Today I have swatches of the last two polishes from Dior’s Holiday 2011 Collection.  Merveille and Apparat are both glowy reds with golden shimmer, but they’re pretty different from each other.

Dior’s d’Or Collection for holiday is gold-themed and shimmery.  I’ve previously reviewed Or Divin and Exquis, and the remaining two polishes of the collection are the reds, Merveille and Apparat.  I chose to start with Apparat because I like darker reds, and Apparat is a deep maroon with a brownish tone.  In the bottle, the shimmer looks like a straight, heavy gold, but on the nail the shimmer seems to take on some of the red from the base color as well.  The formula on this one was great; it only took two coats and went on beautifully, and dried very quickly.

Apparat is by far my favorite color from this collection – it’s gorgeous and glowy, and is a deep cranberry red but isn’t too dark or blackened.  It’s shimmery but not at all brushstrokey.  I like how it’s dramatic but not overdone.  ‘Apparat’ means ‘pageantry’ in French, and this polish does have a celebratory, holiday feel.

Merveille is a hot, bright red with fuchsia undertones and the same heavy shimmer as the other polishes from the d’Or Collection.  In Merveille, the gold shimmer keeps its gold tone, and contrasts more with the base than the shimmer in Apparat.  Merveille also has a great formula and only took two easy coats to be opaque.

This polish is so bright; it reminds me of hot peppers.  I like the way the gold shimmer seems to float on top of it and provide a flashy contrast to the bright base.  Merveille will be another great red to reach for this holiday season.  In French, ‘merveille’ means ‘miracle’ or ‘marvel’, and this is a unique and eye-catching color.

Out of the d’Or Collection, the reds have really impressed me – they are beautiful and catch the light so well, and are great colors for the holiday season.  Apparat is so deep and rich, but still bright and cheerful, not moody – just perfect!  These colors are available from Nordstroms.