Nail of the Day: Chanel Le Vernis Nail Colour, #531 Peridot (finally!)

Now that everyone and their sister has reviewed the new lacquers from the Chanel Fall 2011 collection, I'm going to jump on the bandwagon and join them with my review of what has become the "must have" color of the collection, Peridot. I was drawn to it from the start, given my predilection for glittery or duochrome polishes, and Peridot has not disappointed! It has the uncanny ability to be both green and neutral, which I attribute to Chanel magic, because for the life of me I can't figure out how that combination is possible. However, Peridot manages to do it...to be a completely unique and frankly weird color while still being absolutely stunning and work-appropriate for all but the most conservative offices. 

Chanel Le Vernis Nail Colour, #531 Peridot

Every season, Chanel introduces 2 or 3 new nail colours to the world, and every season at least one of them becomes the "must-have" color for those who love polishes. This Fall Collection is no different, as it has introduced us to Quartz, a rather subdued but lovely shimmery golden taupe, Graphite, a more aggressive deep blackened grey with prominent silver/gold glitter, and finally Peridot, a gorgeous golden green with a teal green duochrome effect at certain angles and in certain lighting. I, of course, jumped on Peridot as it's by far the most unique of the three colors. 

Peridot is a bit of an enigma. It's a lovely golden olive green frost that applies like a dream...you could get by with just one coat if necessary, although 2 coats are required for true opacity. Drying time is average. The application is smooth and dries down with few, if any, streaks. It wears well, with minimal chipping after 4 days on me when I wore it with no top coat. 

Here are a few shots of Peridot in different lighting and at different angles: 

Here you can see the primary golden green color with just a hint of darker green around the edges. 

In this shot, you can once again see just a hint of the duochrome effect of this lovely polish. The primary color is the golden overlay, which helps make this a potentially neutral shade. 

Finally, here you can see how the color morphs into a deeper, greener color with a hint of teal. Beautiful!

As you can see in the shots above, Peridot is a true chameleon shade, changing constantly. I can literally stare at my fingertips for minutes at a time when I wear this color, as I twist and turn my hand to reveal new colors. It's quite entertaining!

Bottom line: Peridot is a truly lovely polish that shows incredible depth and dimension. With the primary color being a soft, golden green, it can be worn to the office or by more conservative women with ease, yet the duochrome effect adds an entirely new aspect to the color. It's absolutely gorgeous, and a definite keeper! Get to your closest Chanel counter ASAP, as this one is sure to sell out quickly!