I wouldn’t normally review an acrylic eggshell as all trade eggshells are very similar. However, I used Dulux Diamond Eggshell recently and I was very impressed, so I figured I’d jot a few words down.

Dulux Diamond eggshell is available in white or any colour from Dulux’s vast range. You can use it as an emulsion on walls and ceilings, or as a woodwork paint on internal skirting boards, doors, windowsills etc. You will need an adhesion primer if you intend to apply it to surfaces which are previously coated with oil-based paint.

Dulux Diamond eggshell in a tinted colour is just over £100 for 5 litres. You can buy it online, or from any Dulux Decorating Centre. We also have a full Dulux Trade Paint review and guide which may be useful.

Dulux Diamond Eggshell Review

Right, let’s get down to the actual review. I used Dulux Diamond eggshell recently to paint the walls in a gym. It makes a very tough emulsion, so it’s perfect for high traffic areas. You can even give it a good wipe if you scuff it, which makes it perfect for a commercial area such as  gyms or schools.

Diamond eggshell is an expensive paint, so it needs to perform well. I wasn’t expecting it to perform as well as it did though. One coat of eggshell in a deep brown almost covered a strong purple, which is unheard of. It seems to go for miles too, meaning you cover large areas with a single tin of paint.

Ease of use is perfect!! Especially the second coat, which seems to fly on. The finish is great, however, as with most eggshell products, flashing can sometimes be a pain. The only eggshell I’ve found that doesn’t have an issue with flashing is Lick.

Providing you think ahead to avoid flashing on the application stage, you should be fine. The sheen level is somewhere around 20%, which is standard for an eggshell. It doesn’t run either. I know it’s expensive and the flashing is an issue, but everything else about this paint really is good.

Opacity is great in any colour apart from white. If you’re changing a wall colour to white, you may want to blank it out using a good quality vinyl matt before you go on with Diamond eggshell.

Dulux Oil-Based Alternatives

Ok, there isn’t really an alternative if you want to use an eggshell as an emulsion, but if you’re using it on woodwork, you’ve got a clear choice. You might go with Dulux Diamond Eggshell, which is water-based paint, or you could use Dulux Trade Eggshell, which is an oil-based.

Dulux Trade eggshell is available online in pretty much any colour. It is self-undercoating on previously painted surfaces and is very easy to use. Opacity in white isn’t the best, so you may choose to apply one coat of oil-based undercoat, followed by one coat of Dulux Trade eggshell.

The finish is great though. The sheen level calms down over the course of a couple of weeks, leaving you with a flat luxurious painted surface.

Dulux Diamond Eggshell Review – by Mike Gregory