Le Métier de Beaute Nail Lacquer Review – including the summer 2012 shade Penny Lane

This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may receive a small commission, at no cost to you, if you make a purchase.

A Love letter to the Luxurious Lacquers

photos: we heart this

Recently I wrote that nail polishes are an excellent place to scrimp and save. Bold and beautiful collections that perform well can be purchased at the corner drugstore. Why, I asked, would one choose to spend close to twenty dollars on the latest, greatest color when one could approximate any trend for under five? Sheer silliness, I said.

Then, as if to smack my beauty-product-obsessed face, a couple bottles of Le Métier De Beaute Nail Lacquer find their way to my collection and I am reminded of what luxury nail color looks and feels like.

Le Métier de Beaute translates to “the craft of beauty,” and craft they do. Known for partnering with couture and ready to wear designers (and other fashion pundits of great acclaim), their nail lacquers are creamily divine in consistency, rich in wear and perfectly in tune with the symphonies playing the runways of Paris, Milan, London and New York.

We heart this took a look at four colors from the ever evolving collection of hues and I received two incredible specimens of high fashion nail lacquer:

True Romance, a shimmery bronzed taupe, must have received its name due to it being over-the-moon dreamy. The consistency of the polish itself is almost like that of a rich lotion. There is no dripping, no thinning. The color deposits eye-catching, multidimensional shimmer in one coat. I rarely find a shimmer polish that can do this.

Though this isn’t marketed as a “one coat” polish, but when you see the price tag ($18), this will be an important fact to ponder. I also loved how this shimmer didn’t separate, maintaining an even, molten quality in the bottle and on my nails. Oh yeah, this stayed virtually chip-free on my nails for over a week.

Snappy Dragon, a super saturated bluish-pink (from the the Limited Edition Spring Haute House Hues collection) is my new favorite color due, in part, to the fact that the great and powerful Oz—er, Senior Vice President and Fashion Director of Neiman Marcus, Ken Downing—says it should be. A strong, saturated hot pink, Downing created this to complement to rich floral prints of the spring runway, as well as the English Gardens that inspired them.

Once again, one coat deposits a glossy, nearly neon stain that is to-die-for. Two coats look like true lacquer (disclaimer: trying this at home may result in a beauty coma). This will be on my toes all summer long. Like one would expect, this is also chip resistant for over a week.

Penny Lane, a new hue for Summer 2012, is a bright and bold burnt orange that is “reminiscent of women sun bathing in Ibiza.” This one would look amazing on your fingers, while sipping an umbrella cocktail, at any water side locale.

Mais Oui, is described as a bright, snowy white but it’s clean, opaque formula works as the ultimate summer white as well.

All this greatness gave way to a nagging doubt. Call it the devil’s advocate of many a critic. Is there a fatal flaw of this seemingly perfect formulation? Considering that these were such phenomenal performers, could it be that these were the nail polish equivalent to achingly high, muscle-pinching-hammer-toe-inducing stilettos? Were these “bad for me” beauty?

Because of the non-peeling, non-chipping formula and dreamy consistency, I finally started to wonder if those wretched nail polish additives: Dibutyl Phthalate (DBT), Toulene, and Formaldehyde Resin were hiding in my perfect polish. Happily, I found that they are not. On trend, and somehow crafting incredibly performing luxurious product, Le Métier de Beaute is also Big 3 Free. Whew. Pure awesomeness seems to be their only ingredient.

Pros:
• Long Wear (advertised as up to 14 days)
• Rich, no-drip consistency
• One coat does the job (two makes it spectacular)
• Fashion-forward colors created with the consultation of some of the world’s great design icons
• Smooth finish with no streaking, no dragging
• No DBT, Toulene or Formaldehyde Resin

Cons:
• At $18, this is a splurge
• Snappy Dragon is a limited edition! What will I do next year??

Comparing these nail lacquers to lower-end brands is, to borrow from fashion, like comparing H&M to Chanel. I‘m happy to wear both, but close-up no one is going to be fooled.

Ladies, can you afford a little splurge for luxurious couture nails?

Disclosure: This review includes products that were provided by the manufacturer/PR firm for our consideration. It also contains an affiliate link, a link that gives us a small commission if you purchase the item. For more info, or any questions, please see our disclosure policy.