First Impressions: L’Oréal Le Vernis à L’Huile

Before I left for a trip to the UK in July, I compiled a list of nail polish lines and brands not currently available in the US that I knew I wanted to check out while there. These beautiful polishes with an extremely long name topped the list. I will admit, I wanted to try this polish not because I was interested in the new formula or because there were wildly unique colors available, but because the bottle is one of the prettiest things I have ever seen. If I had a vanity, this would be permanently sitting out on it. But besides the beautiful presentation, what is so special about this polish? Read on!

L’Oréal Le Vernis à L’Huile is an addition to their Colour Riche line. It is a nail polish that is enriched with oil (“huile” means oil in French) and is intended as treatment and color all in one polish. They have also redone the brush and stem; the brush is a flat but curved paddle brush for perfect application around the cuticle area and the stem is designed to prevent polish from running and dripping. From manigeek, I learned that the oils in this polish include rose, lotus bloom, camellia seed, and argan. Because of the treatment aspect, it is intended to be worn without a base coat, which is how I wore it here! I chose the color Violet de Nuit, a beautiful rich purple that does not lean too red or blue, falling right in the middle. I did not do an extended wear test and I only wore this polish for 3 days in a row, so I cannot speak to how long it lasts or whether the inclusion of the oils made my nails healthier.

L’Oréal Le Vernis à L’Huile Violet de Nuit, 1 coat

With the first coat, this polish is very opaque! On first glance, it looked fine but there were still some lighter patches. I found the brush to be quite large, so rather than paint on the polish like I normally would, I used a very light touch with the brush and just floated it on the nail. Because of the brush size I used a thicker coat, despite a lot of wiping, but it did not run at all. The formula was excellent and easy to control. Also, the dry time between coats is very good. I thought the oil might cause it to dry more slowly but I did not notice any difference between this polish and others.

L’Oréal Le Vernis à L’Huile Violet de Nuit, 2 coats

Violet de Nuit was completely opaque in two coats! I really have nothing more to say about the formula, it was excellent, even if you accidentally have more polish on the brush than you would like! The polish does have a slight scent to it; I could not smell it at all while I was applying it, but after it dried I shoved my nails right under my nose and got a whiff of something that smelled a little sweet, like Nerds candy, along with a floral tinge that I actually did not find unpleasant (I usually despise floral scents). If you have any scent sensitivities I would not worry too much about the scented aspect of this polish unless you constantly have your nails under your nose.

L’Oréal Le Vernis à L’Huile Violet de Nuit, 2 coats plus Seche Vite

I topped this beautiful color off with top coat because I like to hurry along the drying of any polish and, while the shine was good, it does not compare with the glassy finish of Seche Vite. Because I did not use a base coat, I found that the polish settled a little in my ridges as it dried. Using a thicker top coat masked this completely and gave me a smooth mani.

You’ll be happy to know that this polish did not stain my nails upon removal! I was worried because of the lack of base coat and because it is a darker color, but staining was not a problem at all. I really enjoyed this polish and do wish I had grabbed a couple more bottles (there’s pretty navy blue and olive green that are calling my name). The brush could be a bit thinner for those of us with teeny nails, but I was able to manage it! If you can grab a bottle, you should! They are a pretty addition to your nails and your collection.

If you’re in the US like me, I have some semi-good news: you don’t need to go across the pond to get a bottle, you just need to plan a trip to Canada! Having been there twice (to Niagara Falls and British Columbia), I highly recommend making more of a trip of it than just a drug store run if you can, it is a beautiful place.

What do you think? Have you tried L’Oréal Le Vernis à L’Huile? Do you want to? Are there other L’Oréal polishes you like? Let’s chat in the comments!

xx, Ashley

You can visit L’Oréal Paris UK here. I bought my bottle at Boots.

Advertisement