Chanel has released a late-spring nail polish color; Taboo. This sparkling nail polish color is not what one would expect to see in the warm, late spring months, which could explain the name “Taboo.” Chanel Taboo nail polish is a deep, dark purple with red undertones. In the bottle, Chanel Taboo looks like a swirl of sparkling purple and red nail polish, but this is not the case when applied.

I applied two coats of Chanel Taboo nail polish and the color turned out to be a true, deep dark purple. The dark purple hue is enhanced by a plethora of sparkles which add a whimsical flair to the vampy color. Surprisingly, this dark purple color works well with the bright colors of spring 2013 and blends easily with the oceanic colors of the season. Due to the red undertones, Chanel Taboo also blends well with red and pink apparel. Love that!

For the past few seasons we have been recommending short, neat nails for dark nail polish. Not for spring 2013. The new trend in nails is to grow them long! Nails should be curved or slightly pointed at the tips; not squared off. Of course, if you prefer shorter nails, keep your nails short. Nothing is more impractical than long, pointy nails! Chanel Taboo looks good on any nail length this season and since the color is so dark, it can easily be worn in the fall too. Fabulous!

Chanel Taboo applied evenly without streaking. We used one base coat and two coats of color; no top coat. Chanel Taboo is the one and only nail polish color in the late spring 2013 beauty collection from Chanel so it is easy to spot at Chanel counters everywhere. Chanel Taboo can also be found online at NeimanMarcus.com.

Photo: (Taken in direct sunlight-no filter or edits) Chanel Taboo nail polish spring 2013. One base coat, two coats of color, no top coat.

Photo credit: Cathy/Bay Area Fashionista 2013©

Inspired by the “modern elegance and glittering beauty of Hong Kong,” Chanel has created a special, limited edition collection aptly named, Hong Kong de Chanel. This new beauty collection features two nail polish hues and one eye shadow palette.

The eye shadow palette, “Pearl River,” is filled with light and dark neutrals which can easily integrate into any Fashionistas’ beauty collection. The two nail polish colors are named “Western Light” and “Eastern Light.” They are direct opposites! “Western Light” is a dark, chocolate brown which has a slight sparkle and “Eastern Light” is a creamy, pasty white nail polish. 

As someone who loves Chanel beauty products, I went ahead and purchased the entire Hong Kong de Chanel beauty collection. The eye shadow colors in “Pearl River” are perfect for both daytime and evening and easily integrated into my current eye shadow collection. This is a fabulous Chanel eye shadow palette which has colors that work for all four seasons.  The “Pearl River” eye shadows even have a slight sparkle! But make no mistake, they are not glittery, the eye shadow colors have a slight sparkle which is just enough to add a little dimension to the colors. Love that!

Chanel’s “Western Light” is a dark, chocolate brown nail polish color. Although this nail polish is being introduced now, at the beginning of the spring season, when I wore it, the color felt right for the late summer and fall seasons. If you like chocolate brown, since this is limited edition, I would buy it now and save it for August through November.  “Western Light” by Chanel applied smoothly and I was able to use two coats of colors without a top coat. The nail polish lasted for seven days before chipping! Fabulous!

“Eastern Light” by Chanel is a creamy white nail polish which will be perfect from April until August. The stark white nature of the color seems too bright for early spring. “Eastern Light” by Chanel did not apply evenly. This nail polish needs three coats for complete coverage. The result is a vivid white color which will look amazing with springs’ vivid pastel color palette as well as offer a neutral background for spring and summers’ bright and neon hues! Love that!

“Western Light” and “Eastern Light” nail polish by Chanel is priced at $30 for each color. The eye shadow palette, “Pearl River” by Chanel is priced at $80. The Hong Kong de Chanel beauty collection is limited edition and sold exclusively at Chanel boutiques and chanel.com. Happy shopping, and stay fabulous 

*About the photos: Photos were taken without a filter and in natural light. Although frames were added to the photos, and white sparkles were added to the group photo of Hong Kong de Chanel, the colors were not modified or altered.
Eastern Light and Western Light by Chanel were shown with one base coat and no top coat. Western Light is shown with two coats of color and Eastern Light is shown with three coats of color.

Photo credit: Cathy/Bay Area Fashionista 2013©