CHANEL Limited-Edition Pair — Nuit Magique

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Screen Shot 2013-12-02 at 12.33.04 PM O HAPPY DAY.

Not only is it Cyber Monday (I think you had to have lived in the early AOL days to find that name hilarious) but... CHANEL has released a new, limited-edition duo called "Nuit Magique."

Screen Shot 2013-12-02 at 12.32.55 PMFirst up is the eponymous shade, MAGIQUE. It's a nice, unexpected choice for a holiday party instead of the typical reds. I'm liking the blues we've seen lately! Like denim, they really do go with everything.

Screen Shot 2013-12-02 at 12.35.59 PMBut for the real showstopper in the collection, check out COSMIC.

Screen Shot 2013-12-02 at 12.33.19 PMLadies, ladies, ladies. This is not the same as the Ciel de Nuit of legend, but it's pretty damn close. I can't wait to see how close this is to Ciel de Nuit and, for that matter, the hallowed HTF, Essie Starry Starry Night. I know it won't be an exact dupe, but it will be interesting to see how close this new shade gets.

I highly recommend you get thee to CHANEL.com if you even have a shred of interest in this color. If it arrives and you hate it, there's always eBay. And we know how well CHANEL can perform there! It's a win-win.

I just ordered mine and will swatch as soon as it's here!

xx, Francesca

On the quest for Essie SSN? Here are some previous posts you may enjoy:

Nail Polish Lemmings — An Exposé

Naturistics Crystal Blue Pearl (Essie SSN dupe)

"HTF that HTF," or "How to Find That Hard to Find"

My Top Ten \ Number Nine: Naturistics — Crystal Blue Pearl

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Some things in life are simply overrated. Like... Taylor Swift. Clubs in Hollywood. Spring Break. Fifty Shades of Grey — and Twilight, for that matter.

But every now and then, something comes along that actually deserves all of the praise and passion lavished upon it. Sprinkles Cupcakes, Game of Thrones, Janelle Monáe, Vodka Tonics at Eveleigh... and Essie Starry Starry Night.

Oh, Starry Starry Night; the ship that launched a thousand hits — on this blog, at least. And it's true; Essie SSN really is a gorgeous polish. And it's also true that no exact dupe exists. Why oh why did it have to go the way of the dodo? If I ever snag the ear of an Essie employee, you can be sure I'll ask!

There aren't many options for those who have an SSN craving. This is one hard lemming to capture. Dusty hunts are one method. Searching for Maybelline Twinkle Twinkle or Naturistics Crystal Blue Pearl is another. The last resort would be shelling out hundreds (yes, hundreds) on eBay.

I feel very lucky to have found my bottle of Naturistics Crystal Blue Pearl last December — probably the closest I'll ever get to Essie SSN. I wrote about my epic dusty hunt and shared my pictures with you guys on this post here.

It could be the thrill of the chase, or the cult status, or the fond memories of stalking this down with my mom as my partner, but this VHTF bottle makes me smile (albeit, smugly) every time I see it in My Stash. And the color, as I said, is really something special.

sparklelikealuckystar, Francesca

P.S. Missed the first few? No prob.

Essie Starry Starry Night — Twinkling on eBay Until April 12th

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Oh, it hurts to type this because I know I'm just fanning the flames... but after making such a big deal about Essie Starry Starry Night, I feel like it's my duty to keep you in the loop. I was alerted this morning. It's ON.

That's right, this could be your chance to get your clutches on this VHTF of legend. Let's all watch the SSN bidding insanity together. Any guesses this time? I'll say... $182.00. Jot down your guess in the comments!

sigh, GLOSS

Essie Starry Starry Night — The Madness Unfolds

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Didn't want you guys to miss the chance to see the insanity that is eBay bidding behavior on Essie Starry Starry Night in real time, with your own eyes.

I got this email yesterday:

It started at $.99! Here's what it's up to, as of five minutes ago:

Let's watch the story develop together! What do you think it'll go for?

I'm going to guess... $157.00, and my rationale is this: it'll be high because it's been a couple months since a bottle was on eBay, but not "$295" high since it's no longer the holiday season.

Then again... let's remember that not only the number of SSN bottles in existence are dwindling, but the quality of those bottles is in decline as well. The newest bottle would be from 2008 or 2009, and polish, unfortunately, is not fine wine; it does not get better with age. SSN is a finite resource, with each bottle on eBay becoming more and more of a fabled jewel.

So what do you think? I would love to see your guesses in the comments!

Stay Shiny, GLOSS

Naturistics — Crystal Blue Pearl

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My bottle of Naturistics Crystal Blue Pearl has a most chilling copyright date on it. 1998. The current year is 2012.

After lusting after Essie Starry Starry Night for ages, I finally had its #1 dupe in my clutches.

I noticed immediately that the texture was a little gummy — which is to be expected, considering its age. I used a few cautious drops of thinner and hoped for the best. Next, I applied three coats to achieve the layered glitter effect that jelly formulas are known for.

This pictures out of focus but does a blurry job of showing you the various color of pale to deep blue sparkles that the layering yields.

I did get a lot of compliments, but I did not feel the sense of nirvana I’d been hoping for. Crystal Blue Pearl is a gorgeous color, it sparkles like magic & diamonds and yet... it hasn't replaced my number one favorite, or even unseat any of my top five, to be frank.

And thus, I learned a few valuable lessons.

  1. Just because a color is VHTF and a lemming for many polish lovers… doesn’t mean it’ll be your favorite.
  2. Don’t shell out a ton of cash for a lemming you’ve never seen in real life. I'd been drooling over beautiful shots of SSN that I'd seen online. But in reality, I found SSN to be kind of meh. Sure, in bright sunlight, it truly was a sparkler. But I have many other personal favorites that I value much more highly than SSN, so I'm glad it only cost me $4 plus tip! I shudder to imagine my disappointment if I'd done something insane like splurged on a three-figure eBay auction for Starry Starry Night.
  3. Know your limits. To that point, there is a limit to what I am willing to spend on a bottle of polish, based on principle alone. That figure, for me, is $26... aka the cost of Chanel. And even then, that's a once-a-year splurge. Knowing that $26 is my ceiling enables me to watch the eBay polish madness as a voyeur.

So what do you guys think? Have you ever paid a wild amount for a polish that you had to have — and was it worth it to you?

xxo, GLOSS