Ready to try out red nail theory? We reviewed Chanel’s new Christmas nail polish

Chanel’s le vernis has been part of the brand’s cosmetic offering since 1994. Spanning a huge range of seasonal colours, there’s an ever-growing collection of shades, from classic black to punchy pinks, blues, greens and reds.There are currently 34 colours available on the Chanel website, and the three new additions for this year’s Christmas collection include super lune, clair de lune and etoile.DesignThe Chanel le vernis bottles have an instantly recognisable shape. Coming in a cube-like form, their design is different to the regular round bottles from other brands, and the removable lid leaves them with a solid structural shape.The classic colours of Chanel packaging are black and white. The clear glass bottle features the Chanel lettering at the base and a white interlocking ‘C’ logo on the lid, brandishing the brand’s marks from all angles.Read more: Best red lipsticks for a standout poutBut, coming under the Christmas collection, this bottle is black and gold, separating it from the standard shades with a festive-toned logo on the lid. Although, the shape hasn’t changed, meaning it can still sit alongside any of the other Chanel polishes you may have already, creating a uniform bathroom cabinet.FormulaChanel’s nail polishes are famous for their strong pigment, and this one was no exception. Just one coat was enough to have an even layer of colour, but two coats really gave it that solid shade.Coming to the colour – online, it looks more like a vibrant, lighter-toned red than it is in real life. The true tone is actually quite a deep, almost burgundy shade that we actually preferred for the winter months. So, don’t be surprised if the shade isn’t exactly how it looks on the website.Read more: We tried Chanel’s new No.1 de Chanel beauty lineIt’s also seriously shiny. So much so, the brand doesn’t recommend using a top coat, claiming just a base coat and two layers of the chosen nail lacquer are enough to keep a long-lasting high-shine colour, which our tester found to be true.The full list of ingredients can be found on the Chanel website or on the back of the box, but its formula is known to be ‘five-free’. This means the polish has no formaldehyde, dibutyl phthalate, toluene, formaldehyde resin or camphor, which have been known to trigger asthma and are counted by many as toxic ingredients. So it’s only a good thing that these are gone from this formula.Ceramides and bioceramics are also included, to help strengthen the natural nail, lengthen the wear time of the product and prevent the polish from chipping.The applicationAs with all Chanel le vernis, the square lid easily pulls off to reveal a rounded, ridged brush handle underneath. This makes it easier to hold, even with sweaty hands, as our tester knows all too well.Read more: Best body oils that will leave you with soft, supply skinThe brush is thin and long, covering between half and a third of each nail (depending on size) in one go and can be easily moved to reach small areas and line the tips of the nails too.As for the polish, it’s thin enough to easily apply yet leaves a streak-free finish that really wowed our tester. Of course, you need to keep the lid firmly sealed to keep the consistency, as with any nail polish, it can dry out and get tacky if left out too long.We didn’t bother with a top coat, and Chanel claims you don’t really need one, although it will help keep the colour from chipping or wearing away.Drying time was around 5-10 minutes for the first coat, and we left the second coat for around 20 minutes, just to be sure it was completely dry before running the risk of smudging. The longer you leave it, the better.The resultOur tester has been using the polish for around one week now and has received a huge number of compliments on the colour. It’s incredibly easy to apply – even for those who aren’t well-versed at painting their own nails – thanks to the consistency and the punchy pigment.At around three days, we had to add another coat, to keep it looking fresh. That took us to around one week’s worth of wear before needing to remove and start again, so we can’t really complain about the length of wear. Although, a top coat is sure to stretch this out even further.