Tuesday, July 13, 2010

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!

24 comments:

  1. Amazing call on the BB Couture -- Paradoxal was just a little bit too dark for my taste, and this is going to be perfect. Thanks!

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  2. gorgeous color! can't wait for it to come to norway :)

    i have chipping issues with chanel too, but after testing a few different top and base coats i have found a combination that'll keep it nice for at least a day. last time i wore particuliƩre it even lasted for 3 days with no chipping, and i type a lot. i use opi natural nail strengthener and poshe super-fast drying top coat with my chanels. polishes and treatments work differently on different people, but testing different combinations might be worth the hassle for such a great color as this one...

    thanks for a great blog :)

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  3. That is the reason why I haven't bought Paradoxal or any other Chanel polish. The quality of the product and the price of the product need to match up. Thankfully I have never had a polish chip on me within the first day.

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  4. I love the color of Paradoxal, but no way am I buying a bottle of Chanel until they fix their formula--no matter how amazing the colors are.

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  5. Thanks for the frank review and for the alternate picks! I had chipping issues with particuliere, so I won't buy Chanel again,either.

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  6. I might just track down some BB Couture, because it's close enough for me! I am NOT paying $23 for a nail of polish. (Besides the fact that the hubs would murderize me) I agree that if you're paying a luxury price, the product better perform better than Wet 'n Wild (or whatever drugstore brand you could've bought 10 of to make the sticker price of $23)!!

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  7. You've posted the best swatches of Paradoxal so far! Thanks so much!

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  8. I'm too broke to spent over $20 on a polish. Do you think you could post some comparrisons? Pretty please??

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  9. Thank you for this! You have successfully killed my lemming for this :) I have both of the colours you've mentioned so I don't think I need this one. I does look amazing on you though.

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  10. Mine did not chip till day 3. Its an awesome color! Love it!

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  11. thanks for the posts... just bought venus was her name....and i like chanel too. but it is a big chipper and a let down for 23.00 if i had it maybe . im still pissed from vendetta. i guess if i had 23 to blow id get MORE polish other than chanel

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  12. Great swatch! Thanks for that! I'm a frustrated Chanel fan with major chipping issues too.

    I've been told that if you swipe vinegar on your nails first; that will get rid of anything that was on your nails and will make base coat and Chanel polishes last longer and chip less. Maybe try that first.

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  13. This color is so pretty, but I keep telling myself I how overpriced and cruddy Chanel's formula can be to keep myself from buying it. I have six Chanel polishes that I almost never wear. I wore them each one (twice for Rouge Noir), and I haven't touched them since.

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  14. Don't have Paradoxal, but Chi Passionate Kiss looks *awfully* close!

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  15. It is beautiful. I cannot wait to see this in person - a nail varnish angel in the US is sending it to me.

    However...I have exactly the same thing with Chanel. Chip City. I don't get it. I am wearing a cheap UK brand at the moment (£1.49 a bottle) and it has stuck to my nails like glue for five days and still looks good as new.

    Yet, £18 or thereabouts in the UK(nearly $40, right?) for a Chanel that lasts a few hours and never through washing your hair or a bath?? Why do we keep doing it to ourselves?

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  16. i had good luck with this chanel and nubar foundation/diamont. 3 days chip free! and then i took if off, naturally!

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  17. You feel like you're paying more for the logo because you are. Of course, you know this already. I agree with you, the polish should be godly if it costs $23 bones.

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  18. Chanel generally wears like iron on me. I can keep a color 5 days without a single chip and with only some minor tipwear. I wear an OPI basecoat and never wear topcoat, so I really do nothing special. I suppose we all have our bad sheep, eh? Mine is Nars. (It never dries on me. Hello sexy bedsheet marks.)

    "Paradoxal" will only reach Europe in october. It's an intriguing color. I'm curious to see what it'll give on me even if I'm almost sure not to want to drop 20€ for it. In general I don't buy Chanel polishes cause... you can always find a cheaper alternative (dupe or layering).

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  19. It is a really great color, but $23 is kind of ridiculous, especially when the formula is terrible.

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  20. Great review of a great color. =) It inspired me to 'franken' my own version, thru layering. Worked out pretty well too, I feel. Thanks so much for the awesome blog!

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  21. Bravo! It's the first time I see someone talking sense about Chanel polishes. They are rubbish! Years ago I worked for Chanel in London and HAD to wear those polishes everyday. They would never last my way from home to work. Until I started to chose similar colours from other brands and memorise the names of the Chanel one to tell my clients. I only used them because they were free and even that, after a while I skipped the "offer". I love Chanel make up, but will never pay even $3 for a polish that bad.

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  22. Try hunting down Barry M Dusky Mauve. It's a UK brand, and with shipping it cost me around $13, but that is still less than the Chanel, but the color is almost identical. I've never tried the Chanel, but the Barry M wears very nicely on me (chip-free for three days). Given the amount of negative reviews of Chanel polish wear I don't plan on buying Paradoxal anytime soon.

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  23. Paradoxal wears quite long on me without chipping. The same goes for most of them except if they're quite sheer. Gorgeous color though!

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