Jaded

By Melanie Parker

The Chanel Jades are in, and after a week of testing, I'm ready to carve my opinion in stone. Or at least this blog... I wanted to love and praise Chanel for being a risk taker and coming out with a green polish with green shimmer, but no can do. At $25 a bottle, I want to be able to preserve the preciousness of this liquid, and as you will see in the swatches, three coats was not enough to provide even coverage.

Like the Fire-King Jadeite of the 1940s before it, the hue used for Chanel Jade evokes a whimsical sophistication. In the bottle, Chanel Jade polish reminds me of a grandmother's retro kitchen or sharing a lime daiquiri with Ernest Hemingway. It's not very often that Chanel serves up such a confection--there is a slight glow of green microshimmer in certain light. However, the color looks a little too yellow on me. I lean toward blue-based greens and this one went the opposite way. It happens, and I can blame it on my ruddy pink skin tone. But I can't blame myself for the fact that you can see streaks and sheerness after THREE coats of color. That's just not acceptable.

Jade's partner in this release is a demure Jade Rose. This soft pink polish reminds me of the inside of a sea shell. I am sure I will get plenty of use out of Jade Rose. She's lovely and has just a whisper of tonal shimmer. Enough to keep it interesting in the sunlight, but subdued for the office. This photo shows FOUR coats for opaque coverage.

Overall, this color story is distinctly Spring in Key West to me, and yet here I am in the Midwest on the cusp of Fall. I want nails the color of the actual jade gemstones used in the Chanel runway show and that Kate Moss has been frosted with at a recent Chanel party.

So, considering the coverage problems and the chipping nature of Chanel lacquers in general, if you aren't a slave to the house of Chanel, I would pass on these. One reasonable alternative to Jade is Pa's A86. Pa polish bottles are small, but when you get unusual colors like this mint, you will have enough to do at least a dozen manicures, and that seems like it is enough for any beauty addict's lifetime. I've reviewed Pa polishes on here before and I have to confess that the tag line "for the cutie girls who want to become lovely" has me hooked. The LE Chanel polishes are available at chanel.com and Chanel boutiques for $25. Pa polishes are available at orangelighthouse.com for $4.40. Other comparable colors that skip the slight shimmer are MAC's Peppermint Patty and OPI Hey! Get in Lime!

Photos: Melanie Parker and Splash/Dailymail.co.uk

Disclaimer: Melanie purchased Jade and Jade Rose polish.