Today I treated my nails to pricey pink perfection by way of $19 Chanel Flamingo nail polish. Part of Chanel’s summer 2008 collection, Flamingo is a soft, pale pink with flecks of shimmery silver. I swooned when I first saw it in the store a few weeks ago; I have a well-documented weakness for pink.
So, I was doing my nails this morning while watching the Torchwood season finale (R.I.P., Tosh and Owen), and I made some observations about Flamingo. The formula Chanel uses is a ‘lil thicker than both Shu Uemura ($16) and Laura Mercier ($15) nail polishes. Consequently, Flamingo takes longer to dry. A thicker consistency also typically requires more care to apply than a polish with a thinner consistency, but despite the consistency Chanel Flamingo was relatively easy to use. No goopy mess.
It took me three layers to get the vibrant pink in the picture above. Pretty, yah? I love Flamingo, but I do have an issue with its $19 price tag. I know $19 isn’t that much more than both Shu or Laura nail polishes, but it’s still $14 more than a bottle of Revlon!
How was your weekend? After a visit to Target and a quick weights workout, I stopped by the Marin Humane Society to see the kitties waiting to be adopted. I wanted to bring every one of them home… Seriously, it’s only a matter of time before I’m a full-blown C.C.L. (crazy cat lady).
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
P.S. C’mon, you know what time it is. It’s time to catch up on the best the beauty blogosphere has to offer with highlights from The Beauty Blog Network and Splendicity!
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I just bought ‘Aphrodite’s Pink Nightie’ by OPI and it’s AMAZING! It’s kind of like the one you have but a little bit darker.
I love Chanel colours, but I find that Chanel chips quicker than other brands – usually 3 days and I get so irritated with all the chippage that I just have to remove it.
That’s a great pink, btw. I love Chanel’s Blue Satin and Lilac Sky as well, plus the silvery grey one…see what I mean about loving Chanel colours??? 😉
(Am currently in a pink nail polish mood as well – am sporting Mac’s Lovin’ Pink from the Barbie collection. 🙂 )
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My nails are fugly so I hardly ever use nailpolish but this one is just like.. WHOA. What a marvelous shade of pink! Gotta have 😀
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I have no chipping problem unless the nail polish has uber bad quality. One time I had french tips that lasted for 2 weeks, go figure! Maybelline nail polishes are nice and they dry fast. I’m wearing pink nail polishes too 😀
i agree,dis is a really great nail polish!i luh-v Chanel especially their nail polish!it doesn’t chip,it stays on 4 a really long time,it doesn’t feel sticky,n d colors r ah-dorable!it’s true,Chanel’s nail polish/s hav strong,cute(colors)n aw-some make-up n nail polish!but d price is REALLY pricey,but,hey,beauty doesn’t come easy or cheap all d time.but 4 me i would like Essie more,it’s jus’ sorta like Chanel’s but has mostly 1 digit on d price tag,dig?i hope u do.:) but OPI has more votes…so i guess i’ll try it 2!it’s wat d beautypeople wants! make sacrifices!even 4 beauty.;)
wow that a pretty sweet colour – like bubblegum.. arg i missed your 9 things I’m glad I know… I will just do it in my blog. haha the previous 9 things I wish I didn’t know sort of turned into a tag among my friends! hope you don’t mind. argg.. miss your blog, had a terrible busy week.
I do love Chanel´s nail polish.
My favourite is Blue Satin, and I find it extremelly easy to use. For me it lasts like any other nail polsih, but I agree; it´s expensive.
Love your nails, btw!
hugs!
Eru :3
Awww not fair you have Flamingo already! I just had a chance to try it out at a meeting where we got to play with the new summer line but its not out on counter in the UK until Mid May if i remember correctly! I absolutely adore the colour, the other limited edition is cute too but the name ‘Antelope’ kinda puts me off haha!!
As for the price count yourself lucky its going to be the equivalent of $30 in the UK!! Its strange actually when I was in New York in January checking out the Chanel counters the only thing that seemed to be any different in price from over here were the nail polishes!
As for the great debate about favourite brands I have to be a trator to my Chanel roots and go for OPI it really does have the best staying power! I did love Essie though, i have never found it over here but I had a pedicure in Bliss in NY and they used Essie polish and it lasted forever!! And on my that is quite an achievement because the slightest chip and I have to take the whole lot off!
Hi Molly,
What a cute name! OPI has the best product names… I will have to check out that color because it sounds pretty. Thanks for the heads up!
Hi Clueless Cat,
I never picked up Lovin’ Pink (*tears*). So far I’ve had good non-chippage for the past two days; my nails take a lot of abuse at work though so we’ll see how it holds up during the rest o’ the week.
Lilac Sky sounds really pretty!
Hi Aleks,
Mine usually are in some messed up state as well, LOL! I go through waves when I care about painting them, so we’ll see how long this manicure phase lasts.
You gotta get this pink, girl!
Hi Dao,
Oh! I haven’t tried Maybelline in a while. Gotta remember to get me some when they are on sale. What are your favorite pinks polishes, btw?
Hi Kate Brian,
Essie has some really pretty colors! Do you have a favorite?
Hi Ping,
That’s great, girl! I don’t mind at all. Why so busy? Lots of school work?
Hi Eru,
I never picked up Blue Satin. I dunno, I got a weird thing about blue nails…
Hope you had a fun weekend! Did you rock any fierce looks at parties?
*big hugs back*
Hi Holly,
Yup! Flamingo is here in full force! You really don’t have to wait that much longer…a month isn’t too bad. 🙂 I haven’t tried Antelope, but you’re right, the name is kinda blah!
What is your favorite OPI shade?
Flamingo is beautiful!!!
I don’t really have a favorite brand, I’m more of a color fan than a brand fan! I gotta put in a good word for the Sally Hansen salon nail lacquer, though! I bought it in Arabian Night and Sultry Fuchsia, and when I put it on, I finally took it off because I got tired of the color, not because it was chipping too badly (about a week and a half)! All that, and you can find it on sale for under $4!!
I do have a Chanel polish that I love, and I’ve been making big eyes at Lilac Sky for a couple of months now! 🙂 Now that my nails are in good shape again, I’ll probably start indulging in polish more often!
Hi Glosslizard,
Okay, it’s official: I gotta hunt down some Lilac Sky asap! 🙂
This is gonna sound totally gross, but the longest I’ve ever kept nail polish on was for TWO MONTHS. And to make matters worse it was just on my left hand. And all the colors were different. LOLOLOL
Hi Karen,
Yeah I know its not too far away im just impatient and it was such a tease having it in my hand and then having it cruely taken away at the end of the meeting despite begging to keep it haha!
I dont have too many OPI polishes to be honest as although I really like them there is nowhere close by to buy them and I always fall for the new Chanel colours anyway! But i do have a really nice bright pink called ‘a rose at dawn…broken by noon’ but it has gone a bit think and sticky now and even the drop of nail polish remover trick isnt working anymore so i really need a new one!
I am having the week from hell this week with lots of university work to hand in so im so going to reward myself with some makeup splurging this weekend! Although I did also reward myself with skincare treats last weekend too haha!!
Hi Holly,
Ahhh, yes, I am in total support of makeup splurging to combat the pain of a week from hell (been there, done that!). What are you going to get?
I am in for a busy week to. If I get all my stuff done I’m going to pick up Astral glossimer and perhaps some Emeraude mascara, too!
Hi Karen,
Im not sure what Im going to get yet, Lancome have just brought out some new Juicy tubes which are cute and I havent had one of those since they first came out years ago and it was impossible to get them! I may also try the Lancome eyemakeup remover as a continuation of my eternal hunt for the perfect one! I am also dying to get my hands on a Chanel flat powder brush but I wont get much discount off it so am going to wait until I am in London and use my Harrods card to get 25 pounds off haha its an amazing brush but so expensive!
I love Astral its such a great everyday gloss! Im so excited about the new aqua lumiere glosses coming out too! They look amazing! There is a really deep red coming out in the range which i cant wait for!
Ha! I’ve been totally guilty of leaving polish on for too long! Then I’ll finally go to take it off and discover that I’m out of remover!
Whoa, Astral and Emeraude? You could move mountains with that kind of incentive!
Hi Holly!
Good luck with your week! Hope you snag yourself something terrific! 🙂
Hi Holly,
I’ve been using that remover for the last few months and I like it. It’s pricey but it doesn’t sting my eyes and takes everything off easily! I think you’ll like it.
The Juicy Tubes are cute but to tell you the truth they don’t seem to have lots of staying power. My new favorite are the Clinique Glosswears…
Girl, I am stoked about Astral. I gotta make sure I get all my stuff done, though!
Hi Glosslizard,
Ha! Strangely, that’s happened to me many times, especially with toe polish that gets to the way beyond acceptable stage.
I KNOW! I need big motivation to get some big things done! 😉
Hi Karen,
Yeah lots of people rave about the Lancome remover, I love the Chanel one but the bottles are so small that it drives me mad having to fork out such a lot of money so often! I have tried a few cheaper ones like the simple gentle eye makeup remover and the new Johnsons 3 in 1 but both of them really sting my eyes! I have also used the Body shop gentle one which didnt sting but left me with blurry vision for a while after because it is quite a thick cream so i gave up on that one!
Yeah they dont have great staying power or great colour payoff but they are just cute and taste nice, the sort of thing i will have floating around my handbag and will use for top ups but not for anything special! I am just a sucker for anything nicely packaged and limited edition!
Im sure you will get everything done with Chanel as your incentive! I have even ordered some DVDs and used the free delivery that takes like a week so that they dont come before i finish my work haha!! I love having something to look forward to and an excuse to treat myself!!
What a gorgeous color! It looks great on your nails!
Hi Glosslizard,
Aww thanks for the good luck wishes they are very much needed to get me through this week! Oh well 6500 words down 8000 still to go! I so cant wait for this degree to be over and done with!
Hi Karen!
Oh, I know that! Hooray for closed-toe shoes!
I need something to justify some rewards too! After window-shopping over my birthday weekend, I wanna go back to Chanel for the Shanghai Red lipstick!
Hi Holly!
Woo-hoo! You can do it! You know we’re pulling for you! 😀
Hi Holly,
If blurry is a problem then stay away from the Neutrogena one. It works but makes my vision blur like crazy! I’ve been wanting to try the Clinique two phase remover too, cause it’s a little cheaper than the Lancome one. I’m almost done with my bottle of Bi-Facil so I’ll let you know if the Clinique one’s any good.
Yah, I hear ya! They have the world-wide ones out and I think those tubes are *very pretty*. I love the designs on them.
Ha! I hope so! I have a mountain of stuff to do so I’m hoping that the extra motivation will get me where I need to go!
Ah, smart girl! What DVD’s did you get?
Good luck on your paper! 6500 will fly by soon enough. And next thing ya know you’ll be telling me about what makeup you’ll be wearing to graduation! How awesome is that gonna be!
Thanks Jamie! Hope you’re having a fantastic Monday so far.
Hi Glosslizard,
The name alone is tempting! Will you be going back to get it with some gift cards in tow?
There is something about Chanel lipsticks! I love taking them out and putting them on because the packaging is just so elegant!
Hi Karen,
Thanks for the advice on the neutrogena I really hate blurred vision, I dont mind them being oily because i always wipe over my face with a baby wipe afterwards but blurry eyes are a defininte no go! Yeah let me know what you think of the Clinique, im not a big fan of the brand at all in general but its mainly just because the 3 step stripped my skin of every little bit of moisture and let me dry and horrible so im baised against them now!!
It was the world wide glosses I was talking about actually, when they came into the Lancome counter in work they caused a lot of excitement amongst all of us counter girls haha the customers didnt get a look in! Lots of people loved the Peach one but i hate peach flavoured things so it wasnt for me! They all seemed to be clear on though although they look quite pigmented in the tube but that seems to be a feature of juicy tubes!
I just got a simpsons box set on DVD im such a geek I love the simpsons my dad and I laugh for hours at it! I also got a new copy of Mean Girls as my copy was lost to an ex boyfriend haha but I love that film it still makes me laugh now after watching it a million times!
Hi Holly,
Yah! Those Lancome glosses are really cute! The tubes are very pretty, but there’s not enough POW for me in the color, ya know?
Regarding Clinique, I’m not a huge fan of the 3-step program either. I do like select things from their skin care and I think the stuff they released for summer has been pretty great. I know you don’t care for the line but at least check out the Glosswear!
Oh fun! That’s going to be a great treat for you when you’re finished with your essay!
Isn’t that weird how CD’s and DVD’s get lost in the breakup? If I had a dollar for every CD an ex boyfriend “borrowed” but never returned I’d be a rich woman!
Pink Flamingo or something like that, I’m not sure about the name but it’s pretty pink.
Yeah, I have a gift card! (!!!) I think I’m going to pick up the Chanel lipstick in Shanghai Red (I know! I love just saying it!), a glossimer in one of the other galactic colors (I think Eclipse or Sideral) and also a Laura Mercier metallic creme eye color (I think the color I tried on was Alloy). It’s such an easy, wearable, neutral eye, but with the pop of the metallic/pearly texture! Totally fab!
I shelled out last year for Chanel’s “Pink Satin” I believe, and was a little disappointed..The color didn’t do much for my skin tone. I’m going to try it again, though, with my new nail polish know-how!
LaurenIvys last blog post..Full Disclosure Ahead
i don’t really hav a favorite at all!d colors r so great,i keep trying evryone of it!der all wonderful,dahling.HAHAHA!i keep using Essie,n i don’t know y!im always open 2 other products,n i always try other brands(most of them r aw-some btw.)but i keep going back2 Essie.maybe,it’s bec.of d great price,lasts 4 a week/so,non-sticky icky feeling,doesn’t chip 4EVER,color stays n “shines” beautifully.oh well,i think dats it!
P.S. tried OPI’s nail polish:GREEEEEAAAAATTTT!!!,totally. tnx 4 d info,fellow beauty followers !;)not 2 mention:Karen!u helped me A LOT! Strawberry-flavored kisses,Kate.
Hi Dao,
I will go looking for it then. One can ever have enough pink polish. 🙂
Hi Glosslizard,
I am so vicariously gonna live through your loot. 🙂 I’ve tried those metallic cream colors before from LM and they are PRETTY! Plus I recall it having some serious staying power…
I’ve been meaning to ask you, have you worn your Astral yet?
Hi LaurenIvy,
I haven’t peeped Pink Satin. What did you not like about the color?
Oh! One thing I’ve done in the past to make nail colors work for me is to mix and match nail colors. I’ve layered different colors together to change shades up. These days I’m too lazy but if you have time to experiment with it, it might be fun!
Hi Kate Brian,
You’re so cute! I like Essie, too…um, but mostly for the bottle. There’s something about those cute square bottles that really appeals to me. I have a few of their lighter shades and I like ’em for summer when I have a tan. Have a good one!
The silvery-ish pink color washed my skin tone out a little bit. I want to try some type of layering…maybe with a pale ivory or bright coral? Sounds like fun 🙂
LaurenIvys last blog post..I Wish I Were on a Rooftop Somewhere
Hi LaurenIvy,
Yah, it’s fun! It’s like Frankenstein nails! You could pop it on top of a bright pink… it will tone down the color and bring more punch to shade. The coral and ivory should be pretty too.
I haven’t mixed/layered colors but did lots of light sheer pinks with shimmer/iridescense with dark pink shades.
Oh my, yes! I’ve worn it on its own, over liner and over lippies (Twig-twig, Strawbaby and a Clinique lipstick called All Heart). I especially liked it over Strawbaby, since it seemed to be a natural complement to the existing sparkle! It’s so Chanel… this absurdly garish-looking glitter that somehow looks refined and wearable on the lips! They pull it off so well!
OHHHH! So jealous! I am totally looking forward to adopting a tube and subjecting to various lipstick experiments. WHEEE!
I have a feeling it’ll look great on it’s own with Pink Treat liner… ahh, the possibilities!
Love love love that colour!! Mine are pink as well, but the one I’m wearing is Maybelline Colourama Cadillac Pink.
You should try the new nail polish pens, they make application a snap,especially on the go.