The Latest Layering Polishes- Sally Hansen Hidden Treasure & Chanel Illusion d'Or

We interrupt the planned subject of this blogcast with this breaking news:

I have some swatches for you!

Let me tell you about my two new best friends: Sally Hansen Hidden Treasure and Chanel Illusion d'Or. They're kind of a big deal in the nail polish world right now.

You might be wondering exactly WHY they are such a big deal. Wait until you see these pics, and all will be illuminated.

TONIGHT'S CAST:

-On my index finger, we have Wet 'n' Wild Black Crème under a thick layer of Sally Hansen Hidden Treasure (henceforth known as SH HT--you want to stick an "i" in there, don't you?!).

-On my middle finger, we have WnW Black Crème under Chanel Illusion d'Or (IdO).

-The ring finger has Rescue Beauty Lounge Orbis Non Sufficit (RBL ONS- are you keeping up with all of these acronyms?) with a thick layer of SH HT on top.

-Pinkie finger: RBL ONS with IdO on top.

-Thumb: WnW Black Crème with a THIN layer of SH HT on top, so you can see the difference.

BEAUTIFUL, aren't they?

Time for a close-up!

Funky angle to show you the full spectrum of awesome!

Finish:

Hidden Treasure is what is known as a "flaky" (or "flakie"). It is not made up of glitter or shimmer; instead, the polish consists of thin opalescent flakes in a clear base. They're almost the texture of gold leaf.

Illusion d'Or has no flakes. Instead, it consists of gold micro-glitter in a clear base, with what appears to be small blue-ish purple hexagonal glitter pieces mixed in. These glitter pieces are duo-chrome, which means they flash one color in one lighting or angle, and a second color in a different light or angle. The effect is very subtle, though, as you can see in these pictures.

Application:

Illusions d'Or- The application of this polish is actually quite easy. It's not too gloopy or runny, and the brush places the polish exactly where you want it to go. I can apply this without needing to clean up afterward (a huge plus!)

Hidden Treasure- I had never used one of Sally Hansen's new "Complete Salon Manicure" polishes before, so I was quite surprised to see how fat and chunky the brush on this polish was! And it still applies well; I was pleased with how much control I had over that chunky brush. Keep in mind, though, that I have big nails- the nail beds are long. Applying Hidden Treasure might be more difficult if you have very small nails.

Picture comparison of the two brushes:

Here's the tough part: where does one find such beautiful lacquers?

Sally Hansen Hidden Treasure is part of the new Tracy Reese collection for the SH Complete Salon Manicure line, and so far it has only been spotted at Walgreens, a Meijer, and a few Rite Aids, and the locations that have it are mostly in the Midwest or California. Hidden Treasure should eventually be coming to CVS, Wal-Mart, etc.--but you'll have a bit of a wait. Retail price is $7.99, but many places sell them cheaper.

Chanel Illusions d'Or is a Limited Edition polish from the Orient Extrême collection (seen at the 2010 Paris-Shanghai Ready-To-Wear show!) that is only sold online at chanel.com or in specialty Chanel boutiques, and it costs $25.

Are they worth it? Personally-yes. The ease of application, beautiful finish, and versatility make these polishes a good buy, even at these prices. Splurging on Chanel is not for everyone or every budget, though, so definitely consider that Sally Hansen Hidden Treasure for your bling-y layering needs.

What do you think? Which polish do you like better?