Late to the Party

Yes, late. Not tardy. This is Chanel nail polish we're talking about after all - I can pop my pinky out as I hold my teacup and at least attempt to have some semblance of refinement.

I am specifically speaking of the minty robin's egg pastel hue known as Novelle Vague 527.  These first two photos are from The Cherry Blossom Girl.  Alix, the ridiculously stylish French lady who runs the blog, got her hands on it as did many others.  But not me.  I waited.

And I waited far too long, it seems, because I learned on Friday, after speaking with two different employees at two different Chanel makeup counters, this specific nail polish is sold out company-wide and world-wide.  You cannot get it anywhere.  Well, maybe eBay, where last I checked bids are starting at around a hundred dollars.  This is what I get for waiting until the last possible minute to decide on whether or not I like something.

I spoke first with a gentleman at Nordstrom, but then rallied myself for a quick trip across the street to Neiman Marcus, where this particular Chanel counter employee told me the same sad story.  Gone. Sold out worldwide.  I thanked him and turned to go, but as I was walking away, he called out after me.

"Did you know that is the exact polish Liza Minelli wears in Sex and the City 2?"
I spun around. Now this guy was speaking my language.  I walked back to him.
"No, I did not!"
"It's true!" he said. "You have to look really fast or you'll miss it, but she does."

Isn't it a wonderful world we live in where I can walk into Neiman Marcus feeling dejected over Chanel nail polish and walk out having bonded with a new comrade in Liza-dom and her greens nails which she also sported in Cabaret, thankyouverymuch. 

Which was a subject we of course discussed as well.

So. With a slightly less heavy heart I trudged to a beauty supply store, where row upon row of teeny nail polish bottles in every color of the rainbow stand at attention.  My mission was to fake it, find an imposter, and go on with my day.  The one that came the closest was Essie's Mint Candy Apple.  The lady behind the counter dryly remarked that everyone who couldn't get Chanel Novelle Vague was buying this one.  I can't decide if that made me feel better or worse.

And now for some gratuitous shots of this Essie polish in action, featuring a low-rent version of Alix's spellbinding tableaus, as well as photos of freshly pedicured toes slipping into blush colored shoes.