Nail of the Day: Chanel Le Vernis Nail Colour in Bel-Argus

Happy Friday, everyone! If you've been following my blog recently, you'll know that I've been no stranger to blue makeup of late. When I got a sneak peek of Chanel's new L'ete Papillon de Chanel Summer 2013 collection last month, I was instantly struck by the beauty of Bel-Argus, a stunning metallic blue nail polish. When I attended a makeover at the Chanel counter a couple weeks ago, I was happy to finally bring it home with me!

To be specific, Bel-Argus is a highly pigmented somewhere-between-navy-and-electric blue with an intense shimmery, metallic finish. Although the rich blue is the most prominent colour in the polish, there is also subtle (but totally beautiful) teal and purple shimmer throughout, which makes the shade quite complex and unique!

It comes in a weighty, rectangular glass bottle that bears the chic aesthetic inherent in all of Chanel's products:

Here's a shot of of the polish in the bottle, which gives you a sense of the shimmery, metallic formula:

Most of the photos I took did not pick up the subtle purple and teal shimmer in this shade, but the flash used in the photo below does reveal that this is no ordinary blue!

The formula of this polish is near opaque. Two thin coats are all that's needed! In combination with Revlon base and top coats, Bel-Argus wears incredibly well with minimal chipping for days!

My manicure might look slightly uneven and messy, but this has much to do with my hurried technique, rather than with the formula itself. The polish applied quite easily, with minimal streaking. It really was a pleasure to use, which is no surprise given that it's made by Chanel! 

And yes, I did go a bit photo-crazy with this one, but Bel-Argus really does look slightly different in every light. So here are a few more shots to give you the full idea of how lovely and complex this shade is:

Overall, I couldn't be happier with this shade. Bel-Argus really is the answer to those who doubt a blue nail polish could also be chic. It really is a sophisticated, fascinating blue. I can't stop staring at my nails! In my opinion, this is the true star of the L'ete Papillon de Chanel collection. So glad to have it in my stash :)

Did any of you snatch up Bel-Argus? What are your favourite blue-toned nail polishes for Summer?

Thanks for reading!