I remember when Chanel Vamp came out in 1994. It was the first time I saw how a nail color could take hold and create a frenzy among fashion and beauty mavens. I was in college, and definitely wasn’t buying designer polish, but I was following the trends enough to know that Chanel Vamp was creating history.

Flash forward to 2008 when Peter Philips was named global creative director of Chanel Makeup. The first nail color created under his direction was Gold Fiction. Like liquid gold, Gold Fiction revived the frenzy of having the must-have color at every fashionista’s finger tips. Since then, every collection has featured a set of limited edition colors that have sold out at makeup counters and sold for over $100 on ebay. (Jade has reportedly created the most frenzy with prices reaching $165 on ebay. Laurel Pinson).

What is it about the Chanel Le Vernis Nail Colours that cause this mass hysteria?

Yes, the colors are ground breaking in that they are trendsetters.  That is, many mass market nail color brands follow suit and create copy cat colors.  But I don’t think that’s the main reason.  I think that the Chanel Le Vernis Nail Colours are an easy in to the Chanel Fantasy – “the gateway drug“, if you will.

With basic Chanel flats starting at over $500 and Chanel 2.55 bags starting at over $2,000, Le Vernis Nail Colour is a steal at $23 to $25 a bottle.  Expensive for nail polish? Yes, and some might say that a person is crazy for spending that much on nail polish.  But, when you compare that to the cost of other Chanel products it’s a drop in the bucket.

Most people can’t afford the Chanel shoes, bags and clothing but are Chanelphiles nonetheless (I can attest to that!).  Le Vernis Nail Colours are a way for fledgling Chanel fans to buy into the Chanel fantasy.

Similar Posts:

• Chanel Noir et Or Paris-Shanghai Makeup Collection
• 12 Days of Chanel: Le Vernis Nail Colour
• Peter Philips on Creating Particulière
• Chanel Fall 2011 Nail Polish Sneak Peek: Graphite, Quartz & Peridot
• Introducing Les Khakis de Chanel Nail Collection

We all got a glimpse of the gorgeous new Chanel nail colours at the recent Spring 2010 RTW show in Paris.  Now, images are surfacing on the net of the actual shades:  Particulière, Tendresse & Inattendu.  Chanel’s artistic director of makeup Peter Philips seems to have his finger on the pulse of what women want when it comes to nail colour.  My favorite is Particulière – it’s that perfect mix of grey, brown and olive green that makes it the perfect neutral – or shall we shay the new black?  The new Chanel nail colours will hit stores in January and I can’t wait to get mine!

SourceSimilar Posts:

• Introducing Les Khakis de Chanel Nail Collection
• Chanel Fall 2011 Nail Polish Sneak Peek: Graphite, Quartz & Peridot
• Chanel Introduces Le Vernis Nail Colour In Beige
• M.I.S.S. NYFW: Fashion’s Night Out at Chanel Soho
• Collection Côte d’Azur: The Chic Shades of Saint-Tropez