Q&A: Which is your favouriste shade from the Les Khakis de Chanel Collection?

Indulge me, do you have a favourite from the Les Khakis de Chanel collection of nail varnishes or do you hate them all?

Les Khakis de Chanel - Khaki Brun, Khaki Rose & Khaki Vert

For me, Khaki Vert is the standout as I don't have a shade like it and how could I not love a nail varnish that is almost the exact same colour as my eyes? I might change my mind once I see Khaki Rose in the flesh but Khaki Brun is my least favourite.

So, even if you think £19 for a nail varnish is ridicculous, do you have a favourite colour out of the three?

Q&A: What is your favourite colour of Nail Varnish?

I thought this was a suitable prelude to The Monday Manicure, so if any colours in particular are popular, I will try to include them in future posts.

OPI - Catherine The Grape

My favourites depend on the seasons. In Summer I love bright corals and pinks, my favourites being Leighton Denny's I Love Juicy and Chanel's Riviera. For Autumn/Winter I go for either a nude like Leighton Denny's Supermodel (tomorrow's Monday Manicure) or a range of purples like OPI's Catherine the Grape, Louvre Me Louvre Me Not and Parlez-Vous OPI?

For my toes, anything goes really, from deep red to blue glitter, I think pedicures give us a chance to bring out the show off in us all!

Chanel Paradoxal Nail Varnish Dupe - Nails Inc Fulham Road

Although I mentioned the Nails Inc shade in a previous post, I thought I would take some pictures of it applied to the nails so you can get a direct comparison between Fulham Road and Paradoxal.

The 2 shades side by side: Nails Inc Fulham Road and Chanel Paradoxal

Although from the photo the Nails Inc shade looks more grey than the Chanel, and to contain less shimmer, this is not actually the case.

Nails Inc Fulham Road applied to the nails

Chanel Paradoxal - Spot the difference?

The shade as it appears on the nails is a far more accurate portrayal of the colour as a whole. Owning and having applied them both, I would say that Fulham Road is almost identical to Paradoxal, a proper dupe, more so than it appears in the photos. The only minor difference I found was in application, after 1 coat the Chanel shade looked a lot better but after 2 coats, there was little to tell the shades apart. The lilac/purple shimmer is arguably slightly more prominent in the Nails Inc colour, but I think this is a benefit as the shimmer in Paradoxal could be a trifle too subtle.

So if you like the shade but don't like the Chanel price tag, try Nails Inc Fulham Road, available at just £5 from www.bathandunwind.co.uk.

If your heart is set on Chanel and you can't get hold of Paradoxal, fear not, 3 more limited shades are set to be released this September, Les Khakis de Chanel - Khaki Rose, Khaki Brun and Khaki Vert. They were specially created for Vogue's Fashion Night Out and will cost £19 from Selfridges and Chanel Boutiques. For pictures, check out the post on www.britishbeautyblogger.com.

I want them all!

Manicure Monday - Chanel Le Vernis in Pirate

No rest for the wicked, even though it is a Bank Holiday. Having spent most of the day watching Poirot and Miss Marple, I am feeling a great sense of nostalgia for the glamour and sophistication of the 1930s. The women of that time looked absolutely immaculate and so in a homage to that period, I have chosen classic red for my nails this week.

Chanel Le Vernis Nail Colour in Pirate - £16.50

I own many different reds, all with slight variations in shade or finish, but to get a real thirties feel, I chose Chanel's Pirate, what I would class as a true red.

It gives a gorgous finish in just 2 coat and I instantly feel more elegant having applied it, even as I sit here in my pyjamas!

1 coat OPI Nail Envy, 2 Coats Pirate & 1 coat Seche Vite

I am not a big fan of reds in summer, but with the gale force winds we had today in Kent, for me, summer has officially finished and I am fully embracing autumn and the colours that go with it. I have naturally very fair skin and I love the way the contrast of the bright red of Pirate sets this off. I would class this as a neutral to cool red as a more orange toned red would not produce this effect.

Chanel Le Vernis in Pirate is available nationwide or online at http://www.debenhams.com/, http://www.boots.com/ or http://www.garden.co.uk/ for £16.50.

Chanel Fall Collection has arrived at www.garden.co.uk

Just a quick heads up to everyone that the latest Chanel Fall Makeup Collection has now arrived online at www.garden.co.uk. The collection hit the stores last Friday so it is a week late at the Garden Pharmacy. However, the good news is that products that might have already sold out in store last week are available to buy online. In particular, the Nail Vernis in Paradoxal is still showing as in stock on the website.

Having already bought Paradoxal myself last week, I was looking through my nail polish collection to see if there were any dupes and yesterday I think I found one! Nails Inc Fulham Road looks almost exactly the same in the bottle (I haven't tried it on the nails yet). I think that it may be veering more on the lilac side as opposed to the Chanel that is more dove grey, but if you either can't get hold of Paradoxal or want a cheaper alternative, Fulham Road could be for you.

It is available for jut £5 at www.bathandunwind.com/brands/Nails-Inc-Fulham-Road-Nail-Polish.htm

Leighton Denny Nail Varnish TSV on QVC

Here is the actual Leighton Denny Today's Special Value that is available just for today on QVC.

It is a 12 piece set and costs £29.92 plus £4.95 P&P. It contains 8 mini versions of Leighton's nail colours (the full sizes retail at £11 each) along with a full size Slick Tips (nail and cuticle oil), Undercover Base Coat, Crystal Finish Top Coat and 50ml of Essential Nail Polish Remover. The colours feature 4 of the most popular colours from the range, including bestseller Supermodel, a classic nude, along with 4 colours available only on QVC.

I have a number of the full size varnishes but I am not so keen on the mini versions as I find it harder to get a good finish. However, if you are new to the range or want to experiment with a wide variety of colours without the expense of full sizes, this could be the kit for you.

I am still undecided on this collection as my colour collection is already into 3 figures, I don't think I can possibly justify anymore! If I end up watching the live presentations throughout the day though I'm sure my resolve will weaken, especially with the auto delivery option (you can order so that you receive a different colour collection for the same price every 60 days).

Let me know if you do decide to go for it or if anything else catches your eye today,

English Rose

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Leighton Denny on QVC

This is just a quick post to let all those who, like me, are somewhat nail obsessed, that UK nail supremo Leighton Denny will be launching a Today's Special Value on the shopping channel QVC at midnight tomorrow (Monday).

For those of you who are unfamiliar with QVC and perhaps who would never dream of buying something off the TV, let me explain a few of the benefits.

1. Each day QVC has a Today's Special Value, one carefully picked and designed product that launches at midnight for a special reduced price. That price holds for 24 hours or until it sells out.

2. QVC stocks some fabulous brands that can be difficult in some places to get hold of. These include: Sarah Chapman. Perricone, Elemis, Decleor, Gatineau, Philosophy, Bobbi Brown, Duwop, Nails Inc, OPI and Smashbox.

3. You actually get to see the products being demonstrated (although some demonstrations are definitely better than others) so for nail varnish, on a website it can be difficult to see how a product looks on the nails, but on the TV, you get a more accurate picture of what the product will look like when you get it home. Also, with skincare and makeup, you can learn some great tips from the experts as to how they should be used.

4. You don't need to have access to or to watch QVC to take advantage of the great deals on their products. You can do all your shopping online at www.qvcuk.com.

4, Finally, and I''ve saved the best till last, QVC has a thirty day money back guarantee on all products. I found this unbelievable at first but it means you can buy anything, face creams, mascara, earrings etc, and use them for a full 30 days, and if you change your mind, you pay for the postage back but you get a full refund. I don't know of any other way of shopping where you can return used products that aren't faulty. This policy has made me a lot braver about trying more expensive skincare as I know that I only need to keep it and pay for it if I really think the product is worth it. No more expensive mistakes!

In all honesty, a few years ago I would never have dreamt of buying from or even viewing a shopping channel, but when I fell ill and my shopping activities were severely restricted, I accidentally found it and after some trepidation, realised what a great discovery it was! (and for those of you wondering, I do not work for a shopping channel!)

Now, back to Leighton Denny.

He has won a ton of awards for both his skill as a nail technician and for his product range. His wide range of colours retail for £10.50 a bottle and they are regularly featured in all the top fashion magazines. Aside from the colours, his range features some great treatments as well as the must have nail corrector which makes French manicures quick and easy to achieve. You can check out his website and see his product range at

www.leightondenny.com

To give you an idea, his previous TSVs on QVC have retailed around the £25 mark and the last one featured 4 colours as well as nail & cuticle oil, top coat etc. Whatever Tuesday's is, it is sure to be great value.

If you do tune in, beware not to get sucked into the constant pressurised selling. Be sure that what you are buying is something you really want and will really use, otherwise you can end up being swayed into spending a lot more than anticipated. Although, at least if you get a sudden guilty conscience when face to face with your purchases you can send them all back!

Chanel Paradoxal - Worth the hype?

In the words of Jane Austen, 'It is a truth universally acknowledged that ............ every season Chanel will design the must-have nail colour of the season'. It started with Jade, then came Particuliere, Nouvelle Vague was this summer and now Paradoxal has hit the shelves.

I managed to pick up a bottle of Chanel Le Vernis Nail Colour in Paradoxal first thing this morning and the sales assistant said they were expecting it to sell out by lunchtime. Previous must-have colours by Chanel have ended up on eBay for 2,3,4 and even 5 times the RRP of £16.50 so the lesson is if you want it, buy it now!

The question is, is it worth all the hype?

Before I answer, I must confess to being a bit of a nail junkie. I adore colour and am like a human magpie for all things shiny, so nail varnish is the perfect way for me to express this. As you can see from the photo above, I have the most recent Chanel sell outs but I was a little hesitant over this latest as I had thought it could be a little too similar to Vendetta. For this reason, I have taken some photos of this shade on my nails so that if you were thinking the same thing, you can compare the two.

Vendetta is a very dark purple that can almost look black in certain lights. It has a metallic edge to it and is best described as black with a hint of purple.

When I saw Paradoxal in person and tried it out, I was surprised at how light it is. It is almost more similar to Particuliere than Vendetta. It is a cool mushroom colour with subtle metallic lilac running through it. At first glance it looks like a slate grey, but the lilac that is shot through it gives it that modern edge. It has proved quite difficult to photograph, despite my best efforts, but at least it gives you an idea how it looks on the nails.

I love purple and this shade was not what I expected, but I think it is a fantastic colour for Autumn/Winter. Neutral enough to be worn everyday to work, but the added twist gives it that extra air of sophistication. There are many colours on the market that may appear similar, for example Nails Inc have some great greys and OPI do fabulous metallics and shimmers, but I haven't seen anything that combines this dove grey base with cool lilac in such a natural way.

So, to answer the original question, yes, Chanel have done it again and Paradoxal is worth the hype. I think it would look fantastic on any ages and is the perfect shade for any woman looking for a bit of Parisian Chic. If you prefer bold, statement colours, this may not be for you, but if effortless elegance is what you are after, Paradoxal can't be beaten.

If this post has whetted your appetite and you can't get to a Chanel counter pronto, there are 3 online retailers that I know of that haven't yet launched the Fall Collection so they should have stock tomorrow. These are :

http://www.garden.co.uk/,

http://www.debenhams.com/

http://www.boots.com/

I had a quick look at the rest of the Chanel Fall Collection and it is stunning. I think it would probably suit cooler skintones as there are a lot of deep purples and smokey greys but there is something for everyone. There are 3 new blushers, a bright pink, deep plum and neutral rose, a smokey eye shadow quad, 3 new shades of the Rouge Coco lipstick, 2 eyeliners and 2 single eye shadows in khaki and grey.

I couldn't resist the eyeshadow quad and rose blush, but I could easily have bought everything if my budget had allowed! Although I really enjoyed the Summer pop up collection of nail varnishes and lip products, this new collection is my favourite from the last few years. When my bank balance has fully recovered, I will undoubtedly be back for more.

I will try and post some photos of the eyeshadow quad and blush tomorrow but a word of warning if considering entering a department store this weekend, there are so many beautiful Fall Collections out now, particularly at Dior and Estee Lauder, not to mention Nars and No.7, that your wallet could take a beating!

Happy Shopping

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