This is pretty much the only shade we’re planning on wearing this festive season
Rouge Noir: not quite black, not quite red but timelessly cool. One of Chanel’s house ‘icons’, along with tweed, quilting, pearls and beige , ‘rouge noir’ is a garnet toned shade, a hue favoured by Coco Chanel herself and originally incarnated in a nail polish 20 years ago.
Le vernis rouge noir has been a firm favourite of fashion darlings for decades, and superstar manicurist Marian Newman to this day declares it as her polish of preference, so it’s only fitting that intense and sexy Rouge Noir has come into its own with age. The cult ‘18’ varnish has inspired an entire Holiday 2015 collection, and the eye offerings in particular have us hot under the collar. A iridescent Illusion d’Ombre lights up any eye colour, inky, matte Le Crayon Khôl smoulders along the lashline and a black cherry hued Volume de Chanel mascara has a hint of shimmer to up the ante on party eyes. Less flat than black but not as bold as bright colour, Rouge Noir has that je ne sais quoi quality, in spades.
It’s not just eyes that reap the Rouge Noir rewards in honour of the shade’s birthday; there’s also a Rouge Noir inspired lip and cheek edit and a very jazzy topcoat. Le Topcoat Lamé is pure revelry in a bottle; it’s as if the original Rouge Noir let loose on the tinsel, lit some sparklers and threw itself a party, which is wholly appropriate given the occasion. We say get involved.
Chanel Collection Rouge Noir Absolument Holiday 2015 Makeup Collection , from £18
Love hearing about the latest makeup launches? Never miss a beat by signing up to our newsletter
Follow me on Twitter @AnnaMaryHunter and Instagram @AnnyHunter