#ManiMonday – Rouge Louboutin and Chanel Lamé Rouge Noir Gold Sparkle Top Coat

Rouge Louboutin and Chanel Lame Rouge Noir

Who else was hating life this morning? After a nice long holiday break, I didn’t want to get up AT ALL this morning. I totally slept through my alarm. My body just wasn’t having it. I had such a lovely time at home with the boyfriend, who also took the last two weeks off. We spent Christmas with my parents, baked cookies, hosted a NYE party, did some work around the house, and binge-watched Mozart in the Jungle, Man in the High Castle, Red Oaks, Master of None, and caught up on AHS: Hotel (it’s FINALLY getting good).

My nails were pretty bare the last week since we cleaned and de-cluttered the house (I’m reading the KonMari method book) and ended up breaking/chipping a few nails. I didn’t even have polish on for NYE! If I did, it would have been today’s manicure, one of my Christmas gifts from the boyfriend and a treat to myself. He remembered me saying how I could never justify the INSANE price of Rouge Louboutin, even though I wanted it as a collectible, so I was happily surprised when it showed up under the tree.

Formula & Application

Christian Louboutin nail polish is 5-Free and comes in a vanity-worthy bottle. While all the bottles are shaped similarly with a cushion-cut glass bottle and stiletto-inspired cap, the Rouge Louboutin bottle has a black cap and smoked-out bottle. The cap feels odd in the hand, kind of like a calligraphy pen, and that’s how I approached holding it resting on my middle finger and my thumb controlling the direction and pressure. Even though it’s a bit awkward at first, I was able to get a flawless application on the first try by using a slow, methodical approach.

The formula is buttery smooth with a good flow. For $50/bottle, it should! And the pigmentation is perfection. Again, I would expect nothing less. It was completely opaque with one coat, though I used two in case my photography lights made it look more sheer than it appears in person. I really didn’t need it though. The polish also dries perfectly glossy, but I added a top coat for protection.

Swatches

Christian Louboutin Rouge Louboutin is modeled after the famous red soles of the brand’s highly coveted shoes. It’s a clean cherry red creme. Sexy and bold, but not too bright. And it’s total guy bait. My boyfriend is the stereotypical guy who LOVES red nails and he flipped for this color on me.

Christian Louboutin Rouge Louboutin nail polish

Christian Louboutin Rouge Louboutin nail polish

Christian Louboutin nail polish

Since I decided to treat myself to the glitter from the Chanel Vamp 20th Anniversary collection, Vamp Attitude, I couldn’t resist adding it to my ring finger. Chanel Lamé Rouge Noir Gold Sparkle top coat was my holiday treat to myself. Again, it was a total collector purchase. I have to admit, I expected the base to have more pigment to it, but it’s practically clear. In the bottle you can see its black cherry tint, but it takes multiple coats on the nail to notice it. I wanted a subdued sparkle so I only used one coat, which looks pretty identical to Zoya Maria Luisa.

Chanel Lamé Rouge Noir Gold Sparkle Top Coat

Bottom Line: Rouge Louboutin is definitely more of a collector’s item than a practical purchase. It’s one of those colors that only gives the wearer pleasure. It’s not like anyone will know it’s Louboutin red, you know? And it would feel kind of odd to point that out. I doubt most people would care anyway. I’m happy to own it though and am thankful that the boyfriend knows me well enough to gift it.

Chanel Lamé Rouge Noir, on the other hand, is a complete waste of money unless you are a big Chanel Vamp fan. Is it unique to Chanel? Yes, but it’s pretty much a money grab, taking advantage of the Vamp name. I’m sure it looks great over vamp, but so would a ton of other gold/bronze flecked glitters. They should drop the accented ‘e’ and just call it Chanel Lame Rouge Noir.

Christian Louboutin Rouge Louboutin is available at prestige beauty retailers like Sephora.com, BergdorfGoodman.com, Nordstrom.com, and NeimanMarcus.com. It retails for $50/ea. Chanel Lamé Rouge Noir is sold out online, but you may find one at a Chanel counter. It retails for $27/ea.

Did you receive any nail-related gifts for the holidays? What’s on your nails as we kick off 2016? What’s the last TV show you binged? I’m always looking for new things to add to my queue.