Chanel’s latest for nails is their Rouge Rubis #677 Le Vernis ($27). Bits of Chanel’s holiday collection have been trickling in stores and online at Nordstrom (see this post for what’s online now). I ordered mine sight unseen from Nordstrom.com. When it arrived I thought it might be just another basic red. After applying it I think I have found my holy grail red (it beats Dragon and Pirate in my eyes). It’s a drop-dead gorgeous jelly red. The formula is absolutely amazing. It’s the jelly of all jellies. Smooth flawless coverage with a slight transparent look due to the thin jelly-like finish. One coat covered the entire nail perfectly but I almost always do at least two coats. The texture is on the thinner side like Pirate making it super easy to apply – flawlessly. It’s a bright true red that just glows. There’s no orange or blue base/undertone. Just a straight classic bright red with a naturally glossy finish.
Here it is swatched with two coats, with Deborah Lippmann Rehydrating Base Coat and Chanel Brilliance Extreme Top Coat. Here you can see the slight transparent/jelly-like finish with a high gloss shine:
In natural light it glows:
In direct sunlight it’s electric:
For comparisons, I think you can almost always dupe reds. I did find this one unique in Chanel’s line. There’s not a single color that has the same brightness while still being a true red (others have blueish bases or a distinct bright orange undertone). Here are a few comparisons, I believe most are still available for purchase right now:
- Chanel Cinema (reviewed here) is darker and slightly dusty (not quite as bright)
- Chanel Rouge Carat (reviewed here) flashes more blue/cool toned due to the shimmer
- Chanel Pirate is more blue-based
- Chanel Dragon is a darker red
- Chanel Rouge Fatal is even darker
- Chanel Lotus Rouge almost looks mauve next to Rouge Rubis
- Guerlain Rouge d’Enfer #121 is very similar but slightly more orange and slightly darker
Bottom line it’s a must-have. Chanel Rouge Rubis #677 retails for $27. It should arrive at all Chanel counters very soon, right now it’s available for purchase online at Nordstrom.com.
