Chanel Particuliere: Sometimes a splurge is worth it!

I was in the mood for a real treat when I headed out the other day. I recently scored some Revlon and Almay goodies on sale for less than 2 bucks apiece and I was bound and determined to use the savings to buy something outrageous and wonderful. In addition, I just aced some really important testing at work and I totally deserve something special for all my hard work, right?

I started out looking at eye shadows, but once I thought about the 200+ colors I had at home, I realized I probably didn’t need yet another one. In the end I settled on buying a new nail polish and after perusing the counters for a while I decided that I was going to pony up the coin for Chanel’s nail colour in “Particuliere”.   Now, this bottle of polish set me back more than my lunch did that day($23), but, oh, *swoon* it was worth every penny!

Normally I wouldn’t spend $23 on a nail polish, much less a taupe polish, but the sales associate really hooked me when she said that the gray tone of this taupe would be especially flattering on my fair skin. Hey, you make it sound like being pale is to my advantage and I’ll bite almost every time. I’ve always been pleased with the performance of Chanel’s polish in the past and I didn’t see anything I wanted more, so I snatched up my expensive little bag and headed home.

Oh my wow. Seriously, there is a reason this is THE color to love this season. Just look:

First off, this is one coat, ONE. The color is so rich and creamy that you can hardly tell it’s not fully opaque without a second coat. Totally passable with a single coat in a pinch, and it dries quickly. It’s so smooth and shiny and it wears really, really well. Those nails took a beating when I cleaned my kitchen floor and came out of it looking like a dream, a little worn on the tips, but no chips at all.
The color is simple and classic with enough of a twist that there’s just nothing else out there to match it. Over at All Lacquered Up there’s another great review with swatches and comparisons and Michelle seemed to like it too, so that makes it two thumbs up.
Ultimately, $23 is a ridiculous amount of money to spend on a nail polish if you plan on purchasing it on a regular basis, BUT, I think this color and it’s longevity make it more than worth a special occasion splurge. I never thought I’d be so happy to have anything taupe, much less taupe that I’d pay that kind of coin for. Go to the nearest Chanel counter and slide some of that delicious gorgeousness across your fingernail and then see if YOU can say no!