An edgy interpretation of classic pink polish, this innovative nail colour is formulated with special powders to leave a shine-free, matte finish.
Pink Rubber is the item that I’m not thrilled with mainly because I don’t like matte or velvety nails. My first instinct when I put it on was “I hate it” – the matte finish is just something I can’t get into. This one is such an interesting concept though as it dries to a gel-like rubber matte finish. Coverage is just perfection with two coats though which I find very rare for pale pastel polishes. Most apply like a streaky mess and require 3 coats to smooth out or are just very sheer. The exceptions are Dior and Tom Ford from my experience. The first coat of Pink Rubber can be a streaky mess but the second coat fixes everything to a perfect soft baby pink.
I think it photographs well but in real life it just looked odd to me. The finish is something you have to see in person to truly understand the velvet finish. I think it can easily be fixed by adding a glossy top coat.
I was once fitted for a head-to-toe latex suit in a fetish shop. I was to play a superhero in a TV advert (sadly it never happened because I got the flu, if I remember rightly) and I needed to be rubberised – everything from the neck down – for my superhero costume. It was quite the experience – talcum powder all over to get the blasted thing to go on, and then double-shoulder-dislocation in order to get it off again. I needed two people to help me in and out and – let me tell you – it does not show off your body at its best angles when you’re contorting it to try and release your thighs from their sausage-skin casings.
Anyway, I’ve started off on a tangent as usual. I wanted to go in straight with a rave about Chanel’s new limited edition nail polish, Pink Rubber. My goodness, this is satisfying stuff: the palest pink shade but in a rubberised finish. Whoever came up with this (I have a feeling it was makeup maestro Lucia Pica) is a bloody genius. Ignoring the obvious batman black, Chanel have gone as pretty as can be but given it a sexy edge. If rubber is the sort of thing that turns you on. Otherwise, we’ll just call it a “modern” edge.
I’m wearing three coats with no top coat here. You could probably get away with two coats if you’re careful, but it dries very quickly and so tends to drag. I needed three coats to even it out completely. That wasn’t too much of a hassle since the speed it dries.
If you want to up the longevity of a matte polish, try adding a quick-dry top coat before the last colour coat – all the benefits and none of the shine. This is actually what I’ve done here, so you can see it doesn’t compromise the matte finish.
I was really surprised that this one suited me – normally most nude shades look horrific on me, with the exception of one or two. But this doesn’t have too many orange/warm tones so seems to suit. It’s verging on mannequin hands somewhat, but not at all horrible.
What do you think? Do you like the matte finish? It’s definitely a non-traditional shade for this season! I was most unsure about this polish, purely because I thought it wouldn’t suit me, but it seems I can add it to my small collection of nude polishes that suit me.
If you prefer a glossy finish it’s no hassle to add a standard top coat. I like Seche Vite personally. But it’s not a particularly unusual shade, so I’m sure you could find a much cheaper dupe with no problem.
Next I’ll be posting about Hyperrose Glass, a bright pink (with blue undertones), an extremely sheer polish. Last up from this collection is Liquid Mirror, a metallic silver.
