Susan's Web

Call it the Gen Y effect. The garishly colored nail polish that used to be the province of goth girls, emo kids, skater punks, and other “marginalized” youth subcultures has broken out into mainstream culture. Blue, gray, green, and even black nail polish has become quite accepted across a wide range of women – regardless of age or job category.
 

Part of the credit goes to Chanel Makeup’s global creative director, Peter Philips. His seasonal nail shades are such a hit that they are as hotly pursued as Chanel’s trademark handbags. While he admits he didn’t admit that he didn’t invent orange or green polish, he does claim that by lending Chanel’s well-established and much loved brand cachet to these colors, they gained credibility. Philips said that Chanel’s brand is so powerful that “[i]f Chanel makes a surfboard, it’s cool. Not every brand can do that.” Indeed. The power of Chanel really brought nail color independence to the marketplace. This is a far cry from the 1990s which championed a ‘natural look.’

Now, there’s another shift in makeup trends and nail polish look. The trend is to go back to a well-made-up look and nails are going into a whole new dimension. Chanel is once again leading the change in tastes. Although most people can’t just go and pick up a $4,000 Chanel jacket, most people can afford a $27 Chanel lipstick. The packaging carrying the iconic Chanel colors and logo is a very accessible luxury. With this in mind, keep an eye out for Chanel’s 2011 color initiative – metallic smoky colors. As for new nail polish trendy shades – iridescent shades like Peridot.