As the holidays near, I become less resistant to the lures of any luxe, shiny, metallic makeup items, particularly those with a pretty pattern. Initially I wasn't going to purchase the Illuminating Powder but ultimately found myself helpless against the elegant gold packaging and shimmery delicate beaded design. Plus, it's perfumed with Dior's J'Adore fragrance.
There is another one available in Rose d'Or, which has a more pink hue, but the gold Perle d'Or appealed to me more.
The pattern reminded me of the dazzling gold beaded necklace Charlize Theron wears in the J'Adore ads.
(image from thebeautysmith.com)
What I didn't realize at first was that this necklace, and others in previous Dior ads like the one below, was used in the bottle's silhouette as a result of former Dior designer John Galliano's Maasai-inspired collections.
(image from thenonblonde.com)
His first collection for Dior debuted in 1997 and contained a high-fashion Western spin on the traditional bead and wire necklaces worn by the Maasai people in Kenya and Tanzania.
(image from maliciousglamour.tumblr.com)
More variations of these necklaces appeared in Galliano's 1998 creations as well.
I think the design on the Perle d'Or powder most closely resembles the pearl version of the necklace…
(image from styleregistry.livejournal.com)
…especially when you see it open.
(image from 1stdibs.com)
I don't really want to get into how Galliano appropriated Maasai culture or his other racist views, but I will say that it's interesting how Dior reinterpreted some of their past designs in this powder. I like that's it not clear whether it's a literal representation of one of Galliano's necklaces or if it's vaguely based on the J'Adore perfume bottle and ads.
What do you think of this compact?