom Eyeshadow Palette ($49)
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Kelly
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