Fab Find of the Week: CHANEL Rouge Noir Collection
We reckon that Jo is probably the only journalist who was at the original 1995 launch of CHANEL Rouge Noir Le Vernis who happens to be writing about that iconic polish again today, at the moment it has inspired a whole make-up collection. Because that’s a long history, in beauty editing.
‘We were taken on the Eurostar to Paris,’ remembers Jo, ‘where CHANEL’s famous and incredibly talented team at the time – Dominique Montcourtois (International Director of Makeup) and Heidi Morawetz (Director of CHANEL’s Makeup Studio) – unveiled the range of polishes, in the make-up studio. We knew it was a bit of a moment: it was honestly electric, as most CHANEL make-up unveilings were such trend-setters, in those days – and from the get-go, Rouge Noir was the shade everyone really wanted on their fingers and toes. It took the world by storm (going by the name of “Vamp” in the US), and has remained an absolute classic, ever since.’
Rouge Noir had originally been created the night before a CHANEL runway show. Working alongside Karl Lagerfeld, they came up with the shade literally overnight, and Noir became the cornerstone of the polish collection launched the following year.
So, this spring, CHANEL have taken that classic shade and spun it off into a whole make-up collection. We’re really rather in love, despite the splurge pricing. Nobody would wear the lot, except for a photo shoot, but if you werein need of a major cheer-up, any or all of these will make you feel really rather special.
CHANEL Rouge Noir Le Vernis – the original. Still the best. (Jo’s got it on her toes right now, a completely season-less polish choice.)
CHANEL Allure Noir All-in-One Mascara (67 Rouge Noir) – here’s the good news: this great, grippy, silicone-wand mascara lifts, separates and volumises, while the shade itself – slightly darker than brown – is super-flattering. The bad news? It’s sold out online everywhere, but worth trying your local CHANEL counter. (We absolutely love the ‘James Bond’-ish mechanism: press the golden end of the mascara and the wand pops up.)
CHANEL Waterproof Long-Wear Eyeliner & Khol Pencil (67 Rouge Noir) – brilliantly budge-proof (great for holidays). We’re sometimes wary of putting anything with a touch of red anywhere near the eyes, but Jo finds that this actually accents the blueness of her eyes, rather than the pink of her lids!
And now for lips…
There are several limited edition shades of CHANEL Rouge Allure – and they’re all stunners (and absolute classics that you will be wearing for years to come): perfect deep rose 357 Irréverente, rich cherry 357 Éffrontée and brick-y-red 377 Audacieuse, alongside and good old ultra-classic 387 Rouge Noir itself.
Again, if you find they’ve sold out online, it’s still worth checking in store. Absolutely glorious shades and textures, though, in a lipstick that feels comfy on lips (thanks to shea butter and a jojoba oil derivative), yet has a long-lasting velvety-matte finish, and that James Bond-gadget packaging, too, rendered in a suitably Rouge-Noir-esque lacquered finish for this limited edition – one reason it’s all just so covetable. If any of these fairly intensely pigmented lipsticks feels scary, meanwhile, layer over a balm – or instead, treat yourself to a CHANEL Rouge Coco Flash, in 290 Raw Brown, which is currently sitting under the Rouge Noir umbrella: a brown-y red super-sheer formula to flatter any tone of lips (and nourish, with it).
Sadly, the CHANEL Eyeshadow & Blush Palette created by make-up artist Amy Drammeh for the Rouge Noir collection (with a gorgeous burgundy palette) is a sell-out, too. Just a reminder that with these limited editions, you need always to make it snappy, to avoid disappointment – but if you do get your hands on one, we’d advise: more flattering on the cheeks than the eyes, for women of a certain age.
Bottom line: it’s all too, too gorgeous – a trip down memory lane, for sure, but as modern as make-up gets, at the same time.
Here’s to the next three decades, Rouge Noir.
CHANEL Rouge Noir Le Vernis/£30 – buy here
CHANEL Noir Allure Mascara (Rouge Noir)/£44 – buy here
CHANEL Waterproof Long-Wear Eyeliner & Khol Pencil /£28 – buy here
CHANEL Rouge Allure Velvet (Rouge Noir)/£47 – buy here
CHANEL Rouge Allure Velvet (Effrontée)/£46 – buy here
CHANEL Rouge Allure Velvet (Audacieuse)/£46 – buy here
CHANEL Rouge Allure Velvet (Irréverente)/£46 – buy here
CHANEL Rouge Coco Flash (290 Raw Brown)/£42 – buy here
