CHANEL’s most enigmatic shade is writing a new chapter. Rouge Noir—the deep garnet polish that reads as a red that’s almost black, a black that’s almost red—is being reintroduced in 2026 as an exclusive makeup collection, expanding far beyond the nail lacquer that made it a legend.
Rouge Noir’s origin story is pure fashion folklore. The shade was created in a late-night burst of experimentation on the eve of CHANEL’s 1994/95 Autumn-Winter Ready-to-Wear show, when Dominique Moncourtois, Heidi Morawetz, and Karl Lagerfeld tested nail colours to give models a sharper, moodier finish. The result: a perfectly calibrated garnet tone that echoed a quietly iconic reference—the burgundy lining of the 2.55 handbag.
What was meant to be a one-show detail quickly became a signature. By 1995, Rouge Noir arrived in CHANEL’s LE VERNIS lineup and took off globally—hailed as daring at first, then cemented as a classic.
“Vamp” in the U.S.—Rouge Noir everywhere else
The shade also has a lesser-known alter ego: in the United States, Rouge Noir was introduced under the name “Vamp.”Different label, same magnetism—an in-between colour that refuses easy definition, with hints of magentas and softened pink undertones shimmering beneath its near-black surface.
From iconic polish to full-face statement
Now, CHANEL is expanding Rouge Noir into a multi-product wardrobe designed to be worn across the face. Developed by the CHANEL Makeup Creation Studio with Ammy Drammeh (a member of the COMETES COLLECTIVE), the 2026 collection reframes Rouge Noir not as a single shade, but as a spectrum—moving from red-black depths into deep magentas, with complementary tones designed for eyes, lips, and cheeks.
Expect a range that plays with contrast:
-
Eyes: rose-grey accents and satiny mauve-brown nuances
-
Lips: a lineup spanning purplish pink, brick brown, mauve-beige, and the signature Rouge Noir
-
Cheeks: vibrant magentas intended to bring heat and life to the palette’s darkness
The idea isn’t “all dark, all the time,” but modulation—smoky eyes with quieter lips, or the reverse; dramatic depth sharpened by softer, unexpected neutrals.
A new dialogue with Nana Komatsu
To mark this reinvention, Rouge Noir is also being reimagined through the gaze of Japanese actress Nana Komatsu, positioned as the collection’s contemporary muse—enigmatic, modern, and perfectly at ease in that space between classic and rock ’n’ roll.
Three decades after it first appeared backstage, Rouge Noir is once again doing what it does best: slipping past clichés, changing with the light, and proving that the boldest icons don’t shout—they linger.
For more information please visit:
