Nail Polish

Chanel Blue Satin 461 was originally launched in Spring 2008 (see details on Temptalia here) as a permanent shade. Per Cafe Makeup’s keen eye, it looks it might be making a comeback as seen on the runway at the Fall-Winter 2011-12 Couture Collection at the Grand Palais in Paris, France. It’s a dark navy blue with an iridescent glow in the bottle. On the nails, the shimmer disappears (unless in direct sunlight) and you see a dark glossy deep rich navy. Since it’s mid-summer, I was initially a bit weary of wearing this right now. Thanks to the help of a few tweets from fellow bloggers, I was assured that Blue Satin is one of those shades that is good for any time of year. They were right!

The newly released Neiman Marcus catalog has a feature on Chanel. Blue Satin complements the dark blue tones of the clothing and accessories. If you don’t receive the catalog in the mail, they usually have extras in-store. I highly recommend that you try to pick one up. The photography is phenomenal and absolutely beautiful!

Two coats, with flash and artificial light, you can see the shimmer a bit:

In direct sun

This is what Blue Satin looks like most of the time, without the direct sun, a deep dark navy:

Overall love. However, this color isn’t the most unique and I think it should be easily dupeble. If you want shimmer, then this is not the navy for you. I haven’t checked out the Dior Blue Tie, but from pictures it appears to be more visibly shimmery than Chanel Blue Satin. Rescue Beauty Lounge’s Under The Stars is slightly more shimmery. See the comparison here. The formula, however, even after having this for several years is still excellent. It has a thin texture but the coverage is rich and very smooth.

Chanel has developed a cult following for their beautiful cutting-edge seasonal nail polishes. As each new collection rolls out, it’s the new Chanel nail polish creations that I anticipate seeing the most. Since Chanel’s Fall Illusion d’Ombre Collection for 2011 was just released, I thought it would be fun to go through past years to see the history of Fall-Autumm Le Vernis colors. This year’s theme is highly metallic, very different than past collections. The colors shown below represent a partial history of the shades from Chanel Fall Collections, the mini releases and special boutique releases are excluded. Also, I did not start collecting until recent years so I know there are a few that I know I am missing and unfortunately I cannot recall releases prior to 2006. Starting from the present and going back in reverse chronological order, these are the shades Chanel has released for Fall.

Fall 2011 Quartz 525, Graphite 529, Peridot 531

Fall 2010 Jade Rose 493, Paradoxal 509

Fall 2009 Gondola 499, Intermezzo 501

Fall 2008 Kaleidoscope 479, Fantastic 481, (missing Gold Fiction)

Fall 2007 Lily Beige 451, Magnolia Rose 453, Lotus Rouge 455, Tulip Noire 457

Fall 2006 Splendeur 217, Black Satin 219, (might be missing a few)

As you can see from the swatches, not all Chanels are created equal. The formula has improved tremendously over the years. Some of the lighter shades apply blotchy and uneven requiring 3 coats. Overall the quality is superb and complexity of colors amazing. Each year Chanel typically releases something unique but timeless, although this most recent season for 2011 seems more trendy than classic, but beautiful nevertheless. I believe a good number have been limited edition and can no longer be found in the US. From traveling overseas, I know some can still be found in Europe, Asia or Duty-Free stores, but I do not have an up-to-date list.

Are you a Chanel Nail Polish collector? If so, can you help me fill in the gaps? What was your favorite Chanel Fall collection? Or do you have a different favorite season?