Christian Louboutin Loubichrome Collection

The Loubichrome collection from Christian Louboutin came out at the very end of 2016/very beginning of 2017.  Three lacquers in beautiful heavy glass bottles with rainbow colored handles in stiletto shaped points.  These are smaller than normal Christian Louboutin lacquers, at only 0.2 oz while other Christian Louboutin polishes are 0.4 oz.  This also changes the price point, so each of these lacquers are only $30US instead of the regular price point of $50US a bottle.

The second these were available, I bought them from Nordstrom's website.  I got them as soon as possible (with free shipping)...and then immediately set them on top of my desktop to stare at them for a month.  Or five....

These beautiful bottles hold frosty flecked lacquer that is a unique blend of a foil-like finish featuring a frosted, silvery look.  The rainbow-lidded glory of these lacquers may have one thinking that the lacquer inside would also be rainbow-like and feature holographic polish, but that is not the case.  None of these polishes are holographic.  They are neither holographic, duochrome/mulitchrome, nor are they opalescent.  Instead, the frost/foil finish adds an extra dimension to the yellow, red, and purple color of the lacquer.

no base coat, 3 coats of Loubichrome I, no top coat

Above is Lubichrome I.  It is the most sheer polish out of the three lacquers, and needs three or more coats to cover any visible nail line (VNL).  

This yellow is an interesting hue reminiscent of lemon-lime, with a tinge of green that makes this polish unique in any collection.  The frost look in the frost-foil finish of these polishes seems to also be the strongest with this polish, where the visible brush strokes are present on the nail far after the polish has dried.

no base coat, 2 coats of Loubichrome II, no top coat

Second in the collection is the red lacquer, Loubichrome II.  The frost/foil finish makes this red-hued polish look very pink on the nail in certain lighting.  Visible brush strokes were minimal, and the foil-effect is much stronger than any frostiness that this finish may have, making this polish more wearable than Loubichrome I.  The pink-red hue is suspended in a silver, foil base, giving the metallic particles within the polish a high shine through the pink-red base.

no base coat, 2 coats of Loubichrome III, no top coat

The last in the Loubichrome collection is Loubichrome III.  This purple hue is such a nice, vibrant color.  The finish of this polish is very similar to Loubichrome II, where the foil finish shines through to create a metallic purple polish that consists of silver microparticles in a purple base.  The final effect when this polish dries is a sparkling purple lacquer with a high silver shine.

One word of advice I will give with this lacquer is that you definitely need to wear a base coat with it.  When swatching I tend to try out most colors without using a base coat to see how they work by themselves without some type of smoothing base underneath.  After swatching this polish, I wore it for three days straight, and when I took it off my nails were stained yellow-orange wherever the polish had been.  This is why a base coat is vital.  You don't have to buy Christian Louboutin's base coat to use with these polishes, but I do recommend using your own favorite base coat to prevent staining.

As I've found with other Christian Louboutin polishes, these lacquers were very easy to apply, helped on by the long handle of the bottle.  Furthermore, I found these to be the easiest handles to wield because of the smaller handle/bottle size.  This makes me wish that more Christian Louboutin lacquers were available in these 0.2 oz sizes!

As of posting, on 10 June 2017, these polishes are still available to buy on the Saks Fifth Avenue website!  No need to pay scalpers on eBay for exorbitant prices, when these are still available from an official retailer! Yay!

Christian Louboutin Scarabee Collection

The Scarabée collection from Christian Louboutin contains three nail lacquers in duochrome shades.  From 2015, the lacquers - Scarabée I, Scarabée II, and Scarabée III - were designed to be reminiscent of the relics of ancient Egypt, featuring jewel-toned colors and gold-toned lids in heavy-weight glass bottles.

First in the collection is the gold-to-red multichrome.  In most lightings this polish is a duochrome featuring a burnished red-copper color with a strong orange shift.

no base coat, 3 coats Scarabée I, no top coat

In low lighting, this polish really shines.  The strongest multichrome shift out of the three lacquers in this collection, in the shade of midday, the yellow-gold, orange, and red of this polish are all clearly visible.  In the photo below, the only changes that were made to color were to color-correct the white background.  That is the actual multichrome color shift you can see in real life!

no base coat, 3 coats Scarabée I, no top coat

While Scarabée III is a multichrome in the bottle, it is very hard to capture the gold-to-blue shift.  Instead, the main gold color is what is seen in most lightings, with a hint of green around the edges.  (The blue is almost visible if you hold your nails at unnatural angles.)  Still a very beautiful polish featuring a true gold color.

no base coat, 3 coats Scarabée III, no top coat

The second polish in the collection, Scarabée II, features the weakest color shift of the three lacquers.  This is a teal-blue polish that shifts to darker blue around the edges.  The purple shift that is visible in the bottle is never quite visible on the nails in any lighting or at any angle.  What is nice about this teal-blue color is the bright blue-green shade that sparkles in the sunlight when under direct lighting.  The darker color seems to make the blue-green glow from within.

no base coat, 2 coats Scarabée II, no top coat

There is something about the bottle design that not only makes these lovely lacquers to have in any collection, but the longer handle makes wielding the brush easier, thus making nail polish application easier.  The quality of these polishes is good and tends to be consistent throughout the whole collection.  Scarabée II only needed 2 coats to be opaque, while Scarabée I and III needed 3 coats, but none of the polishes need a dark base color for any of the duochrome/multichrome color shift to be visible.

Unfortunately, these colors are no longer available through regular retailers like Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue, and Christian Louboutin stores.  You can still find them on eBay and other online resale avenues, so check there if you're interested!

Rouge Louboutin by Christian Louboutin

Hello!  It's been a while, so let's dive right into a beautiful, classic red polish released by a company known for its iconic fashion line (and now its iconic beauty line):

Rouge Louboutin by Christian Louboutin

The tallest of the nail lacquers available from Christian Louboutin, at 8 inches tall with a unique stiletto handle that speaks to the origins of this nail polish line.  For what is Christian Louboutin most famous for, if not the red sole of their high heels?

base coat, 2 coats Rouge Louboutin, no top coat

 This lacquer is made to be opaque in one coat, and by wearable standards it is exactly that.  Only with a macro camera lens is the nail line/edge visible at 1 coat of polish.

base coat, 2 coats Rouge Louboutin, no top coat

This polish features a high gloss shine, so no top coat is necessary if you'd prefer to forgo one.  Each swatch shown here is without top coat.

base coat, 2 coats Rouge Louboutin, no top coat

 One of the best things about Rouge Louboutin may be the stilleto handle and how easy it is to paint with.  Neither the width nor the length of the handle are unwieldy, and are in fact, easier to polish with than the short handles found on most modern day nail polish bottles.

base coat, 2 coats Rouge Louboutin, no top coat

As packaging goes, this is one of the most beautiful nail polish bottles around.  The hard cardboard box has a significant weight to it, and snugly hugs the bottle.  The top black lid lifts off around the polish bottle's handle, while the red and black bottom slides off the bottom of the bottle.  The glass bottle itself has a fascinating color gradation from clear at the top to black at the bottle's base.  The stiletto handle - "inspired by the tallest heel Christian Louboutin ever created- the Ballerina Ultima" - feels like it's made out of a solid resin/plastic that will retain its sheen and stand up to constant use. 

Overall, even though the price is currently one of the most expensive single polishes available at $50US a bottle, it is well worth it to invest in a classic red that will always make a statement on any dressing table or vanity.