Filed In: Chanel nail polish

CHANEL – Collection Avant-Première 2013

In mid March of this year (here in Canada), CHANEL released a capsule collection of four Le Vernis nail shades (along with several new lip products) to coincide with the Cannes Film Festival – although #599 Provocation had been originally released as part of the Fashion Night Out 2012 Collection (previously reviewed here), and even though I snatched them all up right away, I’ve been remiss in posting them. Falling in between the Spring and Summer 2013 Collections, these shades almost seem to straddle the line between the seasons and therefore ensures their wearability even when the weather starts to cool – as though I’m not already lusting over the Fall 2013 collection …

CHANEL – Collection Avant-Première

#575 Starlet Limited Edition (CAD $27.00 13 ml/0.4 fl. oz) – [NOTE: the above photo is taken with flash to highlight the lacquer’s shimmer] the only limited edition shade of the group, this is a salmon pink hue infused with finely ground gold and pearly shimmer, in a superbly flowing formula that lays down in a self-levelling manner and leaves a glossy finish behind. Paradoxically warm leaning yet with cool undertones, it is a colour that will look amazing on all skin tones, and while the shimmer is quite subtle, it still adds an overall pearlized gleam to the nails. Coats applied: 2, plus top coat

CHANEL – #575 Starlet (Limited Edition)

#579 Paparazzi (CAD $27. 00 13 ml/0.4 fl. oz) – [NOTE: the above photo is taken with flash to highlight the lacquer’s shimmer] a dusky plum/raisin hue with dark rose undertones, and filled with finely ground pink and copper shimmer throughout. The absolutely stellar formula makes application almost ridiculously easy, and while the shimmer is even less noticeable worn than that of ‘Starlet’, it still adds a multi-tonal depth to help keep the colour from appearing flat and 1-dimensional. A unique shade that bears both a vampy vibe and an antiqued patina, it will suit both cool and warm tones equally. Coats applied: 2, plus top coat

CHANEL – #579 Paparazzi

#581 Cinéma (CAD $27.00 13 ml/0.4 fl.oz) – a drop-dead sexy cherry red crème hue in a formula so awesome, it almost applies itself. Perfection in the flow that makes it totally self-levelling, a high saturation of colour for incredible depth of tone, and a ridiculously high-gloss shine at the finish and you have a must-have shade for lovers of red polish, as well as non-red polish devotees alike. Bonus: non-staining upon removal. Coats applied: 2 (super easy), plus top coat

CHANEL – #581 Cinéma

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Last word: I was unsure whether ‘Starlet’ and ‘Paprazzi’ would turn out to be my kind of colours, initially believing them to appear a little fussy-looking and a tad old-fashioned; I couldn’t have been more wrong.The fact that I have nothing like them in my rather vast CHANEL lacquer collection, makes them a unique addition – but we all know that I would have picked them up anyway, seeing as how I can’t stand to break up collections. ‘Cinéma’ is that gorgeous and vivid -in-your-face kind of red, that will definitely draw out your inner siren. All in all, this little collection gets a total thumbs up from me, with colours that are eminently wearable, unique in tone, and all three bearing such an amazing formula.

Still available at several CHANEL counters and online (US credit cards/addresses only), I picked mine up from The Bay (Canada).

CHANEL #583 Taboo (Limited Edition) & a comparison

May 30, 2013

CHANEL, long the master of covetable nail lacquers (amongst other products), has done it again with the release of their limited edition shade, #583 Taboo. Sure to stand tall amongst such cult faves such as Jade, Nouvelle Vague, and Ciel de Nuit, this nocturnal hue is almost hypnotic to look at; what at first appears as a shimmery vampy hue, bears a surprise with each brush stroke and true to CHANEL’s inimitable style, is destined to spawn many look-a-likes. I can guarantee that none will come close, however.

CHANEL #583 Taboo

CHANEL #583 Taboo (CAD $27.00) – a complex multi-chrome eggplant/wine base hue filled with ultra fine ribbons of purple and burgundy shimmer throughout and with mega colour shifting properties that throw out purple/indigo flashes, depending on the angle and lighting. The contents at the bottle’s neck appear rather inky in tone, belied by the application, which lays down more dark violet at the first coat. Pigmentation is STELLAR and the flow is simply phenomenal, while the final result is of that lit-from-withing glow which I absolutely adore – very much like a banked fire. Mysterious, sensual, provocative and intriguing — this shade is all that, and more, with the added bonus of absolutely no staining left behind upon removal. Coats applied: 2, plus top coat (although its rich colour saturation can easily make it pass for a 1-coater)

CHANEL #583 Taboo

CHANEL #583 Taboo vs OPI German-icure by OPI – when I went looking for a comparison shade, the only one that came to mind was OPI’s German-icure by OPI (reviewed here) from the Germany Collection. A quick note: there have been many discrepancies as to the true name of this OPI shade, but my rep still insists that the one I have is rightly named, and not ‘Every Month is Oktoberfest’ as most people claim. Whatever. How the two compared:

index & pinkie fingers – German-icure by OPI: less purple in base colour, burgundy tones more prominent with a finer shimmer throughout
middle & ring fingers – #583 Taboo

CHANEL #583 Taboo vs OPI German-icure by OPI

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Last word: I’ll make this easy: you NEED this shade. Unique and totally captivating, completely unlike anything else CHANEL has ever produced, this is one of those lacquers that will have you long regretting passing it up. The application is flawless and the range of colours found in this one bottle ensures that it will suit basically every skin tone and every season, at that. As stated from the start, it is a limited edition shade – don’t say you weren’t warned. Definitely back-up worthy.

Available now through all CHANEL counters.

*Disclosure: Product samples provided by the company/PR for my unbiased consideration

CHANEL Spring 2013 Le Vernis – Emprise, Fracas & Accessoire

January 21, 2013

CHANEL’s 2013 Printemps Precieux Collection does not disappoint, especially as far as the varnishes are concerned. The three shades shown (only #573 Accessoire is supposed to be permanent) have a fairly broad appeal with colours that should fit all tastes, from neutral fans to vampy lovers, but #571 Fracas steals the show with its flirty hue – I see this becoming my summertime staple!

All swatches are with base and top coat.

CHANEL #569 Emprise, #571 Fracas & #573 Accessoire

#569 Emprise – a muted ballerina slipper pink hue with pearly shimmer – clearly seen in the bottle, but appears less distinctly on the nail (in some angles & lighting, you can see an almost silver/pearly sheen). The medium density formula applies in a self-levelling way with a nice gloss at the finish. Coats applied: 3 (very thin)

CHANEL – #569 Emprise

Going through my collection of CHANEL polishes, revealed #543 Frisson (previously reviewed here) to be the closest to Emprise in base colour, but they are still quite different from each other.

index & pinkie fingers: #543 Frisson – sheerer, pale baby pink with pink, silver & gold finely ground glitter, less apricot in the base
middle & ring fingers: #569 Emprise

CHANEL – Emprise vs. Frisson

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#571 Fracas – a hot salmon pink shade with extremely fine gold, silver, & pink/magenta shimmer, that once more does not translate as clearly on the nail to what’s seen in the bottle, although it does add some overall depth and reflects well in certain lighting. Good density and flow, self-levelling and glossy, there’s a nice saturation of colour to this uniquely vivid hue. Coats applied: 2

CHANEL – #571 Fracas

The only CHANEL shade I own that bears a similar intensity to Fracas, is #537 Riviera (CHANEL Summer 2010 Collection), although the only thing in common between them is that they’re both vivid pink hues.

middle & pinkie fingers: #537 Riviera – sheerer, a hybrid jelly/crème formula with no shimmer, a truer pink with blueish undertones, cooler leaning
index & ring fingers: #571 Fracas

CHANEL – Fracas vs. Riviera

#573 Accessoire – an ultra rich & decadent deep burgundy hue with hints of brown in the base. An absolutely stellar formula, highly colour saturated, self-levelling and finishing with a high gloss, making top coat almost superfluous. LOVE this! Coats applied: 2

CHANEL – #573 Accessoire

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I initially thought that #573 Accessoire was almost identical to CHANEL’s Provocation (previously reviewed here), and while they both share a similar depth, there are differences as well.

index & pinkie fingers: Provocation – grape undertones, cooler leaning, amazing glossy shine, formula even more spectacular (if possible!)
middle & ring fingers: #573 Accessoire

CHANEL – Accessoire vs. Provocation

Final thoughts: With every CHANEL launch, I always assume that the nail lacquers couldn’t possibly top the ones that came before before, and yet I am always pleasantly surprised just the same. Along with a few other pieces that from the collection that came home with me, there was no way I would leave any of these behind, but as my comparisons show, the only shade that is truly unique amongst the three, is #571 Fracas. And with these CHANEL beauties, Spring has truly begun for me!
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I purchased these varnishes from The Bay (Canada) – feel free to me know what you’ll be indulging in with this collection!

CHANEL – Le Vernis in Délicatesse, Infidèle & Provocation for Fashion’s Night Out 2012

November 12, 2012

The Fashion’s Night Out (or FNO) event has become quite the yearly highpoint, and what makes it even more special is how several cosmetic brands release shades made specifically for this event. CHANEL’s contribution is usually in the form of a trio of limited edition nail varnishes (you can see my previous posts on ‘Les Khakis de CHANEL 2010’ here and ‘Les Jeans de CHANEL 2011’ here), but this year CHANEL took things up a notch by creating ‘Les Twinsets de CHANEL’ for FNO – so named, because of the matching lipsticks to these lacquers. I get the feeling that I may come to regret not getting the lipsticks …

The following swatches are all with base and top coats.

CHANEL FNO 2012 shades

Délicatesse – a dusky rose hue with tan leanings, this shade is made unique by not only its deeper neutral tone, but by the excellent pigmentation and ultra creamy formula. Fairly opaque even by the first coat, it applied in a completely self-levelling way and left a super high-gloss finish at the end. Coats applied: 2

CHANEL – Délicatesse

Infidèle – a medium carnation pink hue with undertones of mauve in its base, the saturation of pigmentation is simply fabulous and the depth of colour prevents this shade from coming off as too much “fluff”. Flowing with a perfect density and completely self-levelling, the gloss at the end was exceptionally shiny as well. I was actually surprised by how much this shade appeals to me – totally unexpected. Coats applied: 2

CHANEL – Infidèle

Provocation – having frequently mentioned my love of brooding, vampy lacquers, allow me to add this beauty to the top of that list. A deep maroon, port-wine shade with raisin undertones in the base, the formula was slightly thinner in density than the other 2 here, but still flowed incredibly well. Once more, this applied in the same self-levelling manner as the other two and ended up with a super brilliant finish – LOVE! Bonus: No staining upon removal. Coats applied: 2

CHANEL – Provocation

I’m not sure why, but I really wanted to see ‘Provocation’ in a matte version, and so I applied one coat of CHANEL’s ‘Velvet Mat Top Coat’ (previously reviewed here); while the glossy shine is obviously toned down, it did nothing to detract from the fierce beauty of this shade, but appeared to add an edgy new dimension of depth – totally LOVE this as well.
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CHANEL – Provocation with Velvet Mat Top Coat

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Final thoughts: Originally, it was ‘Provocation’s’ sultry hue that I was aiming for, but then I caved and picked up the entire grouping because A) I hate breaking sets up – especially CHANEL and B) I fell for the other two shades of this collection. The colours are nothing outrageous, new, or all that unique and yet, when I went hunting through my stash, I couldn’t find any that were duplicates, especially amongst my other CHANEL lacquers (which is quite an extensive collection in itself, so that should say it all). My favourites here are ‘Infidèle’ – for its bright pop of colour, able to transition through all seasons and ‘Provocation’ – for its totally decadent tone, although I must say that ‘Délicatesse’ is a nice new take on straight-up neutrals.
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I ordered my set from the CHANEL boutique at Holt Renfrew, Bloor St. (Toronto, Canada). Please note that all 3 shades are limited edition.

CHANEL – Le Vernis #637 Malice, Holiday 2012 (swatches, comparison & review)

October 29, 2012

Even though I eagerly anticipate every single one of CHANEL’s cosmetic collections from the moment the first promotional images start circulating, there’s something extra special about their holiday releases. New for 2012 is the limited edition nail lacquer in #637 Malice, a shade that literally oozes seductive allure and sophisticated glamour … and the only ornamentation your hands will need this season.

CHANEL #637 Malice

#637 Malice – one word: PERFECTION. This deep burgundy wine hue bears an ultra-fine blood red and magenta hued shimmer at its core that appears as an inner fiery glow along the center of the nails, framed by slightly darkened edges. Superbly flowing and applying in a completely self-levelling manner, the saturation of pigment is so dense that you almost don’t need a second coat, but it does help to add a beautiful richness of colour. The gloss at the finish is quite intense, almost “wet-looking” and really enhances every gorgeous ruby facet. Bonus: completely non-staining upon removal. Coats applied: 2 (along with base and top coat)
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in sunlight

in sunlight/alternate

macro

shaded light

with flash

Searching through my collection of varnishes for a match to ‘Malice’, yielded only one possible contender: Deborah Lippmann’s ‘Dark Fantasy’ (review forthcoming), a limited edition release from spring 2012, and shown on my index & pinkie fingers in the following swatches. How it compared:

much sheerer
base colour several tones lighter
shimmer seems sparser & slightly larger, making it appear more prevalent next to that of ‘Malice’
an almost imperceptible duo chrome shift in some lights
needed 3 coats to achieve the same colour density as ‘Malice’, although 2 coats gives good coverage as well
excellent gloss, but not as brilliant
non-staining upon removal as well

in sunlight

shaded light

with flash

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Final thoughts: If you are a CHANEL collector like me, then you really cannot afford to skip ‘Malice’; to say that I am mesmerized by this shade, would be a gross understatment: I LOVE IT! From this incredibly rich jewel-like tone, the stellar formula, and its super-charged shine, this is THE shade of the season, in my humble opinion. Taking red to a whole new level by the blackened undertones and crushed shimmer this shade holds, has given it a unique cast and definitely sets it apart from the pack – and let’s face it, we all want to stand out every now & then, right?
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I’m already planning on a backup .. or two … that should say it all.