I'll post the pictures first and my opinion second, so that if you like these colors you don't have to read my insane ranting.
L.A. Sunrise
L.A. Sunset
Melrose
Rodeo Drive.
Now, for the rant.
First of all, I can't believe how incredibly awful Chanel's customer service is!
I ordered these over the phone, which was a mistake on my part. I will never order anything over the phone again. The people who take the orders over the phone apparently can't comprehend how to enter the correct information or tell the difference between "shipping" and "billing".
On top of that, if you call them to verify that the information is correct, they will flat out lie to you. I was on the phone with Chanel no fewer than five times, and each time my information was incorrect, yet the customer service representatives assured me that they were going to fix it, or that it had already been fixed. After I got a confirmation email with the wrong information (that they had assured me was fixed) I called them only to have them tell me they fixed my information, which they clearly hadn't. Infuriating.
Even more (oh yes, there's more...) infuriating is the fact that they give you an email address for customer service and a promise that they will respond in 24-48 hours and they NEVER DO. Calling wasn't enough to get my information fixed, so I figured email would get the job done. Well, I was wrong. Three emails and four days later, still no response. I have my order and they still haven't responded to my request to fix my information before my order ships!!! Can you believe it?!?!
As you can see, I got my order, my order that was shipped to the WRONG ADDRESS. Luckily I was able to pick up my package from that address, but still! Customer Service told me it was fixed at least five times, but it was NEVER fixed.
And I haven't even gotten to my polish review yet!
I'll be frank with you: these polishes suck. There, I said it. They suck. The formula is a nightmare- a streaky, goopy, thick, stringy, bubbly bottle of mess. The colors are pretty, but definitely not unique. I do not mind paying $25 for a bottle of nail polish IF the nail polish is worth $25. I would spend that on a Rescue Beauty Lounge polish (luckily they don't cost that much!!) because they're worth it. These, on the other hand, are just... crap. It's not the kind of quality you'd expect from a luxury brand like Chanel. And, you know, these aren't even the same quality as my other Chanel polishes!
I guess I like the colors well enough. L.A. Sunrise is really a nice pale yellow, a refreshing change from all of the neon yellow I've been wearing, my favorite of the bunch. L.A. Sunset is kind of a bland pale orange creme, nice but not WOW. Melrose is a pretty pink jelly. Rodeo Drive is a nice pastel purple shimmer. I would pay $8 for these. For $25, I want FIREWORKS! I want to say WOW, I've never seen such an awesome color! Or, even, wow, what an amazing formula, I'd buy any color in this!
Have I been too harsh? I'm really disappointed in these. I do not feel that they are at all worth a $25 price tag. Maybe my review will keep someone else from making the same mistake?
These may be my last Chanel purchases for a looooooong time. Ouch, Chanel. Ouch.
Amen. ITA with your assessment on this Chanel line even though I don't own any of these polishes. I almost bought them but held back because the colors alone weren't unique enough. I already got sucked into Kaleidoscope and Gold Finger and that already put a dent in my wallet enough as it is. RBL Purple Haze totally satisfies my need for Chanel's Rodeo Drive. I'm sure the other lines (OPI, Essie, China Glaze, etc) have something pretty close to the other 3 to not justify buying Chanel's overpriced polish.
ReplyDeleteBTW, I can't get enough of your blog! I love it. Great job and keep up the great work!!
Shirley, exactly! And thanks so much :D I'm glad you like it!!
ReplyDeleteOy, Scrangie! What a nightmare - both ordering and the polishes themselves. :(
ReplyDeleteWhat a SCAM! I am sorry to hear about your nightmare! Note to self: DO NOT buy chanel's overpriced nail polish!
ReplyDeleteBTW: can you please include the LUBU Manicure in your random swatches? I'm the anon that asked you 'bout it last week????
Kudos to you!
Sorry to hear about your problems. Love your blog and all the hard work you put into it. I ordered online and had no problems. My Rodeo Drive arrived today. After controlling my self on Chanel's fall nail collection (which I thought was pretty much a disaster), I broke down and bought Rodeo Drive after online perusal convinced me I might have trouble duping it. After reading your review, I have some concerns, but I'm pretty tolerant of variations in polish formulation. So fingers crossed I'll find it okay.
ReplyDeleteSorry to hear about your problems. Love your blog and all the hard work you put into it. I ordered online and had no problems. My Rodeo Drive arrived today. After controlling my self on Chanel's fall nail collection (which I thought was pretty much a disaster), I broke down and bought Rodeo Drive after online perusal convinced me I might have trouble duping it. After reading your review, I have some concerns, but I'm pretty tolerant of variations in polish formulation. So fingers crossed I'll find it okay.
ReplyDeleteJen, I would have never imagined that it would have given me this much trouble! *sigh*
ReplyDeleteStubby, of course! I actually just finished editing my picture of it (didn't turn out as nice as I had hoped!) and I'll post it first thing tomorrow :D
Roberta S, thank you! :D And I hope it works out for you- maybe I'm just too picky! Others have had much better luck- Chanel must not like me :)
Awww. : ( Well you've talked me out of it, I mean I probably wasn't going to get these anyway but now I'm definitely not going too.
ReplyDeleteSteph, I can think of a few similar colors right off the top of my head- Essie Cantaloupe, Misa Shop Till U Drop, China Glaze Sexy Lady and China Glaze Solar Power. Okay, so they're not exact, but similar enough to see the point, right? I feel silly for buying these. *sigh* Oh well! Lesson learned, I suppose!
ReplyDeleteYou have talked me out of it ($75 incl. shopping for E-bay is not worth it!). But please help me find a dupe for LA Sunrise as I love the yellow and am not into neons...
ReplyDeleteHi,
ReplyDeleteI just wanted to let you know that you have a great blog. I just got into nail polish and was looking for something a bit more informative and entertaining and I think I found it. But I just have one small comment. It would be so much easier to read if you put the name of the actual colours/polishes on the pictures rather than above the pictures. It gets a bit confusing sometimes when a reader scrolls down the page.
Anyways, keep up the good work.
You couldn't be more right! I mean what are they doing? For that price and for this well known high brand, at least you could expect great service! But no! This is just annoying, and for that price- it's not worth it at all! that's it!
ReplyDeleteWhat a horrible experience! Not bad enough that their costumer service sucked, but the polishes were bad too? Bah. I didn't even care for the colors very much. Melrose looked cute, and LA Sunrise looked alright, but not more.
ReplyDeleteDo you happen to have a picture of LA Sunrise when not in direct sunlight? I'm still hunting for the _perfect_ yellow polish even though I absolutely love OPI The "IT" color.
That sucks! They should be happy that they still have customers if all are treated this way.
ReplyDeleteBtw, Mavala has a color that looks like a close dupe of Rodeo Drive. It's called Mystic.
Ick, I'm sorry to hear that application was such a pain in the ass... I think I'll just go with Purple Haze and Yellow Fever, which seems like a BARGAIN compared to these Chanels. I'm rather shocked that these don't apply well -- I mean, how hard is it to get a creme formulation to work well? Still, you made them look beautiful. :)
ReplyDeleteScrangie,
ReplyDeleteThanks for going through the trouble and providing this review. I was so excited about this release and well, you've saved me a heck of a lot of money.
Love your blog!
Scrangie, I don 't have them and your review justifies my decision. Can you return them? Or swap them, I am sure your review wil not deter many of the masses..
ReplyDeleteUh-oh... I already bought them all. :-X LOL. I hope I like them better than you do! I've never tried RBL, so maybe my ignorance of the wonder of their formula will allow me to still enjoy a gloopy polish. :D My package is arriving via UPS today.
ReplyDeleteSoapAddict84 (JB)
Sorry to hear they where so messy. LA Sunset is the only one I like, but it is a hopeless color on me so I am, thank the lord, not tempted this time! ;D
ReplyDeleteI have several Chanel polishes and I think Ch. (as a NP manufacturer, of course) is severely overrated. I hate consistency, I hate streaks, I hate wobbly, anemic brush.
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand, my friend swears by Chanel she buys in Europe. /She travels to Paris for business 2-3 times a year, lucky duck).
PS: Please stop putting wrong thoughts into RBL heads.
Scrangie,
ReplyDeleteOh, dear! So sorry you had to go through all this. Have you tried to speak with a manager or anything? Chanel's pretty good about taking care of their customers.
So sad to hear you didn't like them :( Although the colors may not be the most "unique" to justify the cost they applied flawless for me in little as two coats. Well, with the exception of the yellow. Don't let it get ya down, think fall colors :)
I got mine yesterday. I really thought it was just me because I used Sunrise last night and it was so gloopy and sticky. I bought 2 Sunsets(thinking it was the melon color I was looking for) and 1 Rodeo and I am now debating if I want to keep them. I didn't have your CS problems because I ordered online. But thanks for the review.
ReplyDeleteI've been wanting to get the purple one but I kept holding back. And now that I've read your review, I changed my mind and will go for RBL Purple Haze instead.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for your review Scrangie, you're the best! :)
Mrs. TK
Ane Kristine, I know you're not in the US, but if you can find Rescue Beauty Lounge Yellow Fever, it's not quite neon. Also, China Glaze Solar Power, Zoya Creamy and NYC Taxi Yellow are also similar non-neon yellows :D
ReplyDeleteHi, Willozza! Thanks so much :D I have considered doing that in the past, but I think it makes it easier for people to steal my pictures if the picture says what color it is. However, if it would be easier for my readers I'll definitely try it out :D
Sanna, no! I was shocked! Chanel, of all companies! Hmph!
Chaosophia, I don't but I can definitely take one!
Emelie, thank you! I will have to look for that one :D
Shryh, thanks ;-) You'll be MUCH happier with the RBLs! Cheaper, too :D
Jmcnulty, thanks! I'm sorry to give a negative review if you were really looking forward to them, but I do regret spending so much on these! $100 is a lot for four polishes :(
Diann_co, I'm actually going to find out if I can return them. Chanel usually sends one of those stickers in the box, but they didn't give me one this time! Hmm =/
Hey JB! Hopefully you have much better luck with the polishes- it seems a lot of other people didn't have a problem with them! If not, you could always use a few drops of polish thinner, probably! I may try that with mine, but I shouldn't have to alter a $25 polish!
Sminkan, good! :D You can buy a lot more polish for the price of one ;-)
Masa_inn, interesting! I wonder if they're short-changing us Americans on polish formula! And about the RBL comment, lol I was afraid to post that, thinking 'what if..." lol! XD
Steph, thanks! No, I haven't tried talking to a manager- I think I'd rather get a root canal than have to call them again, LOL :D I'm so happy they worked out for you! Maybe I just got a bad batch.
asia12mb, I have ordered online from Chanel a bunch of times and never had a problem. I didn't think it would be so hard to order over the phone! I hope the rest of your polishes work well for you! :D
TK, you'll love Purple Haze! It's like BUTTER :D I'm happy I could help!!
ReplyDeleteL.A. Sunset/Melrose look dupey to Zoya Elodie/Lo. Are they, or am I losing my mind?
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry they were so disappointing :(.
Samhainophobia, omg you're right! They do! I didn't even think of that, THANK YOU!! :D
ReplyDeleteI would send Chanel a message telling them what happened. You never know, you may get some freebies or something. Management always wants to know if their front personnel are failing, esp for a premium brand.
ReplyDeleteThat said - I'm pretty happy w/ LA Sunset. Cute color, great for a pedi - and totally different from anything else I have. It was thick, but since I have a very small np collection - I didn't know any better!
Thanks for the blog - as an 'ahem' 30 something - I love the the range in brands. I'm so tempted to buy a few RBLs but I haven't bitten yet!
Hey Anonymous, thanks for the comment :D I guess you're right about them wanting to know how the employees are doing... Maybe I'll send them an email (if they ever read them! lol).
ReplyDeleteI like the colors, but for $25 I guess I expected more!
If you haven't tried Rescue Beauty Lounge, you should try at least one- the formula is just soooo perfect, you might be hooked ;-)
Thanks for trying it out so that I don't have to waste money trying it out myself.
ReplyDeletei feel you on Chanel...
ReplyDeletei impulsively bought both Black Satin and Vamp...not impressed.
Vamp was overrated and similar to my favorite color, Jessica's Cabernet Creme...they were almost identical but Vamp was twice the price!
i also bought Antilope, which i loved...and then last weekend, while looking at Wal-Mart's selection, i found a knockoff version for 2 bucks! crap!
i did look at the new golds at the Chanel counter...i'm not a gold fan, but i heard so much about Kaleidoscope and had to try it...it just clashed with my skin tone. i also tried Gold Fiction, but no nail polish is worth 30 bucks to me.
Anonymous, you're very welcome!
ReplyDeleteAnonymous, I totally understand. I have Vamp, and it's nice, but there are so many more interesting Vampy colors by all the cheaper brands. I have Black Satin, too, and it's identical to Zoya Raven! Out of all my Chanels, the only one I don't regret buying is Kaleidoscope. *sigh*
Thanks for the suggestions. RBL ship internationally, and read you post about the book which looks great. Might buy that as a set which will be cheaper than one np from Chanel...
ReplyDeleteI had the same CS problem with a cable company once. I had to keep rescheduling the appointment for them to fix my cable because they would call when they got there, only they were calling the WRONG number. And each time they would SAY they had fixed it, only they clearly hadn't.
ReplyDeleteAne Kristine, the book is great, I'm sure you'll love it!
ReplyDeleteAnonymous, isn't that obnoxious? I think it's more work to lie about it than to actually FIX the problem in the first place!
Hi Scrangie!! I really like the look of these colours but at that price.... !(prolly more in the UK too:-()
ReplyDeleteWhat would you say are the closest dupes of these from say CC, CG or OPI?
Not Zoya though, unfortunatly they are $18 over here without shipping, the gossip collection sampler is $80!!! Elodie looks so beautiful too! :-( :-(
Hey Carla G! While not completely exact, some reasonable (and reasonably priced!) dupes would probably be:
ReplyDeleteL.A. Sunrise: China Glaze Solar Power or OPI Need Sunglasses? (both are a tad darker and maybe a little brighter?)
L.A. Sunset: Essie Cantaloupe, Essie Unforget-A-Ball, CND Kumquat Dahlia
Melrose: China Glaze Sexy Lady (I'm not too good with pinks, forgive me!)
Rodeo Drive: OPI Do You Lilac It?, Misa Shop Till U Drop, China Glaze No Way Jose, China Glaze Coconut Kiss, RBL Purple Haze
Those are the closest ones I have in my collection, but there may be better ones that I don't have! Hope this helps :)
Scrangie, you're the best!! Again thank you, you're the guru of polish!! What would we do without you!! Lol!
ReplyDeleteTotally O/T but from your about me I see that you like H.P Lovecraft, I've got his Necronomicon collection but to be honest I've found his old school writing a bit hard going. :-( I'm a huge fan of Graham Masterton & Brian Lumley though, who have both done Lovecraftian style books, just wondering if you have read either of them? If not I can give you some recs if you'd like, payback for all the questions I've asked you! :-D
Carla G, Thank you!! :D :D :D I love to help!
ReplyDeleteAnd, no, I haven't read them! They sound fascinating... I'd love some recs, I'm *always* looking for something new to read :) How awesome- thank you!
They are both fairly little known, even though they have been published for over 20 years... Brian Lumley does short stories in the style of Lovecraft, Beneath the Moors & other Dark Places being one book, for me though his Necroscope series (about 20 books altogether) is fantastic, it's about Vampires but from an alien planet, I couldn't begin to tell you the synopsis properly, there are really good reviews on Amazon though. And Graham Masterton is awesome, all his books are different, from Vampires to demons to ghosts, genies, sphinxes, cannibal cults, he's amazing! Prey is very similar to Lovecraft's dreams in the witch house, it's a brilliant read but my absolute fave is The Doorkeepers, it's about parallel worlds. I'm re-reading it now! Also Black Angel is a good one, but probably one of the most gory. Masterton is definatley not for the feint hearted, i've never read anyone more graphic! You can get them all pretty cheaply, but I'd definately recommend you to get Necroscope & Prey to start with. Hope you like them! :-)
ReplyDeleteITA!
ReplyDeleteI played in to all the hype,& the fact that would "sell out in minutes" well, they are still available lol
They are NOT unique or even that pretty imo
The yellow & orange are the micest,the orange is a twin to Orange blossom which I have,& the yellow is 98% twin to Orly Spark,which I have too.
BOO Chanel! & why the 25$ price tag?
Carla G, most excellent! I think I might hit Amazon.com today ;-) THANK YOU!!! These sound awesome!
ReplyDeleteShammy, I totally agree. I mean, I wouldn't have a problem buying these if they were around OPI price, but $25?!?! WHY????
In retrospect I think CC Pink Flame is similar to Sunset
ReplyDeleteI meant melrose..sorry
ReplyDeleteI bought LA Sunset, Melrose, and Rodeo Drive.
ReplyDeleteHow many coats do you have on your nails?
Your swatches look so muted! For me with 2 coats the colors are like neon bright, especially LA Sunset which looks orange instead of a pretty salmon like in your pics. What's the deal? How do you get the colors to look like that? Are they brighter IRL and just don't show up in the pics?
Hey Beautylover :) All are two coats except for L.A. Sunrise which is three coats!
ReplyDeleteI feel like these are pretty accurate to how they look on me in real life- they seem very muted to me! Perhaps it's just my skin tone skewing the color? The pictures are taken in direct sunlight, so they might be a touch washed out, but not significantly so.... So maybe it's just how they look against my skin :) I think they would look much more "neon" on a darker skintone than mine, I'm quite pasty :)
AHHH I see now. I am tan so these colors look so much brighter on me. It totally sucks. I bought these looking at the swatches thinking they would be really muted and pretty. Unfortunately on me they look neon! Talk about a waste of $87.50! I am so pissed! I had no idea they would look so much brighter on me.
ReplyDeleteBeautylover, You might like the new Rescue Beauty Lounge colors Square Pants, Bikini Bottom and Starfish Patrick! All of them have a beautiful muted quality to them :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for the tip scrangie. I don't have any rescue beauty lounge polish. I guess I will eventually have to fork over the $18 and get one. Are the polishes only available at rescuebeauty.com? IS that where you get yours? Any place to get it for cheaper?
ReplyDeleteBeautylover, I get mine from Rescuebeauty.com, but I've also gotten them from BeautyHabit.com which often has really good discount codes (a while ago I got some for 25% off, and there's usually a 10% off code floating around!). You can also get them from Amazon, which I've heard has free shipping after a certain point. Rescue Beauty Lounge polishes are the only ones I think are worth the high price :)
ReplyDeleteHi, is there any OPI or ORLY colour that's identical to Melrose and Rodeo Drive? Thanks
ReplyDeleteYeah, it's not for every one.
ReplyDelete