Even though I spend the GNP of a small country on polish, generally, I can’t bring myself to dish the big bucks for Chanel. I’m lucky though, Chanels seem to find their way to me despite my resistance to buying them. Chanel Cosmique 28 came to me by way of the lovely RaspberryBeetle who was also responsible for the best thing that ever happened to me. Aside from the fact that this polish is another example of RB’s other-worldly kindness, I know absolutely nothing about Cosmique and google was no help. The origin of this polish is a complete mystery to me.
The mysterious Cosmique is a very chic blue, actually, it’s an almost black with a deep blue sheen. It’s very fine blue shimmer in a smokey semi-sheer black base. I don’t have Chanel Blue Satin or Sally Hansen After Midnight for comparison but word on the street is that all these polishes are fairly similar to each other.
The application is a bit streaky but it evens out well by the second and third coat. I love the color but my one major gripe, like with Gold Fiction, is that the bottle is opaque, making it impossible to know how much of the polish remains. Although, I’m starting to feel like that might not be such a bad thing because I become incredibly distressed when I notice a quantity dip in a bottle of polish. The opaqueness hides the sad truth so I can save the craziness for another day.
]]>
We walked away and that was that, or so I thought. My mother had been very generous to me throughout the year and Christmas isn’t a big ordeal at my house anyway so I wasn’t expecting anything. But on Christmas Eve, my Mother came home with a little tiny box, inside was Chanel Gold Fiction. It was so incredibly thoughtful of her for so many reasons. First and foremost, it’s something that I wouldn’t buy for myself and I only told her about it in passing. I truly appreciate that she listens to my fanatical nail polish ravings which often irritate most people in my life. I’m also grateful that she actually got me nail polish. Let me explain, people in my life don’t buy me nail polish unless it’s at my specific direction. My roommates, for example, say, “hey, what do you want for X event?” I say, “Nail polish.” They say, “Ok, here’s a credit card, spend X amount.” Sounds weird, I know, but they’re guys so they don’t relish in gift buying. Other people in my life say things like “Hey, what do you want for X event.” I say, “Nail polish.” They say, ” Noooo, I’m not getting you nail polish.” Of course, I always appreciate whatever gift they ultimately decide on, but I chuckle a little whenever that happens. I mean, I know I’m hard to shop for, it’s not like I have some huge, pervasive, glaring hobby, that I’m constantly talking about and on which I spend all my free time. : P
Gold Fiction is surprisingly beautiful, shockingly so. I wasn’t expecting to like it as much as I do, but I’m still not sure that I would bought it myself. It did, however, make a wonderful gift. Sadly, now that I own Gold Fiction I can say that my previous suggestions don’t even come close to the color or the finish. Other bloggers have suggested that Gold Fiction is the truest gold on the market, I think I have to agree. The finish is sparkly but subtle, very refined and sophisticated. For me, it was a 3 coater. My only complaint is the incredibly annoying opaque bottle. *shakes fist at Chanel* Honestly, I like this polish enough that it’s making me reconsider my decision to refrain from purchasing the Moscow Collection. I think if I had the money sitting around, I’d set my principles aside and splurge for them.
]]>
Kaleidoscope is the quintessential non-glitter ultra-bling polish. It’s like ultra-bling all grown up. The blinginess is more subtle indoors, it becomes a mirrored greenish platinum in indirect lighting. If you only ever buy one Chanel, it has to be this one.
Of course, this color was ‘Limited Edition’ as per Chanel’s modus operandi of creating articifical hype for their polish -insert eye roll- so sadly, it’s probably no longer available in stores. If you want it, you’ll either have to turn to evilbay scalpers and shell out absurd amounts of money for it or you can settle for one of the very worthy alternatives.
]]>
First, here she is (are bottles of nail polish female? hmm) in all her glory:
*Heavy Sigh* In the sunlight, Kaleidoscope shimmers with ultra bling. Indoors and in the shade, it’s more of a subtle mirrored greenish platinum color. It’s beautiful but I have no idea why it’s called Kaleidoscope, neither does Scrangie. If the other shade is Gold Fiction, why not call this one Platinum Drama.
Essie Steel-ing the Scene is the closest thing to Kaleidoscope in my stash. These are actually fairly close color siblings. The main difference is that Kaleidoscope has the greenish tone and a lot more shimmer. However, if you really want to follow this trend but don’t want to blow the cash, Essie Steel-ing the Scene is a great alternative.
Here is Kaleidoscope and Steel-ing the Scene side by side. Despite several attempts, I couldn’t get the image to show the differences between these colors. I blame the inferior camera. While these colors are very close they really don’t look as similar in real life as they look in the image. Steel-ing the Scene has a smoother finish, less bling, less shimmer and is less mirrored.
Adorée Rockport Gray doesn’t have a mirrored finish. It’s a pseudo-metallic light silverish gray with some mossy shimmer throughout. Rockport Gray is not a dupe but it’s a pretty good alternative, especially for people who don’t want to go full out metallic. This is my NOTD right now, it’s subtle enough that I was able to get away with it at work. The application and wear is excellent.
I first lemminged Milani Key Lime Shine when I saw it on FiveZero. The polish doesn’t show the brush strokes, the lines on the surface are actually my nail ridges. If I did this as an actual mani, which I will soon, I would use Camo as a base to eliminate that issue. Key Lime Shine is a highly mirrored metallic light lime green. This is the only one of the colors exhibited here that is available at drug stores, although it is rumored to be hard-to-find.
]]>