Live from the Archive: Chanel Red Nail Polish

 Chanel, Nail Polish  8 Responses »
Feb 082011
 

February seems a good time to delve into red nails.  Today, I played with a few of my Chanel reds, all applied in two coats with a Poshe topcoat.  The current shades run $25.

  • Dragon (#475) is an instant classic red creme. Currently available, this is a must-have red in my book.  It infuses me with confidence, it’s hot and gorgeous.  Made in France.
  • Enthusiast (#377) is a bright warm red creme that was released with a coordinating Rouge Allure lipstick for a very few weeks during 2009, never to return.  It’s as close to Rescue Beauty Lounge Bangin’ as Chanel has created in recent years.  I love the bright clarity of this color.  Made in France.
  • Shanghai Red (#183) is a cool red with shimmer, and is slightly cool.  Made in U.S. This one is spectacular in the light–the shimmer just lights up and adds some fire.  This is the oldest of this lot (2006), and my bottle’s nearly empty. Still applies beautifully.
  • Rouge Fatale (#487) is a deep brown red creme, still a current shade. Made in France, it’s not as intense deep and blue as Rouge Noir or Vamp (past or present version).

Holiday 2010: Chanel Mica Rose Nail Polish

 Chanel, Nail Polish  Comments Off
Oct 172010
 

Chanel’s Holiday Collection for 2010 includes Mica Rose ($23).  I already own Mica Rose (#495) from their permanent collection, and so for the sake of completeness post this swatch of the color.  It is a sheer pink with shimmer. This is three coats with no base or top coat:

I do not have a color that is exactly like this one–Chanel does shimmer in nail polishes quite well.

Chanel Holiday 2010: Pulsion Nail Polish (Updated)

 Chanel, Nail Polish  3 Responses »
Oct 162010
 

Chanel’s Holiday 2010 Collection includes Pulsion ($23 Le Vernis 547 Nail Colour), a deep cool pink creme.  The formula on this polish is incredibly nice–it goes on smoothly and spreads to a perfect finish.  It dries very quickly to a glossy finish.  Here are two coats, without any base coat or top coat.

Seriously one of most lovely nail polish formulas I’ve ever used. The color is strong and feminine, and would look good on a woman of virtually any age.  True love.

Sabrina at The Beauty Look Book has some comparison with other recent Chanel nail polishes.  I did a few comparisons with some other deep cool pinks in my stash, here OPI’s Passion for NY Fashion and Essie Funny Face.  Although both are in the same neighborhood, neither is quite the same:

My other medium pinks, including OPI Elephantastic Pink and Zoya Lo, were not anywhere close.  Both were far lighter and not as cool.

The strong pink thread through Chanel’s Holiday collection includes the Pink Pulsion Glossimer:

Another is Tweed Fuchsia blush:

Chanel Summer 2010: Le Vernis Riviera

 Chanel, Nail Polish  Comments Off
Apr 282010
 

Chanel Summer 2010 has a delightful pink nail polish, Riviera ($23)(Le Vernis Nail Colour Riviera #537) which has the capability of putting me in a summer frame of mind.  Although there are many pinks on the market, I particularly enjoy Chanel’s vibrant creme nail color formula and so I knew that I had to have this one.

Two coats gives me a vibrant look that somehow looks appropriate without moving into the neon category.  Somehow, Chanel still makes the color looks special.  I have several medium-to-dark pinks, it’s a color that I love, and I’m  hard pressed to find a duplicate with precisely the same look.
Riviera will (as you can see in Chanel’s promotion picture) look fabulous with this summer’s Rouge Allure in Super–they have the same color tone.

Here is my on-the-nail swatch, taken with a flash as I had already lost the sun for the day:

I find this formula very easy to work with–it seems to spread without any problems.  The above was done over Creative Nail Design’s Stickey base coat and with a topcoat by Poshe.

Chanel Orient Extrême – Velvet is the New Black

 Chanel, Nail Polish  3 Responses »
Apr 262010
 

Chanel seems to have a tradition of micro-releases that are regional, edgy and sometimes ground-breaking.  Chanel’s Black Velvet nail polish ($25) (Le Vernis Nail Color Black Velvet 430) is part of Chanel Orient Extrême, an exploration of new textures.  I must admit that I have a high tolerance for just such experiments– for me, tried and true formulations evoke yawns and “I’ll catch it some other time.”  Makeup is all about play, excitement and trying something new.

Black Velvet is an unusual texture–not matte and certainly not  shine or shimmer.  To warn you (and to separate Black Velvet from the others Chanel’s in your stash), the bottle is a matte texture and uses a stick-on label with gold lettering, rather than the traditional painted-on white lettering.  All other aspects of the bottle are familiar–the same square shape and brush are the same as the rest.

The nail polish is  a black with soft, near-matte texture that evokes the same look at a soft leather or lambskin.  It’s going to look amazing with layers of textured blacks–perhaps a mix of patent black leather, wools or silks.  It looks both new, and soft, yet dramatic.  Is this appropriate for Spring?  Chanel doesn’t seem to care–those who are looking for something different will wear it anyway, because it’s all about making your own rules at this point.  Certainly, the color can wait for fall and winter for everyone else (although, unless its re-released, it will likely be sold out by then).

Comparison, with Chanel’s shinier Black Satin (U.S. version) and OPI for Sephora’s Where’s the Tire, Jack? (matte):

A few practical considerations:

  • This polish exhibits tipwear typical of black polishes.  Using a topcoat destroys the central value of the polish–the texture.  It does not seem more fragile (or more robust) than other black polishes, but unlike a sheer this black will not look pristine after three days of typing.
  • This polish did not apply well on a sticky basecoat (in my case, CND Stickey).  A smoother basecoat will be your best option.
  • This might be fun to try as a reverse french manicure with a gold tip.
  • Available now on Chanel.com and at Chanel Boutiques.  As with other Chanel highly limited edition releases, these are not currently available at department store counters.  (But I have to wonder, will these be back next Fall?)

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