Chanel — Graphite

I am a sucker for Chanel nail polish. Maybe it's the luxe packaging. Maybe it's the allure of the French colors... or shall I say, "colours." Okay, okay! I'm biased! But the fact is that Chanel has been at the forefront of nail color trends for years now.  Each season, Chanel collections become the inspiration for more affordable brands and nail polish lovers alike. Chanel shades attain cult status almost instantly. Remember The Great Black Satin Drought of 2006? And who could forget the tide of Nouvelle Vague celebrity devotees last year?

When "Graphite" was released, I think I may have drooled on my keyboard. I just love a good metallic, and Graphite sounded perfect. Is it gold? Is it silver? Is it pewter? Or is it... greenish?? I couldn't wait to find out.

Chanel Graphite is a many-splendored microglitter. It has a sheer charcoal base, filled with tiny specks of glitter that gleam gold, pewter, silver and even verdigris green. Overall, the tone is warm, but I think this polish would compliment any skin color. The first coat went on very smoothly, but it was the second coat that really sealed the deal. It's completely opaque after two coats.

Is it worth the money? (Le Vernis is not cheap.) I was lucky to receive this polish as a birthday gift but, given its awesomeness, I probably would have splurged! If you're on the fence, take the plunge.

The only exception would be if you already own Chanel Kaleidoscope. I missed out on that gem, but word on the street is that these are very, very similar. Not dupes, but similar enough to where you may not want to invest in Kaleidoscope 2.0, aka Graphite.

Here's a picture from polishaddict.com: