Chanel made a smart move that makes a nail polish collector's heart skip a beat. They remade three of their cult reds from 1980s. How cool is that?
By the time I knew what fashion is and that I could dress up appropriately, 80s were already over. I was more interested in music and my fashion sense followed along when I was a teen at 90s. I loved 60s, early 70s, the music, hippies, all the ideologies they believed whole heartedly but I was never into 80s. I remember my mom having to remove the shoulder pads from my shirts when I was a little girl because I wouldn't wear anything which had them. My childhood passed by as I was hoping 80s would be over and I was all ready when 90s arrived.
 |
| Chanel Le Vernis #38 Rouge Flamboyant, #71 Laque Rouge, #19 Rouge No 19 |
Today when we think of all the brands jumping in the bandwagon with their newly curated make-up lines, it is not hard to step back and see the history behind a long established brand such as Chanel. It tells why it is still the hottest discussion on beauty forums when photos of new Chanel nail polishes are revealed for the next season. Most of us can remember our mothers even our grandmothers loving a particular Chanel shade. We share memories, Chanel is a part of us.
A history back in time. Year 1980, some carry over thoughts from 70s dominate the fashion industry. Colors are subdued, so are the accessories. Chanel Le Vernis #38 Rouge Flamboyant, "a fiery red to cheerfully welcome a new decade" is released. Chanel being always ahead of the time, slowly makes the fashion world warm up with the idea of "brighter" colors for the second half of the decade.
 |
| Chanel Le Vernis #38 Rouge Flamboyant, photo taken with sun light |
Chanel Le Vernis #38 Rouge Flamboyant is a warm classical red with a tad of orange to lift up your spirit. It applied beautifully, right consistency, self levelling and opaque in two coats.
 |
| Chanel Le Vernis #38 Rouge Flamboyant, photo taken in shadow |
Year 1981, Chanel reveals their new nail polish, an elegant deep red with a touch of berry, Le Vernis #71 Laque Rouge. Is it one of the pioneers before it all started to get deeper with Vamp? It is hard to pinpoint, all that can be said is that it is lovely on the fingertips and toes alike.
 |
| Chanel Le Vernis #71 Laque Rouge, photo taken in shadow |
Chanel Le Vernis #71 Laque Rouge can be worn all year around but I find it especially pretty for fall and winter. It has a great consistency and a very lovely glossy finish. I applied two coats for opacity but with this one you can almost get along with one.
 |
| Chanel Le Vernis #71 Laque Rouge, photo taken with sun light |
1980s are almost over, just three more years to go and there comes my favorite of the bunch, playful, feminine yet classic. Chanel Le Vernis #19 Rouge No 19 was released in 1987. If you are not into reds, you may like this one. It is a blue toned pink, with almost fuchsia undertones. The new version has fuchsia hidden shimmer, which makes it appear even more pink than it was with the first release back than.
 |
| Chanel Le Vernis #19 Rouge No 19, photo in shadow |
Chanel Le Vernis #19 Rouge No 19's new version has wonderful consistency and formula. It is opaque with two coats. The hidden shimmer reveals itself quietly once the right amount of light falls on the nails, making it very unique.
 |
| Chanel Le Vernis #19 Rouge No 19, photo with sun light |
I was so obsessed with that fuchsia red, I had to hunt the old version from 1987 down a few years ago. I am glad to be able to compare these two for you, as you see the new version has more of Chanel's hidden shimmer and as a result it appears cooler, with more pink on the nails. I was told that the matching lipstick of Rouge No 19 has also shimmer, so I imagine that they decided to vamp up this shade to a degree they were not able to do back then. All in all I am loving the both versions but new one even more!
 |
| Chanel Le Vernis #19 Rouge No 19, old version vs. new version |
 |
| Chanel Le Vernis #19 Rouge No 19, swatch, old version vs. new version |
Do you know Chahevu? She has the biggest Chanel nail polish collection that I know of and has a lovely blog in German. The photos speak for themselves even if you don't translate the text. Check her posts about: Le Vernis #38 Rouge Flamboyant and comparison to two older versions, Rouge No. 19 and comparisons to two older versions, #71 Laque Rouge and comparison to an older version.
Final thoughts: All thumbs up for Chanel to bring back these lovely reds for us. I hope they consider to bring back some other cult shades such as Night Sky, Jade and Facettes Collection.
Availability/Price: These three reds are now available at Chanel.com and they keep popping around world at many Chanel counters. I got mine from Stuttgart Breuninger last week. They are prices the same as permanent shades.
How do you like this idea from Chanel? Which particular shade would you like to see remade?
I love this repromote, and hope some others will follow. My fave is for sure no 19, a shade that is quite peculiar and really better in person than in pics
ReplyDeleteI love No 19 too, my favorite of the bunch. It is really better in person, you are so right.
DeleteI'm really not that big on reds so I'll skip these. However, talking about wishing Chanel bringing a Le Vernis back, I'd have to say Nouvelle Vague!
ReplyDeleteOh Nouvelle Vague! That one is my favorite Chanel nail polish of all times and I have to admit I backed it up quiet strongly ;-) It can still be found at swapping websites, I may check it for you if you want. It is definitely easier to find than say Riva or Jade.
DeleteHow interesting to be able to compare the original No19 to the new release - Chanel's micro shimmer is, to my mind, what beats all other brands hands down in the polish department. This collection has released simultaneously with the Holiday selection here in London. I thought I would be sick of red but I can't wait to try all these out. Having said that, I long for a repromote of Jade and the Russian collection as I despair of ever owning them otherwise!
ReplyDeleteJade and Russian Collection are both being sold for 10 times the retail price at evilBay, go figure. I have invested in Russian Collection some years ago and it was a big event since a friend got them for me but then the package got lost. It appeared almost two months later on my door step. I swear I could sleep with these nail polishes that night. You can imagine how much it all costed to get these...
DeleteIch hätte die Idee sehr gemocht, wenn ich die Nagellacke ganz normal kaufen konnte!! Aber nein!!! Nur ausgewählte Läden und bei mir in Hannover natürlich nirgendwo!
ReplyDeleteIm Frankfurt sind die SOLD OUT, eine Freundin wird für mich in Berlin schauen oder Irena aus Irland wird mir die dort besorgen!
Danke an Chanel! Die Politik hier bei uns verstehe ich langsam nicht!
Und ich will die Lacke unbedingt haben, da ich die auch sammle :)))
Liebe Karo, Ich hoffe dass du die Nagellacke gefunden. Du hast Recht, sie sollten diese zugängliche machen, so ist alles so exklusiv bei uns in Deutschland. In der USA sind diese seit 1-2 Monate online bestellbar, so ist es auch in Frankreich. Ich verstehe nicht diese Unterschied. Warum ist alles bei uns so kompliziert ist. Auch wegen Weihnachtkollektion z.B.
DeleteGreat post. And I would totally go for Jade and the Russian Collection. Since I have Ciel de Nuit and the Facettes. We can always dream. I also love Kaleidoscope which is not so rare-- but still a great original.
ReplyDeleteOh you have Ciel de Nuit? *swoon* I should come and visit you! ;-)
DeleteSo lovely that you managed to find the original formula!! And i love the hidden shimmer in N19, it's a lovely pink on me!
ReplyDeleteI am loving that hidden shimmer, so lovely and the effect is breathtaking, especially under a strong light.
Delete