Chanel Paradoxal Nail Lacquer Review, Photos, Swatches

Date: Sunday, July 4th, 2010 Author:

Chanel Paradoxal Nail Lacquer
Chanel Paradoxal Nail Lacquer

Chanel Paradoxal Stuns

Chanel Paradoxal Nail Lacquer ($23.00) is a stunning shade of grayed plum with red and violet microshimmer.  It applied beautifully–one of the best Chanel lacquers in terms of formula I’ve tried–and only needed two coats for complete opaqueness.   The nuances of this shade are best captured in direct sunlight, but it’s smoky and sultry in indirect/natural lighting, too.   Very, very beautiful and sophisticated.

I’ve always had good luck with Chanel lacquers–no chipping issues for me.  I always use mine with Zoya’s Color Lock System and that seems to keep everything on the up and up for about a week or so.  I know that this is not an affordable nail lacquer, but it’s not supposed to be.  Avid Chanel lacquer collectors won’t be disappointed by the latest shade release, though!

If you want to know more about how products are evaluated, read out Rating System FAQ! :)

  • Product: 30/30
  • Value: 6/10
  • Ease of Use: 4/5
  • Packaging: 4/5

RECOMMENDATION: Nail fanatics will likely gravitate towards this shade, because it is such a unique mix of gray, mauve, and plum. It’s not the prettiest nail color of all time, but as Chanel often does–it is different and still pretty.

AVAILABILITY: July 2010

See more photos & swatches!

Chanel Paradoxal Nail Lacquer
Chanel Paradoxal Nail Lacquer

Chanel Paradoxal Nail Lacquer
Chanel Paradoxal Nail Lacquer

Chanel Paradoxal Nail Lacquer
Chanel Paradoxal Nail Lacquer

Chanel Paradoxal Nail Lacquer
Chanel Paradoxal Nail Lacquer

Chanel Paradoxal Nail Lacquer
Chanel Paradoxal Nail Lacquer

Chanel Paradoxal Nail Lacquer
Chanel Paradoxal Nail Lacquer

Disclosure

This review contains a sample product sent for consideration by PR. Our priority is to you, and we honor that commitment by being honest! We don't do paid reviews or guarantee reviews. We promise to remain truthful with you.

If you are uncertain what this all means, I urge you to read our Editorial Policy and FAQ for further clarification. You can also contact me at christine@temptalia.com.

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38 thoughts on “Chanel Paradoxal Nail Lacquer Review, Photos, Swatches

  1. Laia says:

    I’m definitely loving this shade! I always liked to wear not-so-normal colors so this is a go for me :)

  2. Gisele says:

    Not a color for me. BTW, I was at Nordies yesterday and the Chanel and Dior fall collecitons were out. I bought the Pink Teaser glossimer and Jade Rose np but decided against the Dior quint since it dupes shadows I’ve got. Booo!

  3. Andrea says:

    aiii mi mama, this is Beutifull love it, looks like taupe but then you see the purple :)

  4. amy says:

    That looks like a interesting colour, I would have to check it out in person. Hopefully, it is not sold out already at the Chanel counters.

  5. zoe77 says:

    wow what a gorgeous, unique color. too bad id never pay that much for nail polish.

  6. Hanna says:

    Love it!
    Any cheaper dupes out there?

    • Christine says:

      Not that I can think of!

      • Jill says:

        Actually if it’s avalible to you in the U.K., or if you’re willing to get it on eBay or perhaps Amazon, Barry M’s Dusty Mauve is a PERFECT dupe. The formula is a bit thinner and I found it requires three coats for it to be opaque, it’s a great value and they are spot on. I’m currently wearing Chanel on every other nail and Barry M on the others and no one can tell the difference!

  7. sillylilacs says:

    Very unique, I feel like at first glance, it’s another deep dark plum colored polish, then you take a second look, and it turns gorgeous!

  8. Sherri says:

    Pretty color :) do you know of a more affordable version of this $23 is a bit steep for me.

  9. Bernice says:

    That is so unique !
    Thanks for the last pic ! I can clearly see the grey and the purple shimmer :)

  10. Colette says:

    I find the color to be a bit dull to be honest. I’d have preferred a darker purple. This is a skip for me, even though I adore Chanel polishes.

  11. Marina says:

    It looks like Particuliere with purple shimmer added. I don’t like this type of colour for nails, looks a bit like dirty nails LOL but it would make a beautiful eye shadow!

  12. Connie says:

    I have been eyeing this all weekend. I finally bit the dust and bought this along with the Pink Explosion blush and lipstick in Legende.

  13. Elusive says:

    Relieved that I don’t like it!

  14. MichelleChefNYC says:

    This reminds me of Metro Chic, but with a reflect to it… very pretty for fall

  15. Shadowy Lady says:

    HOT! thanks for the swatch and review Christine, I will pick this up as soon as it’s available in Canada (and that’s not till August) :(

  16. Roxy says:

    Hmm in that last picture it kind of reminds me of the Nars Purple Rain nail color which i own and adore. However i’ll be passing this one up! :)

    • Melissa (divinem) says:

      I own the NARS Purple Rain. I was afraid it would be too, but they’re not alike at all.

  17. Michèle says:

    I think it’s absolutely gorgeous! Your photos demonstrate really well how different it can look depending on the lighting, i think it’s fab :-D

  18. Samantha says:

    I love the shade but I thought it was an solid color, no pearl!

  19. Isabelle says:

    I got mine and I can’t wait to wear it but it’s because I love these types of colors :)

  20. Luisafer says:

    I have something similar to this one *affordable* by the way, guess this one most be better, but I love the final result I get and I love the color!!!!

  21. Annette says:

    This was my first Chanel nail polish purchase. I usually wear lighter neutral colors, but I wanted to try something different. This nail polish is beautiful. In the sunlight, it’s absolutely stunning.

  22. Ana says:

    It`s gorgeous! And I think you`re right – it`s really unique ;)

  23. Hilana says:

    Beautiful. Love it!

  24. debo says:

    I have my bottle, wasn’t gonna miss this one!

  25. Melissa (divinem) says:

    Question, Christine. This is my first Chanel nail lacquer. I notice that the square cap over the round, ridged lid doesn’t stay on. Is it supposed to be removed while applying the lacquer?

    I noticed in the photo with the bottle in your hand, that you have the square cap off, too, so I’m assuming my packaging isn’t faulty?

    Thanks for posting. I got mine the other day and LOVE it. Can’t wait for fall, my favorite season! :)

    • Christine says:

      Hey Melissa,

      YEP! You remove the cap, then untwist the inner cap, lol. :)

      I was like, “WTF?” when I first got one, too.

      • Melissa (divinem) says:

        Glad to hear I don’t have a defect. Stupid packaging design. Too easy for me to lose the lid’s outer cap. Oh well. The color is phenomenal! Thx for following up. :)

  26. lucia says:

    is this out yet?

  27. Evelyn says:

    I bought this color and I was thinking to myself that it reminded me of something. I realized it’s the color of kalamata olives! lol I like them and this color too!

  28. anonima says:

    Isso é uma verdadeira bosta chaneel afeeeeeeeeeeeee