Dior 5 Couleurs Eye Shadow Palette #876 Trafalgar from Fall 2014 Collection, Swatch, Review & FOTD

Before we drive to France to eat in our favorite restaurant in Strasbourg, get a drink and spend the night (birthday wish! ;-)), here is a quick review of one of the most talked palettes from Dior's Fall 2014 Collection, 5 Couleurs Eye Shadow Palette in #876 Trafalgar. 

Trafalgar is an absolute eye catcher. There are thirteen new palettes to be released this Fall and everyone who looks at the list, gets caught by this one. I remember thinking to myself "Oh that one with the red, I want it!". Trafalgar comes in a sleeker compact than its ancestors, I have already compared the old and the new compacts and ingredients in detail here. Since then I have heard that the new shadows are indeed new formulations and not just repackaging. I can't see the difference to the older formulation though and I already liked the older ones, so no issues there for me.

Here is Trafalgar up close, it has a shade combination which I haven't owned before, pink, pearly white, burgundy red, antique gold and a deep plum. It has something a little oriental and vintage about it. Dior Golden Flower from Holiday Collection had Antique Gold and Plum combination, which was lovely but Trafalgar takes it one step further by placing the "it-color" of this Fall right in the middle, burgundy...

All the shades in Trafalgar are shimmery or metallic , with the exception of the red shade which is more of a satin. I think it is a good idea to keep this shade more tuned down in terms of shimmer because it doesn't need all that much to get the attention anyway. All in all I am a little disappointed by the top two shades which don't deliver the color pay-off I would expect from Dior Quints, but the bottom and center shades make it up for it. They are buttery, smooth and they have great color pay-off. 

Top left: A very light pink with pearly finish. It reminds me of the center shade from Dior's Spring Palette Pink Pompadour. It is rather sheer. I have yet to try to layer it on other shades in the palette but all the shades have their glow already, so didn't think I need to layer one more thing on top.

Top right: A light off-white with slight pink undertone and shimmery finish. This shade appears very close to the light pink once swatched and on the eyes they are almost identical. I used this one on the inner corner for a highlight and it worked wonderfully.

Bottom right: A deep brownish plum with satin to shimmery finish. it is pigmented and texture is very smooth but I wished it would be a little less shimmery, but it may be just me. This one is really very pretty and can be applied all over the lid on its own or combined with the red shade, it would sing!

Bottom left: A light antique gold with natural undertones and metallic finish. I like the fact that this one is not too yellow nor too green. The texture is again good and color pay-off is great.

Center: The jewel of the quad, it is a ruby red shade with slight pink shimmer and satin to matte finish. The color pay-off of this one is the best in the quint along with the plummy shade. This shade is a real stunner and don't worry, it is not that hard to wear it either ;-)

I have worn Trafalgar yesterday and got a few compliments from hubby and at the counters. I think the end effect is lovely. Below I really went very easy on red and blended it with the gold. These can be worn for a full effect, more plum and more red. I actually have a few more ideas about how to wear it, I may post about it if you are interested. Here is a light day appropriate version...

And the whole look, I combined it with Rouge d'Armani #603 on the lips, Armani Cheek Fabric Sheer Blush in #306 Attitude on the cheeks. By the way for those who wonder, yesterday I went for a great Armani haul and you can see the products from Fall Collection very soon on the blog. 

Here is one last look to the stunner... #876 Trafalgar is now available in US and UK (Selfridges). It will be soon available in Europe too. In Germany I believe the release is on the 15th of August.

Final thoughts: I was a little skeptical, two of the top shades are rather sheer and look almost the same, and the palette is more on the shimmery side with no matte. On the eyes though, this one is truly stunning. It is also very versatile, I can't think of all the the combinations it offers. Loving mine, can't wait to play with it a little more.

Which of the 13 new eye shadow quads are you eyeing? Do you like this particular combination of red, gold and plum?