Dior Glowing Gardens Illuminating Powder in Glowing Pink

I rarely review luxury products on my blog but occasionally I do get a chance to try something out of the ordinary. I got this beauty as a gift and it's no doubt one of the standouts in my makeup arsenal. I am referring to the Dior Glowing Illuminating Powder in Glowing Pink, from the Dior's limited edition collection for Spring 2016. Since it's Dior it's pricy, very pricy. Therefore, I wanted to get this review out for those of you that have been thinking if this is worth a splurge or not.

Dior Glowing Gardens Illuminating Powder in Glowing Pink

First things first, the beautiful embossment speaks for itself, so no need to ponder too much on that. I do appreciate the fact that the product feels luxurious without weighing a ton, so it's easy to carry around in your makeup bag. Though when going on a holiday I am sure to take with me less precious pieces of makeup since if they break in transit it's not the end of the world. Just for your information these highlighters come in two shades: Glowing Pink (the one I have) and Glowing Nude. Glowing Nude is more of a golden champagne and is equally stunning, however I felt like Glowing Pink was more unique with the pinkish iridescent shift to it.

Also worth mentioning that the product comes with a mini Kabuki brush made out of white goat hair. When I went to ask about the brush the sales lady assured me that it was cruelty-free since the hairs are taken from the goat's beard which is trimmed. I just want to throw this piece of information out there, so you can draw your own conclusions. In my opinion the mini Kabuki brush is totally unnecessary as there is no way I can decently apply a highlighter with it, it's too dense and big for a precise and flawless application. 

Now let's talk a little bit about the product itself.  It's finely milled and doesn't have chunks of glitter, which is a big big plus. The texture is very soft and buttery, I would perhaps even describe it as a gel-powder. If you want your highlighter to be seen from outer space this product is not for you. This provides more of a sophisticated glow if you know what I mean. There is nothing wrong with an intense highlight but for someone with texture or mature skin that might not be the best look. I personally didn't own any highlighters until I received this one, simply because I have texture and scarring which made me stay away from anything that can potentially emphasise it. If you like you can for sure make this highlighter more "in your face" by simply building it up until the desired intensity is achieved. From my experience using this product it hasn't emphasised any texture or imperfections. I just lightly sweep it over the tops of my cheeks with the Real Techniques Setting Brush. The Dior Glowing Pink illuminator doesn't contain talc as do for instance Becca Shimmering Skin Perfectors Pressed.

Dior Glowing Gardens Illuminating Powder in Glowing Pink

Would I recommend it? This is where it gets tricky. I think the product is beautiful, it does a great job at highlighting and providing a fresh glow to the cheeks. Glowing Pink is quite an interesting shade compared to your typical champagne, gold and white highlighters. That being said Dior is not cruelty-free, as it tests on animals when required by law, e.g China. If you are not concerned with that this product will deliver what it promises and you would enjoy using it time after time. However, if you are looking for a cruelty-free alternative I'd recommend checking out recently launched Hourglass Ambient Lighting Strobe Powders. Unfortunately here in Finland Hourglass is not sold so it's impossible to see for yourself what these powders are like, but reviews seem to be pretty positive. Here again remember that as with the Dior Glowing Pink illuminator these powders would give you a subtle glow, nothing crazy. 

I hope you found this review useful and it helps you decide if this is something to add to your shopping list or not. If you have any recommendations for cruelty-free subtle everyday highlighters please let me know!

Cheers,
Muffy