fall 2013


Chanel Cosmic nail polish review

chanel cosmic_1

Photo: Chanel Cosmic nail polish from the “Nuit Magique” collection. Shown with one base coat and two coats of color. Photo taken in direct sun.

Chanel Cosmic is the second of two nail polish hues from Chanel’s limited edition collection “Nuit Magique.” This beautiful, special collection of nail polish was inspired by the fall/winter 2013/2014 runway collection and offers a bridge from the nail polish colors of fall and winter to the darker hues of spring 2014.

That’s right! Spring 2014 will be all about dark nail polish; despite the fact that the apparel of the season will be in medium to pale hues! Chanel Cosmic offers a neutral black background with sparkling star-like shimmer. Inside of Chanel Cosmic nail polish are thousands of beautiful, silvery circles which are tiny and powerful. The sparkles add a “cosmic” element to the nail polish which evokes the feeling of star gazing at night with a loved one.

I wore Chanel Cosmic nail polish with one base coat and two coats of color, no top coat, for a full week. Chanel Cosmic did not chip! The nail polish, which is seemingly black with silver sparkles, looks like a deep chocolate brown in artificial light. I am still convinced it is black and the deep, dark chocolate hue I see while indoors is due to poor lighting. Please leave a comment below if you have tried Chanel Cosmic nail polish and have experienced a similar color phenomena.

Chanel Cosmic nail polish is priced at $27 and can be found at Chanel Boutiques as well as Chanel.com. I have also found a few similar nail polishes around the web at softer price points which  assembled into the shopping widget below. Happy shopping, and stay fabulous 😉


Chanel Magic nail polish review from the Nuit Magique collection

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Photo: Chanel Magic nail polish. One base coat, two coats of color, no top coat. Photo taken in direct sun. 2013©

Chanel Magic nail polish is one of two new, limited edition nail polish colors from Chanel’s fall/winter 2013/2014 special collection “Nuit Magique.” This beautiful, dark yet sparkling collection was inspired by Chanel’s own autumn/winter runway, ready-to-wear runway collection. Magic by Chanel is a deep, dark blue which is the perfect shade of navy in a cream nail polish.

Chanel Magic nail polish is a brilliant segway from fall’s Alchimie and Mysterious nail polish colors by Chanel. This classic navy blue hue blends well with both winter’s color palette and resort’s brighter color palette which includes shades of blue as well as hues such as pink and green that play well with navy blue nail polish. Love that!

In addition to working with the current color trends, Chanel Magic nail polish is a dark color which will prepare nail fans for what is to come this spring; black nail polish. That’s right! Chanel will be re-promoting Black Satin nail polish in spring 2014. Remember when “Black Satin” came out the first time and it sold out in stores within 24 hours? Grab a bottle now before history repeats itself!

I tested out Chanel Magic nail polish with one base coat and two coats of colors; no top coat. The polish is dark so it shows chips easily. Magic by Chanel only lasted four days on my nails, but to its’ credit, I did a lot of housecleaning during those four days so I may have sped up the chipping process. If I had used a top coat, Chanel Magic nail polish would have lasted longer on my nails without chipping.

Chanel Magic nail polish is limited edition and a beautiful blue hue! If you are a blue fan like me, grab a bottle before it is too late! Chanel Magic is priced at $27 and can be found at Chanel Boutiques as well as Chanel.com.

There are other navy blue options for nail polish at softer price points. Here are a few beautiful dark blues and navy blues which won’t break the bank.


Trend of the moment: black metal

black metal

Gloves / Bracelets / Watch / Ring / Shoes

One of the big trends to come out of Paris and Milan is the black metal trend. Over the past few years we have seen a big uptick in non-traditional colored metals used in jewelry. One of the popular colored metals in fine jewelry has been black. While this may not seem like an odd color for metal, being that iron is often black, it is not a traditional metal color for jewelry. David Yurman even used blackened silver in his special “Ice” collection for Neiman Marcus several years ago.

As we entered 2013, designers began to use black on items such as handbags and shoes in lieu of traditional yellow, silver or rose-gold metals. The black metal hardware used in accessories offered an edgy yet understated look to luxurious items such as Chanel’s “So Black” classic flap handbag and Valentino’s “Rockstud” handbags and shoes.

With the uptick in black metal being used in accessories, more designers and brands are starting to use black metal in their pieces as an alternative to traditional metals. While black metal will never replace gold, silver or rose-gold metals, it is definitely enjoying its’ place in the accessory spotlight at the moment. It may even be possible that black metal becomes a quiet classic in the accessories hardware department; and possibly in the jewelry department too!

What are your thoughts on black metal? Is this a trend you enjoy wearing? Do you envision it becoming classic over time?

Black metal accessories from around the web: