NAILS: CHANEL Paradoxal

      Yes. Another post on CHANEL`s famous Paradoxal. I`m sure you are so sick of hearing about this product. `Paradoxal` is not a real word, but `paradoxical` is. I`m sure Chanel knew this when they so cleverly named this product. Also, when I watched YouTube videos containing this product many people used the word 'infamous'. Why? Has it done something wrong to garner a bad rep? It's incorrect. Hate me if you will = ).

      I skipped this when the Fall 2010 collection launched because at the time I was not into polish (and I'm still not) but also I refused to pay over $20CAN on one single nail polish. This was limited edition so I thought I missed my chance. It is now permanent of course =_='. I came home, tried it on, and I can see why people love this so much. 

       Truly, this color is gorgeous and bewitching. In the bottle, it is a perplexing shade. It is a mixture of muddy purple, grey, and taupe all wrapped up in shimmering red-violet. I also had a hard time trying to capture the complexity. Some reviews have stated that it is a mix of Vendetta and Particuliere. The shots above are in normal indoor daylight.

Indoors during the day: pretty...

On a windowsill in direct sunlight: you can see the red tones.

       This color looks much different in the tube than on the nails, it comes out much darker. Depending on what kind of environment and lighting you're in, this shade looks different as well. I have read numerous reviews and some were disappointed that the shimmer did not translate and can only be seen under direct sunlight. I personally love dark colors on my fingernails but I prefer not to have such obvious shimmer. I think the hidden shimmers really gives the product a mysterious feel. Also, because the shimmer is so fine and subtle, this can be worn to the office without being too distracting. 

Yeah...don't mind the shoddiness and the dent. I was in a rush lol.

I hate my stubby fingers...sigh.

       The bottle actually has two caps. The one with the logo can pop off, leaving another smaller cap behind. I use the smaller one so I have more control. The brush is very thin looking but covers the nail very nicely when brushed. I have wider nail beds, so this was fine. The formula was a bit tricky for me, it is not runny nor thin, but slightly thick. Not as thick as OPI though. The first attempt which you see in the shots above, I tried using it in thin layers. That was a streaky mess. I find that two medium-thick coats make it completely opaque. I used a base and top coat, which made it extremely shiny. I've been wearing this for 3 days now and there hasn't been any chipping. Many of the reviewers used Seche Vite for their topcoat and it seemed to make it chip much faster in my opinion.

      CHANEL makes some of the most glorious shades in their Le Vernis line and although I was hesitant at first, I have a feeling I will end up purchasing more. I am already eying Rouge Fatal. There are claims that there are dupes for this shade, particularly Dusty Mauve by Barry M, which I do not own. Chanel is Chanel, Barry M is Barry M. No dupe is a dupe unless it is *exactly* 100% the same in terms of everything. Call me a label whore but again, that is just my humble opinion =D. Thanks for reading! 

Product: 1. CHANEL Le Vernis - $26CAN