Chanel Les Impressions de Chanel: Nail Lacquers

Three new, limited edition shades of creamy nail lacquer will debut in January as part of Chanel’s Les Impressions de Chanel Collection. The new shades are: Inattendu, Tendresse, and Particuliere. I didn’t receive Particuliere to review, so I haven’t seen it yet, but hope to pick it up once it launches on-counter at my local Nordstrom!

Inattendu is a warmed-up, creamy fleshy beige. It’s surprisingly warm, despite being so beige, which actually keeps it more interesting and not so flat and blah. The whole nude nails thing is supposedly a trend come spring, so we’ll see how far it trickles down to the consumer level. This one doesn’t match my natural skin tone so dead-on that it’s still noticeable. I found this shade to be more opaque than Tendresse — two or three coats (swatches are with three, for reference) seemed good to me. It’s a very smooth, slightly thick formula.

Tendresse is a milky, baby pink with a creamy finish. It’s almost a neutral pink, but I might call it a yellow-based pink, too. I like it, but it’s not particularly original or unique. I imagine you could easily find a much less expensive shade comparable to this one. Of course, if you’re like me and have a thing for Chanel lacquers… you might not be able to resist. I found that you could see the tips of my nails with two coats, so three coats was definitely a must-do for this shade. Like Inattendu, it’s soft, easy to apply, and looks seamless.

I’ve never had any application or wear issues with Chanel nail lacquers, though I’ve heard many complaints over how long it wears for. I usually pair my Chanel manicures with Zoya’s Color Lock System and always have good results with that technique. Chanel nail lacquers are certainly steep at $23 a pop (even other comparable high-end brands charge less for their nail lacquers, e.g. Dior and Givenchy). While both shades are pretty and perfect for spring, neither is so out-of-the-box that they’re must-haves or must-splurge, rather!

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• Product: 27/30
• Value: 6/10
• Ease of Use: 4/5
• Packaging: 4/5

Recommendation: If you’re on a budget, you can likely find similar shades amongst less expensive brands, but both shades are lovely, if the splurge is more your style.

Availability: January 2010

See more photos and swatches…

Chanel Inattendu / Tendresse Nail Lacquer

Chanel Inattendu Nail Lacquer

Chanel Inattendu Nail Lacquer

Chanel Inattendu Nail Lacquer

Chanel Tendresse Nail Lacquer

Chanel Tendresse Nail Lacquer

Chanel Tendresse Nail Lacquer