Dior
20 June 2023
Following its sold out success of its Dior Addict Lip Glow 031 Strawberry, Dior Beauty is back with another eagerly anticipated collaboration with Jisoo of Blackpink. Can you guess what it is?
In March 2023, Jisoo featured a Dior Beauty product in her Flower music video. That scene had many guessing what this mystery product could be- a compact foundation? Powder? The answer was unravelled as Dior Beauty tantalised us with a few hints leading up to the official release of Le Baume. And so here it is- the Le Baume Revitalizing Balm for hands, lips and body.
I’ve always been a fan of Dior Beauty’s makeup products; and of course, the Dior Addict Lip Glow 031 Strawberry aka Jisoo’s lip balm. I’ve shared my review of it here. I made a note to purchase the Dior Beauty Le Baume on the day of its launch; but Dior Beauty generously gifted Le Baume to me ahead of its launch.
Although this product was gifted by Dior to me, my opinions expressed are mine. I was not paid or obliged to review the Dior Beauty Le Baume Revitalizing Balm… I already intended to because I’m a fan of Jisoo! So here it is, my review of Dior Beauty Le Baume Revitalizing Balm!
According to Dior Beauty, the Le Baume Revitalizing Balm is a multi-purpose balm for particularly dry areas of the hands, lips and body. It comes in a ultra-compact design to make the balm fashionable and practical.
The Dior Beauty Le Baume Revitalizing Balm is rich in humectants and emollients that moisturise and soften the skin. A couple of standout examples of these ingredients are: glycerin, propanediol, shea butter, squalene, dimethicone, glycine soja (soybean oil).
Dior Beauty Le Baume Revitalizing Balm also contains jojoba seed oil. This oil is derived from the Simmondsia chinensis seed that contains high amounts of antioxidants such as flavonoids1. Jojoba seed oil is an emollient that conditions the skin and gives a smoothening effect on the skin and lips1. Jojoba oil also gives the skin a shine without the oily, greasy feel of other lipids, especially lanolin and petrolatum2,3.
Another ingredient of note in the Dior Beauty Le Baume Revitalizing Balm centella asiatica aka cica. This ingredient is derived from a herb known as Indian pennywort or Asiatic pennywort. Centella asiatica or cica is used in skincare for its calming and anti-aging benefits. You can learn more about this ingredient in this review Cica in Skincare: Centella Asiatica Explained.
In addition, the Dior Beauty Le Baume Revitalizing Balm also contains antioxidants that defend against free radical damage from the environment such as hydroxyacetophenone, tocopherol (vitamin E).
The good about the Dior Beauty Le Baume Revitalizing Balm
First impressions- the Dior Beauty Le Baume Revitalizing Balm reminds of the Chanel La Crème Main hand cream; but in a good way. Similar round container that fits ergonomically into my palm; and small enough to fit into my handbag to use on the go. It screams luxury, with the Dior monogram printed all over to match your saddle bag.
The product, as its name describes, is a moisturising balm. It spreads smoothly, and dries to leave a velvet matte finish on the skin. The Dior Beauty Le Baume Revitalizing Balm leaves a film like feel but it’s lightweight compared to other balms I’ve tried.
The Dior Beauty Le Baume Revitalizing Balm has a faint floral fragrance. It’s very subtle,you only get a faint whiff if you intentionally sniff it. If you like your fragrances in your hand cream light and intentional, you’d like the Dior Beauty Le Baume Revitalizing Balm. But if you’re a fan of hand creams with more intense fragrances like Aesop products, the the Dior Beauty Le Baume Revitalizing Balm may not be your cup of tea.
The moisturising effect of Dior Beauty Le Baume Revitalizing Balm is pretty lasting. On my hands, the balm’s film-like effect remained after with a few rinses of water. It does, of course, wash off with a surfactant. I don’t have dry skin (my skin type is normal) and I felt that the Dior Beauty Le Baume Revitalizing Balm was sufficient in keeping my hands moisturised.
When used on my lips Dior Beauty Le Baume Revitalizing Balm is a colourless thin balm. It does a good job of keeping my lips moist for about 3 hours before I need to reapply it again. The Dior Beauty Le Baume Revitalizing Balm does not transfer to my face masks (yes, I still wear face masks in the clinic).
The bad about the Dior Beauty Le Baume Revitalizing Balm
It is a decently performing moisturising balm for the hands, lips and body. I do wonder how the Dior Beauty Le Baume Revitalizing Balm would perform for users with dry skin. This balm sufficed for my normal skin; but those with dry skin would benefit from barrier strengthening and occlusive ingredients in their moisturisers.
Also, I get it that Dior Beauty Le Baume Revitalizing Balm is a luxury beauty product. Its price tag would reflect that (SGD$88 for 50mls) – just like all luxury goods. The feel good factor is real with the Dior Beauty Le Baume Revitalizing Balm. Don’t get me wrong- I am a fan of Jisoo; and I’ve always been happy with my Dior Beauty makeup purchases. But if you were to use this as a body cream as advertised, the large amounts that you’d have to use everyday would make this expensive.
The Dior Beauty Le Baume Revitalizing Balm is a decent moisturising balm that moisturises my normal skin well. It has an elegant, matte finish on the lips and hands with a lightweight feel.
It is expensive for a hand or body cream; and it’s not groundbreaking in any sense- no propietary ingredients or novel delivery system. Centella asiatica, jojoba oil, hyaluronic acid and shea butter are active ingredients that can be found in common skincare brands. But Dior Beauty does not make qualms about telling it as it is: a regular hand/body cream that’s aesthetic and highly coveted- this is the allure of luxury goods, afterall.
You might consider me biased for being partial to Jisoo of Blackpink and a long standing Dior Beauty fan. But my verdict is: I like the Dior Beauty Le Baume Revitalizing Balm. Are there other hand and body creams that are effective and affordable? Of course. But they don’t spark joy and excitement in me to hold the compact that’s been held by Jisoo, just like my Dior Addict Lip Glow 031 Strawberry (another Jisoo collaboration of Dior Beauty). And that’s good enough for me to like the Dior Beauty Le Baume Revitalizing Balm. If you enjoyed this blogpost, you might enjoy the following reviews:
Review: KAHI Wrinkle Bounce Multi Balm
Beauty of Joseon Relief Sun: Rice + Probiotics Sunscreen
Is the Beauty of Joseon Matte Sun Stick Worth Buying?
Review: Round Lab Birch Juice Moisturising Sunscreen
References
1. Jojoba Oil: An Updated Comprehensive Review on Chemistry, Pharmaceutical Uses, and Toxicity. Gad et al. Polymers (Basel). 2021 Jun; 13(11): 1711.
2. Potential uses of jojoba oil and meal—A review. Wisniak. Ind. Crop. Prod. 1994;3:43–68.
3. Plants and the Skin. Lovell. Blackwell Scientific Publications; Oxford, UK: 1993. 272p.