Chanel Gold Lamé, Illusion D’or & Black Velvet Swatches, Review and Comparisons
Pulled straight from the runway, Chanel’s Noir Et Or Paris-Shanghai Collection is a black and gold extravaganza that would make Cleopatra proud. Peter Philips, Global Creative Director of Chanel Makeup, was inspired by the “glamorous fantasy of Shanghai in the 30’s and 40’s” when he created this limited collection consisting of three new nail colors and an eye shadow/liner palette.
Like most of you, my brow wrinkled when I heard that Chanel was jumping on the matte bandwagon so late in the game but I was intrigued by the idea of a gold glitter. After missing out on the gorgeous Tokyo Happening glitters, I hoped this would fill that lemming and it more than surpassed my expectations. Check out my swatches and full review after the jump! |
Gold Lamé is a brushed warm gold metallic. Being a pretty typical metallic lacquer, it applies with visible brush strokes. Even though I let each coat dry for a few minutes in between, I couldn’t keep those darn stokes at bay. In terms of pigmentation, it’s OK but not perfect. I ended up applying three thin coats over a ridge filler to get it completely opaque. Though I will give Gold Lamé props for its buttery smooth texture. It was very easy to control.
I hate having to tell you all that I have no exact dupes for Gold Lamé. I know how it disappoints budget conscious Fanatics. So I’m showing you Gold Lamé next to its gold Chanel cousins, Gold Fiction and Golden Sand. Gold Lamé falls somewhere between the coppery hue of GS and the true yellow gold of GF.
Illusion D’or is such a star and that just doesn’t come across on camera. The second I pulled it out of the box, I was compelled to Tweet about its glorious iridescent flaky glitter that reflects a bluish-purple hue. All you “flakies” fans are going to die over this one. Amongst the evenly distributed golden micro-glitter are these gold and purple flakes that are something I’ve never seen in a Chanel polish before. It’s heavenly. I applied two thin coats that dried to a smooth glossy finish.
Illusion D’or over Gold Lamé
Black Velvet is a satiny black creme. It dries with a cool, rubberized texture that has a risqué bondage feel to it. The application was so flawless I kept thinking, “this isn’t a matte.” Seriously, the polish is uber-pigmented and it flows so extremely smooth you can’t believe it will dry anything but glossy. I even applied it over a base coat, to prevent staining, and it oozed onto the nail perfectly. No matter what you think of the matte/satin finish look, this is a high quality polish. What you see below is two thin coats that I let dry for 10 minutes before photographing so you can see the true finish.
Illusion D’or over Black Velvet
Obviously my ability to paint tips is sub-par but I thought I’d give the Shanghai Runway Nail a go. I did my own version including Illusion D’or over Gold Lamé with Black Velvet tips and while I don’t hate it, I’m sure it would look much better applied by a pro on a slightly longer nail.
Bottom Line: Illusion D’or is the standout with its flaky iridescent glitter and would be the one color I’d call a “must-have.” Black Velvet’s satin finish helps it stand apart from other matte polishes but a coat of Barielle Matte-inée over a black creme gives a similar effect. Gold Lamé’s streaky finish garners it a “pass” from me.
The Chanel Noir Et Or Paris-Shanghai Collection is on sale now at Chanel.com and can be found at Chanel Boutiques and Makeup Studios. These LE polishes retail for $25/ea. Oh and in case you didn’t know, the Summer Collection nail polishes are up on Chanel.com as well and they retail for $25/ea.
What do you think of the Noir Et Or colors? Do you like the rubberized look of Black Velvet? Will you be running out to get any of these? Oh and are you interested in seeing a wear test with Black Velvet?
Disclosure: Product samples were furnished to me by Chanel. For more information view my Disclosure Policy.
Lisa N.
Ms Meatballhead
Birdie
Spa pediccure chairs
I love all three colors on your nails! Esp the illusion d’or. it looks great over the other colors!
I was all excited about the blue flecks in Illusion D’Or when you talked about them on FB and Twitter, though I admit I’m not so sure now. They look great over black, but it isn’t quite right for me.
I would love to see more shades similar to Black Velvet in finish, maybe in dark vampy purples and a dark, deep red.
Wear test with the black, please! I’d be nervous it would peel right off.
I looove black velvet, and i’d love to see a wear test of it before i splurge. i esp. love illusion d’or over it!
Well, you got me to finally pull the trigger on a Chanel! Illusion d’Or is now winging its way to me. I’m very excited!
Love em all! Great job!
~Sylvia
I love the Shanghai Runway look (although I don’t think it’s especially spring/summery). It’s such a fresh and luxurious take on the french manicure. Have you ever used those stickers as a guide for french manicures? that would have helped a lot for your swatching!
I LOVE Illusion over Gold Lame and Black Velvet. Illusion is awesome!
I’m pretty excited about the Black Velvet, just because the finish looks so unique. I don’t know about carrying this look off in the summer, though. It might have to take a back burner until fall.
Chanel actually did a matte (satin-finish) top coat long before the recent matte trend. The full name is Laque Reflet Imm
The black velvet looks nice. I will check this one out when I go in to look at the summer colors.
Hmmm, the Illusion D’or looks kind of cool, but the others are bland to me.
I love Gold Lame!
I LOVE Illusion over Gold Lame and Black Velvet.
Are they releasing them in the UK?
I’m not sure. I wasn’t given international release information
I must force myself not to buy this until I work this weekend and can afford Black Velvet and Illusion d’OR!!! They will be my first Chanels!!
Nice but not nice enough to flash the cash for. Do like the rubber finish on the black, your bondage description cracked me up!
Wear test, please.
How does gold lame compare to Chanel’s eclair (#227) which was big in Australia a couple years ago?
I remember seeing pics of Eclair but I never got my hands on a bottle so I’m not sure how they compare. I’d love to see them side-by-side.
Chanel simply cannot do gold and I’m not surprised. The Black Velvet looks stunning as does Illusion d’or but I’m kinda over black polish. And where I can’t think of dupe for Illusion there are a lot of brilliant glittery top coats for a lot less than $25.
Hmm, I like them in the bottle better than I do on…
I’m very tempted by Illusion d’Or.
And I would love love love to see a wear test on Black Velvet, please!
I am nail obsessed as well. My favorite polish is definitely Chanel and I have bottles and bottles of their colors. At first I did not think that I would need another black Chanel polish, but your swatches and review have made it interesting. I have the Gold Fiction, love it and am complimented every time I wear it. (also bought a sceond backup bottle of this) Will try Illusion and Lame’ too, but really can’t wait for the Summer colors. I have ordered them already!
I think I might get Illusion D’Or. I haven’t purchased a Chanel polish in awhile and there are a few I regret not purchasing. I just am deciding if I want this AND Nouvelle Vogue or just Nouvelle Vogue or what.
personally i think all three look low class for chanel in performance
I think a much nicer (and cheaper) alternative to that Gold Lame is Borghese’s Gusto Gold Dust. It’s pricey for a drugstore polish but a great buy over the Chanel. It shows no brushstokes and has a little more bling to it, more like a foil. Like the Gold Lame, there is a rosiness to it while still being neutral.
Thanks for the recommendation!
Messed around a bit with cheap dupes this weekend, and got a grt result with OPI black onyx (but any black will do) and Sinful Colors All Over You on top. No blue bits and a different tone, but looks great. Wet N Wild Goldmine is a good dupe for the Lame. I love Chanel polishes and have bought quite a fe2w over the years, but i might hold off on these. Thanks for the swatches, as always!
Illusion D’or is beautiful!
Illusion d’ior is unlike anything, i just bought nouvelle vague… i am thinking should i go for this too..
Does anyone know if these are coming to the Southern Hemisphere – in particular, New Zealand? I rang a couple of high-end department stores that stock Chanel, but they were unware of this collection! Eeeek.
I don’t know if these are being released outside the US. I only get info that pertains to the US release.
gorgeous! i esp love Illusion D
I love the Illusion over the gold lame and the black velvet. It makes each color look richer.
I love the Illusion D
I’m so glad you put Illusion over the black; it’s stunning! When I saw it plain and you said it was the star I thought, “eww it makes your nails look funny!” I don’t like it sheer, but as soon as you layered it, it was amazing!
my fav was the illusion d’or over the gold lame`. i love sparkly nails! i would love to buy some but $25 is ridiculous for nail polish! i think the black looked great compared to cheaper brands! i would definitly like to see a wear test for black.
How is the wear on Black Velvet?
I loved the black nail polish from the first time I saw the promo photos. It’s gorgeous
It’s also sold out, so if you wanted you have to feed the ebay monster.
Damn, that was fast!! Unreal. I wonder if they’ll restock.
I’m wondering where those of you who bought it, got it from because I’ve been to the Chanel site and every department store I know and there’s no sign of it even existing. The link provided to the Chanel site didn’t do anything to help. It just took me to their site with no actual sign of the polish. Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks.
The link I posted did have the polishes listed the day I put this review it up but it appears the colors have sold out already
The polishes won’t be carried in department stores. As I mentioned in my post, they are only carried in Chanel Boutiques and Makeup Studios.
Since these Chanel polishes are already sold out, do you have any suggestions for an alternative to Illusion D’Or?
What topcoat do you recommend putting on top of the Black Velvet to let it retain the finish?
Chanel Black Velvet + Illusion D’Or = Sexy Disco Vampire
But I am not about to spend $50 ($25 each..WTF?) for nailpolish so I headed for Ulta to see if I could find a comparable knockoff. I trolled the nail aisle and the OPI and Essie sections and couldn’t find a damn thing until I happened to eye a new little makeup display called LA Splash. I found 2 nalpolish colors called Black Sea and Treasure Splash when layered on each other look almost exactly like this combo.
$8 (3.99 each) vs. $50?
Uh huh. You’re welcome.
Dang, I had the polish in my shopping bag on the site then it disappeared. Now it is sold out!! kireibeauty thank you for the dupes (and the savings)
Illusion d’Or over Black Velvet is so… wow-looking! But $50 for 2 nail polishes which I won’t be wearing so often? I don’t think so.
I think a pretty good dupe for Illusion D
Chanel.com seems to have all three. I wonder if for Black Velvet, Color Club Dark Romance is similar? I haven’t bought or worn blacks in so long, but I’m getting excited about them again, especially seeing Black Velvet layered with Illusion d’Or. Thanks so much for all the hard work, Michelle!
… and free ground shipping at Chanel.com through 5/2
I just love the blue/violet glitter in Illusion D’or, but I don’t like yellowish colors on me. Would you know of any nail polishes that are clear-ish or sheer and have that lovely kind of glitter in them?
I am totally sold on the black velvet. I LOVE it!
I’m not a big flakes fan, but it’s hard for me to see the greatness of Illusion D’or. I guess it doesn’t quite register on camera. Still, it sounds lovely!
We get all of these so much later in the UK! I’m waiting for Gold Lame – looks fab!
I love mixing and making my own colors, rather than putting on one color and then applying another on top of it.
Do you have any tricks for mixing small amounts of two or
three colors? Also is there anywhere I can purchase brushes for applying that have never been used before, so I can apply the new combined colors as a new color? I am new to all of this, so don’t know the terminology, or how best to do this. HELP!
I love Black Velvet- but I was wondering how good/bad the wear was? I really want to do black tips with it but I’m afraid that with no top coat the polish will come off after a couple of days.
Wow, love Illusion d’Or over the black! Will have to try & recreate with an old (I mean seriously old) NYC polish, 102A (weird how they number not name) that I have which reminds me of Illusion d’Or. It’s slightly different, the gold is more of a lighter beige-y gold glitter with blue/green/purple iridescent glitter instead of flakes. I’ll let you know how it turns out
I LOVE the look of Black Velvet! Sadly, since I just read this post now, this color is probably no longer available. And yes, I’d be interested to see a wear test.
Unfortunately it is long gone but you can find matte blacks from other brands, like L’Oreal and Revlon
Thanks for the tip! I’ve tried the guides in the past and like you said, I end up ripping up some polish underneath. Or I don’t press it on hard enough and the polish bleeds. I’ll try painting a line your way.