Vamp Nail Polish

Vamp Nail Polish

Originally "Rouge Noir," Parisian fashion house Chanel launched a dark red and black nail color called "Vamp." It was created to be the same color as dried blood.

Originating straight off of a runway in ‘94, a Chanel makeup artist quickly covered bare model nails with black marker for publicity photos before a show. The artist next created a near black polish for the actual event and forty-five models strutted onto designer Chanel’s runway as photogs and beauty editors noted. The color went public and on to be called one of the most in-demand products of Chanel’s history.

Due to the $1 million dollar sales of the nail polish in that first year alone, Chanel created “Very Vamp,” a browner cousin of the original, and “Metallic Vamp.” Meanwhile, over seven different cosmetics companies imitated (including Revlon with “Vixen” and Essie with “Dark Chocolate Truffle”). This 'it' product also inspired an official Chanel lipstick and liner. The color was worn by Uma Thurman in Pulp Fiction.
At $15, in its first year out, the color flew off shelves of 500 Vamp polish carrying stores. Chanel representative Judy Biasalli even claimed...

"if I had a penny for everyone that wanted Vamp, I'd be rich. It's literally flying out of the store. In my 11 years with Chanel, I've never seen anything like this."

The color was discontinued, but re-released in the mid-2000s. Sells for $23 (2010) as do each polishes of Chanel's Le Vernis Nail Colour line of which there are 18 shades. The site says its "State-of-the-art formula strengthens and moisturizes nails. Unique patented non-spill bottle with wiping action for easy application."