If you have been anywhere but under a beauty rock for the past few weeks, you'll have heard all the hype, read the blog posts, seen the swatches of, and generally drooled over Chanel's latest 'hot' nail polish: 'Paradoxal'.
You may or may not have also heard about Dior's latest release: 'Bronze Libertine' which also seems to be making some waves in the world of nails and was released today. I thought, instead of giving my penny's worth about how fabulous and essential both of these shades are for A/W 2010, I'd chose my favourite in a battle-style comparison!
Both look pretty in the bottle. I prefer the Chanel packaging, but hate how they both have that 'fake cap' a-la NARS foundations... Although these make holding the brush a little easier, personally I find them pretty irritating!Moving on to the colours themselves... On paper I would have chosen Paradoxal over the Dior any day. I am a big big fan of Chanel cosmetics, whilst I have never really fallen in love with Dior's offerings. I would also normally choose purples and blues over more subdued brown and gold tones, but I have to say these polishes surprised me!
Paradoxal looks fabulous in the bottle, but the deep shimmer doesn't really translate on the nails, and you can only really see it in bright sunlight. The formulation (as with most Chanel polishes) is quite thin, and whilst two coats give a nice finish, it takes three for perfection (see above for a rushed example!) I do still love the colour. It feels like an update on the 'muddy' nail trend from last winter and is certainly an intriguing colour to wear.
The Bronze Libertine however, appeals to me as a more original choice for the autumn months. It's nice to see a deep bronze during the transition from summer to autumn - a perfect mix of summer beach chic and autumn leaves. The formulation is also lovely. It's smooth and applies like a dream.
Overall I have to say Dior is the winner. Sorry Paradoxal, I still love you... if only the shimmer showed up on the nails rather than just in the bottle!Both polishes are available now (although highly sought after so expect them to be sold out at many a counter!) They are priced at £17 (Dior) and £16.50 (Chanel)
What do you think girls? Does anyone have, love or want either of these shades?
Fleur x
Both of these look gorgeous :) I can't decide if I want paradoxal because it really doesn't look as pretty as in the bottle :( Chanel, sort it out!
ReplyDeletehttp://gemmaantonia.blogspot.com/
I like the Chanel but I love the finish of the Dior! I'd probably buy them both, lol.
ReplyDeletedeffo want the dior more than the paradoxal! never tried chanel but my sweet almond dior was a piece of work when it came to longevity, just a warning to those with non gel/acrylics! xx
ReplyDeleteI've never tried Chanel or Dior polishes before but my favorite is definitely a tie between OPI and ORLY. I absolutely love their polishes and colour selection. Out of the ones you reviewed, I like the Dior one more - a bit more dimension to it. :)
ReplyDeleteroxy
http://roxybeautyblog.blogspot.com/
I'm loving the Dior - that is gorgeous.
ReplyDeleteI have the dior and it's one of my favourite nailpolishes ever! I do think the shimmer could be translated to the nails a little more, but i still like it :) Xx
ReplyDeleteI prefer paradoxal. I actually like the fact it's not as shimmery. Understated chic, I like...Beautiful colour.
ReplyDeletei tried chanel the same colour and the code
ReplyDeletebut, i prefer OPI cuz its easier to polish it evenly on my nail and it is smoother comparing to other brands
China Glaze nail polish is good as well,
u should try it
Hey Fleur,
ReplyDeleteI was wondering if you had tried any of the American Apparel nail varnishes? They are all matte, you get quite a lot in them & the colour choice is amazing! I know you love lilac things (me too!) and there's one called Dynasty which is a kind of grown-up lilac/mauve - perfect for A/W. I painted my nails with it today - it's awesome!
I love the colour of the Dior one!
ReplyDeleteHi
ReplyDeleteI stumbled across your you tube channel/blog whilst looking for the Dior Bronze Libertine on the internet, do you know where I can buy it online as my local stockist has never even heard of it. I already have and love Paradoxal but as I change my nail colour every week I now want to buy Broze Libertine....help!
Paradoxal looks so nice but maybe like you said a bit bland.. I cannot wait for the villains collection to come out those polishes look amazing!
ReplyDelete