Beauty: nail polish that stays put – The Guardian

I know from your social media messages that a large number of you love Chanel’s nail colours, but have been frustrated by their longevity, or lack thereof. I’ve always concurred. The truth is, I can think of no brand as consistent in its beautiful colour choices – I invariably gasp whenever a new collection drops through the letterbox – but it’s rare that I actually wear the polishes unless for special occasions when I’ve made peace with the fact that my manicure will die sooner than my hangover.

This is especially disappointing given that Chanel polishes cost about the same as an evening’s babysitter. And so when Chanel got in touch to say they knew of the problem and had reformulated their nail polishes accordingly, I was intrigued and hopeful. To cut to the chase, the new Longwear Nail Colour is a huge improvement.

In week one, I wore Le Vernis Particulière underneath the new Le Gel topcoat (£18 each). Both went on brilliantly (though those hoping for a new wider brush will be disappointed) and dried unusually quickly. On day six, I had a single chip that could easily have limped past the week mark, but I had somewhere posh to go and whipped it off. Next I tried the new Chanel polish with a different topcoat, Revlon Colorstay Gel Envy (£7.99), and got four full days of chip-free colour. And so while I concede Le Vernis varnishes are still a big extravagance, I can assure you Chanel is working a lot harder for your cash.

Related: Beauty: are ‘miracle’ products any good? | Sali Hughes

Also on a long-lasting tip, I know from your feedback that many of you want a foundation for oily or menopausal skin that stays put without looking flat and dry, and I can finally recommend one. MAC Pro Longwear Nourishing Foundation (£25.50) has good coverage, a great shade range (as with all MAC foundations, those beginning with NW are pinky, those prefixed with NC are more yellowy, and I find they generally darken a fraction post-application, so do try before you buy) and while I don’t agree that it’s fully waterproof – it went patchy in the shower – it handles sweat, humidity and rain robustly and unwaveringly. Likewise, Nyx’s Waterproof Mascara Top Coat Proof It! (£5.50). I’ve always used a much pricier version to convert normal mascara into waterproof, but this is every bit as good for the price of a cheap umbrella.