Whenever a company puts out a nail polish shade that becomes a hit even before it reaches the counters (….ahem *CHANEL*….) there are those of us who look for alternatives, mainly due to the steeper price tag attached to that ‘hit’. Essie’s Smokin’ Hot from this year’s winter collection neatly fit that bill and I’ve been wondering how close to CHANEL’s Paradoxal it really was, so today I settled the issue (I hope!). All pictures are pinkie & middle fingers: Smokin’ Hot, ring & index fingers: Paradoxal and applied with base coat and 3 thin coats of polish, no top coat.
The most obvious visible difference even with the first coat, was CHANEL’s ‘secret’ shimmer that they’ve become known for, versus Essie’s more creme finish. Barring that, the tone of both shades seems almost identical, both having an almost muddy prune-ish tint to them. I also found that Smokin’ Hot applied somewhat patchier with this first coat as compared to Paradoxal.
in sunlight
in natural lighting
The second coat always gives a more accurate indication of the true shade. Once again, You will notice that the base colour of each seems almost identical but it’s that shimmer in Paradoxal that truly sets it apart.
in sunlight
in natural lighting
The third and final coat proved that while the two are rather close initially, Smokin’ Hot does seem a touch deeper and murkier compared to Paradoxal, but they are both in the same tonal family. The shimmer in Paradoxal is usually visible in either direct light or sunlight, and if viewed indoors or in deeper lighting conditions, you wouldn’t really be able to tell there was shimmer, bringing it even closer to Smokin’ Hot’s depth.
in sunlight
in natural lighting
Final thoughts: if you happened to have missed out on CHANEL’s Paradoxal, or don’t wish to pay the highway robbery prices on ebay for it, then Essie’s Smokin’ Hot should appease that craving as they are enough alike tonally. One final note is that a fast-drying top coat is a must, especially for Smokin’ Hot as I found it dried significantly slower than Paradoxal.
