swatched: dior ivory and beige safari

After eight days of polish-less nails, the Duty Free shops at the Guatemala City airport were looking mighty fine. A lot of the nail polish, Chanel in particular, was already sold out. Who knew Guatemala City is such a hot market for pricey polish?

But don’t worry, we didn’t walk out empty-handed.

One of the nail polish devotees of our group picked up a set of Dior minis, including two light neutrals – Ivory #108 and Beige Safari #219.

I don’t wear sheer nudes very often because it’s so hard to find one that isn’t too pink, too opaque, too streaky…the list goes on and on.

I think Dior Ivory hits the nail on the head.

This barely-there neutral has a slight pink tone to it, and works well on my fair skin. Two coats went on like a dream without any streaking. As much as I like to rock a bright blue or some serious glitter, Dior Ivory makes me feel like a class act.

Most importantly, the formula is rock solid. I removed the polish four days (!!) after applying it, and it looked just like it did on day one. Not a chip in sight. Take that, Chanel…

Next up is Beige Safari, a similar but slightly darker, yellow-toned nude.

well aware that i need some post-guatemala cuticle TLC...

Just like Ivory, Beige Safari is streak-free and goes on beautifully. I don’t think this shade suits me quite as well, though. The color is so close to my skin tone, giving me the “mannequin hands” look. It’s definitely wearable, but I’d pick up Ivory if I had to choose.

Dior hasn’t been on my must-have nail polish radar, but I’m really impressed by these neutrals. Thank goodness for Duty Free! (And more importantly, friends who share polish!)

Do you buy high-end beauty goods at the airport? Let me know below in the comments!