Chanel Paradoxal

Chanel Paradoxal. This is the first Chanel polish since Kaleidoscope that I haven't regretted. It's a chameleon color- it's brown... no, wait, it's... purple? But maybe it's grey! It's definitely taupe. Actually, it's all of the above. Indoors it looks like a dark taupe and outdoors it looks like purple-grey with a little hint of purple shimmer. The shimmer in this is not prominent, it's more of a 'secret shimmer', it only comes out if the light hits it just right.

It is worth mentioning that BB Couture Incognito and Jessica Venus Was Her Name are slightly similar to this polish. The BB Couture is lighter and has more noticeable purple pearl but still has the same grey-with-hidden-purple-shimmer look. The Jessica seems a little darker and doesn't have the brown tones that Paradoxal has. Both the BB and the Jessica have significantly better wear time and cost half as much.

I really like this color on me. I think the color of this polish is just fantastic. If only the formula wasn't so ridiculous. One of the reasons I'm not a Chanel fan is that no matter what I do, every Chanel polish I've ever worn has chipped in a matter of hours. I don't normally mind my polish chipping as long as it at least lasts a whole day, but paying $23 for a polish, you'd expect them to wear at least as well as an $8.50 salon brand or even a $4 drugstore brand ... but no... it doesn't. At least not for me. This manicure chipped significantly on three nails within six hours of application and chipped completely off two more by the end of the day. I don't understand how every other polish I've worn- dozens of brands- has not behaved this way but this particular brand does it every time on me.

I've been told that if you use Chanel's basecoat that the polishes wear better. But frankly, I'm not about to go out and buy another $23 product just to make the original $23 product work.

I suppose if the polish didn't carry such a hefty price tag I wouldn't really care at all. If this polish cost $5, or hell, even $10 I wouldn't upset. But it doesn't. I just feel that if I'm paying a luxury price to buy a luxury item that the quality of the item should justify the cost. That's all. Sometimes Chanel does interesting colors, but I can't help but feel like I'm paying more for a logo rather than what's in the bottle.

Other than the almost comical amount of chipping, the formula was okay. Application was good, no major texture or opacity issues with the polish. Dry time was on the long side and I find Chanel's brush to be a little hard to control.


I do really love this color... so next time I wear it I guess I'm going to have to carry the bottle with me for touch-ups. I hope one of the salon brands does a knock-off of this one soon!