An Iconic Nails Of The Day - Chanel - Rouge Noir

Although I'm not the biggest fan of Chanel nail polishes, it's hard to argue with the popularity of their iconic shade 18 Rouge Noir. Created in 1994, Rouge Noir, or Vamp as it's known in the USA, became one of the first "it" nail colours. Propelled to stardom after it's appearance on Uma Thurman's nails in Pulp Fiction, it's been worn by the likes of Madonna, and it even has it own Wikipedia article.

Although it's popularity has waned over the years, it still continues to be one of Chanel's best sellers, and by the year 2000, it was the fifth best selling nail polish of all time - not a bad statistic when you consider that it only been on sale for 5 years.

The reason for it's popularity is pretty obvious, Rouge Noir, literally translates as red, black, and that's a perfect description. This deep, dark red wine shade is both wearable and sophisticated, no matter how long or how short your nails are. I have to say I actually prefer this type of colour on shorter nails. Uma Thurman, proved that you don't need long nails to make an impact with your manicure. 

I've had this bottle for quite a while now, which may explain why I found the polish so thick but it still applies pretty well, and with careful application one coat would produce a full coverage deep red. Add the second coat like I have here, and you get the true, black, red, glossy finish. When it comes to wear time, unfortunately me and Chanel just don't get on and this lasted just 2 days without a top coat before it started chipping.

The colour of this polish deserves it's iconic status. It's that perfect, femme fatale, sophisticated with a hint of drama, shade. It's perfect for this time of year and it says something when similar shades, are referred to as Rouge Noir a likes. I love the colour but again the formula does nothing for me. I have had this bottle quite a while now but from day 1 it just didn't last on my nails. A good top coat will of course stretch of the wear time a bit, but for the price I'm not sure it's worth it. Chanel Le Vernis Nail Colour in 18 Rouge Noir retails at £18 for a 13ml bottle. It's not always the easiest shade to get hold of but it's currently in stock online at Debenhams, Boots, and House Of Fraser x Is this polish a hit or a miss for you? Leave me a comment and let me know x