Christian Louboutin Channels Lisa Frank with a $30 Nail Polish

Photo via Christian Louboutin

Christian Louboutin nail polish is crazy expensive. Fifty-dollars-a-bottle expensive. To put that price in perspective: Dior nail polish sells for $27, Chanel and Yves Saint Laurent colours go for $28, and Tom Ford tops out at $35. But those other luxury brands sell their lacquers in ordinary bottles, while Monsieur Louboutin's polishes are encased in pointy objets d'art. These are beauty products that are designed to be beautiful.

Last week, the brand released Loubichrome, a limited edition collection of three chrome-finish colors in shades inspired by a laminated leather called specchio. Loubichrome I is an electric yellow infused with lime green, Loubichrome II is a fiery rosy red, and Loubichrome III is a glistening violet. According to the company's website, the "highly pigmented, super glossy formula achieves in just two coats the effect of 20 layers of traditional lacquer." (Note: I worry about anyone who actually applies 20 coats of nail polish, but that's an issue for another day.)

At $30 for a 0.2 ounce bottle, the Loubichromes are even pricier (per ounce) than the traditional 0.4 ounce colors, but each limited edition shade comes in a faceted glass bottle with a multi-colored chrome carton, and the cap has an iridescent finish. It's the luxury embodiment of a Lisa Frank acid trip.

The collection is sold out online, but a staffer at the Louboutin store (29 Maiden Lane in Union Square) tells me they still have a few bottles left in stock. Scamper over to grab yours before they're gone.

And when you exhaust your 0.2 ounce supply, hot glue the bottle to a headband and wear it as a unicorn horn. Because, damn, these bottles need to be celebrated in all their oil-slick rainbow glory.