This season seems to be the season of beautiful corals and Chanel Distraction 549 is no exception. Distraction is a stunning coral infused with a subtle hint of fuschia shimmer that makes it glow in direct sunlight. On the nails it’s a vibrant coral with a slight hint of pink to prevent it from looking like a straight orange. The finish is slightly jelly-like with a semi-transparent texture but it has rich and smooth coverage with 2 coats. Depending on the angle you hold the bottle or the nails, sometimes it looks more orange, others more coral.
Swatched, here you can see it glow:
It’s very similar to other oranges and corals but I love it. I know many of you wonder how it compares to Laura Mercier’s Cabana – almost identical. LM’s is a bit softer, while Chanel’s is a tad bit more vibrant. Here are a few comparisons swatched.
How do I feel about Chanel Distraction even though it’s practically identical to other corals?
Chanel Frisson 543 Le Vernis is soft super-sheer baby pink infused with gold flecks and tiny multi-colored micro sparkles. From the promotional photos this one looked the most stunning out of the four newest shades, primarily because I found the gold shimmers to be breathtakingly gorgeous. I ordered mine online sight unseen but once the reviews started to surface, my heart sank when I saw how sheer it was. These sources were extremely helpful: Specktra.net, The Purse Forum and Best Things in Beauty’s blog. While all have posted great accurate photos, I was let down when I saw that it didn’t appear to be all that special. Frisson is indeed gorgeous in the bottle and although I know it was designed to be a sheer jelly-like color, I am disappointed. It requires 3 thick coats to show up on my fingers which I feel is too much for this particular shade (it ends up looking goopy). Those who love to layer might like this one. For me, I prefer 2 coats max (of the actual nail color) so I feel this as a topper won’t be good for me. Here are a few more photos.
Here it is swatched, your standard soft pale pink shimmer:
In direct sunlight you can see the gold shimmer:
It’s very similar to previously released soft pink shimmers from Chanel. I understand that repeats are bound to happen. After all there are only so many colors that one can create that are new, fresh and unique. Frisson is definitely among the most complex out of all the paler pinks that I own from Chanel. Not quite as epic as Pink Satin (which I adore for the silver glitter and opalescent sheen), but pretty close.
The good news is that if you missed out on Pink Satin, Mica Rose or Flamingo, the newest Frisson will fill the gap in your collection if you want something similar. Also, good news, if you own any of those shades, you can safely skip Frisson and save for something else. To me I could barely tell the difference.
Pink Satin has more of an opalescent sheen and has silver glitter.
Frisson is the most complex with bigger more visible gold shimmers.
Mica Rose flashes green/blue in the shimmers slightly.
Flamingo has the most smooth shimmer (rather than sparkle) with more white/silver veining.
I should be in love with this shade. It’s soft, natural, pink, shimmery, complex and Chanel. Right now I feel lukewarm. Perhaps it is all the other knock-out killer brights that have my attention right now? It is a stunning shade in the bottle and lovely on the fingers. I know this is something that will grow on me. Part of it is that I was expecting something as epic and unique as prior seasons like Steel, Black Pearl, Quartz, Graphite etc. As of late I feel that Chanel has been repeating themes that are a bit too similar (how many bright pink creams and reds can one possibly want?). This might just be me. When will I learn to wait before jumping to order?
Did you check out the new shades yet? What did you come home with? Or has something else caught your eye for this spring season?
Chanel Attraction 545 Le Vernis ($26 for 13 ml/0.4 fl oz) is a limited-edition cool-toned pearly white frost that has been released as part of the Roses Ultimes de Chanel collection. We saw the first sneak peek of this color on the Spring 2012 Runway Show last October on Café Makeup and La Chanelphile. Pearly whites can be challenging to wear and this one is no exception. The pigment is rich and color striking against my skintone, however the metallic formula is extremely streaky and difficult to wear. Even with very slow and careful application, streaks cannot be avoided. I am not a fan but am undecided whether to keep and try to make it work or regift/return. For the price I would prefer a non-high-maintenance nail color. Nevertheless here are swatches, comparisons and close ups.
Pearly whites aren’t new to Chanel’s Le Vernis releases. I wish they would bring back their classic Le Perle (currently I’m hoarding this using very sparingly so it has not been swatched/photographed). Here are some prior releases, I believe all of these were Limited Edition and no longer available (maybe Intermezzo or Pearl Drop can be found at some counters).
Blanc Petale, Attraction, Intermezzo and Pearl Drop
I’ve added one more shot with a different angle so you can see the hint of shimmers/undertone of each shade, while they are all pearly whites, there is a subtle difference with the pigments.
I ordered my Chanel Le Vernis shades from this collection online at Chanel.com but all counters should have it in store now. Did you buy or try Attraction? What were your thoughts?
It’s been on and off rainy here so the Chanel swatches will be delayed until the sun comes back. In the meantime, I wanted to share some of my nail care tips. Many of you have asked what are my favorite base and top coats. I’m by no means a nail expert (even if I am addicted to Chanel and Dior nail polishes) but here are my top picks.
A brief intro: I think the right base coat or top coat will depend on what kind of nail color you are using. Formula matters. Some top coats are not compatible with all brands of nail colors due to ingredients. For the most part, I’ve found top coats and nail colors within the same brand work well together. However, I rarely stick to 1 brand of nail polish so I’ve looked for base coats and top coats that are versatile among the brands I use the most. These include Chanel, Dior, Rescue Beauty Lounge, Dolce & Gabbana and OPI.
What else I look for: The things I’m most picky with include bubbling and shrinkage. For actual nail colors A number of drugstore brands caused bubbling (I can’t recall which ones, but Poshe is one that did). I found OPI’s top coats just ok, they lacked long-lasting shine for me. The highly acclaimed Seche Vite only worked on Essie and OPI, but for all other brands I’ve tried caused extreme shrinkage. Nail shrinkage is when you see the top coat shrink from the tips and cuticles after application so it looks like it just wasn’t applied over the entire nail. There is debate about what exactly causes shrinkage, I found threads on The Purse Forum and an article on Beaut.ie extremely helpful. I’ve concluded that since SV isn’t 3-free it’s what causes messy-unfinished-looking nails. I even tried adding their thinner (which many have recommended) but it did not work for me.
My picks: I’ve by no means tried every single base or top coat on the market. I can’t say whether these are the best or better than other brands, I just know they work for me for the brands I like to wear.
Deborah Lippmann Rehydrating Base Coat ($18 for 0.50 oz at Nordstrom) – This one I have Amy from Café Makeup to thank. We were chatting about swatching one day and I mentioned that changing colors frequently to do comparisons was harsh on my nails and that my fingers were starting to hurt. She suggested Deborah Lippmann’s base coat which is a wonderful hydrating base coat. It contains aloe and while it won’t solve dry cuticle issues, I’ve noticed a visible improvement in my nail texture after using this. It helps nail color apply smoothly as well. I don’t use a base coat all the time but when I do this one is among my favorites. (Chanel’s is also nice but pricey.) You can read Amy’s review here.
Rescue Beauty Lounge Top Coat ($18 but sold out on Rescue Beauty online) – I purchased this in their Treatment System Trio and fell in love with this thin but super shiny hard-finished top coat. I really hope Ji Baek decides to bring it back. I agree with other reviewers this one takes a bit longer to dry (just a few minutes more) but the finish is shiny and protects the nail polishes pretty well. The thin texture makes it easy to apply smoothly and quickly in a few strokes.
Chanel Laque Brilliant Extrème ($25, I purchased mine at Nordstrom but I’m not sure if they still carry this instore) – A few years back Chanel released a new reformulated base and top coat in the US. I never tried the originals although they were raved about my a number of Chanel fans as the best in the market. I gave the new ones a try. At first I was not impressed, mainly due to the price (versus the $6 OPI options at Ulta). I kept trying this one and really love how shiny and lacquered they make the nails look. They add a shiny smoothness that has a slight cushy look. The texture is slightly thicker but not too thick. Drying time is a bit longer but the result are freshly polished nails. I found that it helped with lasting power as well.
Creative Nail Design Super Shiney Top Coat ($8.50 at Ulta) – This is hands down my favorite top coat for the price that I’ve ever tried. I discovered it at one of my local nail salons. Out of all the different kinds of top coats they’ve used this one provides the longest lasting manicures that are shiny and glossy. The shine is just as good as Chanel’s although not quite as cushy-glassy looking. For the price and quality it can’t be beat. It’s one of the few that I’ve found doesn’t bubble or shrink. It’s 3-free with a slight tint which is supposed to be a UV absorber that guards against fading and discoloration. (I’ve stopped using the nail dryers at the salons and prefer the fans or air drying even though it takes longer. I’ve found that sometimes the light dryers change the color of reds or purples and darkens them.)
My personal top 2 picks: Deborah Lippmann and CND. What are your favorites?
Happy Valentine’s Day! A quick peek at the latest from Chanel: four new Le Vernis shades in Attraction, Frisson, Distraction & Tentation.
I didn’t have enough time to take photographs of them swatched on the fingers before the sun went down yesterday. I did play a bit though, more swatches to come later. Initial thoughts:
Attraction is a nightmare with streaking. Looks horrid.
Frisson is sheer and requires 3+ coats to show up, but it’s a nice sheer shimmer.
Distraction is a gorgeous coral with a fuschia sheen in the bottle, on the nails it’s more coral.
Tentation is a fuschia/pink version of Rouge Carat.
These close ups were taken with my iPhone, sorry about the craptastic quality. I’ll get better shots later.
The one thing I wanted to post first was the comparisons for those wondering how similar/different the new shades are from prior releases. I hope this helps!
Laura Mercier’s new nail polishes from her Très Chic Collection this spring are the perfect mixture of bright and colorful but manage to be soft enough to be appropriate for work. I have a couple nail polishes from past limited collections and wish she would introduce a permanent line (or sprinkle a few more releases here and there for nails). There are 5 new shades for spring, all limited edition and $18 each. The colors come in a square bottle and a perfectly sized brush that is slightly flattened/wide for easy application.
The colors are all creams without shimmer:
Oh La La is a soft pastel pink (sheer)
Flamingo is a bright pink
Cabana is coral-peach perfection with a soft cushy finish
Sizzle is a hot coral red
Luscious is a bright fuschia purple
The colors are bright and punchy and I love each of them. I could have passed on Oh La La which is the weakest shade, but I find sheer pale pinks weak in general. There are slight streaking problems with this color but evens out with 2 thick coats. The other shades have a decent formula which applies smoothly with 2 coats. I found Laura Mercier’s applied best over Deborah Lippmann’s Moisturizing Base Coat (thanks to Café Makeup for the recommendation, read her review here). I haven’t worn any for an extended period of time (over 2 days) but so far, the results are good. I’m still partial to the formula of OPI, Chanel, Dior and Rescue Beauty Lounge when it comes to nail polish formula, but the Laura Mercier comes quite close. With the proper base coat and a good glossy top coat, the result is smooth, rich and all out gorgeous.
Here are the shades swatched individually, 2 coats each over Deborah Lippmann’s Base Coat, but with no top coat:
Comparisons were difficult to photograph because from my digital camera and iPhone, some of the brights look identical although in person there are distinct differences. As you might suspect with classic brights, there are definitely dupes out there. I personally liked Cabana the best as the perfect soft but bright peachy shade, although there are similar colors, Cabana has the right mixture of softness to prevent it from being too harsh or orangey. As you can see below, there are similar shades, but I really love each of the new ones from LM.
If you’re on a budget, I’m sure there are many OPI shades that will give you a similar effect. I’m personally looking forward to seeing the Holland Collection once it’s launched at Ulta. Still the Laura Mercier shades manage to look classic and polished for brights without looking cheap like some bright shades can.
Dior’s Spring Garden Party Collection has a romantic and youthful palette of greens, purples and pinks. This season Dior has released two rose-scented nail polishes for spring in Waterlily 504, a soft iridescent pale green shimmer and Forget-Me-Not 694, a lilac purple cream ($23 each). Both are limited edition.
Dior Waterlily 504 is a soft pastel mint green with subtle shimmer that is fun and youthful. The texture is slightly thicker than other Dior nail polishes I own, but still applies with smooth full coverage. I find Waterlily very similar to Chanel’s epic Jade, but the Dior is slightly more leaf-green while Chanel has a bit more mint. There is something oddly irresistible about a soft minty-green shimmer even though it is anything but office-appropriate (in my mind). I agree with Café Makeup that the finish is more satiny with the Dior for this particular shade. If you want the classic high-shine finish you will need a top coat. Below I’ve swatched Waterlily with 2 coats and no top coat:
Dior Forget-Me-Not 694 is a lilac purple cream with a very slight hint of silver microsparkle. It applies more like a cream and the shimmer is only detectable if you look at the bottles closely. Forget-Me-Not applies smoothly with 2 coats. It’s a lighter version of Dior’s Purple Mix.
I pulled my greens and purples to swatch comparisons. I picked the closest shades to finger swatch here:
A more comprehensive comparison set:
When the promotional photos came out of Dior’s Spring Collection, my initial thoughts were “pass.” The collection has some of the most exquisite detailing with the design and gorgeous spring-like colors, but everything seemed a bit too pastel for my taste. However as photos of the nail polishes popped up on blogs I could not resist. I wore Forget-Me-Not all week and it lasted quite well without any chipping. While this is a brighter non-neutral purple, I still felt comfortable wearing this to the office on the fingers. The rose scent is very subtle and only noticeable when I hold my fingers close to my nose. Here are a few other resources I recommend (not comprehensive but just a few of my favorites):
If you’re considering these at all I suggest you act fast since they are limited edition. My local Nordstrom only had one of each shade left in the store by the time I called. Did you pick anything up from Dior Spring? What were your thoughts?
