Diorshow New Look Mascara and L’Occitane Hand Cream review

L’Occitane Shea Butter Hand Cream

This much-appraised hand lotion is absolutely fantastic; can’t believe I’ve got it for free! It boasts the title of both Harper’s Bazaar and She magazines’ best hand cream of 2011, so I was really excited to try this. The product prides itself on a shea butter content of 20%, with similar natural ingredients from honey to coconut oil which are rapidly absorbed into the skin ‘to leave the hands soft and smooth with no oily traces’.

 

As you can see, just rubbing in a pea-sized amount onto the back of the hand has actually smoothed the surface layer of my skin, and I have to say my hands have never felt so soft, or smelt so incredible. If you couldn’t already tell, I am in love with this product.

The only problem is that L’Occitane’s plan has worked – after just one day, I’m already hooked on a product that I can’t afford! Guaranteed this would make the perfect pampering gift. If anyone wants to buy me one, I won’t stop you!

Diorshow New Look Mascara

 

There’s been a lot of hype surrounding this mascara, and I personally have been considering investing in a higher-end mascara – as much as I love Max Factor’s False Lash Effect Fusion, I do sometimes find that it dries out quite quickly (although my room at Uni is freezing 70% of the time, so it’s probably just solidifying!).

With the increased popularity of hair and facial oils, beauty brands are starting to latch onto this nourishing trend, extending it to their colour cosmetics. The Diorshow New Look has a very small brush head (full-size in the sample) for precision application and definition. As a member of the Diorshow family, it still aims for a dramatic volume-and-definition finish, but now with the added benefit of a ‘Lash Multiplier’ formula which should strengthen your lashes and promote growth. I only tried the product this morning so can’t elaborate on this area yet, but I’ll let you know how I get on.

At first, I have to say I wasn’t blown away by this mascara, but I think that’s because it takes such a long time to apply! The small brush was great for reaching every lash, but has the potential to get a bit messy at times as it’s not a 2-swipes-and-you’re-done technique.

However, sitting back to see the finished result, I can definitely see more lash length and definition than I’m used to, and the colour seemed really rich. On further investigation, the Dior team have formulated this mascara with light-reflecting particles to really draw attention to the lashes and make them stand out, and it really does work!

Have a look below to compare between Max Factor and Diorshow:

These photographs were taken under a different daylight, but with the same overall picture quality. As you can see, the richer hues in my eyes are brought out by the Diorshow, with a more intense pigment which also serves to brighten the whites of the eyes. The overall finish is also more refined and lengthened, with the curl holding really well. Two thumbs up.