Chanel Frenzy #559 Le Vernis - Fall 2012

Chanel Frenzy #559 Le Vernis ($26 US) is one of three new nail lacquers in the Chanel Fall 2012 collection. Previews had been seen earlier this year on the runway (as seen on Cafe Makeup) as being an ultra-light flesh-toned grey. Frenzy is indeed a very pale cool-toned grey with a hint of lilac. In the bottle it looks more greige with a hint of beige. On the nails for my olive skin tone, the color turns cooler and pulls a slight pale lilac. Coverage is very good with two thin coats. Application is easy. Formula has medium coverage. Definitely not sheer but also not full coverage. For me pigment was rich enough to cover entire nail (no white showing underneath).

I pulled a few comparisons for reference. When you compare Frenzy to other shades that might be similar, the color in the bottles for most of these look different. However on the nails, they look similar, there are just slight variations in undertone but it could be my olive skin. I found Chanel Frenzy to be very similar to RBL Grunge (slightly warmer and pinker) and Le Metier de Beaute Faraday (slightly more lilac with shimmer). Comparisons show this might be somewhere in between Rescue Beauty Lounge’s Grunge and Jane. (I do not yet own Jane, but see comparisons on All Lacquered Up and Cafe Makeup.) I was only able to swatch a few on the fingers, I’ve run out of nail wheels. Comparisons below show some true beige nudes like Chanel Beige and some lavendars to show that Chanel Frenzy is more of a cool-toned pale grey with a bit of lavendar, but also has slight beige tones mixed in.

Bottom line I love it. Even though it’s not quite entirely unique and doesn’t have the dazzle that Black Pearl, Graphite or Delight possess, Frenzy is elegant, polished and subdued. I found the collection at Bergdorf Goodman. I hear the collection should roll out to all Chanel counters in the next week.