Nail Polish

Chanel Phenix 687 Le Vernis ($27, limited-edition) is the new polish for holiday. It’s part of the Collection Plumes Précieuses de Chanel. It’s a beautiful classic red cream. The formula is very fluid and applies smoothly like most Chanel nail polishes. In my mind, Chanel can do no wrong when it comes to reds, but Phenix is very similar to past nail polish releases. I don’t mind similar colors but for those who don’t want dupes, you many want to shop your stash before buying. Still, if you’ve tried a lot of different reds you know how there are a multitude of variations. Some are darker reds, others brighter, some with different undertones like blue or orange. Finding a good red that doesn’t clash too much with your skin or make it look drab can be challenging sometimes. Chanel Phenix is a bright red with the perfect mix of orange and pink in it to brighten the hands and give them a polished classic look.

More photos and swatches of Phenix, it applies perfectly with two coats:

In terms of comparisons, there are Chanel reds that are extremely similar. From arm’s length they will look identical. I tried to do some swatch comparisons, but if you’ve photographed reds before, you know the challenge in capturing the differences no matter what lighting you use. I’ll add descriptions to explain what I see the differences are, but bottom line is that many are extremely similar.

I find Chanel Phenix to be a gorgeous brighter red that pulls slightly warm. I think it will be flattering on most skin tones. If you already own a lot of reds, you may want to skip Phenix and opt for something more unique unless you are a die-hard Chanel fan or collector.

Chanel Phenix is limited-edition. Available at all Chanel counters and boutiques. Online at Nordstrom, Saks, Neiman Marcus, Bloomingdales and Chanel.com.

Chanel Sweet Star Le Vernis ($27 for 13 ml / 0.4 fl oz) is a new limited-edition polish described as a “unique metallic silver shade reveals an iridescent glow that changes with the light.” It’s a complex color that has a multitude of different pearly shades infused into one polish. It reminds me of a butterfly wing the way the color changes as you move your hands. It has a silver and purplish base with shimmers of silver, grey, purple, blue and violet. I bought mine at the Chanel Boutique on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills. It’s also online now at Chanel.com.

Sweet Star has a beautiful smooth formula. It applies very easily on the nails and even though it has a slight transparent quality, I was able to get very good even coverage with two coats. I’ve tested a lot of different brands of nail polish and have many loves, but I always find Chanel seems to perform best for me (it’s in the top five brands for me which include Chanel, Rescue Beauty Lounge, Dior, YSL and Formula X). Many of my readers have commented that they get 2-3 days wear time out of Chanel – I usually get anywhere between 5-7 days of wear with the right base and top coat (my favorites here). If I don’t use a base or top coat, tip wear begins almost instantly. 

Three photos here show how the color shifts depending on how the light hits it making Sweet Star very difficult to capture.

I don’t think I have anything like Sweet Star. It reminds me of some of the older Hard Candy and Urban Decay shades from the 90’s but I don’t own them anymore so I can’t compare. I did pull three other shades I thought might be similar, but after swatching them, it appears they are completely different. Below is Dior Silver Purple (discontinued), Chanel Quartz and Chanel Graphite. I highly recommend you check out Color Me Loud and Indigo Kir Royale for additional Chanel Sweet StarLe Vernis comparison swatches.