CHANEL – Le Vernis Eastern Light & Western Light

To celebrate the opening of their largest boutique at Hysan Place in Hong Kong, CHANEL has released a small and limited edition capsule collection, consisting of an eyeshadow palette (Pearl River) and the 2 new nail lacquers shown here, ‘Eastern Light’ and ‘Western Light’ – colours inspired by the city’s contrasts of deep browns to brilliant whites. As it was recently announced that Peter Philips would be stepping down from his position as CHANEL’s Makeup Global Creative Director, this now becomes the last makeup collection he will have designed for the brand.

I have to state that I feel so blessed to have a husband who not only accepts, but understands (and indulges) my passion for CHANEL, as these 2 limited edition beauties formed part of his Valentine gifts to me (the last gift, CHANEL’s ‘Mouche de Beauté’ will be shown soon) – definitely the way to my heart ♥ I’ve also been trying to narrow down my wishlist of CHANEL’s fragrances amongst their ‘Les Exclusifs’ Collection, so the 3 scent samples that were included could not have come at a better time – plus, I just adore how they look!

CHANEL – Hong Kong Collection

CHANEL Eastern Light – (CAD $27.00 – 13 ml/0.4 fl.oz) a cool white crème hue with faint blueish undertones, that applies basically streak-free even by the 1st coat. Bearing a perfect density to the formula – neither too thick nor thin, it falls in a self-levelling way and leaves an ultra glossy finish behind. I absolutely LOVE its pristine whiteness – looks exactly like freshly fallen snow! Coats applied: 2, plus top coat

CHANEL – Eastern Light

While I own several other CHANEL white shades, they all have shimmer of some type, and so I didn’t bother comparing those to Eastern Light. The next closest I own, are Essie’s ‘Blanc’, and OPI’s ‘My Boyfriend Scales Walls’ (reviewed here), and how they compared (2 coats each, plus top coat):

index finger: OPI ‘My Boyfriend Scales Walls’ – thinner density, excellent flow to the formula, comes across as slightly grey tinged beside the other 2
middle & pinkie fingers: CHANEL ‘Eastern Light’
ring finger: Essie ‘Blanc’ – formula a degree thicker and just slightly more opaque, colour seems a bit more vivid to the naked eye, closest in tone

CHANEL – Eastern Light & comparisons

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CHANEL Western Light – (CAD $27.00 – 13 ml/0.4 fl.oz) a deep brown/mink hue filled with ultra-fine reddish shimmer in a quasi-sheer jelly-esque formula, that becomes perfectly opaque by the second coat. The shimmer is more visible in the bottle than what comes across on the nail, but it definitely adds a multi-dimensional touch to a colour that manages to stay just shy of appearing black. A decadent & luscious looking dark chocolate shade, the glassy finish makes the addition of top coat almost redundant – totally LOVE its molten look! Coats applied: 2, plus top coat

CHANEL – Western Light, detail

CHANEL – Western Light

CHANEL – Western Light, with flash

While I do own a few brown toned CHANEL lacquers for comparison, none of them had either the same depth of tone or a similar shimmer; ‘Vertigo’ (reviewed here), and ‘Haute Chocolat’ (reviewed here) were my original choices, and I also included the original ‘Rouge Noir’ (reviewed here), as asked by several readers. How they compared (2 coats each, plus top coat):

index finger: Vertigo – similar “hidden shimmer” effect, excellent pigmentation, more crème-like formula, same muddied tone although it looks grey-based in comparison
middle finger: Eastern Light
ring finger: Haute Chocolat – definitive dark brown hue, slightly sheerer formula, golden shimmer that is as apparent on the nail as in the bottle
pinkie finger: Rouge Noir – oxblood hue, crème formula, the glossiest of them all, looks burgundy beside the others

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CHANEL – Western Light & comparisons

CHANEL – Western Light & comparisons, with flash

Les Exclusifs de CHANEL samples in: Sycomore, 31 Rue Cambon, and Coromandel

Final thoughts: Knowing that these two varnishes form part of Peter Philips’ last creation for CHANEL, makes it a little poignant for me and I’m very happy to have them in my collection for that reason, as well as the fact that I don’t own anything like them from this brand. The formula for each was simply superb; while I’ve always maintained my love of deeply brooding hues, lately I’ve been strangely drawn to whites, and ‘Eastern Light’ is a true standout, with it’s crisp tone and paradoxically opaque yet translucent appearance. ‘Western Light’ is absolutely perfect for when you want a dark shade that’s NOT black, and I can even see these two working together in a unique French mani (note to self: must try this).
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Available now through the CHANEL site (for US readers only) and through select CHANEL boutiques – mine were purchased through the Holt Renfrew Bloor St. location – remember that these are limited edition.